Today Rochelle Staab is here to talk about going beyond pure reason in writing about the occult. She is the bestselling author of the Mind For Murder Mystery series and a 2012 Anthony Award nominee for Best First Novel. If you ever wondered what if or why, stayed up late to find out whodunit, or read the last page of a story first, then you understand the need to know and are a mystery lover like Rochelle. She puts characters in danger, then answers the who, what, where, when, why, how, and what ifs, all the way to The End.
BEYOND PURE REASON
by Rochelle Staab
Call me a supernatural agnostic. My is-it-or-isn’t-it attitude toward the mystical began in high school on a rainy afternoon in the basement study of a Midwest mansion. Three girlfriends and I were goofing with the Ouija board we found hidden in a bookshelf. Snorting with cynicism at the board’s responses to our queries we dared the raunchy spirit, or whatever was guiding the planchette, to appear. Our answer bounded through the empty house and down three flights of steps. Its thunderous live appearance sent us into a screaming huddle. Decades later, not one of us can forget, explain, or deny our terror.
The Ouija experience didn’t stop me from exploring the supernatural; it fueled my curiosity. Years later my career transplanted me to Los Angeles where psychic and occult shops are as prevalent as banks and delis in Manhattan. We Los Angelenos will give any crackpot a chance—once. And I did. Psychics, séances, palm reading, tarot reads, and astrological predictions left me thinking “lucky guess” if/when they proved correct. I viewed fortunetelling as sleight of hand, a shrewd knowledge of body language, coincidence, or a flat-out scam. But I won’t deny the possibility of mysteries in the universe beyond my comprehension.
As a writer, I was intrigued with an idea to drape a veil of mysticism over a rational murder investigation. The cerebral view of religion and cults held by my former, real-life Religious Philosophy college professor inspired me to create Nick Garfield, a younger, wittier, and better looking version who studies belief systems, and under the rose lends LAPD a hand with occult-linked crimes and scams.
I wanted a strong character to stand up to Nick’s intellectual certainty and mirror my personal doubts. A psychologist friend with a contemptuous view of the supernatural provided the role model for Liz Cooper, my non-believing protagonist/shrink. Liz employs Nick’s expertise to help her clear a friend of a murder charge in my first novel, WHO DO, VOODOO? Liz doesn’t believe. Nick does. The Mind For Murder Mystery series exploits their differences, leaving the reader to decide who is right.
At the outset, plotting occult-themed mysteries seemed simple. Spooky rituals, a few superstitions, a real murder or two, reveal the killer, and bang!—everything gets pharmacy-no-rx.net/viagra_generic.html explained scientifically.
Or does it?
De-mystifying the occult enough to write about it became a challenge and an adventure. WHO DO, VOODOO? opened with a mysterious tarot card. Couldn’t be just any card. My search led me through four months of tarot reading classes to understand the Fool’s journey.
The plot twisted to Vodou. The syncretic religion developed in the 17th century when French and Spanish missionaries forced West African slaves in Haiti and Cuba to convert to Catholicism or be punished as heretics. Loyal to their homeland beliefs and fearing for their lives, the slaves employed icons of Christian saints to manifest their African deities. The resulting syncretic religions, practiced in secret and never written down, became Haitian Vodou and Cuban Santeria.
The commercialized voodoo we find in the media is an offshoot of the spells, rituals, and superstitions practiced by powerful 19th century New Orleans voodoo queens. Their stories fascinated me enough to take a tour of the French Quarter with a voodoo priestess. I followed her through back rooms of voodoo shops and into sanctuaries. She gave me a lesson in how to hold spirits at bay in a cemetery.
My second novel BRUJA BROUHAHA involves Santeria—the Cuban version of voodoo. In search of another first-hand experience one bright Saturday morning I wound up at a tiny altar in the back room of a downtown Los Angeles botanica (Santeria charm and ritual shop) while a local Santera (Santeria priestess) performed a protection spell on me. She only spoke Spanish; I only speak English. My experience became a scene in BRUJA BROUHAHA.
I picked up a few new habits along the way: you won’t see me set my purse on the floor (money drain) or hear me wish evil on people (comes back to you.) One thing I absolutely believe in? Parking Fairies.
Like my doubting psychologist Liz Cooper, I keep my mind and my eyes open. However as I’m working, every now and then I look up to the sky and say, “Fiction. I’m writing fiction.” Just in case.
