Voodoo
on Bayou Lafonte
Occult
Series #3
by Susan
C. Muller
Paranormal romantic
suspense
Blurb
A frantic phone call leads
Detective Remy Steinberg racing through the night toward the one place he vowed
never to return. With the life of his kidnapped daughter at stake, he willingly
faces shotgun-wielding drug dealers, corrupt law-enforcement officials, and a
raging hurricane.
Scouring the seedy back alleys of
New Orleans for information, he goes undercover at a sinister voodoo ceremony,
and struggles to understand the forces of black magic that hold his daughter
hostage.
With time ticking down, he
battles for his life against a high voodoo priest, but can he face the two
things he fears most: the swamp that terrorized his childhood, and the ex-wife
he’s never stopped loving?
Detective Remy Steinberg must
return to Louisiana in search of his kidnapped daughter. Can he save her before
the swamp swallows her up and he loses any chance at happiness?
Excerpt
Gabby didn’t speak on the way to Sherri Lynn’s, the
next stop on their interrogation route. Her hands were shaking and her voice
probably was, too. Besides, what could she say to Remy? You shouldn’t have
beat up that guy? That would have been a lie. The creep deserved everything
he got. I didn’t know you could do that? Maybe. At least that would have
been the truth. You shouldn’t have told Dan to shut his trap or called him a
walking piece of shit? That was very true. Dan Cryer never forgot, and
he never forgave.
Oh, and by the way, for someone who seemed so eager
to sever the marital connection, when did I become your wife again?
She clasped her still-trembling hands in her lap and
stared out the front window.
Remy didn’t take his eyes off the road as he spoke.
“Would you like to get a cup of coffee, something to eat, before we try the
next girl?”
Eat? How could she eat? Her stomach was in knots and
her heart was about to punch a hole in her chest. “Don’t you think we should
try to get to Sherri Lynn’s before Claudine or her father decides to call over
there?”
“Claudine’s not going to say anything, not for a
long time. And Dan is inside changing his underwear and trying to convince
himself the last fifteen minutes never happened. The last thing he’ll ever do is
tell anyone. Right now we’re both upset, and Sherri Lynn is our last chance. We
need to calm down before we face her.”
Gabby sighed. Remy was right. They did need to
settle down. “Papite’s is still on Pecan Street, and they still make the best
shrimp po’boys in three parishes.”
They didn’t speak again until they were settled in a
high-backed booth in the far corner. The vinyl seats were cracked and held
together with duct tape, but their voices couldn’t be heard over the hum of the
air conditioning unit. No point letting the whole parish in on their
discussion.
She waited until the waiter left with their order
before broaching the subject she’d debated sharing with Remy. “Starting
something with Don Cryer might not have been the best idea. He’s not a very
nice man and he holds a grudge.”
Remy flashed her a cocky grin. “You haven’t been
around me much over the last years, but I can be a badass myself, if need be. I
don’t hold a grudge, but I don’t put up with shit, either. Cryer pointed a
loaded gun at us. If I’d backed down, I’d have lost the respect of every man
for a hundred miles, and no one in this parish would have told me anything. I
don’t care about popularity, but I do intend to find my daughter, and that
takes information.”
Gabby felt a knot form in her stomach. Just like
always, Remy wasn’t listening to her. “Did you see that house? And the land it
sat on? The place must be worth millions. Dan didn’t get that playing by the
rules. Now there’s rumors Dan’s bringing drugs in from Texas, maybe even New
Orleans and Baton Rouge. You can’t find Adrienne if you’re dead. And even if he
doesn’t kill you, Adrienne and I have to live in this town after you’re gone.”
Oops. Had she really said that? She
sank back against the cushions. Well, it was true. Like before, Remy would rush
in, think he had to save her, and just when she got used to having him around,
he’d be gone. And she’d have to learn to live without him all over again.
“Is that what this is about, the elephant in the
room? I’m sorry I called you my wife. If it insults you that much, I’ll go back
and retract the statement.”
About the Author:
For those of you who don’t know
me, I’m a fourth generation Texan and I attended Stephen F. Austin State
University where I majored in Business Administration, but took creative
writing classes on the side because that’s where my heart was.
I have always loved reading and
if it’s true that God doesn’t subtract the hours you spend reading from your
life span, then I should pass the century mark with flying colors. I first
tried my hand at writing when I was eleven, but the sun was shining and I had a
new bike so that effort was doomed to failure.
I didn’t try writing again until
I was well into my sixties. People ask me why I took it up then and my answer
is simple, because my husband retired. If you don’t understand, just wait, you
will.
My first novel, The Secrets on
Forest Bend, won several awards. After that, I was hooked.
I’ve been blessed with two great
kids and four grandkids. My late husband and I loved to travel and we saw much
of the world. Kenya, New Zealand, and the Galapagos Islands are a few of my
favorite places. After he passed, I thought my traveling days were over, yet
I’ve since been to Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela.
I live in Spring, Texas where I
currently serve as president of the Northwest Houston chapter of RWA and
volunteer at a local hospital. I also enjoy speaking to book clubs and writers
groups.
Twitter: @susancmuller
Thanks for having me!!
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