Cate
Masters at Sarah Says Read Romance
7
Interesting Things About 1906 San Francisco
Happy
birthday to Sarah Says Read Romance! *tosses confetti* Thanks so much
for letting me join the celebration! Wishing you many more years of
success, Sarah. I appreciate all you do for authors!
One
of the things I love about writing is the research. While writing
Betting It All, I found out some pretty cool stuff about early 1900s
San Francisco. Here are seven of the coolest:
1.
San Francisco wasn’t as stuffy as the rest of Victorian era
America. In fact, the city was a pretty hoppin’ place. Yes, it had
some high brow areas, but a walk on the wild side was never far away.
The red light district, or Barbary Coast, advertised dancing girls,
prostitutes and peep shows.
2.
The Chutes and Zoo. An early amusement park on the order of old time
Coney Island, with riding cars that twirled you out over the water,
water slides. I was only able to find one photo of it, but supposedly
it was a huge attraction before the earthquake.
3.
You could pick your style of ride. Automobiles were somewhat
controversial in 1906, and many people disliked them. Horse-drawn
wagons shared the streets with fancier buggies, trolley cars, and
autos. Of course, those who didn’t like any of those modes of
transportation could always walk.
4.
It had some modern conveniences. Many buildings had electricity, even
telephones. The telegraph was cutting-edge technology then, and kept
the city in contact with the outside world during the disaster until
the lines went down. Photography had advanced to crude videos, though
without sound.
5.
It was multi-cultured. The Grand Opera House hosted some top stars of
the time, including the famous opera singer Enrico Caruso. He
actually performed the night before the earthquake, and had to be
rescued from the Palace Hotel.
6.
The Richter Scale hadn’t been invented. Geologists had no true way
to measure the 1906 earthquake, but geologists estimate the quake to
be equal to 7.8, and more than 270 miles of the San Andreas Fault
ruptured. More than 3000 people lost their lives, either during the
quake or in the resulting fires that destroyed what the quake had
left.
7.
The people of San Francisco. The aspect of 1906 San Francisco that
most impressed me was its people. After the earthquake, their sheer
tenacity in the face of disaster restored the city. Residents dug out
from the rubble and started to rebuild, often within days. They may
not have been the first pioneers, but the spirit lived on in them.
Here’s
a little more about Betting It All:
Blurb
Norah Hawkins wants a new
life as far from her old one as possible, but where can she ever find
that chance? When a letter arrives promising her the deed to property
in San Francisco, Norah packs her bags and flees the broken shards of
her troubled past.
With its anything-goes
atmosphere, 1906 San Francisco suits Irishman Gerard MacKenzie just
fine. He loves tending bar in Norah’s saloon, and verbally sparring
with the shrewd businesswoman for more privileges and work. Her
beauty, wit and sass make his blood boil with need.
But
disaster looms over their promising new lives when a terrible
earthquake buries their dreams and threatens to shatter their future.
Norah and Mac must rebuild their lives from the ruins and they’ll
need each other more than ever, but can their ties to each other save
them or tear them apart?
Excerpt
Guilt
filled her as she sealed the envelope. Her first letter should have
been to her mother. Estelle probably forgot I left. More likely, she
bought a bottle and forgot everything, period.
Downstairs
in the hotel lobby, Mac stepped around the corner into her path. “A
letter to your beau?”
She
bristled. “No.”
Leering,
he nodded. “Ah. You left him behind.”
“Certainly
not.” My, but he cleaned up nicely. The electric wall sconce gave
his black hair a sheen like raven’s feathers in the sun. His
smooth-shaved skin accentuated the whites of his eyes, rimmed with
thick dark lashes. Curled in a teasing smile, his lips appeared soft,
not weather-worn like some men.
He
cocked a brow. “He’s joining you later?”
“I
don’t see how it’s any of your concern.” Unless he still hoped
for employment. His long, smooth fingers might be handy for more than
cards. Still, if she wanted music, she could buy a player piano and
not have to pay it a weekly salary. Though it wouldn’t be nearly as
nice to look at as Mac.
He
shrugged. “It isn’t. Unless you run into debt playing poker. I
want to be assured someone will back you up.”
“You
needn’t worry. I never get in over my head.” In anything.
He
tipped his cap. “Smart woman.”
Not
enough to fool him. Last night, Norah had imitated her drunken mother
to perfection, another skill that came in handy. Believing her
vulnerable, the men made themselves moreso. Not Mac. He’d grown
more careful, as if he guessed at her intent.
“What
are you doing here?” She wondered what sort of a racket he ran.
Everyone had one. Uppity ladies in their lace-edged gowns and
mansions excelled at scamming men into marriage, but only succeeded
in trapping themselves in the bargain. She preferred a prison with
bars.
“Renting
a room,” he said, “the same as you.”
Coincidence?
Or had he followed her? “I’m curious. Do you possess other
skills?”
Smiling,
he tugged at his jacket lapels. “I’m a man of many talents. Why
do you ask?”
Lo,
his ego reared again. “Have you no real trade to ply?”
“Playing
the piano is a ‘real’ trade, Miss Hawkins. However, I can work at
almost anything, from carpenter to barkeep.”
Like
Dan. All her stinging retorts vanished. “Oh.”
He
grimaced. “You disapprove?”
“Not
at all. Those are honorable trades.” Why should she feel relieved?
“As
honorable as your own?”
What
was he hinting at? Did he know about Estelle? Her face flushed hot.
Pointedly, she said, “Yes, as honorable as owning a saloon.”
“Saloon,”
he repeated, as if unsure. “I thought it was a gentleman’s club.”
Did
he mean to imply she’d employ herself in some other occupation,
such as her mother’s? In defiance, she curbed her tongue, unwilling
to satisfy him with an answer.
Available
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About
Cate
Cate
Masters has made beautiful central Pennsylvania her home, but she’ll
always be a Jersey girl at heart. When not spending time with her
dear hubby, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew
of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal
Erin here, I have to add, I read this book and LOVED it!! I'm positive you will love this book as much as I do, so get your comments in!
Hi! I love historical romance! It makes me wish I was in that time period. ♥
ReplyDeleteLynne, my apologies for the late response in letting you know that you won an e-book of Betting It All.
DeletePlease contact the blog to provide us with contact information to forward to Cate.