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Orléans Embrace with The Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré
Reviews, published work
From the Author: My top-seller gold award-winning timeless post-Hurricane Katrina work with native New Orleanians (now the late) Roy F. Guste, Jr. and Louis Sahuc. A published compendium, non-fiction narrative prose and photography. A meaningful 5.3 lb hardcover 388-page significant book with a purpose, a celebration of triumph over sorrow. Always excited to see it on a bookshelf or coffee table! Before the sad demise of brick-and-mortar independent bookstores, and chain booksellers, it was always fun to see my work(s) on display!
“Orléans Embrace is a big coffee-table book filled with gorgeous color photographs of New Orleans … Fisher, who divides her time between South Florida and New Orleans, is suitably eccentric and outrageous to represent New Orleans. Fortunately, she is also knowledgeable about the city and a talented writer … The photographs in this book, many taken after the storm … show just why the French Quarter is so special … the French Quarter was and is a beautiful gem, full of colorful and eccentric people. It’s certainly worth preserving. But so is the rest of New Orleans.”
— GREG LANGLEY, THE ADVOCATE
“She [TJ Fisher] writes eloquently.”
— RENE PECK, THE TIMES-PICAYUNE
“A crusade for New Orleans.”
— JAN SJOSTROM, PALM BEACH DAILY NEWS
“Beautiful pictures … the prose is out of this world.”
— BILL BAGWILL, WLAE-TV/PBS, host of A Greater New Orleans: The Road to Recovery
“Amazing … Orléans Embrace with The Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré … lushly produced inside look at the mysteries of the French Quarter through the eyes and lenses of local aristocrats TJ Fisher, Roy F. Guste, Jr. and Louis Sahuc … cornucopia of stories, and their collaboration makes for a coffee table that can brew, not just hold, your coffee.”
— ANDREI CODRESCU, THE PENNY POST, GAMBIT WEEKLY and DOWNTOWN EXPRESS, poet, novelist, columnist and essayist, author of Wakefield and New Orleans, Mon Amour: Twenty Years of Writing from the City
“Resonating … dedicated to the city and people of New Orleans.”
— KARIE MELTZER, NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE
“Helping New Orleans to recover … your words [TJ Fisher] in your wonderful book echo the feelings of … tumultuous turmoil … two books in one.”
— ED BELL, NPR’s WLRN South Florida Arts Beat
“Fisher’s book … presents a different perspective on post-Katrina New Orleans.”
— MIAMI NEW TIMES
“Emotional portrayal of the historic French Quarter with descriptions of each area and photographs that display the ways in which New Orleans is unique.”
— FOREWORD MAGAZINE
“No medium alone, or paired with another, could possibly capture the elusive essence of the place author TJ Fisher calls ‘a bewitching oasis of culture and civilization sculpted from a hostile swamp.”
— GINNY SMITH, THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
“A compendium … a passionate reflection … each work is a love letter to this seductive place with its distinctive history, character and architectural style … Even though the French Quarter was spared in the Katrina catastrophe, the surrounding devastation inspired a heightened desire to preserve its fragile beauty.”
— REGAN MCMAHON, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
“Beautiful educational and photographic work of art … A love affair that not just people here but all over the world have with this very special place.”
— ERIC PAULSEN, WWL-TV, host of The Morning Show
“Dazzles with heart, soul and lush images … an eloquent case for the restoration of New Orleans … An amalgam of history, botany, design, and architecture, with a dollop of social commentary … will mesmerize the reader … subtle nuances at play between what is seen and what is only perceived in the soul. … the City’s essence calls the reader… What succor for our collectively blighted reality to be given this gem … snapshot in time. The enchanting prose of Fisher captures that elusive quality of New Orleans, indescribable yet immediately recognizable … the author somehow manages to convey the magic, and her words resonate after the book is closed.”
— GEORGE NORTON, GRIS GRIS ROUGE
“Magnificent tribute to a city’s soul … the French Quarter’s glory … a gorgeous new book honoring New Orleans … amazing work … an attitude, and over-the-top character … erudition and passion”
— RON KENNER, THE AMERICAN REPORTER DAILY NEWSPAPER
“Lavishly designed and sumptuously illustrated, Orléans Embrace celebrates what makes New Orleans French Quarter unique and significant … the history of the Quarter and those who live there … beautiful pictures and capsule backstories. Unusual, gorgeous, intriguing.”
