ADR3NALIN3

Plundering Graves in Savannah

by Katie Crouch


I'm in Savannah, Georgia today, doing some research for the last installment of the Magnolia League and doing a couple of book events. My co-writer, Grady Hendricks, and I loaded up my Mom's ancient SUV yesterday with books and snacks and hit Highway 17 South from Charleston around four. Grady and I have known each other since we were nine, and since he lives in New York and I live in San Francisco, we had a lot to catch up on. Gossip, our reaction to the Hunger Games movie, how weird our parents are. Same stuff, basically, we used to talk about in high school, even though we're 38.

Savannah is an amazing town. Green, lush, quiet, and, of course, terrifically spooky. When we got up at 4:30 to do a morning show (aaaack), the mist clung to the ground, waist high and thick as soup. Naturally, we've been hanging out in Savannah's graveyards this morning, looking for more cool details to put into the Magnolia saga.

Goofer dust figures heavily into our plot, so we looked around for the best graves for Madison to plunder in book three. Never heard of goofer dust? Well, newbie! It's actually the dirt from graves, and depending on who's under there, a vial of it around your neck can greatly affect your fate. According to Hoodoo magic, if you're poor, the goofer from a dead rich person will turn your finances around, while the goofer from the grave of a criminal can be used to put a deathly blue root on someone you'd like to curse. Of course, you're not supposed to just TAKE the goofer. It's very important to leave a dime on the grave in payment, otherwise that spirit might follow you home.

On the way home after the event, we'll stop at Bonventure, Savannah's largest and most famous cemetery. It'll be dark by then, so hopefully we'll ferret out a spirit or two.

For more information on Hoodoo and the Southern spirits we drew upon to write the trilogy, please visit:

http://magnolialeague.katiecrouch.com/gullah-jack/

Until next time!

xo

Katie Crouch