Deal Sharing Aunt: The Dark Bokor by Dianne Hartsock Excerpt, Giveaway, and Guest Post

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

The Dark Bokor by Dianne Hartsock Excerpt, Giveaway, and Guest Post

The Dark Bokor

by Dianne Hartsock

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BLURB:

When it comes to the dark weavings of hoodoo magic, only a few can survive.

It's started. Bodies have been found in the French Quarter, torn limb from limb. The undead have been seen walking. For Detective Matthew Rieves, this is the worst news he can imagine. Having spent his entire life in Orleans Parish, Matt's no stranger to the bizarre. Though, despite the growing evidence, he still has a hard time believing in the occult. But when two hoodoo bokors vie for supremacy, it's the innocent civilians that pay the price.

For Jesse Dalembert, he'd left New Orleans to sever his ties with hoodoo. But when a friend is brutally murdered by the bokor's zombies, he returns, falling at once into danger and into Detective Rieves's bed. With their lives on the line, their simmering attraction flares into a passion they can no longer deny.

Working against time, can the lovers find a way to stop the hoodoo war, or will they fall victim to the dark magic, maybe becoming zombies themselves?

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Excerpt

"Don't move."

Jesse froze, heart pounding in the semidarkness, as an arm like a steel band clamped around his chest, holding him immobile against a hard body. A warm exhale fanned his neck, sending a not-unpleasant shiver through him. The man drew in a breath, nose nuzzled at his nape, and heat pooled instantly in Jesse's gut. S**t. Had it really been that long since he'd been in someone's arms?

The cold voice in his ear thawed with a slight laugh. "At least you don't smell like them. That's something."

Jesse's pulse leaped, and his gaze darted around the small office, searching the shadows. "Are they here?"

"No." A hand tangled in his shirt, jerked him around to face his captor. "But I know your voice. Just who the f**k are you?"

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Dianne is the author of m/m erotic romance, both contemporary and fantasy, the psychological thriller, and anything else that comes to mind. Oh, and a floral designer. If she can’t be writing, at least she has the chance to create with the beauty of flowers and bring a smile to someone’s face. Currently Dianne lives in the Willamette Valley of Oregon with her husband, and both her children have chosen to attend colleges close to home, for which she is forever thankful. You can find out more about Dianne here:

Blog: http://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/diannehartsock

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/diannehartsock

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4707011-dianne-hartsock

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dianne-Hartsock/e/B005106SYQ/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1361897239&sr=8-1

Buy link:

Breathless Press:

http://www.breathlesspress.com/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&cPath=1&products_id=487&zenid=v0920qvi64l3tj2sicg5ea1q77

Guest Post From Author:

A Little Hoodoo History

I've always been a little fascinated with Hoodoo. For over a century, the practice of Hoodoo has been an integral part of the culture in countries all around the world, including the United States.

Stemming from African tribal magic, Hoodoo is currently practiced primarily in the Southern U.S., Haiti and West Africa. This “white magic” of Hoodoo was a welcome counter to the Voodoo practitioners who also originated from Africa and spilled onto Haiti and other Southern Atlantic islands. Much like Voodoo, the quasi-religion was a mix of nature magic and spirit calling that would eventually mingle with the predominantly Catholic religions of the busy city of New Orleans.

Practitioners of Hoodoo will quickly tell you that Hoodoo is spiritual in nature but it is not a religion. There is no established formal practice other than spells and incantations passed down in written form and no clergy to speak of. Nor does there exist a hierarchy among practitioners. Each Hoodoo “witch” or “witch doctor” is completely autonomous.

Common terms like “mojo,” “mojo bag” and similar terms are often used interchangeably with Voodoo practitioners and refer to material goods supposedly ensorcelled to give the user a specific benefit. Hoodoo, in fact, is meant to empower the individual, granting fiscal and physical prosperity, luck in love and gambling and similar self-interests.

Hoodoo derives, however, from a complex system of magic, according to spiritualist Mama Zgobe. "The forest spirits, known as ‘Azzizas,’ were the most evolved guardians of the forest, who first presented themselves to the African hunters, and planters. They taught them the esoteric, medicinal (ahame) use and alchemical properties inherent in the abundance of herbs, trees, roots, minerals and life forms thriving in their mists.

“It was the Azzizas who also taught the African how to make poisons, potions, medicines, and Gbo, ‘ebo’ and ‘boicho/bo.’ Joined with the Azzizas, was the divinity later to be identified as “Legba,” the great messenger of the gods, who also taught the Africans the use of Gbo and transported their prepared requests to the respective divinities.

“The first practical and most extensive use of herbs, amulets and talismans in the forest was for protection from accidents & tropical disease, dangerous animals, repairing injuries, as well as to assure success in their hunt. However, their esoteric use was mainly for protection from jealously, envy, and death by other hunters, as well as protection from the angry spirits of those animals which were killed for food, or by accident during the course of the hunt. From these primary ancestors, eventually evolved a group of specialized priests and priestess known in Dahomey as Bokonons, (geomancers), Azondoto, Zokas, Garbara, Akpases (socerers), and Botonons.”

-Sources: Web article by By Mark Hoerrner

Interesting stuff! I didn't go into this much detail in THE DARK BOKOR but wanted to give the story this feeling of awe and magic and danger and mystery. Hopefully I've succeeded!