I finished a book this weekend. It’s a book I’ve been working on intermittently for over 5 years. Considering I used to write up to four books a year, it’s hard to get too excited about finishing one book, but I’m ecstatic!

This book is the first in a series set in my beloved San Francisco. Granted, it’s a whimsical, historical view of San Francisco. The one I grew up knowing. The series is set in modern times, but I wanted to bring in some of the fantasy life I lived back then. My cousin’s grandparents owned the Fairmont Hotels when I was growing up and as a child seeing that kind of wealth fascinated me. I didn’t want it for myself. It looked like way too much work to be responsible for that kind of wealth and the decorum that goes with it.

However, as a keen observer of people (even as a child) I did love analyzing the personalities and the adults in that opulent world. This series is called the “Pacific Avenue” series and it’s set in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. There is no Pacific Avenue — it’s Pacific Street that runs through this neighborhood. But this is my view of San Francisco and I took a few creative liberties.

I’ve plucked characters from the past and my memories of what “old money” means in the modern world. I wanted to dissect the theme of how one person can be a hero to some and a villain to others — so I started with a father. Five girls. Three mothers. One marriage. And I built the world around that.

I’m self-publishing this book and I can’t tell you how lovely it was to have the freedom to create the world I wanted to create — not the one that is approved. It took me long enough, but I hope that my book will encourage others to create the world they want to read and dream about!