Gaylen and Delia in N'awlins

This week the crazy Syler sisters are in New Orleans, home of jazz and jambalaya. I lived in Louisiana for four years, long enough to fall in love with more than the food and music. I fell head over heels in love with the people. Not everyone who hails from Louisiana is a Creole or Cajun, but all people there have a distinctively different cultural take on life. They work hard but know when to stop and feast and fellowship. They connect immediately with new friends and take you right into their homes and make you feel like family. While Gaylen and Delia walk into the lair of a sociopath, my heart returns to the haunts of N'awlins, the above ground cemetaries, the beignets and chicory coffee at Cafe DuMonde's, the jazz band down from Jackson Square at Preservation Hall, and the authentic "high teas" at Windsor Court. Lousiana, I miss you very badly!

A Tribute to Jane Orcutt

I remember Jane at an RWA convention many,many years ago. She was a quiet young woman and that surprised me. She was always a talktative sort within the chatter of our online community of pubbed writers. From that time forward, we made it a point to stay in touch and keep up with new releases. She once told me, "You're the only one that I allow to call me 'Janie'. Somehow when you say it, it sounds nice." She was so encouraging and that was a trait that would mark her as a friend to many Christian authors.

When Jane passed away March 18, 2007, on a Sunday, there was a cry of anguish that went up from Christian publishing. This week marks the release of her final novel, All the Tea in China. You may visit Jane's website, a site that has been a labor of love from friends, and order her book. All proceeds from Jane's books go to support her family.

http://www.janeorcuttbooks.com