Entangled Under the Mistletoe Blog Hop!

I'm super duper excited to take part in the first Entangled Under the Mistletoe blog hop! As you know, I love my publisher and fellow authors so it's a real honor to be included here.
Don’t forget to check out what the other authors participating in the hop are giving away!

Plus I'm giving away an e-copy of my YA book CONJURE, book one in The Hoodoo Apprentice Series at the bottom of this post. And since I'm on Authorgraph, I'd be delighted to send you a personal inscription. 

But before we get to that, I thought I'd share a little Christmas-themed hoodoo magic with you.

Be careful what you search for...

Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry—hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday. But when a strange girl appears bent on revenge, demon dogs become a threat, and Jack turns into a walking skeleton, Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before summer—and her friends—are lost forever.

In CONJURE, Emma Guthrie learns Gullah hoodoo magic to combat The Creep, a wicked flesh-eating curse that threatens her brother’s life. 

Hoodoo is an African-American folk magic prevalent in the southern United States. Plants and roots are the most important elements in both hoodoo medicine, which is used to heal ailments, and in hoodoo spells cast for magical ends. 

Since this is the Entangled Under the Mistletoe blog hop, I thought I'd share how our evergreen namesake plant is used in hoodoo magic. So without further ado...

Mistletoe's Uses in Hoodoo Magic 

For starters, in Hoodoo, mistletoe is not just for kissing under. According to one of my favorite hoodoo reference books, Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic by catherine Yronwode, Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that is poisonous if ingested but it has plenty of beneficial uses. For example:

• When mistletoe is dressed with Hoyt's Cologne, it can be carried to ward off enemies.

• If mistletoe is combined with rue, wahoo, and oak bark, the mixture can be burned to keep away evil.

• Mistletoe can be added to mojo bags for love, especially when there's a need to ward against love jinxes.

• Store owners can add mistletoe to devil's shoe string and cinnamon then bury the mixture at the door to their business to draw in good customers who want to spend money and keep away those who'll waste time or not pay their bills.

• To make a True Love Powder, mistletoe can be blended with verbena and elecampane  then pulverized.

• Mistletoe and oak chips can be burned together to remove unsettled spirits or ghosts from a house or business.

• Burning mistletoe, rue, verbena and benzoin over charcoal is said to take off jinxes affecting health.

So after you've gotten your kiss under the mistletoe, consider swiping that sprig to work a different kind of magic!

And now for my giveaway! I'm giving away an digital copy of CONJURE, book one in The Hoodoo Apprentice Series. Entering is easy peasy, just complete the Rafflecopter form below.

Good luck and Happy Holidays!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Before you go, if you haven't already, don’t forget to check out what the other authors participating in the hop are giving away!