— COLLEEN MONDOR, BOOKLIST
“Take a trip through the authors’ eyes … ‘Saving New Orleans,’ looks at life after surviving calamity. Fisher’s text embodies both the city’s freewheeling nature and the painful confusion of grief.”
— MARTHA SHERIDAN, DALLAS MORNING NEWS
“No ordinary coffee-table photography book … personal and compelling … has emerged with universal attraction as a memorial and a motivation to restore a once great American city to its unique and original glory. Enthusiastically recommended … of immense interest.”
— JAMES A. COX, MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
“A long, sentimental journey through the beauty that is New Orleans’ French Quarter, past and present … a coffee table book that can keep you entertained for hours … The bookend sections, written by TJ Fisher with photographs by Louis Sahuc Photo Works, celebrate the spirit and love New Orleanians have for the city and their fortitude in trying to restore it to its pre-Katrina majesty.”
— GAMBIT WEEKLY
“This book is an homage to the French Quarter … It’s a beautiful book in three parts, written with almost poetical prose and magnificent photographs that tells us what we have that we could lose.”
— AMAZON
“Authors offer a hug for stressed-out city … emotionally reassuring … paying pictoral and written homage … heartfelt love of home … Orléans Embrace is a mix of emotions, by turns contemplative, melancholy, joyful, hopeful … solace for the disaster just past and hope for the future … will and passion of the city’s people.”
— RENÉE PECK, THE TIMES-PICAYUNE
“A majestic eyeful … a book within a book … A real treasure that is bound to become a family heirloom.”
— AL CARUBA, BOOKVIEWS
“M.S. Rau Antiques is proud to present Orléans Embrace with The Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré … fascinating and inspirational anthology … touching narratives … stunning images … This book pays tribute to the marvelous history, beauty and resiliency that makes New Orleans one of our nation’s great treasures.”
— M.S. RAU ANTIQUES
“The beauty of French Quarter gardens … An out-of-print book, The Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré by Roy F. Guste, Jr. is rediscovered and published as a companion to Orleans Embrace by TJ Fisher … featuring photos by Louis Sahuc … It is an emotional and vivid homage to one of the most unique areas in the United States and celebrates the city’s triumphs over adversity.”
— SUE STRACHAN, EDITOR, NEW ORLEANS HOMES & LIFESTYLES
“You won’t be able to keep this gorgeous book under anyone’s coffee mug. Orléans Embrace with The Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré by TJ Fisher, Roy F. Guste, Jr. and Louis Sahuc are a resonating collection of photographs and prose that reveals the architectural and natural beauty of the French Quarter. The book … is dedicated to the city and people of New Orleans.”
— KARIE MELTZER, NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE
“Crescent City, past and present & blends text with beautiful French Quarter photos, often focusing on the tropical plants that give New Orleans its world-apart feel … ‘Saving New Orleans’ … why it’s worthwhile.”
— JUDY WILEY, THE STAR-TELEGRAM
“Orléans Embrace is an exquisite coffee-table book.”
— KARRI WATSON, CURLED UP WITH A GOOD BOOK
“It’s gorgeous … narrative and pictorial homage to New Orleans, primarily the French Quarter … stunning … gorgeous exposé.”
— CHERÉ COEN, THE DAILY ADVERTISER
“Triumph over sorrow … book chronicles life in French Quarter … history and untold stories.”
— TAMMIE BREWER, THE DAILY LEADER
“I’d rather have Morgana Press’ Orléans Embrace by TJ Fisher, Roy F. Guste, Jr., and Louis Sahuc Photo Works, than half-a-dozen other books published on the subject. What the eye can see the heart can remember. Be a New Orleanian wherever you are, sugar. This volume will help you do the trick. Yours Truly in a Swamp.”
— LEONARD EARL JOHNSON, contributor to Louisiana in Words and French Quarter Fiction
“Orléans Embrace is the perfect coffee table centerpiece.”
— STEVE O’KEEFE, AUTHORVIEWS
“The long-awaited reissue of Roy F. Guste Jr.’s The Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré: The Historic French Quarter of New Orleans is out in a collector’s edition which contains the lagniappe of some very special bookends, Orléans Embrace, a passionate reflection on the French Quarter in two parts by TJ Fisher.” — LAFETE NEWS
“Beautiful educational and photographic work of art … a love affair that not just people here but all over the world have with this very special place.”
— ERIC PAULSEN, WWL-TV, host of The Morning Show
“Amazing … lushly produced inside look at the mysteries of the French Quarter … cornucopia of stories.”
