Have you ever waited forty years to see someone? I have. Today my Thea-bea is returning to New Orleans after she and her momma left under mysterious circumstances. Althea Fontenot was just six years old then, but she’ll remember me. Who could forget me? I’m a handsome orange tabby with a fondness for sausage, hence the name Tasso. Oh, and I’m a talking cat.

Don’t be fooled, a talking cat is possible! The French Quarter is full of paranormals. In fact, I live in Fontenot Mansion, the home of a witch coven. Althea’s great-great-great-great-great grandmother founded the group. For forty years, no Fontenot witch has lived here, but Thea’s arrival will change that. It better; her coven needs her, and so do I.

Thea-bea and I used to have so much fun together. We’d play with her friend and fellow child-witch Evangeline. They would chase me around all four corners of the courtyard. To be nice, I’d let them catch me now and then. Otherwise, they wouldn’t share their sweet treats with me. And I do love me some food!

Other times, I’d take my naps on the cool slate tiles next to the water fountain in the center of the courtyard. When the girls practiced their spells, a breeze sometimes came through and sprinkled water on my fur. If it was a hot day, I didn’t mind. On colder days, I’d meow at them and head out into the neighborhood.

Now don’t be surprised if you see cats wandering around the French Quarter. We like to visit each other and catch up on all the gossip. Cats living with regular folks are envious of us who live with paranormals. I do feel bad for them since all they can do is meow for their meals. We can tell our humans when we’re hungry and what we want. It doesn’t always work, so sometimes I find food myself.

No, I’m not talking about mice! I left my hunting skills in the bayou a long time ago. I like to swing by my friend Priestess Cassandra’s Voodoo shop. She always shares her seafood gumbo and her gossip with me. For sweet treats, I head over to Café du Monde. Tourists can’t resist my big beautiful eyes and fluffy tail and I always get a bite of beignets. But I have to dine and dash because those humans wants to squeeze me and take selfies. I’m a no-paparazzi cat.

I’m always home at night for dinner. Luella makes the best jambalaya and banana pudding. Although she’s been cooking less and less over the years. I can’t blame her. She’s been leading the coven ever since Thea and her momma left. Now that Thea’s coming back, Lulu hopes she can step down and just be a plain old witch.

I hate to burst her bubble, but if the adult Thea is anything like the six-year old version, she’s going to do things on her own terms. That could be a good or that could be bad. We won’t know until she gets here. I tell you what, though. I’m ready for Thea to get back home. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Mardi Gras and Magic, A Witches of the French Quarter Mystery Book #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: October 2023
Format: Digital
Purchase Link

The day Althea buried her mother she learned she was a witch.

When a self-proclaimed witch shows up at her mother’s funeral, she brings more than sympathy for Althea’s loss. Luella insists Althea comes from a long line of witches and that she is the coven’s only hope for survival. While she doesn’t believe Luella, she agrees to visit her family home in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Althea assumed she’d sell the house and move on with her life, but a murder complicates her plans. She is a prime suspect, but she learns she isn’t the only one in her family accused of murder. Her mother left New Orleans after a spell resulted in the death of two witches.

Arriving during Mardi Gras season, the exuberance of the food, music, and celebrations overwhelms Althea. But it’s nothing compared to the paranormal world she discovers. As if witches weren’t enough, Althea meets vampires, werewolves, and a talking cat.

She may going insane, but Althea is determined to stay in New Orleans long enough to solve the murder. Becoming an amateur sleuth wasn’t part of Althea’s plans, but neither was becoming a witch. Will she accept her magical inheritance so she can discover the truth about her past, and her future? She might not have a choice if she wants to stop a killer.

Mardi Gras and Magic is the first book in The Witches of the French Quarter Mysteries. Join Althea as she explores the French Quarter and the world of witches, vampires, Voodoo, werewolves, and magical creatures. Thea must investigate supernatural mysteries to unearth long-buried secrets and to find her own place in this world.

About the author
Jen Pitts is a lifelong mystery reader who turned her obsession into writing cozy mysteries of her own. When she isn’t plotting fictional murder and mayhem, she’s chugging coffee, traveling, reading, and enjoying life with her husband, children, and two cats in the Pacific Northwest.