In my debut novel, “Out of the Blue” you can see a story immersed in nature and with characters that live very close to the land. For example, two of my characters, Mabel and Mavis (twins) practice various forms of alternative or earth-based spirituality. Mavis is a practitioner of Hoodoo. She finds herbs to be central to her practice or ability to heal others. Mavis uses resins such as Frankincense and Myrrh for strengthening, clearing and blessings.
An array of roots and herbs go into her various types of mojo bags, along with stones and curios - all with their own distinct magickal qualities. Her sister, Mabel uses dragon’s blood ink, a type of magickal ink derived from a type of palm tree, for her automatic writing, wherein she conveys messages from the spiritual realm and those who are deceased.
Rather than driving in cars, the two prefer to either walk, where ever they can, go on horseback or when they have to go greater distances, they take public transportation. The twin sisters also maintain a healing herbal garden, from which they harvest soothing teas, derived from roots, twigs, berries, leaves and flowers for their well-respected healing work and midwifery.
I am a naturalist and environmentalist. It is always a pleasure to fold information into my books that help others live closely and respectfully along with Mother Earth. “Out of the Blue” my most recent book and first novel, revels in nature. In fact, a very beautiful element of nature - flowers, are one of the main characters. Flowers also provide a unifying environmental setting to the story. Flowers have a language all their own and each one is distinct in what it has to say to our heart and soul. In all their incarnations, flowers speak, heal, touch our hearts and bring us hope in times of difficulties like illness or death.
Precious flowers elevate our thoughts and are easily accessible in many natural settings. In addition to enriching my novel, “Out of the Blue,” they are lovely treasures in our green living arsenal for everyday life.
Out
of the Blue
Black
and Blues
Book
One
Stephanie
Rose Bird
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: One Odd Bird Press
Date of Publication: March 22,
2020
ASIN: B084SNJ8K2
Word Count: 58,500 words
Formats available: E-Book and
Paperback
Cover Artist: Najla Qamber
Designs and Qamber Kids
Tagline: Out of the Blue is a
young-adult, coming-of-age novel that seamlessly bridges elements of African
American folklore and spirituality with Greek mythology.
Book Description:
When
two worlds collide, only one girl can unravel the mythical threads and save her
father’s life. . .
Mobile, Alabama, 1947
Bobby “The Shrimp Man” Daniels, a
blues singer and shrimper from Mobile, lies unconscious in a hospital bed,
suffering from a mysterious illness. His daughter Tina, a sheltered sixteen
year old, torn between her love for her father, and her disappointment in his
relationship with Kyane, his much younger mistress, is determined to heal her
father, no matter the cost.
Kyane isn’t just a mistress,
she’s a Siren, obsessed with her overwhelming desire to become human and merge
her otherworldly singing voice with Bobby’s incredible music. She’ll do
anything to get what she wants, annihilating anything, and anyone who stands in
her way.
In order to save her father, Tina
will have to travel to the Kyane’s world, a world of strange and magical
creatures, and figure out how to wrestle his soul from the Siren’s control. As Tina’s magical
journey twists and turns, she’ll learn what it means to be a woman and what it
means to save not only her father, but herself.
Out of the Blue is a young-adult,
coming-of-age novel that seamlessly bridges elements of African American
folklore and spirituality and Greek mythology.
Amazon One Odd Bird
Press
Chapter 2 The Denby Twins
“Mabel?”
Mavis, pauses
and waits for her sister’s response, but none comes.
“Maaaa-bel?” Mavis, projects her voice louder
and annunciates each syllable of her sister’s name, but still nothing by way of
a reply comes.
Three minutes
older than Mabel, Mavis still takes her elder-sister-status seriously. She’s
always watchful, attentive and curious about what her twin sister might get up
to next.
Rather than wasting
any more breath, she walks into the parlor, the swooshing of her heavy floral
skirts grows louder with each agitated step. The sound, as much a part of her,
as the swirl of her fingerprint, announces her presence to Mabel.
“I might have
known.” Mavis’ disapproval is obvious.
“What you tink
you goin’ find in the bottom of tat teacup tis time?
Lost in thought
or perhaps a vision, Mabel continues to peer intently at the pictures forming
in the tea leaves at the bottom of the china cup.
With a jarring clang,
she sets it down heavily on the saucer, upside down, so the true reading can
commence.
“Mavis?” She
blinks several times, adjusting her eyes back to this world, so lost is she in
her visions.
