Welcome! (: Today, we will be talking to the author of Bad Juju, Dina Rae; we will also be giving you an excerpt from Bad Juju.
First, I want to let ya'll know what Bad Juju is all about...
Book Description (Amazon)
Publication Date:September 22, 2012
A Haitian bokor mentors two teens in the dark arts. Their spells backfire.
Lucien Nazaire flees his Haitian homeland and meanders around the United States for decades. He settles in a Wisconsin trailer park filled with elderly tenants. He meets Jake and hires him for odd household jobs. As their relationship progresses, Lucien invites the boy into the world of Voodoo.
Jake LaRue lives in foster care with his abusive uncle. The Voodoo lessons give him a sense of power within an otherwise helpless situation. Despite his loner status, he instantly connects with Henry, his only friend in high school.
Henry Novak has Asperger’s Syndrome. He fixates on historical events, most recently the 2010 Haitian earthquake. Like Jake, he becomes passionate about the dark side of Voodoo. They learn how to cast spells on those they hate and lust, leading up to dire consequences.
Months after the Haitian earthquake, Henry convinces his family to volunteer for the island's reconstruction. Their mission turns into a nightmare when he mysteriously walks off of the campsite.
Bad Juju is a balance of horror, romance, and literary fiction intended for adults and mature teens. The plot uses research involving the Voodoo religion.
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Dina Rae Time! (:
1. What is your favorite genre?I don't really have a favorite genre- a good story is a good story. I also love biographies and other nonfiction. About the only genres that I'm not too crazy about are romance and steampunk, but I'm open. I especially love political thrillers and horror. My favorite authors are Dan Brown, Stephen King, Joel Rosenburg, Anne Rice, George RR Martin, and Brad Thor.2. How do you choose the names for your characters? Sometimes I honor family or friends by using their names in the book, and other times are random.I am polishing up a sequel to one of my novels, Halo of the Damned. The book is about fallen angels. I named some of the characters after angels (Angela, Raphael), trying to be clever. 3. What is your favorite novel by a different author?The Stand by Stephen King, Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald, and the Left Behind series by LaHaye and Jenkins.4. How do you beat out your writers block?I write out my first draft long hand. When I'm stuck, I just make myself write. I know that it's crappy and will be crumpled up and tossed, but keep plugging away. Sooner or later an idea will emerge. I also make myself write everyday, even if it's only a page. I'm terrified of allowing the manuscript to get cold.5. What does your family think of your writing? My husband is my biggest cheerleader. I let my oldest daughter read my work, although some of it is R-rated. She is 16 and loves it. My mother helped me edit my first novel.6. Fairy tales: Disney or Grimm?Easy, breezy-Grimm. Disney is boring.7. About how long did it take you to finish the first draft of Bad Juju? The first draft took about four months and then another month for polish.8. In 13 words or less: why should we read your book? Bad Juju is an in-depth look at Voodoo, human nature, and redemption. (It's also highly entertaining!)
Thanks Dina! (:
Very insightful-- I really loved your answer to #4!
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*Warning: the following excerpt contains some curse words. For this reason I have made it hard to see. Please highlight it if you wish to easily read it. (:
Excerpt:
By 6 a.m. Leah woke him up in his bed with a tray of cereal and juice. Remnants of the hellish night instantly came back as the pain in his back throbbed.“You okay? It’s all my fault. I’m what triggered everything,” Leah cried. “Take this. It’ll help out a lot with the pain.”Jake could barely sit up. He downed the pill without even asking what it was. He looked at her once pretty face. It was purple and swollen. An upper tooth was missing.“Your shirt is saturated with blood. Let me see your back.”He agonized as he lifted his shirt. The pain pulsated even harder as the cool air hit all of the sores.“Holy shit! I need to clean you up. With all of the dried blood it’s hard to see how bad this is.”She went into his bathroom and came back with a damp towel. Once she was finished wiping off his back, the white towel was a filthy reddish-brown color. “This isn’t so bad. You need to take a bath.Nothing some Bactine won’t heal up. And you’re still stuck in the Zoo, right?”“Yeah. So don’t worry. No gym class. No one will see my back if that’s what you’re thinking,” Jake said with indignation.“Shhh. He’s asleep.”“Don’t you worry about Rhianna? Look at yourself. Look what he’s done to you. Your brother…He was going to rape you until T.J. stepped in. Wished T.J. would have stepped in for me. Pete took all of my money I worked so hard for. It was my ‘get the fuck outta here’ money.When I’m eighteen…I hate him, Leah. I really hate him.”“He takes my money every night. I know how you feel. You just gotta hide it better. Somewhere that’s not here. Your uncle does pay the bills, and keeps things running. Please, no more fights. He’s not all bad. Just when he drinks is all.”_____________________________
Purchase Bad Juju at:
*Amazon
*Barnes & Noble
*I must admit, I was late on posting this. I had my dates mixed up. ): I am very sorry to the author.
Come again soon! (:
-Marissa A.K.A. YOUR VERY OWN FanGirl Hostess