Guest post by Darlene Panzera Author of The Cupcake Diaries



Romancing the Readers welcomes Darlene Panzera. We thank her for taking the time to visit with us. I hope you'll take a minute to read her post. Thanks Darlene! Happy reading!


Love and Local Landmarks

Thank you for having me here today! I am very excited to share with you my new series - THE CUPCAKE DIARIES: Sweet on You, Recipe for Love, and Taste of Romance. I write sweet, fun-loving romance and in these 3 short, light-hearted novellas Andi, her sister, Kim, and their friend Rachel follow their dream to open a cupcake shop and find true love!
In all three of these novellas I have included as much local history, events, and local landmarks as I can to draw the reader into the story and make them feel as if they are there with the characters. Astoria is about 4 hours away from where I live in the Northwest, but I have taken several trips down there to talk to people, take photos, and...taste cupcakes! Yum!
Last time I visited, I took my family on the Astoria Riverfront Trolley featured in Book 2 - Recipe for Love. In the story Rachel, Andi, and Kim scramble to find enough change in their purses for the one dollar fare and climb aboard the antique 40 passenger trolley named "Old 300" to search for Rachel's heart-throb, Mike Palmer. They figure spotting him from the trolley is easier than running the 3 mile track along the Columbia River.
When they don't see him they get off and search on foot. When the trolley comes back past they need to step into one of the square wooden railed deck cut-outs so they do not get run over. Built in 1913, the trolley celebrates 100 years in Astoria and remains a key traditional landmark. Does Rachel ever catch up with the one she loves? You'll have to read ' Recipe for Love' to find out!
From the first time I rode the antique trolley with its fine wooden bench seats and volunteer conductors dressed in traditional attire spouting the local history of the area, I knew I had to have Andi, Rachel, and Kim ride the trolley in a key pivotal scene. I thought to myself, "What fun!"

Have you ever been on a trolley? What historical landmarks do find most interesting in your town? I look forward to your comments and hope you enjoy reading the series!


Comments

  1. Thank you so much for hosting today!!

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  2. I took a trolley when we visited New Orleans and a couple of times in Key West. It is certainly a fun way to see everything and get (maybe not so) fresh air at the same time.

    I live in Fort Myers, Florida which is known for the Thomas Edison and Henry Fords homes. They had homes next door to one another that they stayed in during the winter. The homes and accompanying museums are just wonderful. The estate grounds are filled with all kinds of trees, shrubs and flowers from around the world. In the front, there is a HUGE Banyan tree that was planted by them many, many years ago. It is a magnificent sight to behold.

    I’m looking forward to reading “The Cupcake Diaries.” It sounds like a fabulous book and my favorite dessert is a cupcake. That’s a win-win combination for me!

    Congratulations on your successes and all the best! :-)

    Connie Fischer
    conniecape@aol.com

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    1. Connie, thank you for sharing. I enjoyed reading about your local landmarks in Fort Myers, Florida. Especially about the Banyan tree!

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  3. Thank you for having me as a guest here today - I really appreciate it!

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    1. You are so welcome! Thanks for taking the time to write up a post for us. Visit anytime.

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  4. When we were in San Francisco Dec. 2011 we rode the cable car...I love San Francisco and hope to get back there one day! :) Everything about that place calls to me! At home (Vancouver Island) I love have the ocean or lakes only a few minutes drive away!
    I have your Cupcake Diaries book one ready to start after I finish what I'm reading now!

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  5. I don't ever remember being on a trolley. I think they used to have one in Lake George, where we went every year. I am looking forward to reading your stories! It sounds like a cute premise.

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