Freed Slave Becomes Hero: Rom and the Promised Land Published by Outskirts Press

Sept. 25, 2011 - PRLog -- Outskirts Press, Inc. has published Rom and the Promised Land by Avon Acker.  The author's most recent book to date is a 6 x 9 paperback in the African American historical fiction category and is available worldwide on book retailer websites such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  The webpage at www.outskirtspress.com/Romandthepromisedland was launched simultaneously with the book's publication.

At the age of five, slave Rom Decker is freed by his owner.  Blessed with a good mind and remarkable physical skills, he becomes a valued employee to the white family who freed him, and who educate him.  Not fully understanding the plight of black slaves, Rom cannot understand why the slaves allow themselves to be so badly treated, and he develops contempt for his people.

After the Civil War, Rom is outraged by the way the freed slaves are drawn back into virtual slavery through the demeaning practice of sharecropping, which continues to give white landowners a source of cheap labor.  Rom is determined to rescue as many sharecroppers as possible from the bondage of the big landowners.  He knows that escaping from repression is extremely difficult, and he is ready to use his courage, intelligence, and all the resources he can muster to save his people and lead them to a new beginning in Arizona.

There are many obstacles to overcome -- savage Indians, racial prejudice, harsh terrain – but Rom keeps his eyes on the “promised land.”  Along the way, Rom finds a new faith in his creator, allowing him to accept the personal tragedies that occur.  

Author Avon Acker brings the passionate commitment and breadth of vision of both a scholar and a storyteller to Rom and the Promised Land, creating historical fiction that educates and entertains.  Readers will come away enlightened not only about the mismanaged Reconstruction years following the Civil War, but also about how those struggles continue to challenge Black Americans in their quest to integrate into American culture.

289 pages in length, Rom and the Promised Land is being aggressively promoted to appropriate markets with a focus on the African American historical fiction category.  With U.S. wholesale distribution through Ingram and Baker & Taylor, and pervasive online availability through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and elsewhere, Rom and the Promised Land meets consumer demand through both retail and library markets with a suggested retail price of $17.95.

Additionally, Rom and the Promised Land can be ordered by retailers or wholesalers for the maximum trade discount price set by the author in quantities of ten or more from the Outskirts Press Direct bookstore at www.outskirtspress.com/bookstore.
ISBN: 9781432770709   Format: 6 x 9 paperback cream   SRP: $17.95


For more information or to contact the author, visit www.outskirtspress.com/Romandthepromisedland.

About the author:

Avon Acker is a lifelong resident of East Texas and a graduate of East Texas State University.  He has been married to his wife Beverly for fifty years; they have three sons, six granddaughters and four great-grandchildren.

About Outskirts Press, Inc.

Outskirts Press, Inc. offers full-service, custom self-publishing and book marketing services for authors seeking a cost-effective, fast, and flexible way to publish and distribute their books worldwide while retaining all their rights and full creative control. Available for authors globally at www.outskirtspress.com and located on the outskirts of Denver, Colorado, Outskirts Press represents the future of book publishing, today.