The House of New Orleans

I spent this last week in New Orleans, Lousiana, for the Book Lovers Con. If you've never been, I highly recommend it. But I'm hear to talk about the city.

I had visited once a long time ago. This was my first trip back since I started writing. To me, the city is so much more than Bourbon street and Mardi Gras. As a paranormal romance author, I have to say, this city is right up my alley. It's a paranormal romance writer's playground. Plus, just a fun place to visit!

Here's what I loved most...

Architecture

I loved the difference in the different areas in architecture. The Frech Quarter with its balconied tightly woven buildings, the American townhouses held together by cables, the gorgeous shotgun houses in the Garden District. And, of course, all that wrought iron iconic of the area.

Graveyards

The above ground graveyards with their haunting beauty are both peaceful and slightly creepy to tour. Learn about the fascinating natural cremation process built into the crypts.

Voodoo

There are several Voodoo shops you can visit. Visit the Voodoo Museum. Take a tour including Marie Laveau's tomb. Get a psychic reading.

Ghost Tours

Every old city and town has its ghost stories. New Orleans, the 16th oldest city in the US, established in 1718 will, of course, have its share. Maybe more than its share, as the city has also seen a lot of devastation. Hurricane Katrina, yellow fever and smallpox epidemics, the great fires. Not to mention the usual individual tragedies that result in spirts and hauntings.

Food

You can't come to New Orleans and not sample the food. The Cajun and Creole dishes. Jambalaya, gumbo, red beans and rice, etouffee, poboys, muffaletas. The beignets and pastries. Yum, yum, yum!

Music

I LOVE jazz. Not necessarily the smooth, slow jazz. I'm more into the upbeat stuff. And New Orleans has great jazz. I got to see a street band perform, and could've stayed there all day listening.

Stories

I can't get enough of the stories. I think my favorite is about the Superdome. Which the parking garage was built, the city had to relocate a 200-year-old cemetery. Bad things started happening, and workers refused to work there. Until they hired a Voodoo priestess to perform a ritual cleansing.

See what I mean. A playground for a mind that loves to write paranormal romance. Have you visited a place that inspired you or made you wish you could read a story set there?