“I’m just
wondering if you are ready. We need to head back over to the infirmary.”
“Does I look
ready?” Mavis casts a dark look. Leaning back, her yard-long natty-dreads
nearly touch the floor, as she props up her pink slipper-covered feet.
“Well, we ain’t
got tat much time. Gots to see folk coming over later tis afternoon too, you
know. Best we do what we gots to do in town, and then come back and prepare for
our clients, don’t you tink?”
By the way her
sister shuffled into the tiny, but tidy, bathroom, Mabel could tell Mavis
hardly heard her.
Thrusting a soft
white wash cloth into Mabel’s hand, she said, “Take yourself a duck bath and
throw some’ting decent on.”
“For what?”
Mabel asked.
Her twin is
feeling fuzzy. She’s still not fully adjusted to the here and now. Mabel has
seen it so many times over the years. She knows all about her sister, her
moods, expressions, movements, so well that sometimes she’s sure she knows
Mavis better than she knows herself.
“Silly old bird.
We got to head on over to Mobile, to check in on Bobby,” said Mavis, slow and
low, not even trying to veil her growing annoyance.
Never much on
words, Mabel gets up and heads to the bathroom. First the water runs into the
enameled basin, and then splashing ensues. Mavis is in the kitchen gathering
the rest of her things. She perches on her foot stool. Mavis takes her time
sorting through her collection of drying and steeping herbs. A foul-smelling
asafetida brew, was an essential for her longstanding client, who’d fallen
spiritually ill. That herb cleansed, strengthened and protected, all at once.
It’s a formidable root with a pungent smell that’s unmistakable.
As a still-moist
Mabel appears from around the corner in her lavender housecoat, Mavis finishes
up the rest of her preparations. After a fresh sprinkling of hot foot powder on
the insoles of her boots, she grabs her well-loved nation sack, a type of
feminine mojo bag, and stuffs it into
the left side of her bra. She
likes her nation sack to ride with her, directly over her heart. It is
essential to what she does. The chamois cloth with which she’s wrapped the red
flannel bag, feels soft and comforting against her breast.
“Yous so busy
fussin’ at me all the time. You need to just shut your crooked-toothed- mouth
and get your own self ready. Now, look at us. Who’s holding up who?” Mabel
loved bickering with her sister.
But, then Mabel
leaves the conversation altogether. She busies herself up, looking out the
window, past the wildflowers and into the wood.
“At least I
takes time with my visions. I prepare. It takes time,” Mabel said. The two
constantly squabbled but are inseparable.
“Yous forgetting
some’ting, ain’t you?” Mabel hands Mavis her Van Van oil, causing the fool’s
gold chunks and lemongrass leaves to move about in the bottom of the tiny vial,
which could double as a terrarium, were it not so tiny.
Mavis dabbs at
her temples, wrists and the creases in her arms, as well as the back of her
knees. Lemon and musk spread quickly throughout the room with all its tropical
plants and velvet-covered chairs. With its scent, her mind begins to expand.
“Gimme some of
tat,” Mabel orders more than asks, her hand is outstretched. Quickly, she
mimics the ritualistic application of the Van Van, done by her sister.
Prepared with
magickal oil known to open-the-way, the sisters set out.
Sugar-foot, how
could I forget?
“Hold on a
minute!” said Mavis.
She flies back
inside to get her Lodestone Big Outfit.
“Dat your new
stuff you ordered from . . . where was it now?” Mabel asked.
“Came in the
post a couple of weeks ago, from King Novelty Catalog, from the south side of
Chicago.” Mavis told her.
“I ain’t never
really knowing what I be needing, so I gets me these big outfits prepared for
instances like this. She’d wrapped it in a cloth smelling of lovely violet
flowers, ranging from lilac to lavender, with its heady blend of oils and
petals.
“What’s in
dere?” Mabel pointed at the wrapped box.
“Well, you know
I gots me some High John the Conqueror Root – just ‘bout the strongest, of all
the magickal roots— and then, male and female White Lodestones to draw
goodness, in whatever so form it chooses.
“Dat ain’t all
dat’s in tat box, now is it?”
“Nah, not by a long
shot. I got me some Devil’s Shoe Strings to trip up the devil if need be.
Southern John the Conqueror Root, like High John but a tad bit stronger, and
High John regular, that’s going to strengthen every’ting in this here box, and
every’ting I needs to do. Oh, and dere’s a rabbit’s foot talisman for luck and
agility,” said Mavis.
