Gypsy Kisses and Voodoo Wishes by Denise N Tapscott Book Tour and Giveaway :)
Gypsy
Kisses and Voodoo Wishes
by
Denise N Tapscott
Genre:
Southern Gothic Horror, Paranormal Romance
Can
any good transpire when Romani magic collides with Voodoo Magic? For
Grandmother Zenobia, the answer is unclear.
The
year is 1890 in Carrefour Parish, Louisiana. A Voodoo high
priestess with a mysterious past, Grandmother Zenobia conceals her
magical powers from her grandson Will. She wants him to have a
"normal" family life, including savory Southern dinners and
festive church gatherings. When Will reveals that he's in love with a
girl named Syeira, Grandmother is overjoyed. In her excitement over a
future wedding, Grandmother fails to find out a crucial piece
information. Syeira is not a New Orleans local, she's from the
Camlo family.
On
the other side of the bayou, Queen Patia Camlo, is furious when her
daughter reveals her relationship with Will, who is not Romani. To
the Camlo tribe, The Traveler way is the only way. Desperate to
put an end to their romance, Patia casts a spell so effective that
even the great Grandmother Zenobia can't fix the damage it creates.
Grandmother
Zenobia must decide how much she's willing to sacrifice to retaliate
against Patia, as well avenge her family, without losing her soul
Denise
was born and raised in California. She left her heart in San
Francisco, but somehow managed to leave her soul in New Orleans. When
she's not creating and cultivating her characters, she enjoys dining
on spicy tuna rolls, sharing a bottle of red wine with friends and
watching the latest flick (especially scary films). From time to time
this radiant left-handed pirate will even challenge others to a
fencing match or two. But, watch out. This Gemini is determined to
win!
Often
referencing her favorite quotes, below is Denise's favorite motto by
Hans Christian Andersen:
"Just
living is not enough...one must have sunshine, freedom and a little
flower."
What
can we expect from you in the future?
I
have rough drafts for three more novels and a few short stories that
highlight more about Grandmother Zenobia. My first short story,
The Price of Salvation was released September 2019. It's one of
my favorite stories about my favorite main character (I love them
all, but she "speaks" to me the most). When I was
working on my novel Gypsy Kisses and Voodoo Wishes for what felt
like an eternity, a writer friend encouraged me to step away and
write a simple short story to clear my head. I cheated a bit
and wrote the story about Grandmother Zenobia. Now I have several
other short stories for my readers who prefer shorts to novels.
The collection will be called "The Friends and Foes of
Grandmother Zenobia" and readers will see different sides to her
personality and see the character in different time periods.
How
did you come up with the title of your book Gypsy Kisses and Voodoo
Wishes?
I
liked the idea of a story where Voodoo would battle Romani
Magic. After doing some research I discovered both magical
worlds aren't as scary as Hollywood makes them out to be. I
wanted something else to make the two sides appealing. I
thought of kisses and wishes, and without giving any spoilers, these
two elements helped the story along. Thus Gypsy Kisses and
Voodoo wishes came to mind. When looking more into the Romany
culture (which is challenging because I want to be respectful), right
before the book was published I found that some people are offended
by the word Gypsy. If I could ride in the way back machine with
Sherman and Mr. Peabody, I'd find a better term for Gypsy.
The idea that the title could be offensive to someone breaks my
heart.
Where
did you come up with the names in the story? Are your characters
based off real people or did the all come entirely from your
imagination?
I
researched most of the character's names based on their
personalities. An example would be Patia Camlo,
Romani Queen of the Camlo tribe. She is very angry and bitter
and the name Patia means bitter. On the other hand, her
husband is named Dorian means gift. I also chose it because of
the Oscar Wilde story The Picture of Dorian Gray. I love the movie
version and I wish they’d remake it! I wanted an interesting
name for a Voodoo High Priestess and I came across the name Zenobia.
It turns out there was an actual person, Queen Zenobia of Palmyra.
I though her story was fascinating and it's how I put a few pieces
together for my character. It gave her many more layers than I
planned.
One
character, Olivia Milton came about from an actual, real life, heart
breaking situation. Her name means “Olive tree” and I wanted her
name to be a little ironic. Without giving any spoilers, Olivia is
probably the closest characters I created to an actual person.
Otherwise,
my characters are entirely from my imagination. Most of them
have my own quirks, flaws and fun features.
If
you could spend time with a character from Gypsy Kisses and Voodoo
Wishes, whom would it be? And what would you do during that
day?
I'd
definitely spend a day with Grandmother Zenobia. I'd love to
sit down with her and watch her do a few tarot readings for people.
I'd also love to stand next to her and help cook a delicious down
home southern meal, including dessert. She'd have all kinds of
advice and stories to share with me.
I’d
also love to spend a day with Dorian, King of the Camlo Tribe. I
think he’d be fun to party with when he was in a good mood, and I
bet he’d have all kinds of stories to share.
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