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Welcome!
I'm a
- history PhD and author
- wife and mother of 3, plus 1 daughter-in-law
- pet mom to 4 ill-behaved but adorable fur babies
Books by Christi Keating Sumich
HAUNTINGLY GOOD SPIRITS: NEW ORLEANS COCKTAILS TO DIE FOR
Sharon Keating and
Christi Keating Sumich
Quarto, Wellfleet Press
Capture the paranormal essence of New Orleans in a glass with 40 tasty, gothic, and unique cocktails designed for Spooky Season and the great beyond.
Few places possess such a robust and thriving culture of death as does the soulful city of New Orleans. In this captivating c
Sharon Keating and
Christi Keating Sumich
Quarto, Wellfleet Press
Capture the paranormal essence of New Orleans in a glass with 40 tasty, gothic, and unique cocktails designed for Spooky Season and the great beyond.
Few places possess such a robust and thriving culture of death as does the soulful city of New Orleans. In this captivating cocktail book, travel enthusiasts and Big Easy locals Sharon Keating and Christi Keating Sumich take you on a historical romp through the supernatural by way of the NOLA bar scene and its spirits (the boos and the booze!) celebrating local New Orleans ingredients and the hometown mixologists who make them sing.
Separated into five sections—Reverence and Revelry, Tomb Time, Ghosts & Haunted Libations, Vampire Bars with Killer Cocktails, and Voodoo & Witchcraft—Hauntingly Good Spirits unearths the eerie roots of the city’s culture .
THE BRANDY MILK PUNCH
Sharon Keating and
Christi Keating Sumich
Part of the Iconic New Orleans Cocktail Series, Louisiana State University Press
The Brandy Milk Punch explores the history and allure of this fascinating libation that has earned its place as a classic New Orleans Cocktail. The book examines the cocktail's origins and its relationship to the city
Sharon Keating and
Christi Keating Sumich
Part of the Iconic New Orleans Cocktail Series, Louisiana State University Press
The Brandy Milk Punch explores the history and allure of this fascinating libation that has earned its place as a classic New Orleans Cocktail. The book examines the cocktail's origins and its relationship to the city of New Orleans, deep dives into the ingredients, and explores its well-earned place in New Orleans brunch culture. Included are recipes for variations of the drink, and recommendations for local places to enjoy a brandy milk punch.
Praise for The Brandy Milk Punch
“In the city where brunch was invented, the breakfast cocktail was sure to follow. The brandy milk punch is New Orleans’s favorite eye-opener and the perfect way to guarantee a fun day in the Crescent City. At last, here’s the story of how it all came to be!” -- Poppy Tooker, author of Drag Queen Brunch and host of Louisiana Eats! podcast
“If variety is the spice of life, then The Brandy Milk Punch proves that this cocktail is the ‘spice’ of a New Orleans brunch―or any time. Mother-daughter duo Sharon Keating and Christi Keating Sumich dive deep into the history of this beloved cocktail, creating a lively narrative that draws you in so much that you will finish reading it with a brandy milk punch in hand.” -- Sue Strachan, author of The Café Brûlot
LAFITTE LIVES
LAFITTE LIVES
Christi Keating Sumich
Level Best Books
February 2026
Lafitte Lives is my debut novel! It's a historical mystery about the pirate, Jean Lafitte, an ancestor of mine.
In bustling, multicultural New Orleans in August 1831, the sexton of St. Louis Cemetery No. 2, Tobias Whitney, discovers a mysterious journal hidden within the tomb of Dominique
Christi Keating Sumich
Level Best Books
February 2026
Lafitte Lives is my debut novel! It's a historical mystery about the pirate, Jean Lafitte, an ancestor of mine.