— ANDREI CODRESCU, THE PENNY POST, GAMBIT WEEKLY and DOWNTOWN EXPRESS
“Emotional portrayal of the historic French Quarter with descriptions of each area and photographs that display the ways in which New Orleans is unique.”
— FOREWORD MAGAZINE
“A simply divine coffee-table book … a must-read and a must-see book. The photography of historic buildings, courtyards and gardens are stunning. Writers Guste and Fisher turn a fine hand of prose.”
— JON KEMP, THE TIMES-PICAYUNE
“TJ Fisher succeeds admirably, in a style reminiscent of Lafcadio Hearn, in helping the reader to push aside those gossamer curtains and to peek inside the marvels of the Vieux Carré if only for a fleeting moment. On the other hand, there is a very modern edge to her writing. Because she was brave enough to bare her soul, her message and the raison d’etre are crystal clear.”
— from one of the nation’s leading librarians
“Morgana Press of New Orleans has taken on a huge undertaking. And it’s gorgeous … narrative and pictorial homage to New Orleans, primarily the French Quarter … stunning … gorgeous exposé.”
— THE DAILY ADVERTISER
“Orléans Embrace with The Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré won the Bill Fisher Award for Best First Book-Nonfiction, one of the awards’ highest honors. The coffee-table book … also took Best New Voice-Nonfiction. [Author] TJ Fisher … accepted the award in a flowing dress of purples and magentas. ‘I wanted everyone to remember New Orleans, so I wore something flashy,’ she said. The Bourbon Street resident took every opportunity to encourage people to come back to the Crescent City and help in its recovery. ‘Come back and visit us,’ she implored. ‘Please come back. We need tourists.’”
— CHERÉ COEN, THE DAILY ADVERTISER
“I love the book … it’s very impressive.”
— JENNIFER SANTIAGO, MY 33, Emmy Award-nominated host of Focus on South Florida
“Emotion and passion pour from the pages of this book.”
— Benjamin Franklin Book Awards
“In the great tradition of Irish writer TJ Fisher gives us the soul of the Quarter and puts New Orleans in our arms before and after Katrina. New Orleans is so blessed.”
— DANNY O’FLAHERTY, Celtic balladeer
“The Independent Publishers Association (PMA) presented author TJ Fisher and Morgan Press the coveted Ben Franklin Award for Best New Voice in the nonfiction category, and The Bill Fisher Award for the Best First Book of nonfiction.”
— THE AMERICAN REPORTER DAILY NEWSPAPER
“All profits from the book will be donated to French Quarter preservation efforts.”
— PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“Orléans Embrace with The Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré focuses on the beauty the city has retained … melancholic photos of balcony silhouettes and church steeples poking into the sky … [Fisher] invokes Lafcadio Hearn’s voice … the gardens serve as windows into the city’s history … New Orleans has recovered from vast destruction before. The close of the book urges readers to preserve New Orleans and to encourage the country to aid in its recovery. TJ Fisher dismisses the question ‘Should New Orleans be rebuilt?’ that residents of the city find so ridiculous. The entire book answers the question with a resounding yes.”
— LAURA HUNT, WHERE Y’AT MAGAZINE
“I love this book. It is the best book of New Orleans I have ever read.”
— BLAINE KERN (MR. MARDI GRAS)
“There’s never been anything like this … An anthology covering the vibrant history of the area, this landmark title … addresses a key question … how and why the city will survive Katrina.”
— CONNIE GROCHMAL, BELLAONLINE: THE VOICE OF WOMEN
“Soulful narrative … post-Katrina homage … With heart upon sleeve, Fisher’s passionate introductory chapter engages the reader with aphoristic-like portraits of the Quarter and the encompassing spectrum of lifetime held within. Her finely crafted outpouring illustrates the plagues, fires and social devastations IF the past and casts a sensuous spell that immediately disarms nonbelievers and the irreverent.”
— JONNE MOLINA, SHELTER
“An enchanting peek inside the elusively secret and mysterious parts of the indomitable French Quarter. This is the real Vieux Carré rarely glimpsed by outsiders.”
— FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA
“Sumptuously photographed, this book presents the esoteric and efflorescent truth of the Vie Carré and why there is no other place like it in the world.”
