{Author Guest Post + Giveaway} Rochelle Staab of Who Do, VooDoo?

Please welcome a special guest author Rochelle Staab, who is here to talk about her upcoming novel Who Do, Voodoo?

A big Thank You to Seeing Night Reviews for letting me stop by to talk about my novel and offer a giveaway. Don’t forget to leave a comment with your email address to be entered to win a copy of Who Do, Voodoo?

My inspiration for Who Do, Voodoo? came one night in Hollywood as I stood on a busy sidewalk waiting for a restaurant valet to deliver my car. An “OPEN” sign flashed in the window of the psychic reader shop next door. I glanced inside, curious. The shop was empty. No fortune teller at a table with a deck of cards or crystal ball, no customers waiting for their destiny to be revealed or curses to be lifted. I began to imagine a fictional mystical reader behind the red-velvet curtain at the back wall, an exotic woman dressed in golden robes. But would she be gifted, or a guesser like Whoopee Goldberg in Ghost? And if she were a charlatan, could anyone prevent her from exploiting the easily deceived?

On my way home that night, still thinking about the psychic shop, I envisioned an occult private eye—a renowned expert in alternative belief systems—who assisted the police in investigating paranormal related crimes. When I began to write the story, the occult private eye became Nick Garfield, a religious philosophy professor traveling the world to explore alternative belief systems, occult worship, and supernatural theory. And on the side, assisting LAPD in crimes with an occult twist. As a foil to Nick’s scholarly and esoteric viewpoint of the mystical, I created Liz Cooper, a skeptical psychologist forced to solicit Nick’s aid even though she believes the supernatural is sheer baloney. Liz attempts to keep Nick grounded in scientific fact. Nick prods Liz to open her mind. Who Do, Voodoo?, Liz and Nick’s first adventure into Los Angeles subculture, begins with a tarot card and leads to murder and a voodoo curse.

WHO DO, VOODOO?

When Liz Cooper’s friend Robin Bloom finds an unusual tarot card tacked to her front door, Liz writes the card off as a prank. But Robin refuses to ignore the omen—her late husband drew the same card, the Three of Swords, in a reading the night before he was killed in a car accident. As more cards and darker threats appear, Liz realizes someone very dangerous is upping the ante.

Liz turns to her brother’s former college roommate, occult expert Nick Garfield.  As Nick guides her into the voodoo community to locate the origin of the deck, their attraction to each other grows. But Liz and Nick’s search leads them to a murder, and Robin becomes the prime suspect. Determined to clear her friend, Liz has to join forces with Nick to unravel otherworldly secrets and seek help from beyond—or risk being outwitted by a scheming killer.

BUY LINKS: http://rochellestaab.com/novels.php

TEASER:

A chill of anticipation washed through me…

Madame Iya’ rocked back and forth, shaking a small brass rattle. “We humbly ask you to send the spirit of our beloved Sophie to join us.” A full minute passed then Madame Iya’ spoke again. “Sophie is here.”

A candle popped. Shadows flickered on the walls outside of the circle. A draft swept across the floor and flickered the flames of the candles. I thought I saw a shadow move behind Jimmy and Tawny. I brushed away the sensation that someone else was in the room with us. I tensed up. 

“Nola. Sophie wants you to publish her spell book.” Madame Iya’ let out a deep sigh. “She wants me to help you complete it.”

Linda’s body went rigid. She clenched her hand over mine and began to rock. She spoke in a deep and insistent voice; a voice I didn’t recognize. “No. I don’t want that. My secrets have to be protected. There will be danger. No.” 

“What are you talking about, Linda?” Nola said.

Linda stared across the room. “Linda’s not here, my treasure.”

“Who are you?” Nola’s words came unsteady, searching. “Sophie?”

“Not Sophie. I’m Callia.”

The back of my neck tingled. Who was Callia? Linda gazed around the circle. She stopped when she got to me. Her face had changed: the softness drained from her features. She looked tired, older. Her eyes were vacant. A small terror edged my rational mind aside. I had a fleeting sensation that someone else’s eyes were staring at me from Linda’s face.

“You have to keep my secrets safe and with my family. Your question is answered inside.” She held her eyes on mine. “Promise me.”

I nodded warily, not knowing what she meant. “I promise.”

A door down the hall slammed shut with a force so hard it rattled the windows. Tawny screamed. I jumped. 

 

Rochelle Staab, a former award-winning radio programmer and music industry marketing executive, blended her fascination with the supernatural and her love for mystery in WHO DO, VOODOO? the first novel in her Mind for Murder Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime. BRUJA BROUHAHA, the second novel in the series will be released in August 2012.  
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Ends Nov. 30th