Upcoming novel JuJu Justice wins short story award

Congratulations to award-winning IE author, T.E. Lane, author of the upcoming novel, JuJu Justice. Lane was a Finalist in the Suspense/Thriller category of the 2025 Next Generation Short Story Awards (NGSSA) for JuJu Justice: The Preacher's Son - a short story and prequel to the upcoming novel. 

Sponsored by the Next Generation Indie Book Awards (the largest book awards program in the world for independent publishers) and Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group), The Next Generation Short Story Awards' mission is to recognize and honor the best short stories in the world and celebrate and award the creative minds behind the words.

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JuJu Justice: The Preacher's Son is a prequel to the highly anticipated upcoming novel, JuJu Justice. The novel is based on an award-winning screenplay and will be available in print and e-book from IngramElliott Publishing later this year. The short story provides greater insight and depth into the early years of the story's main characters. It sets the stage for the action, mystery, and intrique to come. 

JuJu Justice is a Southern Gothic, voodoo, and family drama written by award-winning writer T.E. Lane. ​

In the mystical world of voodoo culture, justice is not always black and white. 

Set in the dark, mysterious voodoo culture of New Orleans, this mystical action/drama pits June Mae, a white-light practitioner against her childhood nemesis, Mister—a well-connected criminal who practices the dark side of voodoo. When June’s straight-laced sister April drops into town for an unplanned visit, April begins to understand the dangerous world that June inhabits. As the sisters reconcile past traumas and reconnect, June must overcome her fears to face Mister in a voodoo battle to save their lives.  ​​

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Read an exerpt of T.E. Lane's award-winning short story - ​JuJu Justice: The Preacher's Son

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June bolts down the path to the river. A crow follows her overhead. She rounds the bend and sees the smoke from Mama Moo’s campfire. As she tries to run to the fire, June falls to her knees and wails in distress. Her face is flushed. Her eyes roll up into her head so far that only the whites are showing. The nearby crow flies toward the fire and lands on Mama Moo’s feet.

Mama Moo eyes the path as the squawking crow leads her along the riverbank to June. The teenager is barely breathing and has collapsed in the mud. Effortlessly, Mama Moo gathers June into her arms and, in the evening mist, seems to float back to the campsite.

Mama Moo places June so close to the fire that the girl begins to sweat profusely. June’s eyes are wide open, but she is in a trance. June’s eyes dart in all directions. Her arms and fingers twitch uncontrollably.

Mama Moo grabs her drum and begins to feverishly play and chant around the fire. She calls to her ancestors in an earnest prayer. “All my relatives, please find this child of spirit,” Mama Moo wails to the sky. “And send her back to me.”

The old woman feeds the flame with dry logs and stokes it until the fire dwarfs the entire camp. June begins to calm. Mama Moo whispers, “Now that’s good, child, all the elements of this earth are needed to lure you back to me.” She anoints June’s head with river water, throws dirt onto her feet, and fans her head with air.

After some time passes with Mama Moo’s repeated feverish pleas, June slowly returns to herself. She becomes focused and gazes directly into Mama Moo’s eyes. Mama Moo whispers to June, “This was a voodoo attack. I don’t know what kind of enemy you could have created to experience this, but may they be gone forever.”

June is weak. “Tell me about the elements of the earth.”

Mama Moo chuckles. “You just got back, my lovely little pigeon.” Mama Moo mops June’s brow with an old rag. “Time to learn later. Rest, child, rest.”

From a high branch, the crow screeches loudly and flies to the north. A cacophony of harsh animal sounds captures Mama Moo’s attention. Without warning, Mister trapezes down a nearby tree and hangs from his legs.

He holds a slimy snake in his teeth. With tigerlike maneuvers, Mister spits the snake out and the frightened creature slithers away. Mister removes a cigarette from his pocket and lights it with an impressive one-handed maneuver. He tosses the matchbook into the fire, which causes a firework effect, popping and spitting sparks into the air.

Mama Moo’s bottom lip protrudes with a wad of chewing tobacco, which she spits into the flaming fire.

Mister says, “Whoopee, white pigeon, still comin’ after magic. I guess Billy didn’t catch himself a witch after all.”

June persists. “I don’t care how much you try to fix me, I’m gonna’ keep coming until I learn all this stuff, Mister!”

Mama Moo looks suspiciously at Mister for a moment. A realization crosses her face, but she says nothing.

Mister jumps to his feet and stares at his mother. “I warned you about coddling this cripple with your secrets.”

Mama jumps high in the air, seeming to pause in midair. June and Mister are mesmerized by her behavior. She slowly returns to the ground and sits by the fire. Instantly, the blaze is reduced to nothing but smoldering black ashes.

Mama Moo speaks in a strong voice. “I have my reservations about sharing anything with either of you.”

Out of nowhere, she throws a heavy stick to each of them. “You will intuit a message in the ashes of the fire. You will thank the fire first, and wait for spirits to answer. Pick a spot and write out the message in the ashes.”

Mister puts out his cigarette and takes a seat next to the fire. Each word is punctuated with disdain. “Thank. You. Fire.”

A dark shadow leaps from the ashes and forces its way into Mister’s body. Overtaken, Mister covers his stick with ash and begins to write in the dirt: Shame on you.

A moment later, the shadow exits his body and returns to the ashes. Mister awakens from his trance and sees the damning words. He tries to scratch it out, but nothing happens. The words remain.

June watches this with trepidation. The stick in her hand trembles with fear. June only manages to touch the tip of the stick to the pile of ash. A spark ignites and a word appears spontaneously over the ashes, written in flame: Run.

June doesn’t waste any time. She throws away the stick, adjusts her leg brace, and scurries through the underbrush without looking back.

Mama Moo laughs uproariously as she watches June flee. Mister tries to get to his feet, but can’t move. It is as if he has invisible chains holding him down.

Mama’s gaze follows June as she disappears into the night. She turns to Mister, who is still trying to get up. His one arm won’t function—he can’t seem to lift his own weight.
“What did you do to her?” Mama says.

Mister knows better than to remain silent. “Teaching her she doesn’t belong with us.”
Mama Moo looks at her son. “That’s not up to you, boy. I choose who to share my magic with.”

Mister and Mama Moo lock eyes. There is an unspoken battle being waged, but neither utters a word.
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Eventually, Mister backs down and his eyes find the dirt. “She ain’t comin’ back. You’ll see.”
Mama Moo spits tobacco juice into the ashes. “She’ll be back. And soon.”

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T.E. Lane enjoys writing commercial fiction with a mystical twist. Hailing from the Southeast United States, the author enjoys weaving in locales, characters, and situations that feel familiar with just a touch of magic or otherworldly influence.

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Connect with the author on Instagram @telane_author
Follow T.E. Lane on BookBub @telane_author
Follow the author on Goodreads @telane_author
Connect with T.E. Lane on Facebook ​

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Learn more about the author's award-winning debut novel, The Cornbread Letters. 
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JuJu Justice
​Coming Soon from IE Publishing

In the dark world of voodoo, justice isn't always black and white.

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