What is Red Mojo Mama?

Over the past year or so, I’ve many reasons to smile over people’s reaction to the title of my first published book.

I had originally titled it “Full Circle” and got very few requests from agents to send it to them. I was rethinking the title one day, and decided to try to come up with a name that reflected the protagonist’s nickname. I bounced a number of things around, finally deciding on Red Mojo Mama, because it was similar to a nickname my late husband had for me.  The requests for my manuscript took off.

In the novel, Lydia “Red” Talbot is faced with her lackluster life three years after her husband, Mac, dies. She’s been in mourning for him and now she’s in mourning for her beloved aunt, who bequeaths her a trailer park. She’s droopy, she’s sad and she’s definitely lost that mojo her husband had been so proud of.

The Urban Dictionary has a couple of entries for “mojo” – but #1 and #3 below are what I had in mind when I used the term:

-   mojo     N.

1. Self-confidence, Self-assuredness. As in basis for belief in ones self in a situation. Esp. I context of contest or display of skill such as sexual advances or going into battle.

2. Good luck fetish / charm to bolster confidence.

3. ability to bounce back from a debilitating trauma and negative attitude

What I have found interesting is that more often than not, people have assumed that mojo meant sexual prowess. I had Red Mojo Mama on Smashwords for a while. It was obvious by the number of free views that potential buyers were checking it out and hoping for erotica. While the book does have plenty of sex in it, it is by no means erotica. Woe is me!

Mojo, baby, is that special something you have that attracts people or success to you.  It is usually all in your style and approach to life.  I’ve definitely had times when my mojo left me. Thankfully, I’ve always been able to get it back. Red, my main character and imaginary (don’t tell her that) friend, has definitely gotten her mojo back.

Here’s to you and your mojo!