— NICOLAS CAGE
“The Vieux Carré was my window to the tropics before there ever was a Margaritaville song or restaurant. It was the place for all us children of the coast, who were lucky enough to see the gardens, smell the gumbo and hear the music that spoke of a larger and more interesting world beyond the path of Highway 90. I have been lucky enough to see many views of many places that are called paradise, but my first view was a banana tree in a Vieux Carré garden. I can remember that view nearly 50 years later as if it were yesterday. In a world filled with many storms and much uncertainty, the Vieux Carré was, still is and will hopefully always be a shelter from the storms.” — JIMMY BUFFETT
“What a visual palette. Wow! This is truly the New Orleans I love.”
— EMERIL LAGASSE
“This lovely work is a touching journey; it takes us deep behind closed doors and locked gates into the ancient soul and stillness of the French Quarter.”
— LENNY KRAVITZ
“Few realize the visual excitement hidden behind French Quarter doors. Beyond the traffic and tourists, at the end of narrow brick paths, vines grow and fountains flow, uninterrupted for more than 150 years. These living masterpieces are a unique part of New Orleans and American culture.”
— GEORGE RODRIGUE, Blue Dog artist
“New Orleans has many faces and wears many masks. This seductive book invites you behind the Crescent City’s legendary facades into some of its most beautiful and best-kept secret places. It is a feast for those who prize the city’s timeless charms.”
— TOM PIAZZA, author of My Cold War and Why New Orleans Matters
“This magnificently realized work reminds us that the beauty of our great city lies not only in what the eyes capture, but in what the heart feels. New Orleans has a secret soul.”
— HARRY ANDERSON
“This stunning book reveals the beauty and romance of New Orleans and returns me to my childhood. It’s a treasure and makes the perfect gift.”
— PATRICIA CLARKSON
“Living in the Vieux Carré trumps all other neighborhood experiences. The Quarter constantly astonishes, and this book reveals many of its delicious secrets.”
— TAYLOR HACKFORD & HELEN MIRREN
“An intimate look at the city Tennessee Williams called his spiritual home — the nooks and crannies of its heart and the beautiful intricacies of its endearing and enduring soul.”
— KARISSA KARY, Associate Director, Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival
“This book captures the haunting beauty of these Edenic gardens like no other I have read about the Vieux Carré. I am glad that we have this book to remind us of their fragile beauty and to embolden us to do something about their eventual return.”
— JAMES H. MEREDITH, President, Ernest Hemingway Foundation and Society
“Roy F. Guste, Jr., scion of an old Creole family, is among the initiated who know the lush tropical gardens of the French Quarter intimately from a lifetime of invitations for café au lait in the morning or tea laced with mint late afternoons or, perhaps a stronger aperitif after dark. With the familiarity of a lover, he brings to life the secret beauties of this neighborhood to those who have only glimpsed their voluptuous glory through the iron lace of garden gates. A must for those who treasure New Orleans.”
— ROSEMARY JAMES, Co-Founder, The Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society
“This is simply the best book that has been written about the enchanted gardens of the Vieux Carré.”
— JOE DESALVO, owner, Faulkner House Books
“An ideal testament to the extraordinary beauty hidden inside the patios and courtyards of the French Quarter…a view that is unique, treasured and desired.”
— E. RALPH LUPIN, M.D., Chairman Vieux Carré Commission
“We who live in the French Quarter enjoy sharing our treasures with the world. This book brings you behind the walls and gates and reveals our most charming secrets.”
— NATHAN CHAPMAN, President, Vieux Carré Property Owner, Residents and Associates
The Writer’s Almanac with Garrison Keillor marked the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with a quote from TJ Fisher’s post-Katrina work Orléans Embrace. The Writer’s Almanac: “August 29, 2015: on this day: Hurricane Katrina. … New Orleans writer, T.J. Fisher, wrote of the storm: ‘Katrina changed everything. Life here is different, every face altered. Yet we feel and sense the landscape not only in its hurricane-leveled, sodden depressions but — perhaps even more so now in the strangely comforting depths of our shared history. Even in the worst hit areas, not all is dissipated. Dense intricate attachments burrow too deep to underestimate or overlook. This is no featureless town to be rubbed off the map and cast aside. Here the band plays on.
Hearsay from Heaven and Hades: New Orleans Secrets of Sinners and Saints
Reviews, published work
From the Author: Timeless and gold award-winning book “Best Book” published non-fiction (poetry), illustrated by Jennifer Porter. Wonderful BOOK SIGNING PARTY, and honoring Miss Marion Colbert of Treme. Always excited to see it on a bookshelf or coffee table! Before the sad demise of brick-and-mortar independent bookstores, and chain booksellers, it was always fun to see my work(s) on display!