In bustling, multicultural New Orleans in August 1831, the sexton of St. Louis Cemetery No. 2, Tobias Whitney, discovers a mysterious journal hidden within the tomb of Dominique You, a reputed war hero, privateer, and half-brother of the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte. Intrigued by the possibility of adventure and treasure, Tobias enlists the help of his beloved irascible wife, Mary Catherine, to translate the text from French into English. Tobias is convinced the journal is the key to Lafitte's hidden treasure, but as he and Mary Catherine discover, it holds secrets they could not have imagined--secrets that could change the course of their lives. But can they trust the mysterious book? As the journal warns, never trust a pirate! Secrets can't stay hidden forever, but maybe some secrets should.
Lafitte Lives is a consummately researched novel that takes history, as well as its gaps and legends, and transforms it into a fascinating tale that vividly brings the adventures of Jean Lafitte to life and tells the heartbreaking story of Tobias's grief and Mary Catherine's quest to help him escape from it.
Books by Christi keating sUMich
THE PENNY FARTHING
THE PENNY FARTHING
Sharon Keating and
Christi Keating Sumich
The Penny Farthing is Book 1 of the Madame Peychaud's Peculiar Pieces series.
THE SWAMP GHOST
THE PENNY FARTHING
- Christi Keating Sumich
The Swamp Ghost is Book 1 of the Old New Orleans Bookshop series.
Dive into the captivating world of the Old New Orleans Bookshop Mysteries, a cozy mystery series that whisks you away to 1830s New Orleans. Meet the spirited Mary Catherine Whitney, the feisty wife of Tobias Whitney, who runs the bustling Chapter and Ve
- Christi Keating Sumich
The Swamp Ghost is Book 1 of the Old New Orleans Bookshop series.
Dive into the captivating world of the Old New Orleans Bookshop Mysteries, a cozy mystery series that whisks you away to 1830s New Orleans. Meet the spirited Mary Catherine Whitney, the feisty wife of Tobias Whitney, who runs the bustling Chapter and Verse Bookstore in the heart of the French Quarter.
Mary Catherine's life is anything but quiet. With a short fuse and an iron will, she's managing her husband, their two rambunctious sons, and preparing for the arrival of a new baby. After uncovering the secrets of the infamous pirate Jean Lafitte and spinning it into a bestselling adventure, Mary Catherine has earned a reputation as a sharp-minded sleuth. Patrons of the bookstore and locals alike turn to her for help with the mysteries that the fledgling New Orleans police ignore.
Book 1: The Swamp Ghost
It’s 1833, and Irish immigrants are toiling away on the New Basin Canal, a project that promises to reshape New Orleans. But when the body of a crewmember is found in the swamp and eerie glowing orbs start haunting the dig site, fear grips the workers—could it be a Fifolet (fee-foo-lay) guarding buried pirate treasure? Legend has it that pirates didn’t just bury their gold; they buried secrets and a crewman, turning him into a ghostly guardian doomed to warn treasure seekers away.
As Aiden Doyle, the crew leader, grapples with the chilling implications, he realizes he must solve the mystery to protect his livelihood. With local law enforcement turning a blind eye, Aiden’s wife calls in the formidable Mary Catherine. Armed with her relentless wit and unwavering determination, she’s ready to unravel the spooky secrets of the Fifolet—and she just might need a little help from Lafitte himself.
DIVINE DOCTORS AND DREADFUL DISTEMPERS: HOW PRACTICING MEDICINE BECAME A RESPECTABLE PROFESSION (Clio Medica: Perspectives in Medical Humanities, 91)
DIVINE DOCTORS AND DREADFUL DISTEMPERS: HOW PRACTICING MEDICINE BECAME A RESPECTABLE PROFESSION (Clio Medica: Perspectives in Medical Humanities, 91)
Christi Keating Sumich
Brill Academic Pub
Divine Doctors and Dreadful Distempers examines the discourse of seventeenth-century English physicians to demonstrate that physicians utilized cultural attitudes and beliefs to create medical theory.
check out some of our takeovers and podcasts
Louisiana Eats Podcast (We start at the 35- minute mark, talking ghosts, vampire lore, and all thing
Enjoy a sneak peek recipe from Hauntingly Good Spirits: New Orleans Cocktails to Die For!
We had a spirited time at our first book signing!
Tales of the Cocktail 2024
July 22, 2024