I'd suggest an old favorite of mine from when I was 15: Frances Parkinson Keyes. She was a best-seller author from the 50s-60s from Louisiana and she's very good at desrcibing where she lived. My pick for you, should you find it, would be The River Road 'cos the story just sucks you in and you never want to leave. Or Crescent Carnival, the story of the 1800's period of Huey Long. Try 'em and let me know if you enjoy 'em!