ABOUT ROCHELLE:
Rochelle Staab, a former award-winning radio programmer and music industry marketing executive, blends her fascination with the supernatural and her love for mystery in the bestselling Mind for Murder Mystery series featuring Los Angeles psychologist Liz Cooper and professor Nick Garfield. BRUJA BROUHAHA, the second novel in the series, follows WHO DO, VOODOO? an Anthony, Agatha, and Eureka! Best First Novel nominee.
BRUJA BROUHAHA, the second novel in the Mind For Murder Mystery series will be released on August 7. A mid-city clinic assignment near historic MacArthur Park sends psychologist Liz Cooper into the midst of local mayhem, a puzzling disappearance, and a vindictive Santeria hex. Liz and her new love, Religious Philosophy Professor Nick Garfield, help an elderly Santera through a heart-breaking tragedy with repercussions that test their relationship and Liz’s professional ethics.
Connect with Rochelle:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rochelle.staab
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/rochellestaab
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4705211.Rochelle_Staab
Rochelle, thanks for coming on. A fascinating post! And what a rich culture to delve into that provides so much material for writing. I also had a frightful experience with a ouija board as a child. We elevated the board, brought an evil spirit through, and never touched it again (I hope the evil spirit went back to his resting place!). Best of success on the release of Bruja Brouhaha!
Donna, I love being here. Thanks so much for the invite and for suggesting this topic. I had no idea you and so many other friends had a young Ouija board experience. That board scared my friends and me witless! I’d write it off to clever manipulation (one of the girls was playful enough to toy with the board) but there was no way she could have tipped off the sleeping dog three flights above. Eeeeerie!
Rochelle, actually the spirit (before he became malevolent) led us on a trek into the snowy woods where we were to find a boulder with an X on it and dig below it to find a cave. We did find the boulder and dug but never got to a cave. We went back to the board and that’s when he got mean. I was 12 but remember it like yesterday! Creepy! Anyways, I love how your experience with this fueled your writing today as it sparked that curiosity and yearning to explain such mystical events.
Wow, Donna. At age 12 I can’t imagine how scary your experience must have been. Especially finding the boulder, getting excited, then running into the malevolent spirit back home. Our Ouija spirit got feisty or mean too, can’t remember which, but that’s when we dared it to appear. And it did.
I was about 17 when I tried the Ouija board. I was alone. There was no one with me to manipulate the planchette. I asked it how old I was going to be when I died (I was a morbid teen). What creeped me out was how the planchette pulled my fingers across the board and spelled out “54.” Thing is, I survived 54 (and many more), but just the feeling of that planchette pulling my fingers around the board was enough to keep me off the board for life.
Rochelle, it was scary enough to never do it again. I felt like I truly didnt know the power of what we were dealing with.
And Mary, your tale gave me chills reading it! How brave of you to try it alone. Thank goodness 54 came and went without any problems 🙂
Great Post! That was so interesting! I didn’t know the connection between Haitian Vodou and Cuban Santeria. And I love that these mystical traditions are all in the mix in LA and fit so well into Rochelle’s mysteries.
I cant wait to read the latest – Bruja Brouhaha.
-Lynn
Thank you so much for stopping by, Lynn. Researching the West African history of Vodou was an educating and eye-opening experience for me. Much deeper and richer than I ever imagined.
As one of your co-conSPIRITors (sorry) I laughed when I saw your post:) Still think about that devil dog. Love your stuff, Rochelle!
TRUTH! Lesley was in the mansion with me that afternoon! Thanks for stopping by, my friend. Thought you’d get a kick out of the memory 🙂
No childhood Ouija board experiences but one very scary sceance at the L.A. Magic Castle as an adult. I’m still not sure how the spirit knew what he knew about all of us.
Congrats! on the book. Can’t wait for the read.
Whoa, Robena. How creepy! I’m thinking about visiting the Magic Castle to research my next novel. I’ll be sure to try out the seance—LOVE THAT (in a spooky sort of way )
Love your book covers!
Thanks, KK. Me too. I swear if I ever meet my Berkley artist, I’ll throw my arms around him/her. I truly lucked out 🙂
KK, Rochelle does have amazing cover art!
So interesting! Can’t wait for the next one to take me places I have never been. JoAn
Thank you for the kind words, JoAn. I truly hope you enjoy BRUJA BROUHAHA!