One year Tom and I met his entire family in New Orleans for a few days. I had some kind of injury–it was years before I had the spinal fractures/slipped disk thing, so maybe it was my bum ankle. Regardless, I couldn’t do a lot of walking, so sometimes when they went full-force sightseeing, I found a quiet hangout to work on the second TJB book (He’s the One). New Orleans is a great city to be a writer in, even if your books aren’t set there. Literary inspiration oozes from every air molecule (also called “humidity,” especially in August).
One afternoon I had an idea of something I wanted to do, and Tom was game. But even better, his mom asked if she could come, too. I love it when she wants to join us because she has so much enthusiasm for even a modest adventure.
For this outing, I wanted to visit Anne Rice’s home in the Garden District (it was when she still lived in New Orleans) featured in her Mayfair witch novels. Many of her readers used to go and stand outside her house, hoping for a glimpse of her, and I have no shame about being a fan girl. When an author has given me that many hours of enjoyment, I like seeing where she works and where she soaks up some of her inspiration.
Anne was in residence at the time, but we didn’t see her (it was Elvis all over again!). Here’s a long-shot I took of Tom and his mother so I could get some of the house and the tree.
If anyone wants to put me up in an atmosphere-soaked mansion for the summer, I’m sure I could finish a novel.
If I had a mansion, you’d be the first guest for the entire summer. And Mlle. Renee really loves visitors who come to see her.
BTW, I never have problems commenting on your blog.
I think with Word Press blogs, the issue is that I have an old Word Press ID that I used to use to comment on blogs, and that’s what a WP blogger account wants to use. But it’s so old that I’ve forgotten the password. And this account (which is the one I’m signed in on when I’m commenting) won’t work, because the becky@beckycochrane.com address is linked to the old one, as well.
All Blogspot accounts (I have three Blogspot blogs) had to be pulled into Google, so once I did that and got a Google account (which I didn’t want), I can use it to comment on Blogspot blogs (like Marika’s, for example).
I love those old Saint Louis mansions, so if you win one in a lottery or something, I expect an invitation!