NOLA - Part Deux

This is at the rear of the St. Louis Cathedral in the St. Anthony Garden. Floodlights are projected at night, creating an imposing shadow of Jesus with his arms upraised. The best view is straight down Orleans Street off of Bourbon. Even if you're not religious, it's a captivating sight. And if you happen to be stumbling drunk and look up, it could be a life changer.

Another must foodie stop in the Crescent City I mentioned before is Cafe du Monde. They've got good strong coffee writers live by, and THE best beignets. One bit of advice for the HWA crowd. There is a ton of powdered sugar everywhere. Your coveted black t-shirts will get dusted. It is unavoidable. Bring lots of those hand wipes, and you should be good. Or if you see me there, ask for one, I've always got them.

Jackson Square is a great place to walk around and check out the local flavor in art. You can also get your palm read and listen to live jazz. Two of the coolest things to see are weddings and funeral processions along the "police assisted" closed off streets of The French Quarter. The French Market, is a big open air shopping spot for souvenirs and kitsch and stuff, but it's also a great place to walk around in some shade and people watch. My favorite souvenir shop is Voodoo Blues along Bourbon Street, not too far off Orleans. They have locally made products. Marie Laveau's shop is also great for sage and other hard to find items. You'll know what I mean when you walk through it, and I'm pretty sure they only take cash.
In other fantastic news. I am more than thrilled that my debut novel, The Evolutionist, has been picked up by Nightscape Press with a release date to be announced soon. You can read more about it here. http://www.nightscapepress.com/

If you still haven't got your copy of Horror For Good, please do so. It's for a great cause, and there are a ton of excellent stories in there that are well worth it. It's now available on Amazon too.
http://www.amazon.com/Horror-For-Good-Charitable-Anthology   Kevin Hopson also recently reviewed my story, The Eyes Have It, and gave it four stars. You can read the review here on his website Darkness Abound.

In reading/review news, I recently finished Gene O'Neill's, Rusting Chickens. It's a great story about a man suffering from injuries received on a mission overseas. He comes home and begins having hallucinations that things are moving that shouldn't be. There is a military backstory woven into the present day story of his recovery, but you don't have to be in the military to understand it. This novella is very well done, and in the end - to me - it was a beautiful love story. Go figure. And I'm not a romantic, I assure you. I highly recommend this book. His prose is fun, but concise, and at times quite haunting. I thought I had the story nailed, but he really blew my theory out of the water at the end. http://www.darkregions.com/rusting-chickens-by-gene-oneill/

In hot shopping news. Totes are all the rage. This summer, everyone's come out with a tote for their line. In Vegas though, everything should sparkle to catch all the lights. So my tote choice is this medium sized sequined bag with pastel silk flowers on the front. It's not too large and it comes with a strap in case you'd like to carry it over your shoulder. Jazzy and chic at the same time. Can't beat that!