Today I welcome author Sonya Clark, via Bewitching Book Tours, to tell us a little bit about her new release, Mojo Queen, and to offer an exciting giveaway! Over to you, Sonya.
A big part of my writing process, especially in the early stages of a manuscript, is figuring out what a story sounds like. I’m a serious music lover and I’ve always created soundtracks and playlists for everything I wrote, and I’ve drawn inspiration from music too. The first thing I do is figure out what genre would be appropriate for a story. The main character of Mojo Queen is Roxie Mathis, a paranormal investigator who sees auras and spectral entities. She also uses hoodoo folk magic to help people with their supernatural problems. Naturally that led to a writing playlist heavy on the blues, a genre I love. Soul, country, and a gospel number filled out the rest of a playlist heavy on Southern music, with a couple of outliers.
The title Mojo Queen comes from an old soul number by Ike and Tina Turner. It seemed like the perfect theme song for Roxie, and a great title for the book too. The blues I listened to while writing was mostly RL Burnside and Junior Kimbrough, a couple of my favorites.
Roxie’s best friend is also her ancestor, and a vampire. Daniel Rambin is the character I connected with the music most associated with the story’s location, Nashville. He’s not a big fan of contemporary country though. He’s more into the classics. Night Life by Willie Nelson fit Daniel very well.
Sexy sorcerer Blake Harvill began as a bad guy in the earliest stages of the writing. To get to know this character I turned to some very different music. Darkshines by Muse and a cello-heavy cover of Bad Moon Rising by Rasputina helped me with Blake. He may have been dark and dangerous but it was apparent pretty quickly he was also the love interest. These Arms of Mine by Otis Redding helped me write the first kiss between Roxie and Blake. Strong as Death Sweet as Love by Al Green provided wonderfully sensual inspiration for an even more intimate scene between them.
A case of demon possession is what brings Roxie and Blake together. The songs that inspired me with that character might seem a bit unlikely but they make perfect sense in context: a gospel number called Savior Pass Me Not by the Swan Silvertones, Polk Salad Annie by Elvis Presley, and Delia’s Gone by Johnny Cash.
These and other songs provided inspiration as I wrote the book, helping me to flesh out the characters and add depth and color to the story. With a playlist mostly of blues and soul, a little classic country and a few other things, Mojo Queen developed a dark, sexy tone with a distinct Southern rhythm. I couldn’t have written the book without the help of this great music.
Mojo Queen
Hoodoo and high magic are on a collision course.
Roxanne Mathis isn't like everyone else. Not only can she see auras and spectral entities, she can mix herbs and roots for spells to do good or ill. She can even light a candle without the benefit of a match. But when she’s hired to exorcise a demon from a young girl, she discovers the limits of her powers.
With her vampire cousin at her side and a sexy sorcerer chasing her on the rebound, Roxie sets out to send that evil entity back to where she came from.
Nothing is as it seems and Roxie’s in over her head. It’s not going to be enough for her to just be a paranormal investigator and old school root worker – to defeat this demon, she’s going to have to be the Mojo Queen.
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Excerpt:
I sat in the chair opposite the loveseat, placing the candles on the coffee table. Glanced at him to make sure I still had his attention, which of course I did. One side of his mouth still curled up in a smirk, eyebrow quirked. I sat back, let myself sink into the comfy chair and relax as much as possible. First the candle on the left. Focusing on the wick, I visualized a tiny flame erupting from it--concentrating my will, pouring energy into my intention. I could feel myself sliding further into exhaustion as energy curled inside me, but after a long, agonizing moment the candle came to life. I let out a breath before I could stop myself, avoiding his gaze. I didn’t want him to know how much this was taking out of me, but I had a bad feeling it was obvious. I turned my attention to the other candle and though it took even longer this time, it too lit. I felt almost as bad as I had this afternoon.
Blake reached for a backpack on the floor I had not seen in the darkness. He opened it, fished something out, and tossed it to me. I didn’t so much catch it as let it fall in my lap. A chocolate candy bar.
It was my turn to quirk an eyebrow. Waving the bar at him I said, “What, is this to ward off dementors?”
The smirk became a genuine smile again briefly. “Something like that. You need to eat.”
I gave him a skeptical look.
“You know you’re using energy with that.” He gestured at the candles. “The energy needs to be replenished.”
I rolled my eyes but tore open the wrapper. The chocolate tasted, well, damn, like mainlining something illegal. Maybe he had a point. I was halfway through the bar when he spoke again, as if there had been no pause.
“Especially since you don’t really know what you’re doing yet.” Even in the low candlelight I had no trouble seeing the wicked amusement in his dark eyes.
I managed to finish chewing without choking, tossed the remainder of the candy bar on the coffee table and sat up straighter. “Why don’t you tell me why you’re here? Or better yet, tell me where I can find your demon lover? So I can send her back to Hell.”
