His
Magic Touch
by
Debby Grahl
Genre:
Paranormal Romance
The
night before Jared Dupre's wedding, a specter warns him the demonic
witch, Adam Montief, has kidnapped his brother in a centuries-old
vendetta unknown to Jared. A powerful witch himself, Jared tracks
Adam from New Orleans to a remote island off the coast of
Connecticut, where he's given no choice. He must rescue his brother
and break his engagement to Kendra O'Connell, or they both die. After
complying, Jared engages in a sword fight and believes he has
vanquished his foe, but when he returns to New Orleans, he finds evil
still threatens all he loves. Kendra, not knowing why Jared broke
their engagement, devastated, finds solace in another's arms. With
help from an ancestor's spirit, can Jared defeat the dark magic
descending over the Big Easy while winning back the woman he loves?
New Orleans blog post
New
Orleans, known as the Crescent City or the Big Easy, just celebrated its
three-hundredth anniversary. It was first settled by the French, then taken
over by the Spanish, sold back to the French, who then sold it to the United
States.
The city's
historic past includes such characters as the famous pirate, Jean Lafitte, and
the infamous Delphine LaLaurie who in 1834 was run out of New Orleans when her
mansion caught fire and tortured slaves were discovered. And such locales as
the notorious Storyville red light district, the iconic riverboat gamblers, and
everyone's favorite party, Mardi Gras.
My husband
David and I first visited New Orleans in 1989 and fell in love with the city.
I’m a history buff by heart so I found the old Spanish architecture with its
wrought iron balconies enchanting. All you have to do is walk the streets of
the French Quarter to feel the magic.
There’s a
saying, “Only in New Orleans.” And this is so true. As I sat on our hotel
balcony sipping a glass of wine and munching on a bag of voodoo chips, I
could see a musician setting up on the corner. Soon the clear sounds of
his saxophone filled the night. The smell of spicy gumbo from the restaurant
across the street wafted through the air. The clip clop of a horse- drawn
carriage passed beneath me, its driver thrilling his passengers with tales of
the ghosts who haunt the city. A man, painted silver, walked along juggling
oranges, while a bicycle cab pedaled by. On Bourbon Street, a second line band
marched past. A group of laughing tourists carrying red go cups went into a
bar, and the long low whistle of a paddle wheeler on the river could be heard.
As I sat
there taking it all in, I thought what a wonderful place to set a story. From
its diverse people and cultures to its incredible food, such as hot sugary
beignets, po boy sandwiches, and crawfish etouffee; every kind of music from
funky blues to jazz, rock ‘n roll to country; and Voodoo shops, haunted houses,
and above-ground cemeteries.
People
claim witches and ghosts walk the streets, and I have to admit sometimes I
believe it’s true. It was while touring St. Louis #1, the oldest above-ground
cemetery in the city, standing in front of the tomb of the Voodoo queen, Marie
Laveau, that the idea for His Magic Touch began. I swear she zapped me. I
started feeling faint and had to leave the tour. Now, my husband will tell you
it was because of the heat, but I felt fine until we approached her tomb. I
think my version is more interesting. I began my research into local witchcraft
and hauntings.
The Hotel
Monteleone, on Royal Street, is one of the settings I use in the book. Not only
known for its Carousel Bar, it’s also one of the most haunted hotels in the
city.
I hope His
Magic Touch brings a little of New Orleans to life for you, and you’ll get a
chance to visit this unique city on the Mississippi.
Debby
Grahl lives on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, with her husband,
David. Besides writing, she enjoys biking, walking on the beach and a
glass of wine at sunset. Her favorite places to visit are New
Orleans, New York City, Captiva Island in Florida, the Cotswolds of
England, and her home state of Michigan. She is a history buff who
also enjoys reading murder mysteries, time travel, and, of course,
romance. Visually impaired since childhood by Retinitis Pigmentosa
(RP), she uses screen-reading software to research and write her
books.
Her
first published book, The Silver Crescent, won
the Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewers’ Choice award. Her
second book, Rue Toulouse, a contemporary romance set in New
Orleans, was a finalist in the National Excellence in Romantic
Fiction Award and was selected as a May, 2016, ‘local read’ by
Hilton Head Monthly.
Decorated
to Death is a holiday mystery cozy. She also has stories in three
anthologies, The Haunted West, Never Fear/Christmas
Terrors; and Ebb and Flow from the local Island Writers’
Network.
Debby
was featured in the January, 2016, Hilton Head Monthly article
‘Intriguing People of the Lowcountry’. She is a member of Romance
Writers of America, Florida Romance Writers, and First Coast Romance
Writers.
Her
latest book, His Magic Touch, was released December 5, 2018,
by Wild Rose Press.
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the tour HERE
for exclusive content and a giveaway!
Hello readers, thank you for giving me the opportunity to share His Magic Touch with you. Best regards, Debby
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