Here is the cover reveal for “Up Jumped the Devil” the follow-up to “Love Power” in Martha Reed’s NOLA Mystery series, coming at end of November 2023. Pre-orders will be available soon.

And now, come join Aunt Babette and dru’s book musings as we sit down for a Q&A session.

What is your full name?
Marie-Antoinette Broussard. In true Creole tradition, the women in my family use ‘Marie’ as the hyphenated first part of our name to honor the Blessed Virgin. I don’t know what my maman, Marie-Claudette was thinking when she chose ‘Antoinette’ for me. My beloved grandmere started calling me ‘Babette,’ and I adopted her endearment to get away from the teasing. It stuck. Please call me Aunt Babette. Everyone does.

How old are you?
It’s hard to believe, but I am 81 years young.

What is your profession?
I am a practicing and highly skilled N’Awlins Voodoo Queen. Yes, it’s a real thing. I provide spiritual guidance and practical advice through my Tarot card and Ouija board readings. I also sell my handmade and protective gris-gris charms to break any red magic spells.

Do you have a significant other?
Sadly, no. I was interested in a cousin, but Toulouse was killed on March 2, 1968, during the Tet Offensive in Viet Nam. I still read his letters.

Do you have any children?
Alas, no. It’s strange to think I had such a flock of family members when I was a child, and now our family’s been whittled down to me and Leslie Pascoe. Leslie’s mother died tragically young. I moved in to take care of Leslie until she came of age. Now Leslie, her husband, Ken, and their daughter Gigi are my family.

Do you have any siblings?
I used to. My pig-headed younger brother Henri Louis Broussard refused to leave his home during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 despite my many warnings. We haven’t seen him since. I’ve tried contacting him during a séance, but he’s stubborn like I said. He won’t come through and admit he was wrong not to listen.

Are your parents nearby?
Yes, if you consider the Broussard family tomb in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 close. Je suis désolée. These questions make me feel giddy, and my answers sound maudlin. Honestly, I am grateful for my life and for the people I’ve loved who have helped me live it. I’m never lonely because I can sense their spirits are near.

Who is your best friend?
I cherish Leslie Pascoe like a daughter despite her husband, Ken.

Do you have cats, dogs, or other pets?
No, Leslie is very particular about her house, and since she is kind enough to share it with me, I respect her wishes.

What town do you live in?
N’Awlins, honey! Why live anywhere else?

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
I rent half of the top floor of Leslie’s Big House. It offers me a grand view of the Bywater, and of all our NOLA neighbors.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
I suppose my loa shrine should take precedence, but I’ll confess I do love my stereo console and my collection of vinyl rock n’ roll records that they now call vintage.

What is your favorite meal and dessert?
Honey, this is N’Awlins. Have you tasted our cuisine? Alright, if I must pick only one dish then it has to be shrimp etouffee made with the holy trinity – celery, onion, and green bell pepper with flaming Bananas Foster for dessert. Merde. Now I’m hungry!

Do you have any hobbies?
Listening to and helping people is my hobby. I’ve done it all my life. Gigi’s friend Jane is starting a private investigator agency. I’m going to work with them because I would be so good at it, especially surveillance like you see on TV. No one notices an old woman sitting on a park bench. Being invisible is my superpower.

What music do you listen to?
Classic rock n’ roll. The Rolling Stones are my favorite band.

What is your favorite color?
Purple. I make sure to wear something purple every single day. You might not see it on the outside, but trust me, I’m wearing purple somewhere.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
Honey, I work for a living. I can’t afford a vacation. Besides, where would I go? N’Awlins has everything I want.

Are you a morning or night person?
Break of day early morning, at dawn when the sun is peeping up to begin a fresh new day.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
I used to love going to fais do-do parties and dancing the night away. Now I’m looking for my bed by eight-thirty.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Me write a book? Hum. How about “Memoirs of a N’Awlins Voodoo Queen.”

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
I am an amateur sleuth for sure. Like I said, I want to work with Jane Byrne. Jane used to be a real police detective. She’s the professional.

What is a typical day in your life like?
I get up early to catch the bus to Le Maison Gris, a botanica shop on Lafayette Square by the St. Louis Cathedral where I sell my gris-gris and healing potions. On Sunday and Wednesday and any saint’s days of obligation I attend Mass with Leslie. Occasionally, I visit a client’s home for a private mediumistic session when they need exceptional guidance.

Up Jumped the Devil, A Crescent City New Orleans Mystery Book #2
Genre: Traditional Mystery
Release: November 2023
Format: Print, Digital

As festive Mardi Gras Carnival season begins, graffiti vandals are targeting prominent tombs in NOLA’s historic St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Jane Byrne, the cemetery’s new Head of Security and Gigi Pascoe, a transgender sleuth must identify the miscreants and stop the desecration. Together, they snare two homeless teens who share a horrifying tale of off-the-street kidnappings fueling an inhuman supply chain network.

On the sly, Gigi has emailed renowned rock music promoter Frankie Malcolm about recording an album of recently rediscovered WarBirds’ songs. Frankie leaps at the opportunity, promising Ken Pascoe, Gigi’s father, and the last surviving WarBirds band member a royalty jackpot. The future looks rosy for the Pascoe family until a previously unknown relative appears, staking a priority claim on the long-lost songbook.

After the suspicious deaths of several key witnesses, NOLA FBI’s interest in the local kidnapping investigation withers. Overbooked NOPD detectives consider the missing NOLA homeless people a low priority item, and the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office is wary of burning sensitive political connections. Refusing to quit, Jane and Gigi tap into the riotous Mardi Gras energy to expose a murderous criminal conspiracy.

About the author
Martha Reed is a multi-award-winning crime fiction author. Her short story, “The Honor Thief,” was included in the Bouchercon 2022 Anthony Award-winning anthology, This Time For Sure. Her first Crescent City NOLA Mystery, Love Power won a 2021 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award and features Gigi Pascoe, a transgender sleuth. Up Jumped the Devil, NOLA Book 2 launched in October 2023. Martha is also the author of the Independent Publisher IPPY Book Award-winning John and Sarah Jarad Nantucket Mystery series. Visit her website reedmenow.com for more.