Jerry Leake

Sand and Ceremony Jerry Leake

"Don't look back," Ganyo whispered. "If you do, everything will turn bad." The voice of my drum teacher echoed in my mind as we made the midnight trek up the path. I was scared by what he said, yet strangely tempted to look back at the lake where we had conducted the juju ceremony... ____ In this novel of self-discovery, Boston percussionist Dale Jackson travels to Ghana to study two music traditions. He unwittingly becomes involved in ancient juju ceremonies that directly impact not only his sojourn to Africa, but also affect his life back home. Dale's musical, cultural, and spiritual journey takes him from the tropical coast where the rituals occur, to the arid northern city of Tamale, where strange events threaten to overwhelm him. The dry Sahara winds of the harmattan are the least of Dale's worries as he confronts psychic attacks, haunting spirits, and visions of the dark events that he must face upon his return home. Divided into three distinct sections, Sand and Ceremony places the reader into Dale's unique world, where unknown aspects of the natural and supernatural are fully revealed.