by Martha Reed

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook or signed ARC copy of Love Power, and a link to purchase it.

One of the great joys of writing a new mystery series is meeting the unknown cast of characters being introduced into this freshly imagined world. A reader can rely on a certain amount of trust that the author will offer insights into the human condition in addition to creating characters that are interesting enough to follow for 300 pages. An author doesn’t have that initial luxury; we operate on blind faith knowing we can put a final polish on a character through editing.

Luckily for me, in my new Crescent City mystery novel Love Power, I didn’t need to do any of that when I met Babette Broussard, a genuine NOLA voodoo queen since she pretty much stepped onstage fully formed with a sweetgrass basket of Mardi Gras party masks hanging from her arm. Aunt Babette is an elderly lady, old school, and seventy-four years young of Creole descent who is always prepared to share her opinion on almost any topic and, with her true mediumistic skill, with a Tarot deck or Ouija board. I can always ask for her advice and/or any clues when I need to move the plot forward.

I’ve been asked if voodoo is real, and the answer is “yes.” Voodoo is a religion equal to any other belief system that people practice. Haitian voodoo came from Africa by enslaved people. NOLA voodoo is a blend of Haitian voodoo and French Catholicism. Hoodoo, which involves the use of dolls and pins is considered a superstition created to support the tourist industry. I researched it and then let it be.

That said, an oddly curious thing occurred while I was drafting Love Power. In an early birthday party scene, Aunt Babette hands out papier mache animal masks as party favors: a snowy owl, a wild boar with tusks, a sequined covered black cat. At that time while I was drafting, I let Aunt Babette run with deciding who got which mask figuring that I could come back and edit the details later. Then, many chapters on it turned out that the spirit animal suggestions Aunt Babette made held true meaning which begs the question: was my subconscious working overtime or was Aunt Babette truly in charge of the whole idea from the get-go? Yes, I am the author, but she is the voodoo queen. I’ll let her have this one.

Love Power – Here’s the pitch:
Disgraced ex-police detective Jane Byrne blows into New Orleans on her Ducati motorcycle looking for a fresh start, never expecting to uncover a hate crime serial killer targeting NOLA’s inclusive LGBTQ community. Dissatisfied with the NOPD force and local FBI bureau agency responses, Jane and Gigi Pascoe, a transgender sleuth team up only to discover that their united effort has refocused the serial killer’s hate-filled intent on them.

Early reviews are in:
“We meet the heroine who is vulnerable, yet strong in her pursuit of justice. The author does a great job in capturing the essence of this story keeping me immersed in all details, allowing us to see the characters for who they are, not what they are, and keeping me enthralled at what transpired from beginning to a surprising end.” — Dru’s Book Musings

To enter to win either an ebook or signed ARC copy of Love Power, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “power,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 14, 2020. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If you are entering via email please include you mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like. MAKE CERTAIN YOU STATE IF YOU WANT EBOOK OR ARC.

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Martha Reed is the Independent Publisher (“IPPY”) Book Award-winning crime fiction author of the John and Sarah Jarad Nantucket Mystery series. Love Power is the first book in her new Crescent City NOLA Mystery series featuring transgender sleuth Gigi Pascoe.
Martha is an active member of the Florida Gulf Coast and the Guppies chapters of Sisters in Crime, Inc., Mystery Writers of America (MWA), and in a moment of great folly at Bouchercon 2016, she joined the New Orleans Bourbon Society (N.O.B.S.). Follow her on Facebook, Twitter @ReedMartha, or visit her website reedmenow.com for more detail. The eBooks and Print copies are available off her website as well.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.