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Voodoo is not a Bunch of Hocus-Pocus
Danny Estes Author Interview
Charlotte is a woman of mysterious origins who is seeking revenge on the one who locked her away. How did you decide what the starting point was for you in Charlotte’s Soul?
In truth I was working on another story, dealing with a healer in a magical realm when my mind drifted off. The stories of the witch hunts in Salem came up. I’d seen many documentaries concerning that time period, thus I began to wonder. What would a true witch do. Could I write an interesting story? I considered starting points in that time period but nothing clicked for me. It wasn’t until I considered modern times that I felt a connection. Still, something was missing. I began asking what if? What if? That’s when Charlotte began to come alive. As for a starting point, I like to start off with my characters having to deal with situations that reveals something about the person.
The novel is filled with subtle yet powerful descriptions of voodoo and witchcraft. What research did you undertake to ensure you got all the details right?
From early on as a child Witchcraft has been talked-about, written about and made in to tv shows. In my mind they all held the same theme, the ability to alter reality by understanding nature is a force which can be tapped. Thus using this knowledge I built up Charlotte’s abilities. Voodoo on the other hand has not been a part of my world, yet I’d heard stories about it. Being unsure of any true facts, I began searching the Internet to understand it’s origins. The more sites I came across the more I learned voodoo is not a bunch of hocus-pocus, it’s a respected religion in many cultures.
I found that Charlotte was a balance between femininity, passion and a strong will. What obstacles did you feel were important in the story for Charlotte’s character development?
To develop Charlotte, I considered how she must feel being a 17th century woman thrust into our society. To give her balance to cope, I paired her off with detective Matt Huston, a modern man with his own demons. I felt with the two butting heads, she would have a foundation to build a life in our time period.
Will Charlotte’s Soul be part of a series? If so, where does the next story go? If not, where do you imagine it could go?
I did leave room to write another story with her and in fact, I’ve the making for a beginning to book 2. Presently however, she has been delegated to remain on hold as another story has caught my interest. In time I’m hopeful she’ll get dusted off and put back in action.
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![Charlotte's Soul by [Estes, Danny C]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51cKWWf9x-L.jpg)
Charlotte Goodfield, a witch imprisoned since the 17th century, escapes in modern times and enlists the help of a New York City detective and an ATF agent to find her half-brother. He stole the magic amulet that holds half her soul—and she wants it back. Charlotte wades through NYC’s underbelly, searching for answers and discovering other horrors.
While her amulet has been with her brother, that half of her soul became drenched in evil; contacting it strengthens her magic but doing so raises a daemon within her that doesn’t care about playing by the rules.
Bad men are fair game. And she’s met a lot of bad men.
The Imposter’s Trail
Your heart will be racing as you read the latest in the Sean Kruger series The Imposter’s Trail by J.C. Fields. Our beloved Special Agent with the FBI is supposed to be living out his golden years with his new wife and child while teaching the next generation at university. However, if there’s one thing Kruger can’t escape it’s his own skill. When a culprit Kruger feels responsible for losing six years ago pops back up on the radar, our favorite agent can’t help but be pulled into the chase for this deranged murderer. What begins as a chase for an escaped serial killer evolves into a terrorist plot that only Fields could concoct. Will Kruger make it out of this one alive? Or will this finally be the end of Special Agent Sean Kruger?
Fields does a great job with his descriptions as usual. It is easy for the reader to picture either characters or settings in their mind. It is easy to get inside the mind of our protagonist, but we can also get inside the mind of our insidious imposter. Fields spares nothing in mapping out the thought process of this murder and what drives them to do what they have done. The story itself is gripping as we follow Kruger on his hunt while taking blows along the way. This installment hits closer to home than ever for our agent, and we read on with anticipation as to how he will react when all that is sacred to him is threatened. The action is well paced without being over the top or unbelievable. Even the relationships between all the characters are realistic. This is hard to do when you have a continuing series and when you have a cast of characters that can be as large as the one in this story.
A large cast can be a blessing or a curse, depending on who you ask. Having to keep all of the characters traits in line while remembering what importance they play in the story can be a detriment to some writers. Fields has done this before, however, and it’s easy to see that there are no characters created purely for convenience. Even those who do not last more than a paragraph are supplied with a backstory and meaning, even if it is only brief. This is a good tactic to take as it makes each person in the story meaningful to the reader.
When you’re looking for a novel about subterfuge, action and gripping human emotion, anything by J.C. Fields is a good choice. We are not let down with The Imposter’s Trail as we follow Kruger on his quest for personal redemption while he puts his life on the line to correct a mistake he made years ago. It’s not necessary to read the other books in the series which is a benefit for those who might be picking up this book without knowledge of the previous installments. Readers will still feel engaged and knowledgeable enough about the world and its inhabitants without feeling overwhelmed or clueless. The only real question we are left with is: what will happen to Special Agent Sean Kruger after this?
Pages: 280 | ASIN: B073V7V6FQ
Dead Men Walking
Dead Men Walking, written by Kwen D Griffeth, follows Detective Nate Burns as he deals with the ramifications of a previous case that led him to fight for his job whilst he is suspended from the force. Meanwhile, Nate’s personal life is on the rocks as Clare, his wife, reveals that she is unhappy with their marriage and the anger that surrounds Nate on a daily basis. Between fighting for his marriage and career, Nate finds himself involved in a case involving a mysterious man, a bullet and a whole range of unanswered questions. Will Nate be able to save his relationship, his job and still solve one of the most complicated cases he has encountered?
Dead Men Walking begins with a intricately described murder scene that will leave nothing to the imagination. The reader will be walked through the exploding bullet, the impact and finally the target. You are given the impression that these details are important and the vivid imagery will be one that doesn’t leave your mind for some time.