With her ear
pressed to the box, Mavis shook the box back and forth gently. Hearing the
sounds, something like rocks and pebbles, a smile brightens her face as she
goes on with her inventory list . . .
“Gots the
holiest of all incenses – frankincense and myrrh. You know in the Bible, around
Exodus XXX it said some’ting like, ‘Thou shall set yourself up an altar to burn
frankincense and myrrh.’”
“Hmm.” Mabel’s
sigh was almost a growl.
“Oh, and dere’s
Five-Fingered Grass, you know, dat one looks like fingers made from grass? Tat
to pull good fortune.”
Then she shakes
her outfit, ever so gently up and down. She needn’t worry about disturbing the
contents of her box, as each element was cradled in its own individual section.
“Oh, and a dream
book . . . I needs it, in case I hears my client has a special kind of dream
that stick with him. Helps me interpret tings. Well, at least when theys
talking, it help me a lot.”
After a painful
silence, her sister responded.
“Yous pretty
well-stocked for conjuration and rootwork, but you bes’ ta leave that dream
work to me. I don’t need no books for dat. And you know I don’t go in for all
that Bible crap. What you telling dem quotes for? Save tat kind of talk for
someone tat believes,” Mavis said.
***
They didn’t see
the need for a car, yet getting to town was becoming increasingly difficult for
the two sisters, what with their flat feet and ever-growing bunions. They
walked to their apprentice’s house instead, and hitched a ride on her Appaloosa
mare, Finnegan. The girl, a twelve year-old named Sage, was grateful for how
the two opened up new worlds for her, and she gladly loans them Finnegan
whenever they need her.
While Mavis and
Mabel have a modest vegetable and herb farm, on which the cottage is situated,
that meets their basic needs, now and then, they need to go into Mobile. They
go to visit folks in the infirmary, people who call on them for their ancient,
mostly African, knowledge.
Finnegan, a
steady bay roan, took the twins on rides into town for baking fixins like
flour, baking soda and cornmeal, magickal and spiritual supplies, and fabric
from which their clothes and aprons were made. In addition to providing
transportation, Sage shares the metal filings from Finnegan’s shoeing, and this
powerful substance strengthens their diverse, and thus formidable powers. They
place the filings in their mojo bags and nation sacks and this feeds the
ingredients, helping them stay alive and come together to grow stronger.
Sage, watches
the two, marveling at how quickly their bodies conform with the horse’s, and how
easily they adapt to her rhythm. If you figure Sage isn’t her real name, you’d
be correct. It’s a name they’d given her when they’d first met her, and since
then, it is the only way Miz Mabel and Miz Mavis, as she calls them, address
her. They believe her to be a Sage, in the making, and they’ve grown quite fond
of the girl.
Finnegan kicks
up dust from the red-dirt road, and the two women, whom many mistakenly called
witches, though actually one is a root doctor and the other an intuitive, go.
***
Watching her
sister tether Finnegan to the post, a coldness creeps up Mavis’ spine, just as
though someone has thrown a bucket of ice water inside the back of her white
blouse.
Mabel has always
been the dreamy sister, and Mavis sees that she’s lost in thought. She doesn’t
even take notice at first. Soon enough, as is the way with the pair, Mabel
feels her sister’s shock from the inexplicable chill, in her bones, in much the
same way. With an otherworldly shudder, she nearly jumps out of her skin.
Even though
they’re elders, the sisters have plenty of vim and vigor, and that spunk is
accentuated by the Van Van oil. The magickal oil has seeped into their bodies
through their pulse points during the half-hour ride. As usual, they ignore
curious stares, because they know they cut quite the picture, what with the
fact that they carry a black umbrella that matches their equally dark
complexions. When anyone asked, they say it’s shielding them from getting
darker, while this may be true, considering they carry it no matter what the
sky condition it seems as though they just carry it because they feel like it.
Then there is the floppy straw hats, complete with wide, colorful ribbons and
pinned-on fresh flowers, the big, busy-patterned, aproned-skirts with old-fashioned
petticoats underneath, finished off with laced-up mahogany-colored granny
boots. They were an odd-ball pair who had mix-matched the most colorful parts
of their homeland, Jamaica, with the staid manners of the Southern Negro.
They were two
women who were used to walking between worlds.
