This summer, I’ve been intensely involved in deep edits for my novel The Alchemist’s Bride. This book, entirely set in turn-of-the-century New Orleans, has afforded me the opportunity to dig around in New Orleans’ illustrious past. And finding a few historical nuggets that I had no idea existed previously.
As this book touches on some metaphysical concepts, such as astral projection, alternate planes of existence, and mesmerism, it was of great value to me to discover that a group formed back in the 1850s, composed predominantly of French-speaking citizens, studied mesmerism, drawing from the renowned work of Franz Mesmer. They were called The Société du Magnétisme de la Nouvelle-Orléans or The Society of Magnestism of New Orleans. During its existence, its membership included doctors, attorneys, and brokers.
“The Société du Magnétisme de la Nouvelle-Orléans was the largest, most active, and most enduring American mesmeric (hypnotic) organization of its day.
This important group was officially established in 1845 and was in existence until the time of the Civil War. French influence upon the early course of development of hypnosis in America was significant in New Orleans, and also New England. The New Orleans Society’s transactions were published in a Paris-based French-language periodical, Journal du Magnétisme, the constitution was published in the 1847 volume.
Rules of the New Orleans Society of Magnetism
The study of magnetic phenomena and research into their origins, as well as the most appropriate procedures for bringing them about. The dissemination of magnetism by informing the world of the universal means of healing and preservation that nature has given to each of us. The therapeutic application of human magnetism to the treatment of diseases. To reach that goal, the New Orleans Society of Magnetism, founded on the 9th of April 1845, established …
The New Orleans group dissolved probably because of the blockade of the South which disrupted contact with France and other difficulties occasioned by the conflict. … No hypnosis organization of consequence subsequently appeared on the American scene until nearly a century later when the Society for Clinical and Experiment Hypnosis was founded in 1949.”
Gravitz, M.A., Gerton, M.I. (1986) The Société du Magnétisme de la Nouvelle-Orléans: its place in the early history of hypnosis in America. International Journal of Psychosomatics. 33(4):11-4.
It is no secret, or perhaps in our present-day society it is, that the Spiritualism movement, which took root overseas in the early nineteenth century, also gained a foothold in New Orleans, attracting considerable study in the realm of esoteric arts. It seems that the lost Society of Magnetism may have also been part of that wave.
There is no question that there are still treasures in the past and knowledge that may require a bit of rediscovery.
With the recent release of The Story of Enid: Vol. 2 of The Clandestine Exploits of a Werewolf, I have put the eBook version of Vol. I, The Broken Vow, on sale for $2.99 at most eBook retailers for a limited time. So, if you’re interested in catching up on the adventures of my favorite werewolf, Ethan Garraint/Etienne/Geraint, I hope you check it out.
The Broken Vow: Vol. I The Clandestine Exploits of a Werewolf
In the heart of every man there is a history. In the heart of every monster there is a story. In this first installment of “The Clandestine Exploits of a Werewolf,” Ethan Garraint is on a vendetta that begins in the heart of the Pyrenees with the fall of Montségur and leads him to the streets of New Orleans nearly five hundred years later. But the person he chases isn’t really a man anymore and Ethan has been a werewolf for almost a millennium. With the aid of a gifted seer, he is on a blood hunt that will culminate in a journey that crosses the line between heaven and earth and ends somewhere in between.
The Story of Enid: Vol. 2 of the Clandestine Exploits of a Werewolf
What happens when your one true love reincarnates, and you just happen to be a werewolf?
Ethan Garraint is an old soul. He has been alive for hundreds of years, battling countless challenges and foes along the way — not the least of which was living through the genocide of the Cathar people at Montsegur, a society that wholly embraced him despite his lycanthropic nature. But in Volume 2 of The Clandestine Exploits of a Werewolf, he faces a dilemma that brings his past and present full circle, merging them both.
In The Story of Enid, the sequel to The Broken Vow
Long ago, before he was Ethan Garraint, before the Cathars, before he became a werewolf, he was a man living in a land where enchantment ruled. He was a Knight known as Geraint who served a King. And it was then that he met the one woman who would own his heart.
“There was someone for you once.”
“Yes, a long time ago.”
“Someone very special to you that, I think, perhaps you still mourn.”
“She was my wife.”
“And she left you.”
“Not of her free will, but yes, most do.”
