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The Unholy: Searing New Fiction Release Explores the Mysterious World of the Curandera and Dark Side of Religion

From author Paul DeBlassie III, ‘The Unholy’ is a mystical thriller that unlocks the secrets of a long line of medicine women, the violent urges of an Archbishop who is bent with power and greed and the hidden destiny of one woman who seeks the truth about her mother’s brutal murder…

 

Albuquerque, NM -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/05/2014 -- For over thirty years, Paul DeBlassie III has been treating survivors who have emerged – alive but damaged – from the shadowy underworld of religion.

Now, DeBlassie is putting that experience on paper with his new fiction release, ‘The Unholy’.

Telling the tale of main character, Claire Sanchez, ‘The Unholy’ is a spellbinding and horrifying journey deep into the heart of the supernatural, exploring the world of native shamans, spirituality, corrupt churches and murderers. It is also an intimate voyage through Claire’s life, as she reels from the killing of her mother and struggles with her destiny as a ‘curandera’ – a traditional Native American folk healer.

For DeBlassie, the novel is a labor of love – a climax of his decades of forays into the psychological ramifications of evil done in the name of ‘good’, and above all, a riveting peek into a culture that remains hidden from the vast majority of people today.

“You don’t meet many people who know a lot about medicine women or even the prejudice that exists throughout the Southwest,” says the author. “It’s a fascinating universe to unravel for the reader, because I realize that they are learning about it for the first time. Many people have told me that they were not only riveted by the story, but also by the considerable research and knowledge behind it. There’s no greater compliment that you can receive as an author, or as a psychologist. I’ve seen so much – and ‘The Unholy’ is just the tip of the iceberg…”

Synopsis:

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.

Since its release, ‘The Unholy’ has earned glowing reviews.

''Paul DeBlassie III has brought us a richly imagined supernatural thriller set in the high mountain desert of Aztlan, where Claire Sanchez, an herbalist and medicine woman, has come to reclaim her healing heritage and uncover the secrets of her mother's death. The book digs deep into legend, folklore, and the author's own imagination to paint a stirring picture of a traditional curanderismo pitted against the oppressive forces of institutional religious power. Make sure you have lots of time; once you start reading this book, it will be hard to put down,” wrote Stephan V. Beyer, author of Singing to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon

''The Unholy, an excellent novel by Paul DeBlassie III, keeps the reader engaged throughout in mystery, suspense, and church politics. In addition to vividly depicting the beautiful landscape and culture of New Mexico, it exposes and strengthens the traditional work of the medicine women of the Southwest. I am looking forward to Dr. DeBlassie's next book,” wrote Eliseo ''Cheo'' Torres, author of Curandero: A Life In Mexican Folk Healing, professor, and university administrator

''Paul DeBlassie III has captured the energy and challenges of shamanic healing practices in a book that will keep people reading long into the night. Many speak or write about shamanic experiences or skills with no real understanding; Paul, on the other hand, is the real deal. Enjoy a great read!” wrote Jim Graywolf Petruzzi, author of White Man, Red Road, Five Colors

‘The Unholy’ is available now: http://amzn.to/1cr6p0O

About Paul DeBlassie III, Ph.D.
Paul DeBlassie III, Ph.D., is a psychologist and writer living in Albuquerque, New Mexico who has treated survivors of the dark side of religion for more than 30 years. He is a member of the Depth Psychology Alliance, the Transpersonal Psychology Association and the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy. Dr. DeBlassie writes psychological thrillers with an emphasis on the dark side of the human psyche. In The Unholy, 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 lure the unsuspecting into a twilight realm of discovery and decision.