“TJ Fisher has pulled together a delicious concoction of random thoughts which occurred to her over the forty days and forty nights of Katrina and her devastating aftermath, random thoughts which together sum up all that is precious about New Orleans and her people, when they are being very, very good and when they are being very, very bad. With the devotion of a lover and the keen insight and clarity of vision of one who came by choice and stays in spite of all, New Orleans is brought to life in bits and pieces that compose in the end the entirety of this jewel of a city. I plan to buy Hearsay from Heaven and Hades: New Orleans Secrets of Sinners and Saints for all of my friends in other places so that they will understand why, once we come, we do not leave.”
— ROSEMARY JAMES, Co-Founder, Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society and editor of My New Orleans: Ballads to the Big Easy by Her Sons, Daughters, and Lovers
“A totally unique book, filled with what she (TJ Fisher) calls ‘French Quarterisms,’ a large collection of aphorisms that permits the reader to flip open to any page and delight, ranging from ‘The greatest instinct is survival’ to ‘Rarely is one mistake fatal in itself.’ This is the kind of book you give to a young reader to stimulate their mind or a friend, a loved one, because it is a gift of love as well as life. The collection of thoughts that fill every page evokes the special spirit of life in the city where you can find a grand cathedral and a shop selling voodoo charms.”
— AL CARUBA, BOOKVIEWS
“TJ Fisher’s Hearsay from Heaven and Hades: New Orleans Secrets of Sinners and Saints, a book illustrating the emotional unrest felt during the days following Katrina.”
— SUZANNE PFEFFERLE, WHERE Y’AT
“TJ Fisher’s Hearsay from Heaven and Hades is a cogent, sparkling tour de force of wit, wisdom and – most importantly – love. Her sense of what makes the French Quarter such a maddening, but endearing, magnet for creative souls is priceless … very thought-provoking … FANTASTIC!”
— CHRISTIAN ALLMAN is the publisher of GRIS GRIS ROUGE MAGAZINE; he has also served as a contributing writer and editor of THE FACE OF NEW ORLEANS TRIBUNE and THE TREME VOICE
“The Western World has its match for Confucius in TJ Fisher and her new book. Superb literary anecdotes and allusions, bristling with wisdom, surprisingly turned with wit and creativity, beam gems of thought. And who among us doesn’t inwardly admit that we are both saints and sinners at the same time, ‘perfectly imperfect? … TJ Fisher knows that … and she says it well. Fresh and sassy … enlightening words transport me right back to New Orleans again … tremendous vocabulary … and well jumbled!”
— BISHOP JAMES H. BURCH, The Catholic Diocese of One Spirit
“A magnum opus of intriguing ‘truths.’ Thought-provoking … a kick, a caress, a slow burn, felt deep within the belly and heart. Be prepared to want to laugh, cry, dance and think.”
— from one of the nation’s leading librarians
“TJ Fisher magnificently captures the heart and soul of New Orleans in her newest work, Hearsay from Heaven and Hades. It not only draws us in but keeps us captivated through her keen insights that are both funny and heartwarming, enlightening!”
— JEFF RECTOR, award-winning actor/writer/director/producer
“A magnificent journey into the delicious realms of unknown New Orleans. Fisher exposes the secrets of this complex city and lures us into the provocative world … which is New Orleans … Hearsay from Heaven and Hades is a must read for any serious lover of superb writing.”
— DR. ROSARY O’NEILL, acclaimed author of The Actors Checklist and award-winning playwright of internationally celebrated works that often center on the rich and colorful classic cultural ‘characters’ of New Orleans and Louisiana; O’Neill’s works include: The Awakening of Kate Chopin, Blackjack: The Thief of Possession, Degas in New Orleans, A Louisiana Gentleman, Solitaire, Wishing Aces, Uncle Victor, White Suits in Summer, Property, Turtle Soup, The Wing of Madness, Beckett at Greystone Bay, John Singer Sargeant, Madame X, the Vampire Trilogy, etc. An author of six books and 25 plays, she penned New Orleans Voodoo: A Cultural History and New Orleans Carnival Krewes: The History, Spirit and Secrets of Mardi Gras. O’Neill was a Loyola Professor of Drama and Speech and the Founding Artistic Director at NOLA’s Southern Rep Theater
“Wonderful bedside companion.”
