Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for A Ghost and His Gold by Roberta Eaton Cheadle. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
A Ghost and His Gold
by Roberta Eaton Cheadle
A Ghost and His Gold
Supernatural Historical
Stand-Alone Novel
Publisher TSL Publications (1/27/2021)
Number of Pages 264 pages
After Tom and Michelle Cleveland move into their recently built, modern townhouse, their housewarming party is disrupted when a drunken game with an Ouija board goes wrong and summonses a sinister poltergeist, Estelle, who died in 1904.
Estelle makes her presence known in a series of terrifying events, culminating in her attacking Tom in his sleep with a knife. But, Estelle isn’t alone. Who are the shadows lurking in the background – one in an old-fashioned slouch hat and the other, a soldier, carrying a rifle?
After discovering their house has been built on the site of one of the original farms in Irene, Michelle becomes convinced that the answer to her horrifying visions lie in the past. She must unravel the stories of the three phantoms’ lives, and the circumstances surrounding their untimely deaths during the Second Anglo Boer War, in order to understand how they are tied together and why they are trapped in the world of ghosts between life and death. As the reasons behind Estelle’s malevolent behaviour towards Tom unfold, Michelle’s marriage comes under severe pressure and both their lives are threatened.
Guest post: Gene therapy and A Ghost and His Gold
Tom, husband to the main character, Michelle, in A Ghost and His Gold, finds himself the target of poltergeist, Estelle’s, extraordinary malice. He meets with an unfortunate accident which leaves his spinal cord damaged and him paralysed from the waist down.
Pastor John convinces Michelle and Tom to try a largely untested form of gene therapy to enable regeneration of the spinal cord and treat Tom’s paralysis. Michelle is wary but allows herself to be convince.
The idea for using gene therapy to treat Tom arose as my interest and reading about the development of gene therapy treatments for cancer patients. I wanted something new and interesting for purposes of this book and gene therapy fitted that requirement. I did some research and discovered there is gene therapy treatment being used to stimulate spinal cord regeneration in paralysed patients.
This gene therapy treats large areas of the spinal cord with only one injection and genetic engineers are now able to switch the gene off when it is no longer needed.
A traumatic spinal injury causes dense scar tissue to form which prevents new connections being made between nerve cells. The gene therapy causes cells to produce an enzyme called chondroitinase which can break down the scar tissue and allow networks of nerve cells to regenerate.
I think that genetic treatments are very progressive and exciting and I was interested in the research that went into this section of my book.
Extract from A Ghost and His Gold
Pastor John had listened carefully and been supportive of everything she’d said.
“Your timing is fortunate, Michelle,” he said at the end of their second lengthy telephone conversation. I have a colleague from the USA currently visiting me here in South Africa. He is a pastor, but he is also a genetic scientist who decided his talents would be better spent doing God’s work than making pharmaceutical companies rich. He’s developed a new treatment for paralysis involving gene therapy for spinal cord regeneration. I discussed Tom’s case with Pastor Luke, and he’s prepared to try to help Tom before he returns home in a few days’ time.”
“This is unexpected. How does it work?”
“I don’t know the details, but it involves an injection into his spinal cord. The injection is followed by a series of physiotherapy treatments using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS, to control the pain as the damaged nerves start to regenerate. I understand TENS works by delivering small electrical impulses through electrodes that are attached to the patient’s skin. These electrical impulses flood the nervous system, reducing its ability to transmit pain signals to the spinal cord and brain.”
“Can’t we get this treatment for Tom though his current doctor? Surely there are genetic scientists here in South Africa who could perform this treatment for him?”
“Gene delivery strategies are a new area of medicine, Michelle. Pastor Luke is an extraordinarily intelligent man and I believe that his being here now, just when Tom needs him, is an intervention by God on Tom’s behalf.”
“I don’t know what to say. It sounds like a wonderful opportunity and I’m sure Tom will jump at it if you recommend it. The alternative is a long period of paralysis with a chance of recovery many years from now.”
“He many never run and jump again,” Pastor John said, “but Pastor Luke believes he’ll be able to get about with the aid of a walking stick.”
A few days later, Tom gave Pastor John his go ahead for the treatment and the die was cast.
An intense and strong personality, Pastor John had determinedly pushed aside any further worries she’d expressed during subsequent conversations; even her concern about how he would get the staff in the rehabilitation facility to co-operate with this unorthodox brand of treatment.
About Robbie Eaton Cheadle
Robbie Cheadle has published nine books for children and one poetry book. She has branched into writing for adults and young adults and, in order to clearly separate her children’s books from her adult books, is writing for older readers under the name Roberta Eaton Cheadle.
Robbie Cheadle’s Sir Chocolate children’s picture books are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions that children can make under adult supervision. Her books for older children also incorporate recipes that are relevant to the storylines.
Roberta Eaton Cheadle’s supernatural stories combine fabulous paranormal elements with fascinating historical facts.
Children’s picture books – available as a square book and an A5 book (co-authored with Michael Cheadle):
Sir Chocolate and the strawberry cream story and cookbook
Sir Chocolate and the baby cookie monster story and cookbook
Sir Chocolate and the sugar dough bees story and cookbook
Sir Chocolate and the Condensed Milk River story and cookbook
Sir Chocolate and the Sugar Crystal Caves story and cookbook
Sir Chocolate and the Fondant Five story and cookbook
Sir Chocolate and the Ice Cream Rainbow Fairies story and cookbook
Middle school books:
Silly Willy Goes to Cape Town (includes five fun party cake ideas)
While the Bombs Fell (co-authored with Elsie Hancy Eaton)
Poetry book:
Open a new door (co-authored with Kim Blades)
Supernatural fantasy YA novel:
Through the Nethergate
Supernatural historical adult novel:
A Ghost and His Gold
Horror Anthologies (edited by Dan Alatorre):
Spellbound
Nightmareland
Dark Visions
Wings & Fire
Paranormal Anthologies (edited by Kaye Lynne Booth):
Spirits of the West
Whispers of the Past
Murder mystery Anthology (edited by Stephen Bentley)
Death Among Us
Follow Roberta Eaton Cheadle at:
Website https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/
Blog https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19631306.Roberta_Eaton_Cheadle
Twitter https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5
Purchase Links – Paperback: https://tslbooks.uk/product/a-ghost-and-his-gold-roberta-eaton-cheadle/ – https://amzn.to/3sqtkBH
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A Ghost and His Gold TOUR PARTICIPANTS
May 3
Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 4
This Is My Truth Now – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
May 5
I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
ebook addicts – SPOTLIGHT
May 6
Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST
Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 7
Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 8
Brooke Blogs – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 9
Kyrosmagica– REVIEW
Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 10
Novels Alive – GUEST POST
Baroness’ Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
May 11
Christy’s Cozy Corners – GUEST POST
May 12
Thoughts in Progress – SPOTLIGHT WITH RECIPE
Carla Loves to Read – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
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Hi Christy, thank you for sharing this post and supporting my book tour.
You’re welcome! Thanks for stopping!
It looks like a good read.
Looks like an interesting book.
Thanks for the contest.