Why New Orleans? The Perfect City for Magic and Secrets
I set out to write a dark mafia romance set in New York City. Somehow, that turned into a gothic, paranormal romance set in New Orleans.
It's always a challenge for me to figure out how ideas start one way and morph into another. It's a process that I don't always pay close attention to. The best I can remember is that my mother, sister and I decided to attend a book event in New Orleans, which sparked the idea of moving my story there.
FUN FACT...The Italian Mafia first started in New Orleans.
But New Orleans is a unique city with a rich culture, folklore, and a mystique that I felt I needed to incorporate.
The area was first settled by the French and later the Spanish, then back to French before being sold to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase. Considered the Carribean North, there are also strong African and Carribean influences.
Then there are the pirates, the most famous of whom is Jean Lafitte, who was instrumental in helping the U.S. defeat the British. Sticking with the criminal element, as I mentioned, the Italian Mafia, known there as the Black Hand Society, got its start in New Orleans.
And then there is the Voodoo. In reality, Voodoo is a religion that is misunderstood and co-opted by those wanting to create scary stories. Its true intentions are to connect humans with the spiritual world and maintain harmony with nature and ancestors.
The most famous Voodoo priestess was Marie Laveau, who went to Catholic mass on Sundays as well as worked as a healer practicing Voodoo. While in New Orleans, we heard how she and the priest often went together on home visits to help people in need.
New Orleans is famous for vampires even before Ann Rice created Lestat. The origin of this story comes from the casquette (casket in English) girls, a group of young "pure" women sent to marry the men and populate the territory, which the French had success with in Canada.
After six months at sea, the young women arrived with their box (casket) of belongings, pale (because they were kept below deck to protect them from the sailers), and suffering from scurvy, which causes gums to bleed. Unlike in Canada, the Frenchmen in Louisiana weren't welcoming. Some of the girls were married off, but mistreated. Mostly, they were unwanted.
The king demanded their return, so the women, with their boxes, were brought to the Urseline Convent to await a ship to bring them back to France. The boxes were taken to the third floor to store until the women were ready to leave. But a short time later, the boxes were found to be empty. Of course, the only reason that would happen was that the young women were, or brought with them, vampires.
Since that day, the third floor, windows and all, have been nailed shut by Pope-blessed nails. You can read more about it here.
Some of the horrors of New Orleans are not folklore but based in truth, such as the heinous acts of Madam LaLaurie. Her home still stands and is considered not just haunted, but also cursed.
Then there is the music, the food, the above ground graves, bayous with cryptids, and an open attitude for people to be who they are. The city accepts contradictions. It makes space for both light and darkness, devotion and sin, saints and spirits.
All this to say that New Orleans is a place like no other, and perfect for stories that weave reality and woo woo together.
The Oathmarked series draws heavily on New Orleans's French and Creole history, mixed with lore and magic. It's easy to believe New Orleans is a place where the Veil, the boundary between life and death, is traversable from both sides. It's why La Conseil des Ombres (Council of Shadows) chose it as their seat of power. The six (or is it 7??) noble family lines who make up the Council also supply a warrior son, trained and bound by blood to protect the Veil. They are the Oathmarked.
You can read Unbound Oath, a story set in the Oathmarked world free. Get your copy here.
