My heart is heavy as I write this post. I’ve had a love affair with New Orleans since I was in college and first read Interview With the Vampire. That was roughly twenty five years ago. I also had the opportunity to attend my first Mardi Gras in New Orleans around that time too. Rice’s flowery descriptions of the town, and the town’s joy de vivre during the Carnival season, solidified my passion.
A couple of twists and turns in life landed me in Lafayette, Louisiana, less than three hours away. I became a regular visitor to the Crescent City. I even took off by myself a time or two and wandered through the historical streets of the French Quarter. Alone. The biggest fear then was the possibility of getting pick pocketed, and that never happened.
It’s no surprise that the city’s history and romance, inspired my creative side. My paranormal romance series, The Chateau Rouge Series, is a collection of stories that filled my head during ghost tours, sitting at the Cafe du Monde, or on the steps of the iconic St. Lois Cathedral. My beloved Boonie characters were frequent visitors as well.
If I was ever stuck in a story, or had writer’s block for whatever reason, I could picture myself there, feeling the vibe and somehow, everything would work itself out.
That’s not the case anymore. For the last couple of years, the city has become riddled with crime. Yes, I know that it’s never been considered one of the safest places in the United States. This is different though. I did a Google search this morning and New Orleans was on the top ten list of most dangerous places in the country on at least three websites, including Forbes magazine.
Businesses are closing up and leaving.
Thursday night, I accidentally watched a disturbing dash cam video filmed at around four in the afternoon. Broad daylight on a busy intersection in the Central Business District. I say accidentally because I never would have watched it had I known what it was. What was it? A drive-by shooting. I honestly couldn’t believe what I saw at first. I thought it had to be a scene from a movie being filmed or something. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.
Later that evening, I had an epiphany. In order to continue to write my beloved vamps, ghosts, and ghouls, something would have to change. I could no longer write about New Orleans with the same passion I once had. Because it’s just not there.
Do I know what it means to miss New Orleans?
I do.
A Southerner's Guide to Romance, Food, and Fun! 