Random Musings of a Writer. Book Review of The Unholy

http://www.simplistik.org/lissetteemanning/review-the-unholy-paul-deblassie-iii

Never does a day go by when Claire doesn’t forget about the circumstances that have brought her to where she is now. As the daughter of a murdered curandera, she’s the last of her line. Her mother’s secrets are embedded in her blood, and it’s up to her to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Sadly, the events of the past are something she doesn’t want to repeat. In her mind, she sees what happened so long ago each and every day. She has a hard time in letting it all go. To her, doing so would mean that she’d forget about her mother, and that she cannot do.

When the past starts catching up with her, and unexplained events starts to occur, Claire starts to question her sanity. She also starts to question who and what she is. Though she understands that someone is out to silence her, once and for all, she can’t help but to wonder as to why. Her mother’s death was never truly explained, and she could never figure out as to who was behind it all.

If she’s to succeed in setting all wrongs to right, she’ll need to find the strength within herself to finally embrace who and what she’s meant to be. Claire knows doing so will be difficult. There are things better left in the past. Still, if it means that corruption will finally be wiped out, perhaps doing so will be for the best. As bodies begin to pile up, and the unexpected occurrences escalate, she comes to the realization that no matter how much things hurt, nothing will ever truly be the same. Lives must be saved, and she’ll do everything possible to hold the darkness at bay.

A dark and twisted tale, The Unholy is not for the faint of heart. Paul has written a story that’s deeply thought-provoking, steeped in Native Mexican lore. With every turn of the page, you find yourself immersed in Claire’s plight, always wondering if she’ll succeed in overcoming every obstacle. The story has many set themes, but only one truly stands out. Not matter who and what we are, or what we do, corruption is always there. It’s just up to us as to whether we want to embrace it or not. This is definitely a story worth reading.

Actual Folks, Central Theme, and Guilty Pleasures!

Have you ever based your book or characters on actual events or people from your own life? 

Oh my gosh…the characters in The Unholy are a compilation of so many folks. These are people who suffered under the reign of organized religion. Despair and mental torment threatened their existence. I treated them in psychotherapy, others I knew as associates and friends, and was privileged to witness the unfolding drama of their courageous lives.

Is there a theme or message in your work that you would like readers to connect to? 

Yes…definitely. The theme of The Unholy is Religion Kills. This refers to the dark side of religious experience that is terrifying and can be experienced in the novel as a young woman struggles against overwhelming odds. Religion has stolen from her the very foundation of her emotional life. She witnessed her mother’s murder. Dramatically, this is enacted and stated at the end of the novel as headlines of a news publication reads--Religion Kills!

When you’re not writing what do you do? Do you have any hobbies or guilty pleasures? 

The greatest pleasure for me is in my marriage and family life. Three of our children are married. Getting to know them and their spouses in a new way is an exciting experience. My wife and I are getting to know each other in a new way after having spent so many years raising them. I really dig music, play folk and blues, and am an avid yogi! Life is an unending trip leading to one state of enlightenment after another!

http://creativelygreen.blogspot.com/2014/02/interview-with-paul-deblassie-iii.html

Genres, the Dark Goddess, and Parenting!

Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use. 

I am a psychologist and writer. Psychological thrillers set in the mythopoeic realm of Aztlan are my specialty. They delve into dark regions of mind where good encounters evil, battle ensues, and darkness threatens to overcome light. In The Unholy, as one reader described it,things get going and then they get going stronger and faster and scarier. That’s how I write and how I enjoy telling stories.

Tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release. 

The Unholy will be followed up by The Dark Goddess. In The Dark Goddess the question of whether bad love is better than no love is asked. It takes place in the phantasmagoric realm of Aztlan where dream, visions, and natural magic are everyday happenings!

Are you a parent? 

Kathy and I have been married thirty-six years, have four grown children, two writers and two artists who grew up with the tale of The Unholy. Each of them has said that it’s been strange reading on the page what was told them years back while the novel was in formation. They’re creative individuals with a keen eye and sharp who readily picked up on the shades, shadows, and moments of enlightenment in The Unholy.

http://creativelygreen.blogspot.com/2014/02/interview-with-paul-deblassie-iii.html

Evocative and Memorable!

THE UNHOLY...Softcover and Kindle Edition "...is a riveting presentation by debut novelist, Paul DeBlassie III, Ph.D. Let’s hope it’s not his last.

Dr. DeBlassie captures the essence of evil and weaves a provocative tale around its horrific intentions. This is a dark book. Some of the images so eloquently described will make you shudder. It is also a soulful story, at times warming your heart like a baby’s breath, but often ripping through the delicate flesh with sharp talons.

Claire Sanchez hails from a long line of medicine women. After witnessing the brutal murder of her mother by a cloaked man, she turns her back on her heritage – yet finds it impossible to escape the natural talent inside her. When people around Claire start dying, she’s forced into a battle between good and evil. The malevolent archbishop exercising power to extort pain and suffering reminded me of the Inquisition.