— ROY F. GUSTE, JR., author of The Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré, Antoine’s Cookbook, nine additional Creole cookbooks and other assorted New Orleans-based works of nonfiction
“Drumroll please! … The … Book Awards nominees are! … Southern book … couldn’t stop talking about … “You have got to read this!’ … recognize great books of Southern origin.”
— SOUTHERN BOOKSELLERS INDEPENDENT ALLIANCE (Hearsay from Heaven and Hades: New Orleans Secrets of Sinners and Saints — nominated for best poetry book)
“Another celebration of the greatest city in America as only Fisher could write it. Hearsay from Heaven and Hades is a grasping for light in lightless New Orleans nights, a voice in a time of frightening silence, clarity in a time of chaos.”
— JOSHUA CLARK, author of Heart Like Water: Surviving Katrina and Life in Its Disaster Zone (National Book Critics Circle Finalist) and editor of Louisiana in Words and French Quarter Fiction
“Hearsay from Heaven and Hades thought-provoking insights for living the human drama are compelling and smack of genius. Kudos to Ms. Fisher for an enormous task that is well written and worthy of her Benjamin Franklin Award for ‘Best New Voice Nonfiction.”
— CATHERINE LANIGAN, author of Romancing the Stone, The Jewel of the Nile, Divine Nudges, Angel Watch, Wings of Destiny and 25 additional fiction and nonfiction books
“Some of these aphorisms are charming, and some may even be profound.”
— ANDREI CODRESCU, poet, novelist, columnist and essayist, author of Wakefield and New Orleans, Mon Amour: Twenty Years of Writing from the City
“A poetic examination of 40 days and nights within the Vieux Carré … Fisher’s musings of life in New Orleans, from the juxtaposition of good and evil, decline and revival and the balance of catastrophe and beauty … pieces of wisdom.”
— CHERE COEN, THE DAILY ADVERTISER
“Self life: What’s new at the bookstores? Hearsay from Heaven and Hades: New Orleans Secrets of Sinners and Saints by TJ Fisher.”
— MIMI DIAMOND, ASBURY PARK PRESS
“Since childhood, she has found creative inspiration in all facets of New Orleans and its rich lifestyle. A post-Katrina ‘breakout’ voice of resonance.”
— LA FETE NEWS
“Hearsay from Heaven and Hades … Janus-like two-faced personality of New Orleans.”
— PIRATES ALLEY FAULKNER SOCIETY
“[Fisher] Coloful character … engaging … bizarre … curious … eccentric.”
— CURLED UP WITH A GOOD BOOK
“Poetic … metaphoric … florid … Southern … A writer … related to Lafcadio Hearn … Sylvia Plath.”
— IRENE SINGLETARY, publisher
“I LOVE your book!”
— JEFF KEEN, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF USA BOOK NEWS
“It reminds me of an old Gaelic song that has 20 verses, each one of them different and significant. Like the song, TJ will keep you spellbound all through the night.”
— DANNY O’FLAHARTY, Celtic Balladeer
“TJ Fisher calls Hearsay from Heaven and Hades, the follow-up to her award-winning Orléans Embrace, a sardonic handbook. But Fisher, whose vocabulary matches her boundless spirit, has put much Joie de vivre into Hearsay as irreverence and derision. The Belle of Bourbon Street has framed her compendium of anecdotes and aphorisms in 40 chapters, titled 40 Days and 40 Nights. As with Orléans Embrace, the author is ever busy resurrecting the spirt and soul of a great city. Neither Rome or New Orleans was built in a day and Hearsay from Heaven and Hades is to be savored in more than one or two sittings. In these “sayings for unquiet minds,” emotions take every shade, but the overreaching theme is Fisher’s post-Katrina mantra. It resonates in such passages as, ‘Life revolving, ebbing and flowing, outlives catastrophe’ and ‘a rotating pendulum of holy and unholy ruin.’ Fisher, last year’s winner of the Ben Franklin Award for Best New Voice, speaks out again as New Orleans mender of broken dreams.”
— GARTH PUCKETT, Starred Amazon Reviewer
Vieux Carré Chic: The Art of Overindulgent Home Décor
Reviews, published work
From the Author: My work with photography by Skip Bolen. When Palm Beach meets New Orleans and collides.
