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Celia’s Picks: Spooky Spots in San
Francisco
My hometown is a beautiful combo of nature and architecture, has some of the
nicest weather year round (including the awesome fog), excellent cuisine,
abundant arts, and... for you lovers of the paranormal, there are a ton of
spooky spots to explore, some of which make an appearance in my Tranquilli
Bloodline vampire series. Here are my top five picks for Halloween chills and
thrills in San Francisco!
1. The Armory
Located in the Mission District, this 200,000 square foot reproduction of a
Moorish Castle was constructed in the early 1900s and used by the San Francisco
National Guard. From 2006 until January 2018, it was owned by an adult entertainment
company, and tours were available for all five floors of the historic building.
My favorite floor by far is the wonderfully creepy basement: a vast,
cavernous space with visible remnants of its days as an armory (indoor rifle
range!). Water runs through wide cracks in the basement floor's exposed
concrete, adding to the spooky vibe.
2. Alcatraz Island
Also known as “The Rock,” Alcatraz sits in the San Francisco Bay, and is home
to a large seabird population, the West Coast’s oldest functional lighthouse,
and, of course, the infamous maximum, high-security prison, Alcatraz Federal
Penitentiary. You can guess the spookiest part, right? They say ghost of
ex-cons haunt the prison. Take a nighttime tour and let them shut you in one of
the 9ft by 5ft cells...if you dare. *shiver*
3. Sutro Baths, Ocean Beach
Once upon a time (1896), this bathhouse was the world’s largest, indoor
swimming facility. Located near Ocean Beach and below Cliff House, Sutro Baths
burned to the ground in 1966 (arson). Today, you can hike around the ruins then
venture into the spookiest spot of all: the cave. For the best spine-tingling
experience, try it at night, when the fog swirls, the wind wails, and waves
crash over the beach. Some say if you light a candle and leave it in the
tunnel, a ghost will pick it up and fling it into the ocean...
4. Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park
Modeled after NYC’s Central Park, Golden Gate Park is a gorgeous expanse of
greenery in San Francisco. Stow Lake (located west of the beautiful Japanese
Tea Garden), is a great spot for picnics and a boat ride. If you venture there
at night, beware of the lake’s resident ghost, the White Lady. They say that in
the early 1900s, barefoot and dressed in a white dress, the White Lady lost her
baby in the lake then drowned herself. There’s also a statue near the lake of a
woman and two small children. Local gossip says it moves when the White Lady is
on the prowl.
5. Mission Dolores Cemetery
What’s spookier than a cemetery? Mission Dolores Cemetery is the oldest burial
ground in San Francisco and the resting place of city founders and thousands of
First Californians (the Ohlone, Miwok, and more). It’s also one of the
locations in Hitchcock’s 1958 classic film, “Vertigo.” You’ll find the cemetery
next to Mission Dolores, the oldest building in San Francisco. Tour both, but
don’t be surprised if the hairs on your nape stand at attention as you wander
among the ancient tombstones and silent sentinel statues in the cemetery
gardens. Spooky energy, even on a sunny day...
The Cupid Dating Agency
Celia Breslin
Genre: Paranormal romance, fantasy romance, angel romance
Publisher: Celia Breslin
Date of Publication: May 2023
ISBN: 9798223559672
ASIN: B0C6V1R1FW
Number of pages: 120
Word Count: 29K
Cover Artist: Brantwijn Serrah
Tagline: An angel on a mission. A Celtic god seeking forgiveness. A passion that can’t be denied…
Book Description:
Warrior-class angel and God’s messenger Gabrielle has spent an eternity in service, protecting the innocent in all dimensions. When the cupids and the Big Guy send her team to Cute Town, California, USA to run love-adjacent businesses like her beloved gym, she has no problem settling into the new assignment. Then a blast from her passion-filled but heartbreaking past literally rips holes in the fabric of reality separating Hell and Earth, and it’s up to Elle to locate the troublemaker and make him pay. All while protecting her heart.