“Well, actually, that’s exactly why I’m here, Roxanne.” Like we were discussing insurance or something. “I want you to find my demon lover.”
Gob-smacked, all I could manage was, “Huh?”
“And I want you to send her back to Hell.”
I sat in the chair opposite the loveseat, placing the candles on the coffee table. Glanced at him to make sure I still had his attention, which of course I did. One side of his mouth still curled up in a smirk, eyebrow quirked. I sat back, let myself sink into the comfy chair and relax as much as possible. First the candle on the left. Focusing on the wick, I visualized a tiny flame erupting from it--concentrating my will, pouring energy into my intention. I could feel myself sliding further into exhaustion as energy curled inside me, but after a long, agonizing moment the candle came to life. I let out a breath before I could stop myself, avoiding his gaze. I didn’t want him to know how much this was taking out of me, but I had a bad feeling it was obvious. I turned my attention to the other candle and though it took even longer this time, it too lit. I felt almost as bad as I had this afternoon.
Blake reached for a backpack on the floor I had not seen in the darkness. He opened it, fished something out, and tossed it to me. I didn’t so much catch it as let it fall in my lap. A chocolate candy bar.
It was my turn to quirk an eyebrow. Waving the bar at him I said, “What, is this to ward off dementors?”
The smirk became a genuine smile again briefly. “Something like that. You need to eat.”
I gave him a skeptical look.
“You know you’re using energy with that.” He gestured at the candles. “The energy needs to be replenished.”
I rolled my eyes but tore open the wrapper. The chocolate tasted, well, damn, like mainlining something illegal. Maybe he had a point. I was halfway through the bar when he spoke again, as if there had been no pause.
“Especially since you don’t really know what you’re doing yet.” Even in the low candlelight I had no trouble seeing the wicked amusement in his dark eyes.
I managed to finish chewing without choking, tossed the remainder of the candy bar on the coffee table and sat up straighter. “Why don’t you tell me why you’re here? Or better yet, tell me where I can find your demon lover? So I can send her back to Hell.”
“Well, actually, that’s exactly why I’m here, Roxanne.” Like we were discussing insurance or something. “I want you to find my demon lover.”
Gob-smacked, all I could manage was, “Huh?”
“And I want you to send her back to Hell.”
Author Bio:
Sonya Clark grew up an Army brat, living all across the United States as well as Japan and Germany by the time she graduated high school. Books were one of the few constants in her life. An eclectic reader, she always had a special love for the paranormal and is a lifelong fangirl of all things that go bump in the night.
A deep love of music is another constant thread in all of her fiction. She writes at a desk equipped with High John the Conqueror root and a mojo hand. She has worshipped at the mother church of country music, traveled the back roads of the blues highway, been to the crossroads at midnight, and though she’s never cooked up a mess of polk salad, she has been to Graceland four times.
She lives with her husband and Yorkie in Tennessee.
Sonya Clark grew up an Army brat, living all across the United States as well as Japan and Germany by the time she graduated high school. Books were one of the few constants in her life. An eclectic reader, she always had a special love for the paranormal and is a lifelong fangirl of all things that go bump in the night.
A deep love of music is another constant thread in all of her fiction. She writes at a desk equipped with High John the Conqueror root and a mojo hand. She has worshipped at the mother church of country music, traveled the back roads of the blues highway, been to the crossroads at midnight, and though she’s never cooked up a mess of polk salad, she has been to Graceland four times.
She lives with her husband and Yorkie in Tennessee.
Author Links:
Blog/website: http://www.sonyaclark.net/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/sonyabclark
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorsonyaclark
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3510861.Sonya_Clark
Winners will be chosen from all of those who enter via the form.
10 winners will receive signed book plates
Blog/website: http://www.sonyaclark.net/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/sonyabclark
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorsonyaclark
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3510861.Sonya_Clark
The Giveaway
Take a look at the exciting prizes that are up for grabs!
Winners will be chosen from all of those who enter via the form.
Leave comments at tour stops for bonus entries.
You can also enter at each tour stop.
10 winners will receive signed book plates
2 winners will receive free ebook copies of Mojo Queen
1 grand prize winner will receive the Mojo Prize Pack, which includes:
· Signed book plate
· Mojo Queen playlist CD
· A voodoo doll
· A protective mojo hand
· Spirit of Good Luck incense
· A seven day spell candle
· A bag of graveyard dirt
The winners will be announced on Sonya's blog on Friday, August 19. Physical prizes open to US shipping only, please. Ebooks prizes are international.
Hi Nicki! Thanks so much for hosting me!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Sonya. Best wishes with the release
ReplyDeleteWow...thanks for a great giveaway! The books sounds like an awesome read!
ReplyDeletebooks4me67 at ymail.com
This book sounds really good. I can't wait to read it!
ReplyDeleteruby95660[at]yahoo[dot]com
I really enjoyed this post !
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!!
ReplyDeletePaigebradish@yahoo.com