When one realizes that a long-lost soulmate has been reincarnated, it poses some complications. When you have been a werewolf for nearly a millennium, the complications explode exponentially. Ethan Garraint understands that he should stay far away from Erin Holt, but she is in his city, New Orleans, and possibly in danger. And the truth is, he doesn’t want to stay away. He only wants to remind her of the lifetime they lived long ago, when they were more than lovers, when they became legend.
I am very excited to announce that The Story of Enid: Vol. 2 of The Clandestine Exploits of a Werewolf has just been released! It is now available at Cornerstone Book Publishers, Amazon, and Kindle and will soon be available at most other online retail booksellers. And to celebrate its release it is currently 20% Off the retail price at Cornerstone Book Publishers.
It has been a long journey to bring this book to publication. When I first wrote its prequel, The Broken Vow, the seeds for The Story of Enid were already in my mind. I was able to craft its first incarnation on the Kindle Vella platform but am very happy it is now out in a book format.
I do hope you take some time to check out the adventures of my werewolf Ethan Garraint and his lady love.
Peace to All,
Evelyn
The Story of Enid: Vol. 2 of The Clandestine Adventures of a Werewolf
What happens when your one true love reincarnates, and you just happen to be a werewolf?
Ethan Garraint is an old soul. He has been alive for hundreds of years, battling countless challenges and foes along the way — not the least of which was living through the genocide of the Cathar people at Montsegur, a society that wholly embraced him despite his lycanthropic nature. But in Volume 2 of The Clandestine Exploits of a Werewolf, he faces a dilemma that brings his past and present full circle, merging them both.
In The Story of Enid, the sequel to The Broken Vow
Long ago, before he was Ethan Garraint, before the Cathars, before he became a werewolf, he was a man living in a land where enchantment ruled. He was a Knight known as Geraint who served a King. And it was then that he met the one woman who would own his heart.
“There was someone for you once.”
“Yes, a long time ago.”
“Someone very special to you that, I think, perhaps you still mourn.”
“She was my wife.”
“And she left you.”
“Not of her free will, but yes, most do.”
When one realizes that a long-lost soulmate has been reincarnated, it poses some complications. When you have been a werewolf for nearly a millennium, the complications explode exponentially. Ethan Garraint understands that he should stay far away from Erin Holt, but she is in his city, New Orleans, and possibly in danger. And the truth is, he doesn’t want to stay away. He only wants to remind her of the lifetime they lived long ago, when they were more than lovers, when they became legend.
Well, 2025 has already been an eventful year in all sorts of ways. But in my little corner of the world, it’s been busy as well and is already half over.
In terms of writing, I have already announced that The Story of Enid: Vol. 2 of the Clandestine Exploits of a Werewolf is getting ready to be released at the beginning of July. It is the sequel to The Broken Vow. And for those out there who would like to catch up on the series, The Broken Vow is currently on sale for $2.99 at Kindle and most other online eBook retail sellers. So, do pick up a copy and catch up on the adventures of Ethan Garraint, Etienne, and Geraint, all aliases for my favorite werewolf.
In addition, I am finishing up work on a short story collection that I hope to release sometime during the Halloween season. It’s called Mystical Diversions: Supernatural Tales of the Ouachita Mountains. One of the tales in this collection actually follows a character that is introduced in The Story of Enid.
I am also revising a book titled The Alchemist’s Bride, a paranormal romance set in turn-of-the-century New Orleans.
Beyond these works, several sequels are percolating, including a brand new New Orleans Paranormal Mystery book and a sequel to The Tethering: A Portent of Crows.
So, the balance of 2025 is shaping up to be a busy time. I do sincerely wish everyone peace and all the best.
Take Care,
Evelyn
The Broken Vow: Vol. I The Clandestine Exploits of a Werewolf
In the heart of every man there is a history. In the heart of every monster there is a story. In this first installment of “The Clandestine Exploits of a Werewolf,” Ethan Garraint is on a vendetta that begins in the heart of the Pyrenees with the fall of Montségur and leads him to the streets of New Orleans nearly five hundred years later. But the person he chases isn’t really a man anymore and Ethan has been a werewolf for almost a millennium. With the aid of a gifted seer, he is on a blood hunt that will culminate in a journey that crosses the line between heaven and earth and ends somewhere in between.
I am very excited to announce that my new book, The Story of Enid: Vol. 2 of The Clandestine Exploits of a Werewolf, will be released at the beginning of July. And just as a little teaser, I am posting an excerpt from the book. I hope you enjoy. 🙂
The Story of Enid
What happens when your one true love reincarnates, and you just happen to be a werewolf?
