I was super excited to be invited to be a part of the tour for Lea Nolan’s ALLURE. I’d participated in this book’s cover reveal as I thought the cover was gorgeous and it introduced me to a series that sounds totally awesome.
Curses and spells, possession and black magic… and monsters? Yeah, definitely awesome. And totally unique.
I have never read a story that involves hoodoo magic, CONJURE and ALLURE will be my very first reads that explore this lore. But from the books’ descriptions and from the author’s post about “Ten Things Every Hoodoo Apprentice Needs” I am totally intrigued.
And given just how knowledgeable the author is about the subject matter, how much research she put into it, makes me that much more excited to discover these books, meet the characters, and find out just how one defeats a boohag.
If you’re just as curious as I am, both CONJURE and ALLURE are available right now. And if you’d like to check out their descriptions, both are included in this post, along with details about where you can find them – and the author – online.
In addition to the awesome guest post I have to share from Author Lea Nolan, the tour has a few totally wicked cool giveaways. So be sure to check those out just a little bit further below. And if you’d like to take a peek at some of the other awesome interview and guest posts and see what other readers are saying about this book, just click the links on the tour schedule, which go directly to the other stops on the ALLURE Blog Tour.
But for now, let me step away from the keyboard so you can check out just what ten things are an absolute must if you’re thinking about becoming a hoodoo apprentice. Like the author, I’m curious to know which of the ten items you think are must haves, so feel free to leave a comment and let us know!
About the Book
ALLURE (The Hoodoo Apprentice #2) by Lea Nolan
Pub. Date October 1, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 304
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Description
Worst. Summer. Ever.
Emma Guthrie races to learn the hoodoo magic needed to break The Beaumont Curse before her marked boyfriend Cooper’s sixteenth birthday. But deep in the South Carolina Lowcountry, dark, mysterious forces encroach, conspiring to separate Emma and Cooper forever. When Cooper starts to change, turning cold and indifferent, Emma discovers that both his heart and body are marked for possession by competing but equally powerful adversaries.
Desperate to save him, Emma and her twin brother, Jack, risk their lives to uncover the source of the black magic that has allured Cooper and holds him in its grip. Face with the horror of a soul-eating boohag, Emma and Jack must fight to resist its fiendish power to free Cooper long enough to join their strengths and face it together, before it destroys them all.
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | INDIEBOUND | iTUNES | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS
The Guest Post
Hello Rachel! Thanks so much for having me. I’m thrilled to be here at Fiktshun!
My book, Allure is the second installment in The Hoodoo Apprentice series which features three teens who use Gullah hoodoo magic to battle an ancient-soul sucking curse and a hideous monster that will stop at nothing to consume its prey.
That’s hoodoo with an “h,” a healing and magical practice, not to be confused with voodoo, which is a religion. Hoodoo is an African-American, plant-based folk magic that is commonly practiced in the American south by those who consider themselves Christians, though it can be found anywhere. The practice originated among enslaved Africans in the South Carolina and Georgia lowcountry and is largely based on African folkloric traditions, but has also been influenced by Native American, European and other admixtures. Often, hoodoo spells are performed with accompanying biblical texts, frequently taken from the Book of Psalms.
When Emma Guthrie learns her twin brother, Jack and their best friend (and Emma’s boyfriend), Cooper Beaumont are threatened by ancient curses, she apprentices herself to Miss Delia, an elderly Gullah root worker to learn hoodoo magic so she can break the hexes.
I’m guessing most people in Emma’s situation would do the very same thing, though no one should dive head first into hoodoo unprepared. So with that in mind, I’ve put together a little primer called…
Ten Things Every Hoodoo Apprentice Needs
#1
Tutelage under a Master Root Worker: Every apprentice needs a master to learn their craft and hone their skills, and hoodoo is no exception. In Allure and Conjure, the first book in the series, Emma apprentices herself to Miss Delia, the premiere root worker on St. Helena Island, South Carolina and the surrounding lowcountry.
#2
Hoodoo spell books: No one should dabble with magic without an authentic and well researched spell book. In Allure, Emma works from Miss Delia’s spell book, a hand-written, leather-bound ledger filled with spells that were passed down from mother-to-daughter for at least fifteen generations. In real life, I have a stack of hoodoo books that are my go-to research sources. My favorite is Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic: A Materia Magica of African-American Conjure by Catherine Yronwode. I also rely heavily on the information available at www.luckymojo.com which is also run by Catherine Yronwode. These are the best, most comprehensive sources on African-American hoodoo magic. Most of the information provided in this post comes from the awesome Lucky Mojo website. Another great resource that contains spells from all over the world is the Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells by Judika Illes.
#3
Access to ingredients: As I mentioned above, hoodoo is a plant-based folk magic which means it relies on plants, herbs, and roots as the main ingredients for many of its spells. To keep her stock filled, Miss Delia has an expansive garden filled with every plant imaginable that can be used in her spells. As the apprentice, Emma dries and grinds the ingredients into a powder to be used in spells. In real life, many people don’t have the time or land necessary for such a garden so they buy ingredients online. But buyers should beware and do their research because not all suppliers sell genuine hoodoo products.