Dead Men Walking is the second novel in the series and in this book we are shown a side of Nate that is normally hidden away. Nate starts to get in touch with his emotions as his love for his family and wife are brought to the surface. Old wounds will be exposed and history will be revisited in an attempt to heal the turmoil surrounding Nate. Dead Men Walking once again shows us that men and women in the police force are people too, who feel and experience the tragedies they encounter daily in order to protect our families. At times the story line was quite emotive and made you consider the impact of what everyday people are experiencing in order to keep us safe.
Between Nate dealing with his old demons and family problems, he is exploring a case of a mysterious man who has basically been labelled as a “well dressed homeless man” with no identity. The case is quickly slipping into being closed with the force running low with murder investigators but Nate is determined to find out more details. This launches the story into a whodunit style police investigation and the reader will be kept on the edge of their seat as clues to the puzzle are uncovered.
The story line is smooth, the writing vivid and the characters complex. Griffeth has a beautiful way of describing a scene and every intricate detail without drawing away from the plot line or boring the reader. Never been inside a police station or seen how their operations work? Dead Men Walking will take you through the inside, allowing you to visualize the physical attributes of a police station as well as the mental and emotional parts of those who serve. You will also be treated to the other side, where criminals in jail show their softer side as they desperately want to help their family.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a crime story mixed with a dash of romance and adventure.
Pages: 350 | ASIN: B071FLPQZ8
Surviving Ghosts
Surviving Ghosts by Tom Bridges continues the adventures of James W. “Buck” Buckler, M.D., and Detective Allyson Mancuso. The novel starts as Buck and Allyson travel to Rome for a medical conference Buck is attending. While exploring the Roman sites and shops, Allyson swears she sees a ghost – her father’s ghost. When it happens again, Buck and Allyson are determined to find the meaning behind the appearances – the “ghost” is actually Allyson’s father in the flesh, who had convincingly died four years earlier. The couple sets out to find answers to their questions – Why did her father fake his death? What are his ties to the mafia? And, what secrets are the government hiding?
In the beginning of the novel, Bridges describes various Roman landmarks and tourist destinations that Buck and Allyson visit. This allows Bridges to set the scene. I believe it is important for readers to visualize where a story takes place, and Bridges’ descriptions allow his readers to do so. The facts and tidbits about the architecture add a level of complexity by incorporating nonfiction descriptions.
The majority of the novel is told using first person from Buck’s point of view. I think choosing this point of view allows Bridges to share the emotions Buck is feeling as well as questions Buck may have. In the other chapters of the book, Bridges uses third person to give information about JB and the government situation.
In using a technique that allows him to switch point of views, Bridges allows the reader to understand the emotions and thoughts from different characters. This helps give a more thorough understanding of the novel.
Surviving Ghosts is built of great ideas! I think they just need to be developed a bit more. Bridges is very good at describing scenes, but I felt that there was often a lot of telling, not showing. There are some very high emotional scenes in the novel, the scenes are setup superbly, but the emotional intensity is muted when we’re told what someone is feeling, instead of being shown.
Bridges has amazing ideas that beg to be explored and developed more. Allyson and Buck’s skills of logic and reasoning are on great display as they uncover a jarring mystery. What you’ll enjoy most about this novel is how well you are transported into the scenes.
Pages: 229 | ASIN: B01AH4EO1E
The Tenth Nail
Nate knelt beside the dead girl. This wasn’t his first homicide, it wasn’t even the first dead prostitute he’d investigated. It wasn’t the first strangling death he’d been assigned to. But, this one bothered him.
Maybe it was her youth, she appeared to be in her early twenties. Maybe it was her looks, as death had yet to rob her of her beauty. Maybe she reminded him of his own daughter, Lizzie, who was only a few years younger. Maybe it was something else entirely.
The big detective looked over the body, careful not to touch or disturb her. He had one of the best crime scene technicians, Winston Rawls, and he did not want to make his job harder.
“Look at her fingernails,” Rawls observed from the other side of the body.
“What about them?”
“Most of them are broken and some are torn free of the quick. Some are missing.”
Nate slowed his visual scanning of the girl and focused on her hands. Rawls was right, the nails were ragged, broken, and torn. Some of her fingers ended with just the bloody fingertips.
It made his injured finger hurt. Maybe this was why this murder haunted him from the start.
The girl’s hands were bagged in plastic to preserve evidence that hopefully was there. Gently, Nate lifted a hand, holding it on his open palm. He looked at the girls eyes, that looked down and away from him.
“I don’t know what happened that led you to this place. I don’t know why you chose to live the life you did. But you deserved better than this.”
Rawls looked at Nate with an expression that asked, “What are you doing?”
Nate glanced at the technician and then focused again on the girl’s hand.
“I promise you, I give you my word, I will find who ever did this to you and I will bring him to justice. I will hold him accountable for this. Rest assured.”
Gently, as if he didn’t want to wake her, Nate lowered the girl’s hand to the pavement. He stood and Rawls stood with him.
“Do you want to tell me what that was all about?”
Nate studied the bearded tech, “I made her a promise.”
“Nate, you and I both know solving the death of a streetwalker is one of the hardest crimes to solve. Unless she was killed by her pimp, or another girl jealous of her, the doer is a complete stranger. There’s just not enough to tie the two people together.”
Rawls shook his head, “You’ve worked more of these than I have. You know how difficult this is going to be.”
Nate looked at Rawls, placed a hand on the technician’s shoulder, “I made her a promise.”
He turned and walked from the alley, giving the technician a controlled wave, “See you at the morgue.”
The Tenth Nail is the story of a homicide detective obsessed in finding the killer of a streetwalker. It is fast paced, with well developed characters and a twist at the end most will not see coming.
LITERARY TITAN 