Ethan Garraint is an old soul. He has been alive for hundreds of years, battling countless challenges and foes along the way. Not the least of which was living through the genocide of the Cathar people at Montsegur, a society that wholly embraced him despite his lycanthropic nature. But in Volume 2 of The Clandestine Exploits of a Werewolf, he faces a dilemma that brings his past and present full circle, merging them both.
In The Story of Enid, the sequel to The Broken Vow
Long ago, before he was Ethan Garraint, before the Cathars, before he became a werewolf, he was a man living in a land where enchantment ruled. He was a Knight known as Geraint who served a King. And it was then that he met the one woman who would own his heart.
“There was someone for you once.”
“Yes, a long time ago.”
“Someone very special to you that, I think, perhaps you still mourn.”
“She was my wife.”
“And she left you.”
“Not of her free will, but yes, most do.”
When one realizes that a long-lost soulmate has been reincarnated, it poses some complications. When you have been a werewolf for nearly a millennium, the complications explode exponentially. Ethan Garraint understands that he should stay far away from Erin Holt, but she is in his city, New Orleans, and possibly in danger. And the truth is, he doesn’t want to stay away. He only wants to remind her of the lifetime they lived long ago, when they were more than lovers, when they became legend.
Excerpt:
She stood across the room from him, face pale, greenish-brown eyes wide and unmistakably filled with fear, but fear of what exactly he could not discern at the moment.
“Erin.” Ethan stood up. Nearly imperceivably, and, no doubt, only caught by him because he was watching her so closely, she stepped backward a fraction of an inch. Ah, it was clear that she was fearful of him for some reason. Cautiously, he moved around the desk. She held her ground, though, still watching him with those enormous eyes filled with shadows. Once he reached her, he couldn’t stop himself from gently placing his hands on her arms. “What’s happened?”
She was breathing deeply. He could feel the rhythm in his skin, his blood. Strange how he was so connected to someone whose real flesh-and-blood company he’d actually spent so little time in. But then again, this was a spiritual connection, a fact that Brother Guidrade had so repeatedly drummed into his head. It defied logical sensibilities. It simply was.
And then she closed her eyes, sighing deeply and slumping forward a bit so that her head was resting on his chest in what he could only describe as emotional exhaustion. “It’s going to sound ridiculous.”
He pulled her closer into his arms, stroking her lovely auburn hair that he’d become so fond of. “Ridiculous things can have their moment,” then he added, “Tell me, Erin.” However, admittedly, he had that pesky precognitive sense that he already knew.
“It was a dream but a very realistic one,” again, a deep sigh that he was not comfortable with. The thought that their entanglement had become so burdensome to her weighed on him considerably.
She pulled her head up and looked into his eyes in a way that startled him, not fearful now, not tired, but seeking deeply. “You were in it.”
He let his hands drop. Why, he couldn’t say. Perhaps he was a coward. Maybe he’d idyllically hoped they could spend these few days together unencumbered by the truth. “And?” he said because he had no choice.
“There was something with you in the dream, a creature. Well, actually a kind of wolf.”
He bravely held her gaze, though now he understood her initial fear. “I see.”
“You said it was your constant companion.”
And then he smiled. He couldn’t help it. What a benign thing for him to say. “Well, what do you think, Erin?”
She looked confused, “What do I think?”
He stepped backward, leaning against the desk but still watching her closely. “Yes, sorry, what do you feel might be a better question.”
She crossed her arms in front of her. Though he had an inkling, she had no idea she’d done so. “I-I don’t know. It was just a dream. It doesn’t mean anything.”
He watched her closely, feeling the jagged nuances of what she was wrestling with. Her modern sensibilities told her to ignore what her genuine innate senses were telling her. It was somewhat painful to witness how the mores of a world determined to ignore the old ways ostensibly split its inhabitants apart. “Erin,” he spoke softly so as not to further agitate her. “I need you to stop and take a moment. Try to forget what you think you should say, and use your senses, your inner self. And tell me what you truly feel.”
Her eyes widened a bit in confusion. He felt the battle within her. When she was younger, when she had no sight, she was not under such scrutiny, such pressure to suppress her very real and tangible gifts. But once she gained her sight, she was forced or perhaps even forced herself to quickly conform to a world that gave no credence to such abilities. Essentially, she had buried part of herself.
“I-I don’t know.”
