What is Voodoo?
Thanks to popular culture Voodoo has become very misunderstood. Haley Whitehall is here to set us straight. She researched Voodoo for her recent release Alpha's Voodoo.
Welcome, Haley! It is a pleasure to have you on History in the Hot Lane.
Thank you for having me, Shiloh. Voodoo is more of a religion than black magic. As with all religions there are those who wish to twist the teaching and use it for their own selfish and dark purposes. I find it interesting that went you type Voodoo into the Wikipedia search engine you get nothing. You are asked to be more specific as redirect links are given to four different but related religions:
- Louisiana Voodoo
- Haitian Vodou
- West African Vodun
- Dominican Vudu
My historical paranormal romance Alpha's Voodoo is set in New Orleans. New Orleans Voodoo is an alternative name for Louisiana Voodoo, and that is what I am going to be talking about today.Louisiana Voodoo describes a set of spiritual beliefs and customs that developed as a result of the African diaspora. It was developed by blending the cultures of the enslaved West Africans and the French, Spanish, and Creole populations in Louisiana.
The roots of Voodoo refer to the West African practice of Vodun. Voodoo combines Catholic influences. It is widely believed that the Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, who is featured in my book, was a devout Catholic. Legend even has Marie Laveau having a snake, Zombi, named after an African god.
Important elements of Voodoo include the use of gris-gris and Voodoo dolls.
Here is an excerpt from Alpha's Voodoo.
New Orleans, Louisiana
1858
Violet struggled to straighten
her dress as she ran. Her hair was a tangled mess of sloppy braids, twisted
around her head like Medusa’s snakes. She wished she could stop and look at
herself in the mirror to properly put her attire to rights, but at this late
hour she couldn’t even see her reflection in a store window.
She knew it was dangerous to be
out this late unaccompanied. Her pulse roared in her ears, and her shoes clipped
on the sidewalk as she strode swiftly home. When she got closer to the Creed
estate she slowed her steps, lest she make herself known. She slipped through
the gate and hurried up the walk.
The soreness between her legs
remained and she feared she looked as wanton as she felt. The night had not
gone as she had planned. Well, all except for the sneaking out unnoticed part.
The crowd that had gathered to listen to Marie Laveau speak stretched on as far
as she could see. Yet, she did not get lost among the many white, brown and
black faces. Somehow the Voodoo Queen’s magic had found her.
She swallowed hard, unable to get
the picture of the man’s face out of her mind. The white man had seemed drawn
to her. He’d kissed her and then as if by magic they couldn’t keep their hands
off each other. Her conscience kept telling her it was wrong, but she couldn’t
control herself.
Shaking her head, she forced that image to fall away,
and continued toward the house. When she saw the lamp burning in the window her
heart forgot how to beat.
Mini Blurb:
With
her reputation in tatters, debutante Violet Creed is forced to exchange her
life of luxury for one of uncertainty. Mark Afton wants nothing more than to
take his rightful place as the leader of the Bayou Pack, but he needs a mate.
Is Violet Mark’s destined mate, or is their attraction merely Voodoo magic?
Haley Whitehall is pleased to present Alpha’s Voodoo, Book 1 of her hot, new,
paranormal romance series, Bayou Pack.
Buy Links:
Where to Find Haley Whitehall
About the Author
Haley
Whitehall lives in Washington State where she enjoys all four seasons and the
surrounding wildlife. She writes historical romance set in the 19th century
U.S. When she is not researching or writing, she plays with her cats, watches
the Western and History Channels, and goes antiquing. She is hoping to build a
time machine so she can go in search of her prince charming. A good book, a cup
of coffee, and a view of the mountains make her happy.
Previous Books:
Midnight
Caller – Moonlight Romance Book 1
Midnight
Heat – Moonlight Romance Book 2
Midnight
Kiss – Moonlight Romance Book 3
Soldier
in Her Lap
Wild
and Tender Care
Civil
War Valentine
No comments:
Post a Comment