The story behind Hoodoo Money is two-fold. My daughter, Shelley, visited New Orleans with a boyfriend in her early twenties. One of their “touristy” stops was the old St. Louis Cemetery. Mind you, guidebooks for the Big Easy caution that cemeteries should be visited in organized groups - especially the older cemeteries. While visiting the gravesite of Marie Leveaux, Shelley (like my character Angeline) lifted a nickel from the notorious Voodoo queen’s tomb, and in doing so, had a comment for her friend: “What if this nickel is cursed.”

Talk about inviting a lightning strike . . .

As she returned to their car, Shelley was mugged and her purse stolen. Physically she remained unscathed, but for years after, didn’t keep nickels for fear karma would deposit Leveaux’s coin back in her life.

Combine Shelley’s New Orleans calamity with research I’d done into the brutal murder of a local businessman for a true crime book and Hoodoo Money was conceived. My research had been relegated to a back burner while I contemplated whether I wanted to write a tell-all book that would follow a young (and incarcerated) shooter for the rest of his life. My conscience dictated the right decision.

During the course of our correspondence, the young shooter asked me, “Why would a nice lady like you want to write such a perverse story? Why not write fantasy? Something people want to read. Something that will make them smile.”

I took his advice to heart and hope you enjoy my efforts.