“Going wild … cozy … historic … ‘hideaway’ … an authentic chapter … A preponderance of African-theme works of art and leopard-print fabrics in the decorating scheme … affinity for the jungle look … which is somewhat toned down by warm furniture and interior treatments … is innate to [TJ Fisher] her personality.”
— ROBERT JANJIGIAN, PALM BEACH DAILY NEWS
“Architectural story … period-style … historic-style … 1920s-style … animal themes primitive yet relaxing.”
— MIAMI HERALD
“Wow! … incredible … different signature style … nothing like it.”
— BERNARD ZYSCOVICH, AIA, internationally acclaimed architect; contributor to South Beach Style and Architecture and Real Urbanism
“This is incredible! … I can’t believe it … the mix of antiques, art, kitsch, modern.”
— ROBERT LUCKY, M.S. Rau Antiques
“Fabulous! … Unbelievable.”
— HOME MAGAZINE
“Outrageous … mind-blowing … Whimsical madness! … storyteller style.”
— AT HOME, VINTAGE HOUSE
“Wow … I love your house! … Nothing like it … I don’t know where to look … This should be in Architectural Digest. I would’ve never thought of that! … It works! … Why didn’t I think of that? … I can’t wait to show my husband!”
— NEW ORLEANS HOME AND GARDEN TOUR
“Gimme Shelter … Beautification Inspiration … Vieux Carré Chic: The Art of Overindulgent Home Décor … a ‘mad-hatter’s mesmerizing jumble of exquisitely controlled chaos.’ Loosely translated, that means interiors stuffed to the gills with everything from priceless antiques to dime-store kitsch.”
— PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“A world of whimsical design … Vieux Carré Chic is an unusual and appealing jukebox of artifacts that reflect passion for life … a wonderlust of finds …Is it a flicker of formality or that of fantasy? … Museum artifacts or flea market finds? …At first glance, themed rooms have a sense of formal grandeur. However, using a clever twist of witty artistry and humor, the appealing juxtaposition of artifacts now appears unconventional. Formal portraits in gallery style reveal a tamed wild posing in bonnets and bows … Vieux Carré Chic’s themed pictorial pages are bursting with delicious treasure troves reflecting great opulence, brilliance, humor and grandiosity. So be enamored. Be enchanted.”
— DIANNE HARRIS, noted Australian and French Quarterite style-setter and fashion design maven
“Morgana Press will publish … [TJ Fisher’s third book] Vieux Carré Chic: The Art of Overindulgent Home Décor.” — JAN SJOSTROM, PALM BEACH DAILY NEWS
The Pearly Gates of Purgatory
Advance reviews of an early manuscript, non-published work
“Your writing is absolutely terrific.”
— STEVE TROHA, leading literary representative for Jackie Collins and other bestseller celebrity authors and pop-culture icons; former publicity director at St. Martin’s Press
“Outrageous!”
— Stephanie Austin, film and TV producer of breakout hits such as Terminator, Judgement Day and True Lies
“Join Sam on the run, buckle-up and strap yourself in, for you’re in for the most hilarious, unpredictable and sometimes dangerous time of your life. Addictive, it is all I think about, every spare moment I have is spent feverishly reading the next chapter including staying up and reading under the covers with a mini flashlight till the wee hours of the morning. Books you can’t put down. Shrouded in mystery nothing is what it seems. When selling your soul seems the answer to your problems it can signal your further demise. Who can you trust? A wild roller coaster ride smattered with wads of green dough, sugar daddies, convertibles, demons and cheap, sleazy hotels where unexpected triumphs are short lived, gains turn to losses and close calls are around every corner. A tantalizing mix of scintillating sexual tension, danger, wealth, fashion and cliffhangers. Your salvation could be just around the corner or was that your downfall? Say goodnight to your husband as you join in with the twisted trials and tribulations of larger-than-life characters and the intriguing vivid life and times of Samara Viola Schaffer.”
— DIANNE HARRIS, noted Australian and French Quarterite style-setter, fashion design maven and artist
“I love it. The finale is grand … dramatic … over the top … matches the rest of the story … the perfect glittering ending … I cried … the hallmark of a good story is to engage the reader and make them love the hero/heroine readers will certainly have feelings for Sam … it leaves the reader wondering … [Sam is] somewhere in the darkness’ is still alive … all a great note to stop on … get it into the world’s hands.”
— IRENE SINGLETARY, publisher
“I can’t wait until you share this with the world.”
