Camille's Legacy

The story begins in the early 1980s in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and plays out over the next quarter century. Camille Wentworth Molineau is at the apex of Baton Rouge society; and with her ambitious husband Mitch, she plans to leave her mark. Camille, on the surface, seems to have it all. She comes from old money, her husband is a successful developer, and she has four children any parent would be proud of. Camille lives, on a cul-de-sac, in a palace of a mansion, in the most exclusive gated community in the state. She is feared or envied by most in her social circle. For as good as Camille has it, the reader soon finds out her success has come at a cost. One thing I learned from an early age about cul-de-sac living was the only way out of one was to back down or move in a circle. After all, a cul-de-sac is nothing more than a fancy word for a dead end. Camille finds herself backed into a corner almost from the beginning, as the one foil in her life, Irene Murphy moves in next door. Irene, at one time, was Camille’s best friend and she is married to Camille’s high school sweetheart. The drama is built in. This tale will take the reader through many twists and turns as Camille and her children find their way through life’s pitfalls, mysteries and surprises. This is a tale of the legacies the three families on a cul-de-sac eventually weave together over a quarter century. Although Camille tries to weave her own legacy, she cannot escape the fact she is only one thread of a complex family quilt.

I grew up in the 1970s and early 1980s. During those years, a new form of entertainment was introduced on television: the mini-series. In those early days sagas such as “Rich Man, Poor Man,” “Roots,” “North and South,” “The Thorn Birds,” and “Winds of War,” held America captive, day-after- day, in front of their console televisions in anticipation of what would come next. These sagas were all based around a central family. We watched them grow, win and lose, love and hate, and experience extraordinary conditions and circumstances. When one breaks down the central plot, there are always one or more love stories at its heart. However, the best stories revolved around a strong female matriarch we all wanted to hate, but who we would ultimately love in the end. This saga pays homage to those great tales and matriarchal characters of my youth. The title, “Camille’s Legacy,” gives the reader an idea as to where this tale will begin and take them. Just the name alone of this central character speaks volumes. Camille has always been such a strong, drama-evoking name in literature and in the Gulf South; it beckons back memories of the most horrific hurricane to hit the region prior to Hurricane Katrina. As the tale of Camille’s Legacy plays out, the reader will soon discover that it will be a twisted tale of loves lost and found again, great tragedies and joys, disasters and recovery and, of course, a murder mystery that will play out over generations. The story begins in the early 1980s in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and plays out over the next quarter century. Camille Wentworth Molineau is at the apex of Baton Rouge society; and with her ambitious husband Mitch, she plans to leave her mark. Camille, on the surface, seems to have it all. She comes from old money, her husband is a successful developer, and she has four children any parent would be proud of. Camille lives, on a cul-de-sac, in a palace of a mansion, in the most exclusive gated community in the state. She is feared or envied by most in her social circle. For as good as Camille has it, the reader soon finds out her success has come at a cost. One thing I learned from an early age about cul-de-sac living was the only way out of one was to back down or move in a circle. After all, a cul-de-sac is nothing more than a fancy word for a dead end. Camille finds herself backed into a corner almost from the beginning, as the one foil in her life, Irene Murphy moves in next door. Irene, at one time, was Camille’s best friend and she is married to Camille’s high school sweetheart. The drama is built in. This tale will take the reader through many twists and turns as Camille and her children find their way through life’s pitfalls, mysteries and surprises. This is a tale of the legacies the three families on a cul-de-sac eventually weave together over a quarter century. Although Camille tries to weave her own legacy, she cannot escape the fact she is only one thread of a complex family quilt.

I was born in 1962 the eldest of 3 in New Orleans, La. I was named for my father, who was named for the most famous character in Louisiana politics, Huey Pierce Long. It was not an easy name growing up with, considering the cartoon references to ducks. However as I got older I embraced the name. Huey Long was a scoundrel, but he knew how to get things done. I was a mischievous boy that usually got his siblings in trouble. I am still that boy that drives my wife crazy. From the earliest age I displayed a sarcastic wit, which comes across in my writing. I didn't grow up rich, but it didn't matter. My parents had enough money to send me to private schools and I had enough drive to get myself through Loyola University. I graduated with a degree in Psychology, but from my earliest childhood memories English and History were my loves. I guess my love of writing comes from my fraternal grandmother, who was writing letters daily to family members. My siblings and I grew up in a famous antebellum house on a huge plot of land just outside the French Quarter. It was my mother's ancestral home. The Gambino moved in to 1418 Esplanade in 1920 and occupied the house for the next 70 years. In New Orleans family is everything. I was surrounded by the antiques of generations gone by as a child and tales of the grandeur that once was in the faded old mansion. My childhood was filled with my mother's colorful Italian relatives and my father's eccentric Irish family. I had two strong grandmothers in my life that didn't see eye to eye on many things, but when they got together everyone had better watch out. We were raised by our maternal grandmother, who lived with us since both parents worked or were in school when we were young. Our weekends were spent with my paternal grandmother. These two women were strong than most men. The strong matriarchal characters in my writings reflect the strength of these two women. As child I was surrounded by huge extended families and even as an adult with marriage the one constant was the huge extended family. As in any family there is drama and in my writing the characters and situations around me inspired me to write about families dealing with over the top situations that were not far removed from the truth of my reality. One reality in Louisiana families is that no matter how strong the man is the women are the true strength behind the family. Through my 50 years of life I have come across many successful men, but behind each is the woman that truly runs the show. As a boy and young adult left in the care of my grandmothers my television viewing was influenced by them. The late 70s and early 80s were the height of the miniseries on television. These tales of families struggling to get past one struggle after another set in opulent settings influenced my writing too. I first put pen to paper penning short children's stories for my young nieces in my late 30s, however by 40 my writings began to reflect my world around me, albeit an exaggerated version of reality. As a writer I want to take the reader on a journey along with the characters of the book. I want the reader to feel the emotions and anticipate the next twist. While family is at the core of each novel and there are multiple plots playing out simultaneously, at heart my stories are love stories. These tales have characters fighting for love, but also finding strength in the love of family around them.