Bayou Myth
Author: Mary Ann Loesch
Genre: Young Adult - Urban Fantasy
Release Date: June 2012
Synopsis:
As
a sixteen year old voodoo queen in the making, Joan Renault just wants
to be like all the other girls in the small town of Monte Parish,
Louisiana—obsessed with boys and swamped with social lives. If the other
kids would quit calling her “hoodoo hag,” she might have a small shot
at normality. It would also help if Joan’s weekend outings with her
secret crush, Dave, weren’t always being interrupted by her dead
Grandmere, the legendary Marie Laveau. After all, it’s hard to make out
with your best friend when your grandmother is watching! But when you
come from a long line of voodoo priestesses with dried gator heads
decorating the wall of their huts, normal doesn’t come easily. When
Joan witnesses the brutal sacrifice of a child to a tree Druid, she
learns her Grandmere’s scandalous past has come back to haunt those
living in the present. Hera, a vengeful voodoo priestess is determined
to use the residual energy of Pandora’s Box to revive a sleeping voodoo
god and declare war on the descendants of Marie Laveau, especially Joan.
Suddenly, Greek myths are being re-enacted all over town, and Joan has
her hands full trying to sort it all out. With the approach of Samedi’s
Day—the voodoo day of resurrection—Joan must learn to accept her destiny
in order to stop the approaching threat to her family and friends.
Review:
Bayou Myth is a story full of mystery, magic, ghosts, and typical teenage problems. I love books that deal with magic, so the fact that this one was centered around voodoo drew me right in. The story is set in the perfect place - the bayous of Louisiana - which makes it all the more mysterious and dark. All the characters, especially Joan, were well written and believable. I was instantly rooting for Joan to beat the darkness that was threatening her family and was cheering her along when it came to her romantic endeavors. The story itself was fast paced, flowed really well, and was a fun read - I didn't want it to end. I loved being transported to the backwoods of Louisiana and surrounded by the voodoo, ghosts, and dark magic that wound around the characters and the setting. I highly recommend this book to lovers of the paranormal and to those who love reading about magic.
Excerpt:
A teenage girl stood in the hazy glow. Unlike the other spirits, her form held solid. I got the sense that she drew energy from the surrounding spirits. Her lowered head made it so I couldn’t see her face, but the style of dress she wore dated back at least a century. Not surprising, really. Monte Parish could trash its roots to the late 1700’s.
The ghost lifted her head. Her eyes were empty sockets and rotted flesh hung from her face revealing bone. She watched me, and the hatred pumping from her aura sucked my breath away. Her head moved as if she were looking at Dave. A sly smile formed on what remained of her lips, and the hatred crawling in the air multiplied. She moved towards us with an unsteady gait. The closer she got, the sicker to my stomach I felt.
She meant to harm Dave. But not because he’d done anything to her. It was because he belonged to me. Though she never said a word, her intentions spilt off her and my psychic conduit picked it up.
“Let’s go. We need to leave right now.”
“What’s wrong?” Dave asked, but he complied with my request and closed up the tailgate.
The girl continued our direction. She raised a hand, and the sleeve of her dress slid back. Even from the distance we were at, the long white scar on her arm could be seen clearly in the moonlight. She pointed a finger at me.
You saw…the words hissed across the cemetery, raising goose bumps on my arms.
A teenage girl stood in the hazy glow. Unlike the other spirits, her form held solid. I got the sense that she drew energy from the surrounding spirits. Her lowered head made it so I couldn’t see her face, but the style of dress she wore dated back at least a century. Not surprising, really. Monte Parish could trash its roots to the late 1700’s.
The ghost lifted her head. Her eyes were empty sockets and rotted flesh hung from her face revealing bone. She watched me, and the hatred pumping from her aura sucked my breath away. Her head moved as if she were looking at Dave. A sly smile formed on what remained of her lips, and the hatred crawling in the air multiplied. She moved towards us with an unsteady gait. The closer she got, the sicker to my stomach I felt.
She meant to harm Dave. But not because he’d done anything to her. It was because he belonged to me. Though she never said a word, her intentions spilt off her and my psychic conduit picked it up.
“Let’s go. We need to leave right now.”
“What’s wrong?” Dave asked, but he complied with my request and closed up the tailgate.
The girl continued our direction. She raised a hand, and the sleeve of her dress slid back. Even from the distance we were at, the long white scar on her arm could be seen clearly in the moonlight. She pointed a finger at me.
You saw…the words hissed across the cemetery, raising goose bumps on my arms.
About the Author:
Mary Ann Loesch is an award winning fiction writer from Texas. Her urban fantasy, Nephilim, was published in July 2011 by Lyrical Press Inc. An avid blogger for All Things Writing (http://www.allthingswriting.blogspot.com) and Loesch’s Muse (http://www.loeschsmuse.blogspot.com), Mary Ann has also contributed stories in the horror anthology, All Things Dark and Dastardly. Her latest book, Bayou Myth, will be released in the summer of 2012. While she loves dirty martinis and cuddling with her dachshund, she loves fan mail even more!
Contact Mary Ann:
Thanks for your kind review and letting me be part of your blog today.
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