CHERIE CLAIRE

I’m not the biggest fan of book signings. I can speak in front of a crowd, give workshops, teach classes, but sitting in a library or bookstore hawking my books at people is not this introvert’s idea of fun. My author friend Christee Gabour Atwood (right) is as outgoing as you can get — she once worked as a Universal Studios tour guide! When my library announced that they were hosting an Author’s Alley this month, I asked if she would join me in selling books. Of course I wan

First, I have to brag, the fifth book in my Viola Valentine paranormal mystery series, “Give Up the Ghost,” hit online bookshelves Oct. 13. I will be discussing this book and “Ghost Trippin’,” the fourth book in the series, at the Louisiana Book Festival on Nov. 2 in Baton Rouge. But you can find my ebooks at all online stores and paperbacks at Amazon. The University of Louisiana Press and the Center for Louisiana Studies have just released “O Malheureuse: French Writing by L

It's hot in Louisiana so when I hear "Dog Days of Summer" I think of my poor puppy with his tongue hanging out. The expression actually refers to the dog star Sirius rising in the sky this time of year. For you, dear readers, it means a free audiobook! Follow me on Facebook for a chance to win a free audiobook of "The Letter," my historical novella set in South Louisiana that's part of The Cajuns series. Just "like" my Facebook page and post a comment — something like "I woul

This oversized pickup truck drew up dangerously close behind. I knew he was there right away for the rear-view mirror in my tiny Saturn disappeared and all I could make out was this enormous Dodge grill. The anger seeped up my neck and I could feel my face turning red. Tailgating seems to be the norm in Louisiana and when these massive trucks ride my butt it really dills my pickle. I uttered a few unpleasantries and slowed down to give him grief. Within seconds I heard his en

Characters sometimes throw open a door while I’m writing, demanding to be part of the story. In the case of my Viola Valentine mysteries, a cat walked in. Stinky the psychic cat shows up at Viola’s door in book two, “Ghost Town,” a stray cat looking for food and company. I say psychic because he spreads out on papers that offer clues to her mysteries, winks when she gets the right idea, and howls at those who are less than savory people. And in book three, “Trace of a Ghost,”

I teach a life writing group in South Louisiana and love hearing the unique Cajun words and phrases of my students who grew up speaking French. And then there's William Thibodeaux, a genealogist and historian and an all-around nice guy who is a wealth of information. I'm sharing William's list of words and phrases that he recently gathered for the Lafayette Genealogy Club. Cajun French Words and Phrases 1. Année = year D’une année à l’autre. From one year to the other. 2.

I have always struggled with how I look. My style veers between comfy mom jeans to flower child hippie to vintage apparel to couch potato. I’m horribly allergic to eye makeup so I wear none after waking up one morning and questioning why I was torturing myself for the sake of Fifth Avenue. My arches curve too high so anything with a heel gives me pain so flats are my mode of transportation. And when pantyhose went out of style I threw a parade. I’m a writer so I work out of m

We need the smallest viable audience, not the biggest possible audience. Seth Godin It’s so easy getting caught up in book sales when you’re an author. When I first started in this business and I received a small advance from Kensington Publishing for “A Cajun Dream” historical romance, I thought I was on top of the world. “Are you going to quit your job?” a coworker asked me. “I don’t make that much,” I told her. Seriously, very few authors — and I mean very few — can comple

Keep self-doubt at bay! “Harry Potter” was rejected by 12 publishing houses before it found a home. Author J.K. Rowling is now richer than the Queen of England. "Lord of the Flies" was rejected 20 times. "Gone With the Wind" 38 times. "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank 15 times. Our beloved "Anne of Green Gables" four times. Stephen King's "Carrie" was rejected 30 times before being bought, then immediately sold into a movie. You can read more about that incredible sto

This short story was originally published in The Times of Acadiana, Lafayette, Louisiana. You can read more about Blue Moon Bayou in the second book of my Viola Valentine series, "Ghost Town." Legend has it that in LaSalle, Louisiana, the first person you see upon the rising of a Blue Moon will be the one you will love forever. Old Eraste Simoneaux married Marie Landry following his rendezvous with Eros, moon dust still fresh on their eyelashes. Sheriff Tate always had eyes f

Yesterday, I woke to frigid temperatures and frozen pipes. I turned on the faucets and nothing came out but air. I flushed the toilet and the tank emptied and didn’t refill, made a grumbling noise. My first reaction? A pair of expletives. We have freezes in the South and they’re usually broken into two categories — light freeze, where you cover your plants and know that pruning will follow come spring, and hard freeze, where you bring the plants inside or kiss them goodbye. R