Welcome Sandra! Please tell us a little about THE BOOK OF OBEAH.
The Book of Obeah is the first in a series of four novels of paranormal suspense. The whole series revolves around a prophecy which foresees a time of great change leading to a new level of consciousness. Throughout the series, four different events will be taking place in four different corners of the world, and they will bring to the surface conflicts that have poisoned humanity and history, to be healed at the core. Four tokens will be found as well, one in each story, and it is only when the four tokens come together in the final story that a shift in collective consciousness will be triggered. In The book of Obeah, an ancient manuscript is the token to be found, and our heroine, Melody Bennet, a young professional born and raised in the quiet suburbs on North Carolina, will risk her life and everything she knows to find the old tome and ensure the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy. As her knowledge grows and perceptions shift, Melody's path is fused with that of the sacred book.
Gotta love those ancient manuscripts! What can you share about your main character?
Unlike many characters found in paranormal stories, Melody Bennet is a normal girl, with no special powers she claims as her own. She is raised in an average family, and her spiritual beliefs have somewhat been drawn on the blueprint of a traditional Catholic upbringing. She has experienced some episodes of psychic awareness in her young age, but she has convinced herself that repressing those feelings was the only way to go. When she receives instructions to travel to Southern Louisiana to scatter her beloved grandmother’s ashes, she is, unbeknownst to her, thrust into a web of family secrets and new perceptions that will completely change her world and the way she perceives it.
What inspired this story or the creation of your character?
I have always been intrigued by mystical truths and alternate realities. Also, I am, by nature, an observer. It is through the sheer power of observation of different patterns that I have become convinced of the existence of alternate forces outside of our limited human perception, and I have wondered about what is really happening under the surface of readily seen illusion. I believe humanity is at a crossroads, and it is only a matter of time before we evolve into a new plane of consciousness. With the end of one age and the beginning of another, conflicts are surfacing in a speedy pattern to facilitate the shedding of the ego and prepare us for a new sense of being. The Crossroads Series is a chronicle of this transformation and of our passage from one age to the next.
Did the writing of THE BOOK OF OBEAH require any research? If so, what surprised you the most while researching for your story?
In all honesty, I did very little research. I grew up with a mother who was a practitioner of Voodoo and Hoodoo, so I had the opportunity to witness some of the rituals first hand. The rest is a rendition of what I personally feel and believe. I have intentionally mixed names and practices from different traditions to make a point – no matter what specific point of belief one practices from, the final vision is still the same for all.
That is certainly an interesting background to draw from. What do you hope readers to come away with when they read THE BOOK OF OBEAH?
A new sense of perception. Seriously. We are accustomed to only one side of the story, without ever shifting an inch to see how things look from a slightly different point of perspective. One lady totally made my day when she said that as she read she felt something awaken inside the innermost recesses of her being. Though I obviously wish for my novel to be the next sensation (any writer that negates that is lying!), knowing that I have made a difference in the way at least one person sees her world makes me feel really happy and accomplished.
Like Melody Bennet, I am the girl next door. I grew up in Pisa, Italy, and I married an American soldier twenty-two years ago. Meeting him sealed my fate, and brought me all the way here from Europe. I had three children, and for most of the past two decades, I dedicated my time to being a mom. Writing and spirituality have always been my two biggest passions, but I had to wait for my children to be a little older before I could dive into the process of making my own dreams of writing come true. I currently live in North Carolina, I am still married to the same guy who brought me here, and I hope to continue writing as long as I have air moving through my lungs and my fingers are working well enough to type. I also dream, some day, of living in New Orleans.
Who encouraged you to become a writer?
A number of people. My elementary school teacher was definitely my first supporter, and she always told me one day I would be a writer. My high school language arts teacher knew how much I loved to write, and he always invited me to attend literary events in town with him. Also, my parents knew a lady who was a stage actress and had worked with Vittorio Gassman, and once she found out how much I enjoyed literature, she took it upon herself to teach me all she could about the great masterpieces from Italian classical authors. When I wrote my first few pieces of poetry, she made me feel like I had written something amazing.
Are you currently working on anything else?
I am editing the sequel to The Book of Obeah and I am also working on a new nonfiction book on spirituality.
Where can readers go to buy THE BOOK OF OBEAH?
Both books I have written (which includes HOUSEKEEPING FOR THE SOUL) are available on Amazon and all other major bookstores. They are also available at the Hooked On The Book site, and for each book sold through them, $1 is being donated to different charities.
Thank you, Sandra, for sharing your book and fascinating perspectives! Readers can learn more about Sandra and her works on her website at http://www.sandracarringtonsmith.com/, or to discover more about THE BOOK OF OBEAH, check out its website at http://www.bookofobeah.com/.
nice
ReplyDelete