MY PUBLISHER, FLAME TREE PRESS, has staged a Blog Tour to support the release of Voodoo Heart this week, and the first few entries have been awesome. Many of these reviews have also turned up on Amazon and Goodreads. Readers seem to really be enjoying the novel’s mix of mystery and voodoo and horror! I’ll post excerpts and links here as the tour continues:
DAY 1: Oct. 19
The Book Lover’s Boudoir called the book “well written and engaging” and said “the most enjoyable aspect of the book is the voodoo lore in the book. It seemed to ring true and I’m sure the author did his research. Overall, I had a great time with this which was a bit different for me.”
FANFIaddict also gave it a 4-star review and said “I was glad to have read this book during the spooky season. Between the setting and the tone of the story, it gives off chilling vibes and keeps me in the Halloween mood.”
DAY 2: Oct. 20
Janine’s Ghost Stories started Day 2 of the blog tour with a 5-star review. Janine wrote: “There was mystery and horror and shocking revelations, and it was fantastic. 5/5”
The Ink Slinger / Betwixt The Sheets blog said “the story is richly tinted in darkness… This book is definitely not for the squeamish, anyone wishing to avoid themes of black magic rituals, or those who are uncomfortable with very taboo sex.. but for me, those were probably the most interesting elements.”
DAY 3: Oct. 21
Rajiv’s Reviews gave the novel 5 stars and it “creepy, twisted, horrific, and SO awesome! The author writes the story in a noir-styled manner that immediately makes it stand out. As soon as I started reading it, the tale felt like watching Humphrey Bogart mixed with American Horror Story. As I love classic noir films and horror, reading this book was a treat!”
DAY 4: Oct. 22
A Genuine Opinion staged a book giveaway on Instagram and wrote this about the novel: “My interest was instantly peaked because of the description of this book; I love anything to do with Voodoo and New Orleans so I knew I would enjoy this. John wrote a masterpiece. It is full of magic, darkness and mystery on every page, keeping you gripped and guessing throughout. I enjoyed delving into the case of the missing/murdered people with Cork and found myself wishing I could witness (or be part of) the rituals of the New Orleans priestesses. I finished this book at dead on midnight, and did find myself a little scared which I did not expect, but loved all the same – I don’t think this book is for the faint-hearted.”
Honestmamreader’s Book Blog called it, “The perfect pick for a spooky October read…. There’s plenty of graphic scenes and rituals that made me squirm. There were parts that disgusted me, but these parts are what I found fascinating as well (if that makes sense) if it wasn’t for these rituals and scenes we would have a very tame book….If you want a spooky read that will corrupt your mind. Voodoo Heart is the one to buy!!”
DAY 5: Oct. 23
Booker T’s Farm gave Voodoo Heart “5 Paws” and said, “This book was fascinating, intriguing and spooky – a perfect Halloween read. It’s full of tons of information regarding voodoo practices which makes me seriously question what Everson does for fun, or applaud him for his degree of research. At its heart, pardon the pun, Voodoo Heart is mystery wrapped up in horrific details.”
DAY 6: Oct. 24
The Night Reader Writes said, “Voodoo Heart is an old-fashioned murder mystery which involves black magic and the debate of white magic and black magic and bleeding hearts…Recommend this book to all thriller lovers who love an old-fashioned murder mystery and which involves curses.”
DAY 7: Oct. 25
Duck Face Kim reviewed the book on Instagram and wrote: “Right from the beginning I was sucked into this story which I liked and the background of each character was given to you as the story progressed. I found the ending a little predictable but I did not predict the unexpected twists along the way! Initially, there’s a joint storyline of the murders and an affair which then becomes a journey into whether or not the main character, Ribaud, believes in voodoo. I really knew very little about voodoo previously but I feel like I know a lot about it now so I hope everything was accurate! This is the perfect story for Halloween… If you want a proper cop novel following a very likeable main character (and several other very likeable characters), a sprinkling of different cases and some black magic then this is the book for you.”
DAY 8: Oct. 26
Beyond The Books wrote, “Voodoo Heart by John Everson is an absolutely perfect read for this particular time of year… A truly compelling read that, even with the graphic parts had me hanging on to every word. A fascinating book all in all, that has entertained and educated me you could say, in the art of voodoo, well! You never know when I may need it these days do you?”
Berty Boy 123‘s blog review said, “On the whole a dark, scary and enjoyable book and though not about vampires seems to inhabit the same world as the True Blood novels. I’m sure you will enjoy reading this book if you are into horror.”
DAY 9: Oct. 27
From Belgium With Book Love wrote, “The mystery of it all kept me intrigued until the final reveal, but it was first and foremost the dark Southern Gothic atmosphere that kept me absorbed, the exploration of voodoo, the culture, the city, the swamps, the snakes, I gobbled it all up. Bar a few scenes I really enjoyed Voodoo Heart and if you’re looking to add a voodoo tale to your #spooktober shelves – and you like yourself some dark erotic and evil occult themes – be sure to check out Voodoo Heart!”
DAY 10: Oct. 28
RhiRhiReader started the final day of the tour with a review that starts out, “All fans of Weird and bonkers… look this way!! This book was great, I thoroughly enjoyed. From strange spells to creepy snake action, this story has it all. I can imagine it being a really fun Halloween film.”
All I can say is… Hollywood, are you listening?!
Feminisia Libros Reviews closed out the book tour with a great review that said, “Voodoo Heart is one of those magic feeling October reads. What more could you want at this time of year; a supernatural thriller set in New Orleans, featuring a rather unconventional detective? … Voodoo Heart sucked me till I couldn’t put it down and if you are looking for a scary Halloween read Voodoo Heart is your one!”
A huge thanks to all of the Bloggers, Facebookers, Tweeters and Instagrammers who posted reviews, staged gorgeous book photos, did book giveaways and supported and helped spread the word about the release of this novel! Hoping lots of readers are enjoying it this Halloween weekend!
