Inspiration is a gift. I don’t know where it comes from, or why it comes to us, but it’s hard to imagine what our world would look like without it. I feel very fortunate to have received flashes of inspiration that have led to several books, including two series, one of which is waiting not-so-patiently to written. These ideas have come to me in a flash, without warning, a little mind-interruptus that lights me up on the inside and makes me forget what I was trying to accomplish.

One such flash has been beckoning me to follow it down to New Orleans, where a man by the name of John has stories we wants to share with me. So far, he’s told me about his Creole cottage on Burgundy Street in the French Quarter, where he lived with his beautiful, dark-haired French-Canadian wife until she slipped into a coma. How she became comatose I have yet to find out. John visits her regularly, a melancholy routine that keeps him bound to a time that has come to a standstill.

When John’s not at Isabelle’s bedside, he’s at the mercy of those who feel it’s not right for him to be alone, therefore, there’s always someone turning up on his doorstep.

When he’s not at his wife’s bedside or being rousted out of his home by dubious do-gooders, John fills his time solving puzzles, the kind that make the news. He’s so good at it, he’s often called on by the NOPD to help them with cases that run short on clues. He’s usually aided by his coterie of oddball friends, including Calliope St. James, who has tried unsuccessfully to add John to her list of conquests. To Calli, there’s nothing quite as tempting as the unattainable.

A lot of the action takes place at The Foregone Conclusion Bar, a watering hole in the Faubourg Marigny, just outside the French Quarter, where puzzles are solved and intrigue lurks.

I’ve kept this flash of inspiration tucked away, waiting for the time when I can sit down and put all the pieces in motion. But just knowing this adventure awaits me and that I won’t have to go in search of a story when the Madeline adventures are all told makes me feel like I have a great treat in store for me, one just waiting for someone to take dictation.

In the meantime, I’ll keep following Madeline as she sorts out “Other People’s Money” in the 7th book in the series, which was also a gift from the inspiration gods.

Until next time,

I wish you all happy reading!

Cynthia