Shadows of Ghosts
by Stefan
Haucke
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Shadows
of Ghosts carries readers to Enara, a kingdom at war with itself, where for
centuries centaurs have been treated like animals because of their horse-like
lower bodies; they've been forced to work as slaves in the southern
agricultural provinces, and have been bought and sold like livestock. But a
strong abolitionist faction has convinced many that centaurs' human torsos,
heads, and intellectual abilities make them humans, who should be liberated
from slavery and granted the same rights as any other person.
After
four years of being forced to live in a remote village and having to keep his
real identity a secret, Cal Lanshire, days away from his thirteenth birthday,
is given the best birthday present he can imagine. He is told the war is almost
over and he will soon be allowed to return home.
But
then an old acquaintance unexpectedly arrives with news that changes
everything. Cal's father, the king, has been assassinated.
Suddenly
the outcome of the war and the very fate of the kingdom depend upon Cal being
able to reach the capital where he will take his father's place.
With
only his crafty best friend by his side and an escaped centaur slave to guide
him, can Cal make it through an enchanted, hostile wilderness, past the
assassins sent to kill him, and back to the capital before it's too late?
EXCERPT:
Cal walked on the bridge. With each step he took, he could
feel the wooden planks under his feet gently bow from his weight, and he could
feel the bridge casually sway like a dance partner each time he moved. The wind
that was keeping the mosquitoes away seemed stronger now that he was on the
bridge. Somehow he felt both afraid and overwhelmingly calm.
“Hurry up, slowpoke!” Mont shouted.
A beam of sunlight pushed through the clouds, and at the
same moment Cal felt the planks disappear from under his feet, he felt himself
being thrown to his right. One of the bridge’s rope handrails had suddenly
snapped, and this caused the bridge to violently twist to one side. Cal had the
strangest sensation that he was flying. He felt as if he was ascending to the
sky, not tumbling downward.
The water slapped him, stinging his face, and then quickly
engulfed him. He was blinded by the water’s murkiness; he could barely see the
filtered light from above. His clothes absorbed the water and made him heavy.
He felt as if invisible hands were reaching out in the darkness, grabbing his
clothes, pulling him down. He was tempted to relax, to allow himself to sink.
But no, he wasn’t ready for the darkness. Cal kicked his legs, bringing himself
up toward the light.
When his head broke through the surface of the water, he
inhaled and blinked the dampness from his eyes. Ellsben was waving wildly at
him and shouting, “Swim! Cal, swim, swim, swim!” Mont was running toward the
river, but Ellsben grabbed him by the back of the shirt, stopping him. Mont
screamed Cal’s name.
Several long, black snakes slithered into the river. Once
the snakes were in the water, Cal could no longer see them, but he knew they
were coming toward him. On the other side of the river, behind him, he knew
snakes were also slithering into the water.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Stefan
Haucke, driven by the desire to learn about other cultures and the need for
adventure, has traveled to over twenty nations. He rode a camel near the
pyramids in Egypt, swam with sea lions in the waters of the Galapagos Islands,
climbed the Great Wall of China, hiked near the Acropolis in Athens, went dog
sledding in northern Michigan, and photographed polar bears in Canada.
Along his
many travels, Stefan has successfully worked as a deckhand, a shepherd, a
dispatcher for an emergency services unit, an electric meter reader, and an
office manger. He has also found the time to study the literature and history
of ancient Greece, Russia, and the United States, and loves reading folktales,
fairytales, and urban legends. He also enjoys astronomy, and on clear nights
can be found gazing at the stars and planets with his telescope.
My website:
http://www.stefanhaucke.com/
My GoodReads
page:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7567224.Stefan_Haucke
My Book can
be purchased on:
Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Ghosts-Stefan-Haucke/dp/0615902502
Kindle
Edition
http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Ghosts-Stefan-Haucke-ebook/dp/B00H9XIJX6/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=
Barnes &
Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadows-of-ghosts-stefan-haucke/1117690625?ean=9780615902500
Indie Bound -
Independent Bookstores
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780615902500
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card at the conclusion of Stefan's tour. Use the link below to enter. You can find his tour schedule at http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/09/vbt-shadows-of-ghosts-by-stefan-haucke.html