He frowned because that was not at all what he felt. She did indeed know but was afraid to say. He reached out and grabbed one of her hands, pulling her closer to him. “It’s all right,” he murmured. “You know, I was foolish to believe it would take a backseat and remain hidden from you.”
Hesitantly, she spoke, “It? What does that mean?”
“Dreams, you know, aren’t meaningless. The spirit within us takes flight in dreams, leaves behind our earthly form, and explores other dimensions and realities, revealing truths we cannot easily reach in the physical world.”
“Ethan, you’re scaring me.”
“You don’t have to be afraid, Erin. You just have to open your mind to other possibilities.” And then he squeezed the hand that he held in his own. “Now, tell me, my dearest one. What do you feel?”
She looked at him almost sadly, and it pierced his heart deeply in a way that he had not thought was still possible. How was it that she could so easily reach him when others were wholly incapable of breaching the ice built up around his emotions through centuries of his protracted existence? “You hold the key to each other, one that is unique and cannot be denied.” They were words from the Cathar Master, still so poignant and relevant now.
“I,” she stopped herself, so frightened of letting go.
And then he took the other hand in his, perhaps to give her strength, perhaps to provide him with some. “Yes,” he said softly.
“It’s real,” she murmured.
“Yes,” he repeated. He wasn’t looking at her. He was looking at those lovely, gentle hands he held clasped in his own.
“How can that be?”
And then he looked up into her beautiful eyes that seemed in this moment as though they would engulf him. “Well, it happened long ago when the world was still filled with magic and demons. Although it still is, though much better hidden, one might say.”
She shook her head, “I don’t understand.”
And then he laughed at the twisted sort of perversity of the moment. How did one deliver the news to his lover that he was not a man but a sort of devil? “I am a werewolf, Erin. It’s that simple.”
And then there was something else in her eyes, a fire that he remembered from long ago and was very glad to see in some respects. Very deliberately, she pulled her hands out of his grasp. At this moment, he realized this would be much more complicated than he had anticipated. “Ethan, that’s simply impossible.”
She realized, granted not for the first time, how she despised feeling as though she was not in control of things in her life, not in control of her decisions. It was a scar, she supposed, from that huge expanse of time when it felt like everyone else in the world was making decisions for her. That very frustration prompted her to get on that plane from Arkansas and come here alone to New Orleans. And that frustration was now pushing her to whole-heartedly reject this preposterous assertion that the man in front of her had just made.
Werewolf, indeed, did he think she was so naïve to swallow any ridiculous thing he might throw her way? Did he think she was so swept up in this romantic spell, this fog she’d seemed to be operating under, and simply embrace any laughable delusion he decided to feed her?
She didn’t stop to think that it indeed had been her dream.
She didn’t stop to think that the memories she’d recovered about their relationship before she regained her sight were in her head, her mind.
She was frustrated and, in a rage, born of a life that had left her largely powerless.
He hadn’t said anything. He was just looking at her, still casually leaning back against his desk. It reminded her of the first time she’d seen him in the French Quarter, watching her from across the street, with no expression, just waiting, waiting for what she couldn’t imagine.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?”
“What would you like me to say?” he responded rather flatly.
It felt a bit like a punch. She wasn’t at all sure what she’d expected but not this. “You do understand how ridiculous that sounds. Werewolves? They’re imaginary, made-up stories.”
“Old stories from long ago.”
“Yes,” she said a little shakily. It felt like she was losing ground, though she didn’t know why.
“Where do you think those stories come from? Those old legends?”
“So, I suppose you’re going to tell me vampires exist as well.”
“I spent a good amount of time with one when I was a priest at Chartres Cathedral in France.”
She took a quick breath that felt oddly painful. “What? When?”
He stood up straight but did not walk forward even an inch toward her. “It was around 1350.”
“1350? Do you really expect me to believe—” Then she stopped, almost choking on the words.
“Do I expect you to believe me? Evidently not, though I assure you that it is wholly and sadly the truth.”
“I-I can’t just accept this. I—” And then she felt the room begin to spin, actually quite purposefully spin all around her in a cataclysmic motion.
It made her feel sick. It made her want to drop to her knees, but somehow, somehow, she didn’t.
When it finally, thankfully, stopped, she was somewhere else. She was in another room, a cold room made of stone.