Lugh, Celtic god of sun, light, and storms and all-around fun guy, has been nursing his broken heart for ages, and no amount of partying with pals in Hell or in the Sonoma wine country can ease the loss of the angel he let slip through his lightning-infused fingers. Luke would do anything to win back his fierce yet vulnerable Firecracker, so he’s elated when she crashes back into his life with a well-earned smackdown for his accidental role in the chaos messing up her new hometown.
Elle wants nothing to do with Luke, but when God and the cupids pair them up to investigate and resolve the real source of the problem, she has no choice but to comply. And maybe, just maybe, they can find a second chance at a forever love…
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Luke was
cannon-balled out of slumber by the sudden presence of one hundred-and-fifty
pounds of hound landing on his back.
Facedown atop a
supremely soft mattress with his arms stretched wide and his head hanging off
the foot of the bed, it took him a second to rally his speech center. “What the
actual bloody hell,
Bolt?”
Bolt ignored him,
bouncing around Luke’s body, pitching him side to side, up, down, up, down.
“For feck’s sake.”
What the double bloody hell was Bolt on about with all the yapping and yipping
and bashing of Luke’s kidneys with his big paws?
Luke rolled onto his
back. “Enough, Bolt. Sit.”
Eyes closed, he
batted a hand at his hound, warding off the canine’s attempts to lick his face.
“Go chase a squirrel, will you? Crikey.”
Bolt whined and
smacked one large paw down upon Luke’s bare chest. Ouch. “Duuude,” he drawled.
“Chill.”
Fingers snapped,
silencing his dog lickety-split. Bolt plopped down next to him, tail thwacking
against Luke’s leg right where his board shorts ended above the knee.
He elbowed his dog in
the side. “Cut it out, cur.” Hold on. Snapping fingers… Who possessed the
ability to boss his animal around and convince the stubborn bugger to obey?
Only one person in
any dimension wielded this kind of puppy power. But no, it can’t be her. She’d
made it clear he remained persona non grata in her life with her recent no-show
in the Underworld.
With his heartbeat
jackhammering in his chest, he sucked in a deep breath, soaking in the unique
floral scent of the woman who broke his rarely used heart, hoping this was no
mere post-party hallucination.
“Gabrielle,” he
whispered. God’s messenger and elite warrior, the angel he’d admired and
cherished. “Elle.” The woman he’d let down, and who ultimately walked away.
A grin spread over
his face and happy chills frolicked down his body.
“Angel baby. You’re
here.” He cranked open his eyelids to gaze up at her in wonder.
Lightning crackled in
the depths of her glittering green eyes as she loomed over him, her unhappy
expression promising pain. Yep, his angel was clearly not as thrilled as he was
about this unexpected reunion.
Years of yearning
crashed to the forefront. He ached to caress her smooth, cloud-pale skin, to
bury his fingers in the long fire-red hair she always kept swept up in a high
ponytail. Memories surged, of her curves pressed against him while they kissed
under the stars in Faerie, of her wicked strong legs wrapped around his torso
while they made love against his castle wall, on the spiral staircase, in the
sky—
A snarl escaped his
angel’s throat, and her arm shot downward, her fingers of steel snagging him by
the throat and squeezing his windpipe.
“Luke.” She uttered his name as if it were the
vilest curse word in any dimension, then lifted him with little effort and
slammed him up against the wall…
Celia lives in California with her family. She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and has a particular fondness for werewolves, vampires, angels, and the Fae. When not writing, you’ll find Celia exercising, reading a good book, hanging with her family, or indulging her addiction to fantasy TV shows and movies.
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Who are you most like in your family?
ReplyDeleteHi Tracie, Thanks for visiting the tour! Interesting question, and one that makes me LOL, as I'm not much like anyone in particular.
DeleteHi Momma Says! Thanks for hosting Elle and Luke on your blog. Happy Halloween! :-)
ReplyDelete