Jeanette Weiland

Jeanette (or "J.R." as some friends refer to her), is a woman, wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, neighbor, colleague, and Saints fan. She grew up in the D.C. area, yet has lived in New Orleans almost half of her life and finds herself infatuated with historic architecture, tropical gardens, and gregarious, neighborly citizens. She and her husband are the parents of two young children, and they relish the fact that their kids have the opportunity to grow up in a place unmatched in color and culture.

The impetus behind writing her first book, Beignets for Breakfast, stems from the time that Jeanette used photographs of her baby daughter to build a sales-pitch PowerPoint deck, to help convince a neighbor’s grown daughter to visit her mother who had recently moved to New Orleans. Through photographs and short, humorous text, the presentation told a story of the fun experiences that could be had during a trip to the greatest city in America. The idea of writing a children’s book with a similar concept developed over the years as Jeanette watched her own children experience life through the lens of native New Orleanians.

During Mardi Gras 2019, Jeanette attempted to explain to her kids that all children do not experience Carnival season, or even know that it exists. Her NOLA babies found this news peculiar and difficult to process, as they know nothing other than “looking forward to Mardi Gras when the holidays have passed...”

Jeanette's next book, Red Beans and Rice, will come to publication on September 15, 2020. This book is extra special to her, as her mother, Roberta Van Zandt Loflin, is the illustrator. Roberta is a fine artist specializing in watercolors, and this is her first time illustrating a book.