"A young curandera, a medicine woman, intent on uncovering the secrets of her past is forced into a life-and-death battle against an evil Archbishop. Set in the mystic land of Aztlan, the Unholy is a novel of destiny as healer and slayer. native lore of dreams and visions, shape changing, and natural magic work to spin a neo-gothic web in which sadness and mystery lure the unsuspecting into a twilight realm of discovery and decision."
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Loup Dargent
About 'The Unholy'
Book Excerpts
Book Excerpts
Excerpt #1
“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.
About Paul DeBlassie III
Excerpt #2
For many years now, the Montoyas had been privileged with access to the
quarters of Archbishop Anarch, whom they considered a veritable Christ on
earth. To be granted a private audience was a privilege afforded few, and those
so privileged showed their gratitude and from then on never ceased behaving in
the expected manner lest they lose favor and have to endure the consequences.
For instance, the Vigils, a family of fine repute, politically well-connected
and above reproach in matters of social standing and financial stature, had
dared question the need for their annual gifts to the Ecclesia Dei, some saying
an amount typically exceeding six figures. Mr. Vigil had raised an eyebrow
when the archbishop, behind the very doors the Montoyas were soon to enter,
had gently, in his godlike manner, stated that the amount of years past was
no longer sufficient and had to be increased to a flat 10 percent of the family
corporation’s annual profit. It was well known throughout Aztlan that the
Vigils were one of the wealthiest families in the area, scuttlebutt having it that
their worth exceeded that of the entire Ecclesia Dei of the Southwest, perhaps
nearing $1 billion. After Mr. Vigil’s casual reaction betrayed resistance to the
archbishop’s demand, a succession of bad things happened to the Vigils, beginning
with the unfortunate death of their first grandchild before the infant
could be baptized and continuing with the death of Mr. Vigil’s mother without
a priest arriving in sufficient time to provide the last sacraments to ensure that
she avoid eternal hell fire, as well as numerous other spiritual tragedies. It was
only with restitution to the Almighty that the terrible occurrences ceased.
The Montoyas knew why they had initially been summoned over seven
years ago. It was because of their love of the Almighty and the Ecclesia Dei and
their devotion to each other. The archbishop noticed such things and rewarded
those of extraordinary virtue with a special apostolic blessing. The rest, the
financial proceedings, were just a routine matter.
Benito Montoya lightly stroked the back of his wife Isabel’s hand and
smiled tenderly. He felt badly about his behavior the previous night. It rarely
ever happened anymore, in spite of what she said. Once or twice a month was
not bad. Only a year ago it had been more frequent. Besides, the bruises on her
arms and back didn’t last that long and usually nobody noticed. Any Sunday
parishioners who raised an eyebrow were quick to look away for fear of displeasing
two of the highest-ranking lay leaders in the Ecclesia Dei.
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Paul DeBlassie III, Ph.D., is a psychologist and writer living in Albuquerque who has treated survivors of the dark side of religion for more than 30 years. His professional consultation practice — SoulCare — is devoted to the tending of the soul. Dr. DeBlassie writes psychological thrillers with an emphasis on the dark side of the human psyche. The mestizo myth of Aztlan, its surreal beauty and natural magic, provides the setting for the dark phantasmagoric narrative in his fiction. He is a member of the Depth Psychology Alliance, the Transpersonal Psychology Association and the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy.
Links
- website: www.pauldeblassieiii.com/
- facebook: www.facebook.com/theunholy.deblassie
- twitter: twitter.com/pdeblassieiii
- blog: pauldeblassieiii.blogspot.com/