Christi Keating Sumich is a lifelong resident of New Orleans. She is married to her high school sweetheart and is the mother of three grown children (plus a daughter-in-law). She has a soft spot for "unconventionally attractive" animals who need homes. Her claim to fame is being the winningest contestant on Hollywood Squares. ¿ She holds a PhD in history from Tulane University and a master's degree in English. She has taught history classes at Tulane University and Loyola University New Orleans. Christi's writing combines her fascination with history with her love of the mystery genre. Her debut novel is Lafitte Lives (Level Best Books, February 2026), a historical mystery centered around her ancestor, the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte. She is also the author of the Old New Orleans Bookshop Mysteries, featuring characters from Lafitte Lives. The Swamp Ghost is the first book in the series (Level Best Books, September 2026). Christi and her mom, Sharon Keating, are the co-authors of Hauntingly Good Spirits: New Orleans Cocktails to Die For (Wellfleet Press, August 2024) and The Brandy Milk Punch (Louisiana State University Press, March 2025), part of the Iconic New Orleans Cocktail Series.