The topic for our latest
cycle is setting. Being a New Orleans chick, born and bred, I consider myself
fortunate to have such a rich history to draw from for settings for my novels.
In 2012, my first (and only, to date) historical released.
Love Finds You in New Orleans , which takes place in the 1840s. I
discovered that so much of the landmarks
and landscapes of my city are like patina, a richness that forms from fine
scratches on silver over years of use. On the surface, those shadows and dark
highlights may seem to spoil the luster of a piece, but it actually adds to its
value and beauty.
This is how I described my
city in the novel to bring it alive to readers:
New Orleans is a city much like the gumbo for which it
is famous. Populated by the Indians, founded by the French in 1718, and later
inhabited by the Spanish, the Germans, and the British, various cultures have
simmered for centuries creating a stew of rich, hearty, and vibrant people.
Called “the Crescent City” because its communities
expanded along the half-moon curve in the river, New Orleans is as genteel as
it is raucous, as flamboyant as it is understated, and as historic as it is
contemporary. In one day, visitors can admire the towering triple steeples of
Saint Louis Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in North American; meander into the
French Quarter for Sunday bunch and listen to jazz in the lush courtyard of the
Court of Two Sisters; shop for antiques along Magazine Street; stop at Plum
Street’s Snoball Stand, where the treats are served in Chinese takeout
containers; dine on the two-hour Natchez steamboat cruise along the
Mississippi; and end the night with coffee and beignets at Café du Monde, the
original French Market coffee stand.
Soulful jazz spiraling from clubs on Frenchmen Street,
lavender wild irises and pink azaleas splashed along Creole cottages, beads and
doubloons tossed at Mardi Gras parades, streetcars clanging along St. Charles
Avenue, and fleur-de-lis flocked Saints fans chatting “who dats” all the way to
the Superdome—New Orleans wraps her arms around you and hugs you so close, you
can feel her heartbeat.
Christa Allan's newest novel, Test of
Faith, released in March. You can find her at www.christaallan.com, Facebook, and Twitter. She and her
husband live in New Orleans with their three neurotic cats and new dog, Herman.
You can find her other novels here.
