Being a lifelong resident of New Orleans means I was raised around the supernatural. Growing up, there was a church or synagogue in every neighborhood and we lived side by side with cemeteries…literally.  For example, when my boyfriend Jack and I went to visit his parents’ grave site recently, I walked toward a fence made of an open masonry design and could see someone’s carport and driveway connecting to the divide!  Many of the graves are above ground.  They are part of the landscape and New Orleanians drive by them each day on I-10.

A number of musicians choose to record in New Orleans, especially during their Jazz Fest performance because the music actually sounds better.  I had someone, who is not a local, tell me they heard the same jazz band in two different locations, once in NOLA and once in another city.  This band did not sound nearly as good outside of New Orleans.  He said it was like listening to a completely different group.  Musicians believe there is a spiritual connection with the musicians of the past, as well as, our history of music that does not exist any place else.

We have an Arena Football team named Voodoo and an NFL team called the Saints. The supernatural is very real to us.  It is day to day life like our spicy gumbo and red beans and rice.  So, if I talk about a Higher Power or a manifestation of evil, that is very real to me.  I’m putting myself out there and if you read any of my writing you need to understand the whole package.  I cannot separate myself from my culture.

However, I do not think my writing will ever go in the direction of horror stories. Although you might say what happened to me is a horror story of sorts, complete with its own monsters, it is not, to be sure, your classic flesh eating zombie-vampire affair. I do not read classic horror stories because I like humor.  If they could make it funny then I might try it but then I guess it would defeat the purpose of being scary!

For the record, New Orleans has the same problems as “any town USA”.   No better and no worse.   I have spent time in a few big cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta and  Boston, so I have witnessed the similarities first hand.  What we do well here is a kind of ambassadorship.  During Mardi Gras the Catholics, atheists, Muslims, Protestants and Jewish brothers and sisters all show up for the parade.  We know how to be cool, laugh and have a good time.  Certainly, that humor and levity shows up in my writing.   New Orleans taught me, when you can laugh, you can overcome the difficulties of life.

During the Civil Rights Movement, New Orleans was the only city in the South without violence.  You could call us the UN of the South, only we don’t consider ourselves southern.  We are a port city like NYC.  Our accent is different and so is our attitude.  We are our own country.  Anyway, we know how to charm the pants off of anyone and have them eating beignets out of our hand! 😉  I hope the love for my city and its people shows in my writing as well.

So, come down and see us and shake it in the hood cuz it’s all good!