I’m sure writers find a thousand different methods and techniques to hone and develop their craft. I read once that Agatha Christie became somewhat of an expert in poisons. She served as a voluntary nurse during World War I, where she was stationed in a hospital dispensary. There, she studied under a pharmacist, a bit of an eccentric, who appeared as a thinly veiled character in one of her novels. But for her in her writing, research was essential.
In my case, many of my books are interjected with and explore metaphysical and esoteric philosophy, Research, I find, is key for me as well. Just to mention a few, Sanctuary of Echoes was heavily influenced by the writings of the Theosophist Annie Besant. The Broken Vow leaned heavily into the history and philosophy of the Cathars from the Languedoc Region of Southern France. Dumaine Street was shaped in part by the work of Charles Leadbeater in The Astral Plane.
Research and reading are essential components of writing for me. So, if you also have an interest or even a thirst for esoteric knowledge, I’d like to direct you to my publisher, Cornerstone Book Publishers, who happen to have a huge selection of classic New Age/Spiritual Books. More than once, I’ve tapped their inventory for inspiration. I encourage you to take a little time to drop by and check them out.
Recently, I began to dig into editing revisions for the sequel to The Broken Vow. And, of course, in doing so, this led to a lot of reflections on my werewolf protagonist, Ethan Garraint, and the why of how he came to be.
Right after the resurgence of the vampire genre, or should I say reinventing of it, after the Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer, many paranormal writers were dipping their toes in the Twilight pool with either vampire or werewolf endeavors. I had already written several short stories involving the same werewolf character, so I decided to try my hand at a full novel.
Now, there were several problems I had jumping into the werewolf arena. One was that I wrestled with the issue of an immortal character. Immortality itself, I think, is a problematic trope. Ostensibly, the idea of living so long is sort of depressing with all your loved ones dying lifetime after lifetime. And there is also the problem of stagnancy. As a keen believer in esoteric philosophy, I have always believed that living is not without purpose. That everyone’s life is filled with lessons, obstacles, and experiences specifically tailored to them for the purpose of their spiritual evolution. So, the idea that someone could live thousands of years and not change did not seem viable.
And evolution, or rather what I’d term spiritual evolution, doesn’t take place on a time schedule. It takes place through experiences. In the novel, The Broken Vow, Etienne (renamed Ethan in subsequent years) encounters spiritual mentors in the Cathar people during his time with them at Montsegur in Southern France. Historically, Montségur fell to a siege and the Cathars a genocide led by Pope Innocent III during the Albigensian Crusade. But Etienne’s time with the Cathars, soaking in their esoteric philosophy, becomes pivotal in his evolution and key in the plot of that first book.
Another issue I had was that I wasn’t really interested as a writer in too deeply exploring the “werewolf” problem — the mechanics of the werewolf transformation. I was determined that the character in my books would have to be the key. Ethan Garraint had to be an interesting person who just happened to be a werewolf, not interesting because he was a werewolf. As far as I am concerned, being a werewolf is sort of like having a chronic illness or perhaps a peculiar talent; it’s just something you carry around with you.
So, the issues I was determined to sort out were how to make immortality engaging, showing growth with the character, and how not to have the werewolf aspect smother Ethan Garraint’s personality.
The seeds of the sequel to The Broken Vow were sowed long ago. It was actually a story for him that I’ve always had in mind. While The Broken Vow leans more in the direction of a paranormal thriller, the new book, The Story of Enid, is in many respects a paranormal romance. It involves themes of reincarnation and brings the idea of evolution and character growth up to close inspection. After all, how would you feel if you had to actually confront your younger self? Would that be a person you would even care to know? Something to ponder.
Well, back to work. My target date for publication of The Story of Enid is hopefully this summer. I’ll keep you posted.
The Broken Vow: Vol. I The Clandestine Exploits of a Werewolf
In the heart of every man there is a history. In the heart of every monster there is a story. In this first installment of “The Clandestine Exploits of a Werewolf,” Ethan Garraint is on a vendetta that begins in the heart of the Pyrenees with the fall of Montségur and leads him to the streets of New Orleans nearly five hundred years later. But the person he chases isn’t really a man anymore and Ethan has been a werewolf for almost a millennium. With the aid of a gifted seer, he is on a blood hunt that will culminate in a journey that crosses the line between heaven and earth and ends somewhere in between.
A Quiet Moment has just been released as an audiobook on Audible. It’s been quite a journey to bring this book into the audio format. I remember so long ago when I first began writing the novel, I didn’t really have a plan. I just wrote a paragraph about a man coming out of a wintry storm into a bookstore. That paragraph sat on my computer for about a year until one day I was looking for inspiration to write, and I found it again. It wasn’t unusual for me to start something or just have pieces of it and pick it up at a later date.