— GREGORY D. MARKS, actor, writer, filmmaker, stylist, film producer
“Okay so call me a romanticist … this is NOT a satisfying ending! I hoped Sam would finally have some long-term happiness!!! I cried … emotionally involved with the characters.”
— JESSICA KEET, “The Proofreaders’ Proofreader”
“Fast paced. Soul searching. Poignant. Devilish. It helps to have an over-the-top hell-on-convertible-pink-Cadillac-wheels saucy redheaded author to develop an over-the-top character caught between heaven and hell. TJ is a great talent! The Pearly Gates of Purgatory … both old-fashioned and modern qualities … fast-paced action story … hard-boiled … romantic … not short on plotting … compare even Agatha Christie, John D. McDonald … a character-driven work … broad market … popular fiction … adult.”
— RON KENNER, award-winning book editor, author, columnist, journalist, former LA Times newsman
“I love how you write. It’s like having a conversation with you.”
— LISSY PEACE, literary and film publicist
“SHIT-FIRE!!! JUST REALLY, TRULY, ABSOLUTELY A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! That is some mighty fine Southern writing, Miss TJ! CHEEEZITS!!! I was up all night and just could not stop reading it – scandalous!!! Deftly composed … highbrow … true fiction real-life ‘diary’ … hinged on scandal and salacity, want and longing … a fictionalized window into madness under the oaks … masquerade under the palms … and most of all, just so much fun to read!!!”
— SKIP BOLEN, Southern photographer / documentriacist of iconic imagery and people
“The Pearly Gates of Purgatory Series … outrageous … Cliffhanger … unpredictable turn of events … epic on life in the fast lane … eerily detailed … curveball … impossible to put down … well woven … total immersion, be entertained … voyage into the world of wealth … controversy … shocks the brain … sucks into the whirlpool. TJ … a flame-haired former American [of Irish descent] Rose of Tralee … demonstrates the bodacious spirit, resolve and temperament of Celtic ‘Iron Age Warrior Queen’ Boudica … a celebrated, controversial and complex figure of unending interest.”
— DANNY O’FLAHERTY, Celtic singer, musician, storyteller and bard
“Oh dear … Wow … outrageous … original voice … colorful … manipulative and dramatic … intense … Southern storyteller … offbeat and quirky … addictive … oddly gripping sprawling tale … seesaw confessional … roman à clef? … pop-culture … dark fairy-tale … film noir material married to a twisted chick-o-meter! … Big questions … the struggle of good and evil … outcast comeback people … Irreverent and idiosyncratic. A keen sense of the power of dark humor, satire and irony. Intelligent writing that is quirky, kicky, funny, edgy, naughty and noir … roulette wheel … with unexpected violence. A narrative saga that only T] Fisher could pen. As with all great writers, she leaves the ending up to us. Enthralling stunner … sweeping epic of passion and revenge … begs to be made into a TV miniseries or film trilogy. Tremendous passion and eloquence … irreverent humor … engaging, seamless spider-web story … poison ping-pong ball juggling … with an intimate core.”
— JANE, literary-cinematic adaptation focus group
“High-concepts novels … Dark and breezy. Hard knuckled and sharp elbowed, hidden in velvet gloves … Shocker. Utterly engaging. Every time the story appears to be gaining narrative momentum; it turns and twists surreal corners. Distinctive voice and style of writing.”
— ROBIN, literary-cinematic adaptation focus group
“OMG! WTF? ROTFLMAO and crying. Shaking my head. Deep and meaningful. To be honest, crying real big tears. It’s more than an all-day party with wild beasts. Too great to be forgotten. For ever and ever. Dang girl, you’re fine. By the way, I think I’m in love with you. Yours in Christ.”
— LADY PRISCILLA
“Big epic, dishy and glamorous work! Upscale immodesty! But a serious thriller, too! Better than scandal sheets or fleet-street! Cliffhanger of extremes … to entertain, intrigue, scandalize … dark emotion and hilarity … a rollicking, disturbing ride! … Humid being and duplicitous worlds … knives in the air and hoodoo-voodoo! TJ Fisher’s distinctive voice and story hinges on controversial, out-of-the-ordinary and provocative psychological conflict. Fascinating fly-on-the-wall look at elite-a-glamorous and ruthless lives where money, vengeance, torment and beauty rule. Big swaths of ‘stream of consciousness’ writing … highly emotional, quirky, cerebral, complex, and sometimes grotesque the dark side… Utterly strange and wonderful Theatre of the Absurd.”
— TOM SMITH