#4
Knowledge of curios: Aside from plants and roots, hoodoo conjurers also use curios in their spells and charms. Curios are items like chunks of alum, anvil dust, red brick dust, graveyard dirt, lodestones, magnetic sand, and nails, along with botanicals like whole roots such as John the Conqueror. Animal curios include alligator feet and teeth, badger teeth, rabbit feet, and rattlesnake skins or rattles.
#5
Mortar and pestle: Apprentices need a stone mortar and pestle in which to grind ingredients into a fine powder. Though these come in all sizes, in Allure, Emma and Miss Delia use a very large, hewn granite mortar that was used by Miss Delia’s earliest ancestors. It’s extremely powerful and has the power to call those ancestors for help if necessary.
#6
Know your colors: A good apprentice needs to know what kind of spell she wants to perform. Red magic spells will draw love or spice up your smoochy times. Green magic spells will fatten a wallet or improve a client’s gambling chances. Purple magic spells will enhance someone’s power. White magic charms offer help and protection, while as you might guess, black magic spells are destructive.
#7
Candles: Many hoodoo spells and charms use a variety of different types of candles. Seven day candles are for difficult cases or when a situation needs to be observed over time while the conjurer waits for a divination sign. Votive candles are used whenever someone is making a vow. Figural candles, those molded in the shape of people, cats, skulls, or even body parts, can be used for very strong spells and personalized by carving a person’s name into them with a sharp object.
#8
Cleansing ritual: Before working any spell, a good apprentice should spiritually cleanse herself to clear away any negative energy or conditions, and open herself to the possibility of happiness, love, luck, or money. Cleansing baths can include barks, herbs, minerals, and salts. In a pinch, Emma and Miss Delia dab a bit of citronella oil on their wrists, necks and behind their ears. Houses can also be cleansed with floor washes and carpet sprinkling powder.
#9
Flannel bags to make Mojo, gris-gris bags or conjure hands which are portable spells or charms that contain one or more magical items. In Allure, Emma makes a very special mojo for Cooper to help protect him from black magic spells.
#10
Respect for the culture and power of hoodoo: Finally, a good apprentice should have a healthy respect for the power of hoodoo magic and the African and African-American cultures from which it sprang.
Thanks so much for having me. This was a lot of fun. So what about you, readers? If you were a hoodoo apprentice, which of these things would you like to have the most?
~Lea
Source: www.luckymojo.com
About the Author
About Lea Nolan
Lea Nolan writes the kinds of stories she sought as a teen—smart paranormals with bright heroines, crazy-hot heroes, diabolical plot twists, plus a dose of magic, a draft of romance, and a sprinkle of history. She holds degrees in history and women’s studies concentrating in public policy and has spent nearly twenty years as a health policy analyst and researcher.
She lives in Maryland with her heroically supportive husband and three clever children.
TWITTER | WEBSITE | GOODREADS
Other Books in the Series
Title: CONJURE (The Hoodoo Apprentice #1)
Pub. Date: October 23, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 400
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Find it: GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE
Description
Be careful what you search for…
Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry–hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday.
When a strange girl appears, bent on revenge; demon dogs become a threat; and Jack turns into a walking skeleton; Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before summer—and her friends–are lost forever.
The Giveaway
The ALLURE Tour has a few awesome prizes up for grabs
GRAND PRIZE: A Hoodoo Apprentice Prize Pack – US ONLY
2nd & 3rd PLACE PRIZES: $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Cards – International
Enter in the Rafflecopter below…
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Tour Schedule
Week One
Sept. 30 – Cuddlebuggery – Guest Post
Sept. 30 – Step Into Fiction – Review Allure
Oct. 1 – I Am A Reader, Not A Writer – Interview
Oct. 1 – Just a Booklover – Review Conjure
Oct. 2 – Candace’s Book Blog – Guest Post
Oct. 2 – Endless Reading – Review Conjure and Allure
Oct. 3 – Fantasy Book Addict – Interview
Oct. 3 – Always Lost In Books – Review Allure
Oct. 4 – Fiktshun – Guest Post
Oct. 4 – A Dream Within A Dream – Review Conjure or Allure
Week Two
Oct. 7 – Urban Fantasy Land – Guest Post
Oct. 7 – Fade Into Fantasy – Interview
Oct. 8 – Jenuine Cupcakes – Interview
Oct. 8 – Reading Rainblog – Review Conjure or Allure
Oct. 9 – The Cover Contessa – Interview
Oct. 9 – Faerietale Books – Review Conjure or Allure
Oct. 10 – Fangirlish – Guest Post
Oct. 10 – BookHounds YA – Interview
Oct. 11 – Mundie Moms – Guest Post
Oct. 11 – vvb32 reads – Review Conjure and Allure