New Orleans

No, this isn't Hurricane Gustav. It's Katrina, three years ago this week as it approached the coastline. Katrina, that killed thousands. It's on a similiar track as Gustav.

This is the blog post I wrote three years ago.

"Katrina is a cat. 5 and heading for the Gulf coast. 160 mph. Predictable, with the warm waters stirring it up. But absolutely freaking scary. I saw what happened to Dade county after Andrew. Flattened like a pancake. Nothing left, no trees, roofs ripped off. A bunch of us went down there to help out afterward and it was like someone dumped a bomb on the region. But this is worse. Katrina is a bigger storm and the rain it will dump... the flooding... people south of me are still bailing out from when Katrina hit us. And if it hits New Orleans... o.m.g. Those poor people. I hope and pray they can all get out... or at least can reach higher ground. I love New Orleans. What a city. Hot and mellow jazz, the smooth, cool slide of a hurricane down your throat, terrific food...Will all that just be memories?"

How terrible I am thinking the same now? Heather Graham's conference was this weekend in New Orleans. Heather always puts on a great conference. In fact, her first conference the year after Katrina, I got the idea for ENEMY LOVER. I was roaming through Bourbon Street with Kathy Love and Erin McCarthy, bar hopping, and got this flash of inspiration about a werewolf slow dancing with his destined mate, the woman who tried to kill them.

Maybe I saw a big, muscled and hairy guy that night slow dancing with a woman who looked like she wanted to kill him, lol. I don't remember. I do remember loving that time I spent there, and being so happy to be in New Orleans.

I love that city. I set ENEMY LOVER, my November Nocturne, in the French Quarter. I'm heartsick at the idea of another hurricane masticating through the Gulf Coast and flooding that city, and others.

All we can do is pray and wait, and hope everyone prepares for the worst, and hope for the best.

I'm sick today... had to go to the clinic to get last minute meds as I am leaving Monday. Hanna looks like it could end up being a problem to my area late next week, meaning I may NOT be able to fly back to the US. I don't know. I'll just keep monitoring the reports.

On a brighter note, I finished final edits for BROKEN SOULS, the BITE coming out the same month as ENEMY LOVER. And I have now 38,000 words on DEADLY TOUCH, Raphael's story.

I think I'll retire to bed and cough up a lung. No more watching The Weather Channel. It's too disheartening.

Enemy Lover

My next werewolf Nocturne, Enemy Lover, is now available for pre-order on Amazon!

Enemy Lover is Damian's story from The Empath. He hunts down his draicara, his destined mate, in New Orleans and finds out she's been infected with the stone spell and is slowly turning to stone. She hates and fears him, thinking he murdered her brother, but must team up with him to find a missing book of magick that contains a cure to save her. Otherwise, she'll be trapped forever inside stone, her spirit alive but imprisoned for eternity. In the meantime, they are being chased by evil Morphs who want the book for themselves, and will use the dark magick spells in the book to eliminate the Draicon for good.

I had fun writing this one because we went to New Orleans to research it. Rode the streetcar to City Park, stayed at a quaint hotel in the French Quarter, hung out at Jackson Square listening to the street musicians. We also took a tour of the hurricane damage and saw the struggles the city's residents are still enduring.

And on that note, it's hurricane season next week, but already Tropical Storm Alma, a Pacific-originating storm, has hit Nicaragua. I'm ready for hurricane season like a delinquent Girl Scout. Canned goods? Expired. Bottled water? Nope. Gas for the generator?

hahahahahahahahaha!!!

Someone tell the National Weather Service we here in Florida can't AFFORD hurricanes this year.