The story takes place in Aztlan, a land clearly influenced by Dr. DeBlassie’s New Mexico surroundings. I enjoyed the Native American/Mayan flavor, in part due to the author’s exceptional ability to transport the reader into this mythical world. While I’m not one to savor graphic violence, I understand the scenes where this occurred served a purpose and successfully added darkness to the story, as well as deepening the psychological impact . . . at least for me.

THE UNHOLY is a novel that will haunt you for days after turning the last page. It’s not an easy read but it is memorable. Evocative. And at times, uncomfortable. Any book with the power to affect me so thoroughly, receives five stars." ---Deb Sanders Reviewer
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+unholy+deblassie+kindle&sprefix=the+u%2Caps&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Athe+unholy+deblassie+kindle

Travails, Magical Happenings, and the Unconscious!

Interview with Pembroke Sinclaire 

http://www.pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-unholy-by-paul-deblassie-iii.html

Q) What inspired you to write this story? 

Over thirty years of treating patients who have suffered from the dark side of religion inspired The Unholy. The travails and dramatic life stories ushered my imagination into a phantasmagoric realm in which a young medicine woman engages in a life-and-death battle against an evil Archbishop. Dreams, such as ones experienced in therapy, and synchronous events, natural magical happenings, inform the healing process just as they guided Claire in her battle against evil!

Q) How long did it take you to write? 

The book was in process for ten years. After years of rejection from other publishing houses, Jim Smith of Sunstone Press in Santa Fe, New Mexico saw it and claimed it. The actual writing took two to three years with edits. The Unholy was its own journey of discovery and natural magical happenings!

Q) What is your favorite thing about writing? 

Listening to the unconscious mind unfold creatively in the form of story, dramatic narrative is fascinating. The characters come alive, speak to you, tell you what to write, what they suffer, their challenges, and their outcome. The Unholy filtered through my waking life, dreams, and ongoing musings during the three years in which it was written. I totally enjoy the life of the story felt within the context of my daily life and inspiration and then taken to paper. 

"Hush now, child."

Excerpt

taken from 

http://www.larissaslife.com/2014/02/bookish-spotlight-unholy-by-paul.html

“Hush now, child,” said a voice she recognized as that of her mother’s

closest friend. “The man cannot harm you, mijita, as long as you are with us.

We will make him think you are dead. But you must be very quiet. Ya no

llores,” the woman warned, raising a finger to her lips.

The woman then carried her into a dark cave illuminated by the light

of a single candle. The cave was frightening, with shadows of what appeared to be goblins and demons dancing on the red sandstone walls. “I will return for you soon. You will be safe here,” the woman said. The girl watched the woman walk away, shivering as a breeze blew through the cave’s narrow passages.

Closing her eyes, she rocked back and forth—imagining herself safe in

her mother’s arms—then opened her eyes to the light of the full moon shining through the mouth of the cave. The shadows on the walls were just shadows now, no longer goblins and demons. As she slipped into a trance, images flickered in her mind. She saw the woman who had brought her to this place scattering pieces of raw meat around the open mesa where her mother had struggled, helped by two other women the girl could not identify.

Suddenly, the scene shifted to a stone ledge jutting over the mesa, and

she heard the pounding footsteps of a man running toward the women. The girl felt her heart race and her breathing quicken, afraid that the bad man would spot them and kill them. Then the image shifted again, and she now saw on the mesa three gray wolves circling the raw meat and the man walking away from the granite ledge. As he left, she heard his thought: The child is dead.

Aztlan, Curanderas, and Faith in The Unholy

Interview with Brent Nichols of Fantastic Adventures:

I get the impression that The Unholy is a book only you could write, because of the setting, and because of your own background. Let's start with the setting. Tell me about Aztlan. Aztlan is the mythopoeic realm of the mestizos (mixed bloods of southwestern United States). I am mestizo. Aztlan is New Mexico, especially  the region of Albuquerque (southern Aztlan) and Santa Fe (northern Aztlan) and extends to the four corners area. Spirits, dreams, visions, and natural magic are woven seamlessly into everyday life.

 Your protagonist, Claire Sanchez, is a curandera, a term which roughly translates as "Medicine Woman." What exactly is a curandera? What led you to choose this occupation for your heroine? A curandera is a healer. She spoke to me as the story evolved, told me who she was and told me of her struggle to find herself. The path of a healer is fraught with danger. She dramatizes the life of so many women and men seeking to face their fears, find themselves, and walk the path of healing, natural magic, and life.

Faith and religion are central themes of The Unholy. You explore the abuse of religion and the conflict that can come from spirituality. What would you say is the central theme or message of Unholy? What impact are you hoping to have on your readers? The central message of The Unholy is Religion Kills. It is made explicit at the end of the tale. News media broadcast Religion Kills as they describe the battle between the evil Archbishop and the young curandera.