My special guest today is debut Ellora’s Cave author Marilu Mann. According to her bio Marilu Mann brings the steaminess of the Louisiana bayous to her books and she doesn’t stop there. Marilu’s willing to travel to the frozen tundra of Wisconsin to heat up those northern nights and melt a little snow. She’ll also circle the world to Wales, Ireland, Scotland and back just to bring you books that make you sweat.
Sounds great, huh?
Currently residing in Texas, Marilu is an avid armchair traveler. Her sexy shifters will set your blood to boiling in no time. Owned by one Diva Teen and various animals, Marilu keeps busy writing the novels her readers beg for. Her debut book, Changing Times hit the cyber shelves at Ellora’s Cave yesterday.
Today Marilu tells us a chilling tale of le feu follet, and I can tell you the hairs at the back of my neck rose, so beware!
Deep in the bayou, late at night, if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, you might see a light moving just over there. Now, some folks’ll tell you they ain’t nothing but swamp gas. You can believe that if you like, but let me tell you about le feu follet ‘fore you go traipsing through the swamp in the dark. It’s not just the gators you have to watch out for.
Le feu follet…the old Cajuns say they are those souls escaped from Purgatory or maybe they’re the souls of babies who were never blessed in the Church. Perhaps you believe them to be Fae or elves holding dances over those marshy places set to trap unwary wanderers in the swamps and bayous. Whatever you believe them to be, le feu follet hold a grand place in Louisiana folklore.
If you wander into the bayou, down where the darkness holds sway, where the ‘gator and the water moccasins hold court, you might see those dancing lights. If you’re coming home after dark, poling your pirogue along in the black water, don’t be surprised if those lights are following you along the shore – they can’t cross the water to get you. So don’t be afraid, but do be wary when you step back on land. The other way to stop those restless spirits from following you is cold iron – take that pocket knife and thrust it into the ground behind you – that’ll hold ‘em for a bit. An elderly Cajun woman told me she didn’t trust a knife. She preferred needles saying that the feu follet just couldn’t resist trying to fit through the eye of the slim bit of steel.
There have always been tales of mysterious lights luring travelers to their doom. The Scots have the will o’ the wisp and the Slavic people tell tales of ghost lights. The Danes and others chase those lights knowing there is a treasure buried beneath it. But in Louisiana to this day, you can buy a beer in a bar and listen to someone who escaped a feu follet just last week.
Go down to Gonzales, Louisiana just outside of Baton Rouge. Get directions for Bayou Narcisse Rd and Cante Rd. Expect to hear dire warnings about what will happen to those foolish enough to follow the lights though. Some will tell you the Gonzales feu follet is harmless—others will tell a more compelling story of terror.
I’ve seen the feu follet dancing across the bayou late at night. Once, gazing out my bedroom window while dreaming about a boy I hoped would call me, a flicker of something caught my eye. I remember straining my neck forward trying to make it come into focus, but it just danced at the edge of the water seeming to mock me. Some Fey part of me cried when I realized I shouldn’t follow the flickering wisp of brightness. When I went to tell my mama, she told me not to mess with the Devil and go to bed. She called me a foolish child, but I heard her stick that steak knife in the front porch.
There are no feu follets to scare you in Changing Times. Just a werepanther trying not to fall in love with a human doctor even as his enemies threaten her life. I hope you will enjoy Tony and Carly’s journey.
Read an excerpt from Changing Times here.
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May 8th, 2008 at 10:43 am · Link
Congrats on the release, Marilu!! Your book sounds veeerrrryyyy intriguing.
Many happys sales :)
May 8th, 2008 at 11:05 am · Link
I’ve never heard of Le feu follet – and I’m Acadian! Must be specific to the bayou area. Very cool story – I love that you saw the lights and your mom stuck the knife in the porch.
Congratulations on your new release, Marilu!
May 8th, 2008 at 11:14 am · Link
There have always been tales of mysterious lights luring travelers to their doom. The Scots have the will o’ the wisp and the Slavic people tell tales of ghost lights. The Danes and others chase those lights knowing there is a treasure buried beneath it. But in Louisiana to this day, you can buy a beer in a bar and listen to someone who escaped a feu follet just last week.
TALK ABOUT SHAKING IN YOUR BOOTS! FANTASTIC. LOOKING FORWARD TO READING MORE.
JACLYN
FTH CRITIQUE GROUP
May 8th, 2008 at 11:54 am · Link
Wylie, thank you! I had a great deal of fun writing it.
Julia, le feu follet are very Louisiana and very bayou. :) I think they call them ghost lights more these days.
Jaclyn, thanks for stopping by! Make sure you have a pocket knife if you come for a visit!
May 8th, 2008 at 12:19 pm · Link
Great story Marilu! I am getting ready to dig into your new book this weekend. Can’t wait.
I remember reading a story in elementary school about willow the wisps. I WISH I could remember the name, it was my first mystery and I loved it so much.
May 8th, 2008 at 1:12 pm · Link
Congrats on the release of Changing Times!
Sounds like something I will enjoy reading.
May 8th, 2008 at 1:29 pm · Link
Oh, this was such a great story, Marilu! I live in the south (not Louisiana, but over in Alabama)–and we’ve got plenty of tales about these mysterious “lights”–my mom swears she saw one when she was a teenager, drifting slowly through the swamp (cause we’ve got plenty of those, too!).
Now I need to go read that excerpt…
May 8th, 2008 at 1:56 pm · Link
Rachel, let me know what you think of it!
Estella, Thank you so much! I hope you do try “Changing Times”!
Cynthia, your article in RWR was great! Hope you like the excerpt. And watch out for those lights.
May 8th, 2008 at 2:05 pm · Link
I have heard of Le Feu Follett, I loved how you told it Marilu.
Congrats on your debut and welcome to the cave. :)
May 8th, 2008 at 2:10 pm · Link
I loved this ghostly tale. Thanks so much for visiting me today and all the best with your release. As Amy said, welcome to the cave!!
May 8th, 2008 at 10:01 pm · Link
Thanks so much, Amy! It’s a great group to belong to!
Shelley, thank you for being so generous and allowing me a guest appearance. “Fancy Free” is a great read!
May 9th, 2008 at 3:17 am · Link
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed Fancy Free
May 9th, 2008 at 6:01 pm · Link
Oooh, Marilu! Your tales of the le feu follet left me shivering!
Congratulations again on the release of CHANGING TIMES!
Light,
Nancy Haddock
La Vida Vampire