Well, the second time around this story took fire and after a while took shape as well. It’s a love story that’s very special to me, and I am so happy to be able to share it now in audiobook form. I do hope you check it out.
Jacob Wyss is caught in a rut, in fact on the verge of being engulfed by it. After an excruciating and disillusioning divorce, his life as an artist in a sleepy college town at the foot of the Appalachian mountains has become quiet, routine, and maddening in its predictability. One wintry day, his deep restlessness drives him out in precarious conditions to a largely empty bookstore nearly devoid of another living soul, nearly.
Aimee Marston isn’t like everyone else. On the surface, she lives a sedate life working as a feature writer for a small local newspaper in addition to several other editorial jobs to help make ends meet. But just beneath, her existence is largely not her own. She is a sensitive, an empathic psychic, guided by her calling to use her gifts to help others. Unfortunately, as a result, her secretiveness has made her defensive and protective of herself, preventing her from having much of a life of her own.
A psychic call for help sends Aimee out on a freezing January morning, where her destiny and Jacob’s collide, sending both their lives spiraling onto an unexpected and often disturbing track. Two lonely souls connect, not by accident but by design. Theirs is the intersection of two spiritual paths, two lovers who must struggle to overcome the phantoms of a past life as well as the challenges of their inner demons to carve out an extraordinary future together.
Well, I’m excited to report that the A Quiet Moment audiobook is now in the hands of Audible and should be released later this month. This has been an intense and somewhat challenging project for me and strangely bittersweet at its conclusion. It was quite an experience revisiting these characters and bringing them to life again in the audio format. While all the books I’ve written are special to me in different ways, this is unquestionably one of my favorites.
I hope you take some time to check it out in either book, eBook, or soon to be Audio format. I am linking a new YouTube video that I created down below. All the best.
A Quiet Moment
Jacob Wyss is caught in a rut, in fact on the verge of being engulfed by it. After an excruciating and disillusioning divorce, his life as an artist in a sleepy college town at the foot of the Appalachian mountains has become quiet, routine, and maddening in its predictability. One wintry day, his deep restlessness drives him out in precarious conditions to a largely empty bookstore nearly devoid of another living soul, nearly.
Aimee Marston isn’t like everyone else. On the surface, she lives a sedate life working as a feature writer for a small local newspaper in addition to several other editorial jobs to help make ends meet. But just beneath, her existence is largely not her own. She is a sensitive, an empathic psychic, guided by her calling to use her gifts to help others. Unfortunately, as a result, her secretiveness has made her defensive and protective of herself, preventing her from having much of a life of her own.
A psychic call for help sends Aimee out on a freezing January morning, where her destiny and Jacob’s collide, sending both their lives spiraling onto an unexpected and often disturbing track. Two lonely souls connect, not by accident but by design. Theirs is the intersection of two spiritual paths, two lovers who must struggle to overcome the phantoms of a past life as well as the challenges of their inner demons to carve out an extraordinary future together.
I once read that Agatha Christie would leave notebooks all around her house in case a flash of inspiration came to her that she needed to write down. I keep a number of what are called “fat little notebooks” about and actually never leave without one in my purse in case I need to scribble something down. Sometimes, the name of a town, a street, or maybe a store we’re passing strikes me as unique.
I also take a lot of pictures, in fact, all the time. I suppose it might be irritating to some, perhaps, but I feel driven. A number of these, I’ve used in book trailers that I’ve been posting on my YouTube channel.
While I was in New Orleans, I was constantly taking pictures of houses, apartments, schools, and all kinds of places so I could pinpoint exactly where my characters lived their lives, where they walked and interacted. I also, particularly for Sanctuary of Echoes, had to figure out how the streetcar lines connected. In my mind, it was important for the teenagers in that book to be able to get from place to place.
Inspiration comes in all sorts of curious disguises. Right now, in the community I’m in, it’s apparent a great many people are anxious and upset about what is happening in the country. That changes the feel and complexion of a place, no matter how picturesque it might seem. And that is, in an overarching sense, seeds for writing.
It’s hard to say where inspiration might come from. It can be very small, like a streetlight on a foggy night, or very large, like the COVID epidemic and all its reverberations in people’s lives. It’s always there. You just have to keep your eyes open and be ready to see it.
Evelyn Klebert 