BLOG TOUR:
Doreen McGettigan - Author Interview
Lisa Buie-Collard - How Heroes and Heroines Meet
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Doreen McGettigan - Author Interview
Lisa Buie-Collard - How Heroes and Heroines Meet
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If you're here for Question of the Month, feel free to scroll down to my answer and skip this rather long post.
ANNOUNCEMENT: I’ve kept it a secret, but I am now
confirming San Francisco as the main setting for the sequel to
Hurricane Crimes. And since I announced earthquakes as the disaster during A to Z, I will reveal the title....
SEISMIC CRIMES!
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San Francisco is a popular city in California. Several
things make this city unique. If you’re writing a story set here, make sure to mention at least a few of these:
1. Golden Gate Bridge
California is known as the Golden State, so it’s no
wonder why the bridge that spans from San Francisco to Marin County is called
the Golden Gate Bridge, although it’s really more of an orange color. This
bridge is 1.7 miles long and can withstand winds of more than 100 mph.
FACT: The Golden Gate Bridge is the most publicized suicide location, averaging one jumper about every ten days.
2. Fog
San Francisco is known for its fog that hangs over the
city. If your story is set here, you should at least mention the fog San
Franciscans live with everyday.
3. Cable Cars
A popular way to travel, other than walking, is the cable
car system that covers nine miles. The sounds of the humming cable and the
clanks of the bell accompany cable cars wherever they go. If your MC lives
here, have him/her hop onto a cable car with ease. It’s $6 per ride though!
4. Chinatown
Packed with open-air markets, tea, noodle and Dim Dum
shops, Chinatown is a huge tourist attraction. You’ll see racks of Chinese
silks, shell fish in huge tanks, and jade trinket being sold. You could hear
metal crickets and smell incense mixed with cigarette smoke and the odor of
fresh fish. Portsmouth Square, a popular spot in Chinatown, is where you can
find men huddled over Chinese chess tables.
TIP: Use all of the five senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell) capture the essence of Chinatown.
5. Union Square
At the heart of San Francisco is Union Square, where
Macy’s Saks, Neiman-Marcus, and Tiffany & Co are located. Many people go to
Union Square to window shop and people watch.
6. Alcatraz
The prison notorious for housing murderers like George
"Machine-Gun" Kelly and Robert Stroud aka "The Birdman of
Alcatraz.” Alcatraz would be a spooky setting for a horror story. They do tours
there and there are many reports of Alcatraz being haunted.
7. North Beach
Your characters can enjoy a night of cocktails and live
music in this small Italian neighborhood. It’s also a great place for coffee.
TIP: Some more popular places in San Francisco is the Financial District where you can find the Transamerica Pyramid, Golden Gate Park where you can find a Japanese Tea Garden, Twin Peaks, Pier 39, and Fisherman’s Wharf.
8. People
San Franciscans have a live-let-live attitude. Or so I’ve
read. You can find all sorts of people here” business men and women in suits,
surfers, bohemians, transvestites in evening wear, tourists, musicians,
homeless people, and even Pink man, a man who reportedly rides around on a
unicycle in a hot pink unitard and cape. Most people in California (not all,
mind you) eat organic food, do yoga, support the Democratic party, and are
environmentally-friendly.
9. Weather
San Francisco’s average high is 63 degrees Fahrenheit
with an average love of 51 degrees. So dress your characters accordingly. Your
heroine could wear leggings or pantyhose with her skirts/dresses. She may also
keep a light cardigan/jacket with her. The warmest days are in September and
October. Your heroine can take advantage of that warmth with tank tops and
strapless ensembles.
10. Earthquakes
The San Andreas Fault cuts right through most of
California. Small, undetected quakes rumbled under the surface every few days
in the Bay Area. Every year only a few quakes are strong enough to be felt.
Most aren’t severe but there’s a chance that a quake of 6.7 or greater on the
Richter scale could hit the Bay Area before 2052.
QUESTIONS: Do you live in California? Have you ever
been to San Francisco? What do you like most/least about it?
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Michael G D'Agostino is starting up a monthly blog hop called "Question of the Month." On the first Monday of every month we have to answer a question that Michael picks. It sounded like fun, so I hopped on. :)
The Question: If your house caught on fire, what's the one thing you'd
grab before running out?
My Answer: (Sorry it's long...)
I recently asked this same question for my A to Z post
about Wildfires. This is a tough question to answer because I’d want to save my four
cats. I’m also a writer and would want to grab my writing stuff. Oh and I'm terrified of fires....
When I was a kid, a wildfire almost took my childhood home and an electrical fire started in that
same house a few weeks later. In Florida, fire season is bad, especially in my
city. I prepare for fires year-round by keeping all of my notebooks and
flash drives in a backpack, so I’d grab that bag and
open the sliding glass do to let my cats out on the porch. Usually, they are out on the porch in the blink of an eye. I just hope they’ll seek shelter on the porch instead of
hiding inside, because I know they’d be frightened.
Anyway, I am panicking just thinking about this. Thanks, Michael! (Kidding!)
Anyway, I am panicking just thinking about this. Thanks, Michael! (Kidding!)
