As October draws to a close, let’s look back and see what happened in history. The Louisiana Rebellion of 1768, which I referenced earlier in Governor O’Reilly’s Twelve Taverns from October 8, was in full swing 249 years ago. Creole and German settlers rioted in New Orleans and forced the newly arrived Governor, Antonio de Ulloa, to leave. Spain’s response was sending in Governor Alejandro Count O’Reilly the next year and restoring order. In today’s terms, this wouldn’t fall under a quick response label, but perhaps two and a half centuries ago, it would. History doesn’t write itself, but I guess allowances have to be made when traveling by a wind-powered boat.
Also on this day, in 1929, the stock market crashed and brought the roaring twenties to a drastic halt. Although not specifically mentioned in my forthcoming book, the crash led to the Great Depression. My story of a young Bill Valencourt begins near the end of that financial crisis. His uncle’s house of ill repute, in a dilapidated shotgun house in the swamps of Louisiana, struggled just like any other business of the time. Washing sheets for his uncle didn’t make Bill a rich young man, but he learned how to make money from his uncle’s strong-arm tactics.
Lastly, Saturday, November 4, the Springdale Public Library is hosting an Indie Author Day. The events start at 2 p.m. I’ll be reading an excerpt from my book, Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure. It’ll be available in May 2018. Come see me, and the other local authors. Get your first-hand experience of the romp in the swamp!
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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what book I have my nose in. I may not be a published author yet, but I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read. I’m still reading Mourner’s Bench by Sanderia Faye and should wrap it up this week. I encourage you to read a variety of topics.