A strange
feeling overtook Mavis’ chill, as she clicks her stacked wood heels down the
hardwood floors of the infirmary’s hallway. Instinctively, as she walks past
the closed doors of all the patients, she reaches for her nation sack, the way
a man or woman of the law, or not, might reach for a gun. Looking around to
make sure no one was looking, she takes the bag of magickal herbs and special
curios out from her bra, and squeezes it a few times, releasing a complex aroma
in the otherwise sterile-smelling hall. Moving like electricity, the energy
from her nation sack travels from her hands, up her arm and settles in her
chest. Bolstered by its power, she quickens her step, after putting her
powerful nation sack back in her bosom.
***
“What the hell?”
Mabel said to no one in particular.
Mabel looked to
the infirmary floor, where Tina laid. Dressed in her Sunday finest, with a dainty
straw cloche to top it off, the reddish brown-skinned girl people call a Red
Bone, was tiny and small, stuck somewhere between girl and woman. She likely
doesn’t weigh much more than a couple of feed bags. She sure is a sad sight
with a steady trickle of blood coming from her head. The poor girl is crumpled
in a pool of water tinged pink with the blood flowing into it.
Tina was also
surrounded by jagged shards from the shattered cobalt-blue glass.
As Mabel
addresses Tina’s wound, Mavis goes straight over to Bobby’s bedside. She waves
her hands over his eyes, which are still open.
Although her
brass and copper bracelets clang loudly, Bobby doesn’t wince or blink. He takes
no notice. His pupils seem to have rolled far back into his head.
Gently, she runs
her fingers over his eyelids, closing them, and lays him back down, taking him
out of the strange upright position he’s been stuck in. It’s difficult because
he’s rigid, but she manages to do it, so at least if he awakens he won’t be
greeted by the alarming sight of his daughter sprawled out on the wet floor,
before him. Everyone knows how much he loves his sweet, oldest daughter,
Earnestine.
“The devil is
busy,” said Mavis. “Sho’ nuff,” her sister replied.
Even though,
she’s perfectly capable of handling just about any situation, Mavis knows she
needs to reserve her energy for doctoring, so she calls out for help.
“Nurse! Doctor!
Orderly!” She uses the pointed end of her witching boot to hold open the heavy door
and continues shouting, not caring a lick whether or not she upsets the other
patients.
“Someone—"
But before she
has the time to go into a full rant, waking up sleeping patients, Bessie comes
to see what all the commotion is about.
“What in the world?”
Bessie calls back to Mavis.
Mabel should
have known better. She’s usually so carefully in situations like this but
seeing Tina on the floor stirs her sympathies something fierce. Mabel just
jumps right in and acts before thinking things through. She’s about to give
Tina mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Before Mabel can place her mouth over the
girl’s, Tina reaches out and grabs the collar of Mabel’s blouse with all the
strength she has in her ninety-five pound body. One hand latches on to the
seer’s left hand. Quick as a wink, they’re connected. The girl’s touch acts
like a lightning rod, pulling Mabel along an electrical current. Through this
conduit, Mabel travels to a distant land– the land where Tina and Bobby are
currently living.
Whether the
father and daughter are captives or not, well now that’s still to be decided.
About
the Author:
Stephanie Rose Bird is the author
of the critically acclaimed and award-winning, “Sticks, Stones, Roots and
Bones: Hoodoo Mojo and Conjuring with Herbs.” Her other books include: “365
Days of Hoodoo,” and “Four Seasons of Mojo,” all three were published by
Llewellyn Worldwide. Bird also contributes to Llewellyn Spell-a-Day,”
“Llewellyn Herbal Almanac” and “Llewellyn Magical Almanac.” She is the author
of: “Earth Mama Spiritual Guide to Weight-loss” (Green Magic Publishing), “A
Healing Grove” (Lawrence Hill Books), “The Big Book of Soul,” (Red Wheel
Weiser/Hampton Roads Publishers) and “Light, Bright and Damned Near White:
Biracial and Triracial Culture in America and Beyond.” (ABC-Clio).
She is a novelist, published by
One Odd Bird Press, in the Young Adult Fantasy and Magical Realism genres. “Out
of the Blue” is her debut novel in the Black and Blues Series. One Odd Bird
Press will also publish “Pine Barren Blues.” She writes and paints where she
lives (Chicagoland) with her husband, near her children, and along with some
very busy animal friends.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/s.r.bird
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephanierosebi
Website: www.stephanierosebird.com
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