Nancy Fraser's Eye of the Pharaoh's Blog Tour with a Spotlight, Excerpt, Guest Post and Giveaway

 

I am so excited to have Nancy Fraser here at Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews with a Spotlight and Giveaway.

Thanks Nancy and Goddess Fish Promotions for allowing me to join your Eye of the Pharaoh Blog Tour!

Please take it away, Nancy!

Guest Post

Out of the Shoebox and Into a Book

Like most authors, I’m often asked how and where I get inspiration for the books I write. I like to think a lot of what I put into my books comes from personal experience. Not so much the steamy love scenes, or otherwise I’d probably still be married. Most often, my characters’ personalities and story lines come from somewhere in my past. Usually, the more off beat the better.

The perfect example of using life experience resulted in the first book I ever sold. Many years ago, I worked for a large medical center in the very heart of a big city. One night on my way home I stopped at a red light. A man stepped off the curb and came to stand in front of my car. The neighborhood was dangerous, and I was terrified. I thought, if this man pulls a gun on me, I’m going to run him over right here in the street. No ifs, no ands, no buts! Instead of drawing a real weapon, he whipped open his coat and he was stark naked underneath. I began laughing, so hard in fact I think I insulted him. He got angry, closed his coat and stomped away. That ridiculous incident became the beginning of Courting Trouble, first published in November, 1996. And, because of that incident and that book, this month I’m celebrating twenty years as a published author.

I remember telling that story at a writer’s retreat and one of the ‘younger’ participants bemoaned the fact that she must have led a sheltered life because nothing exciting had ever happened to her. As a writer, you should never assume you’re too young to have had a book-worthy experience. On the other hand, don’t be afraid to use the stories handed down over generations as well.

When my mother passed away a few years ago, I was cleaning out her house and found a shoe box filled with what most people would consider junk. Not the writer in me. The writer saw every item for what it was: a story waiting to be written. From the ten cent card of pearl cluster buttons to the book of ration stamps from WWII, everything screamed RESEARCH ME, PLOT ME, WRITE ABOUT ME! My creative mind just knew there was at least a half dozen stories in that one box of junk.

The experiences don’t have to be your own. The next time you’re out of fresh ideas, if you’re lucky enough to still have grandparents ask them to recount one of the silliest, or most dramatic, events of their early lives. Chances are not only will you get a new story idea, but you will have also brightened their day and yours!

As for this book, Eye of the Pharaoh, the premise of the book evolved out of a number of experiences. First of all, an unscheduled but thoroughly entertaining visit to the Field Museum in Chicago. Their Egyptian exhibit is fantastic. It sparked an interest in me that evolved into months of research. Unfortunately, the hard work was to be put on hold in favor of a joint project with a writer friend, but I'd always intended to return to it.

Then, a couple of years later, I received a bequeathed gift from a beloved aunt ... an Egyptian-themed necklace. This aunt knew nothing of my interest in ancient Egypt or my plan to write a romance set there. She’d said in a note she’d left with the necklace that...for some reason...the piece of jewelry made her think of me. I took that as a sign that I was meant to write this book.

You can never tell where an idea will come from but yet, as writers we need to have an open mind and accept that everyone and everything has a story to tell. As readers, we must be willing to occasionally look outside our comfort zone for books that don’t fit into our usual reading niche.

Eye of the Pharaoh
by Nancy Fraser
GENRE: Time Travel/Paranormal

BLURB
Publicist Teri Hunter has her hands full promoting Professor Joshua Cain and his new non-fiction book, The Pharaoh’s Mummy. She’s not even sure it’s possible to turn this absent-minded, modern-day, Indiana Jones into a best-selling author.

Dr. Cain’s PhDs in archeology and art history have prepared him for almost anything on the lecture circuit and among ancient ruins. He’s just not sure about a book tour...or the sexy publicist sent to monitor his every professional move.

When an odd request falls in their laps while in New Orleans, Josh and Teri find themselves transported to 1920’s Egypt where they must resolve an ancient curse in order to be sent home. Will the dangers facing them hinder their success and threaten their very lives? Or will help from an other-worldly guardian keep them on-track and safe? 

Excerpt

A cool breeze brushed across her skin, pulling her back toward wakefulness. She smoothed her hand across her forearm and felt tiny goose bumps beneath her fingertips. She turned her head from side to side and opened her eyes. The sight greeting her sent her heart rate into overdrive.

“Who are you?” the woman asked.

Teri pressed her eyes shut tight in an effort to dispel the vision, to wake up from what was obviously a dream. When she opened her eyes again, she could make out the faint image of a woman standing at the foot of her bed.

She should have been frightened, paralyzed with fear in fact. But wasn’t. Instead, she found herself struck by the woman’s classic beauty. Her jet-black hair hung in a straight frame around her face, falling just short of her waist. Her huge dark eyes were rimmed with black eyeliner. The flowing robe she wore was a plush cloth of deepest purple, trimmed in gold thread. The expensive garment hugged her ample curves.

“I’m Teri, Teri Hunter.”

“From where do you hail, Teri Hunter?”

“Excuse me?” The woman’s speech seemed stilted, as if she struggled with the English language. Rather than answer her question, Teri asked, “Who are you?”

“I am Anukahaten, guardian of the queen-Pharaoh’s tomb.”

“You’re the guardian of Hatshepsut’s tomb?” Teri asked. The urge to pinch herself awake was overwhelming, but not as tempting as the thought of asking a few more questions before she did.

“Yes. It is so. Many years ago, I failed my queen and now I struggle to make things right.”

“I know about the stone,” she admitted, “and the curse. Can you tell us where to find the statue?”

“I only know it is here, close to Cairo, but I know not where.”

“Can you at least tell me what it looks like, so we’ll know when we’ve found it?”

“It is barely as tall as the length of a man’s hand,” Anukahaten began, “no bigger than a . . .”

Anukahaten’s vision began to fade, her voice trailing off, interrupted by an insistent tapping, an intrusion Teri wanted desperately to ignore. 

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Like most authors, Nancy Fraser began writing at an early age, usually on the walls and with crayons or, heaven forbid, permanent markers. Her love of writing often made her the English teacher’s pet, which, of course, resulted in a whole lot of teasing. Still, it was worth it.

Published in multiple genres, Nancy currently writes for four publishers. She has published twenty-two books in both full-length and novella format. Nancy will release her 25th book in early 2017. She is currently working on a Valentine’s Day novella, her next Rock and Roll novella, and a story about a racy Scot titled “Kilty Pleasures”.

When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five wonderful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.

Media

Website: www.nancyfraser.ca

Blog: http://nancyfraser.ca/wordpress/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nfraserauthor @nfraserauthor

Facebook: http://facebook.com/nancyfraserauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7206382.Nancy_Fraser

GIVEAWAY 

Nancy Fraser will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f1951

Please follow the rest of the tour here, thanks:

https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2016/09/vbt-eye-of-pharaoh-by-nancy-fraser.html