Welcome to Day Seven of the Fairies, Myths, & Magic II Book Tour!
For Your Enjoyment:
* I’ll share a review of my favorite book from my host’s list.
* Something from or about Fairies, Myths, & Magic II (follow the link below).
Please leave a comment on my hosts’ sites, and your name will be entered into a drawing for a $15 Amazon.com gift certificate.
Come back daily to colleenmchesebro.com to find the links to my host’s blogs. This book tour runs from December 1 – December 13, 2022.
🎄 Day Seven: Off we go! 🎄
Robbie Cheadle’s Blog: Robbie’s Inspiration
About the host:
Robbie Cheadle is an avid reader, book reviewer, and an accomplished author and poet. She’s also a mother and a wife, a chartered accountant, and a baker extraordinaire, who creates amazing cakes and confections. I don’t know how she does it all!
Her fondant art is amazing! Check this out: How to Make Fondant Art
Robbie has published poetry books and anthologies Here. You will find her writing poetry for the #TankaTuesday challenges when she can take some time for herself from her busy schedule.
From her About Page: “Roberta Eaton Cheadle is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors, including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.
Roberta has two published novels:
* Through the Nethergate, a historical supernatural fantasy; and
* A Ghost and His Gold, a historical paranormal novel set in South Africa.
Roberta has eleven children’s books and two poetry books published under the name Robbie Cheadle.
Roberta Eaton Cheadle / Robbie Cheadle also has short stories and poems included in fourteen anthologies and is a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).
A Ghost and His Gold by Roberta Eaton Cheadle
My Recommendation:
“A Ghost and His Gold,” by Robbie Cheadle, was a pleasant surprise. The author takes us to South Africa, where Tom and Michelle Cleveland have recently purchased a house in the town of Irene. During a housewarming party and a chance encounter with a Ouija board, readers are drawn back to the era of the second Boer War where Great Britain’s army tried to regain what it lost in the first war. Somewhere along the way, the lure of gold and riches sets the stage for a ghost adventure like no other!
The Ouija board proves to be the catalyst that opens the door to the past. Michelle is the most receptive to the spirit world. When the others shrug off the temperature changes and the exploding bottles, Michelle senses the ghostly presence.
The next day, she researches the local history of the area and specifically the house they live in. Michelle makes some interesting discoveries, not only about the house but about Tom and how he lived the year before she met him. By the time Estelle (a supernatural ghost) makes her presence known, Michelle and Tom have collapsed into a paranormal hell.
Writing about ghosts can be tricky, and this author handles the paranormal aspects of the book well. Supernatural ghosts always have a past agenda to work through. They remain on the earthly plane until their personal trauma or unfinished business is resolved and they can pass into the light. Estelle, the ghost, makes Tom the target of her ire as the reader witnesses his descent into madness.
The historical aspects of the book are as well presented as the paranormal aspects. Cheadle retells the bloody horror of the Second Boer War in all its graphic detail. This history cements the different aspects of the story joining the past and the present into a cyclical supernatural event.
In the end, the story is really about family. We learn the story of the Boer farmer, Pieter, and his daughter Estelle’s tragic life. Estelle’s story is truly unforgettable. Be mindful that emotional abuse and trauma within family relationships could trigger some readers.
This book was so much more than a ghost story. It’s a complex read, dealing with many themes that mirror the present-day, including racism, rape, family issues, and much more. I struggled with my feelings throughout the book, and it felt like I had embarked on a roller coaster of emotion. However, I will not forget the characters, or what I learned about the Second Boer War or the history of Africa. I found the book to be an excellent read!
A Ghost and His Gold on Amazon.com
If you have a chance, head on over to join the Yule Blessings book tour for Fairies, Myths, & Magic II at name’s blog: Robbie’s Inspiration
🎄Happy Yule!🎄
Colleen M. Chesebro 