Realms of the Raven

I’m a reader who likes to know about the setting of the stories I read and who tends to be disappointed if the stated setting doesn’t match the reality. Especially if the setting is a historical or otherwise meaningful setting.

The Del Fantasma bar, the center of the Del Fantasma series of stories from Aspen Mountain Press, is set in Point Loma, California. This is near San Diego, in the southern part of the state and I have a considerable advantage because I used to live in Southern California. The minute I read the setting, I knew I had to write a story that used my childhood fascination, the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, as a part of the story. The many times I visited there, even before the restoration and visitor center was erected, I could almost hear the voices of the keepers talk to me.

Is it any wonder that Lara can see and hear the last keeper of this lovely old lighthouse speak to her in Texas Tea?

Just to tease you a little, here are some facts you may not know about the lighthouse.

• The light was first lit November 15, 1855.
• The light was extinguished March 23, 1891.
• The lighthouse was only in service for a little over 35 years because the fog was so dense and the lighthouse so high, the light could not be seen well. A new lighthouse had to be built at a lower elevation (the New Point Loma Lighthouse - still in service).
• The base of the lighthouse is 422 feet above sea level and the lantern is 462 feet above sea level - this made it the highest lighthouse in the United States.
• The lantern was fueled by oil and used a five foot tall 3rd order French Fresnel lens.
• The lighthouse building is made of local sandstone and was not painted white until 1887.
• The cost to build the lighthouse originally was approximately $30,000.
• Captain Robert Decatur Israel, the last keeper of the lighthouse, really did fire his shotgun to warn ships away during fog when the light could not be seen.
• During WWII, the lighthouse was painted camoflage green and was used as a signal tower for ships seeking to enter San Diego harbor.
• In 1933, the site was turned over to the National Park Service.
• In the 1980s the lighthouse was restored to its current historically accurate condition.
• The light was lit again in 1984, the light house’s 130th anniversary, and was then lit nightly again.

Stay tuned for a release date and an excerpt as Del Fantasma: Texas Tea gets closer to release! You can read the blurb in this post.

What places are special to you? Why?

Today I blogged about the setting for Del Fantasma: Texas Tea, my upcoming release from Aspen Mountain Press. I’m a great lover of history and maritime history so the Old Point Loma Lighthouse was a special place for me growing up. The ability to use it and its history in a story was really fun and I think added an additional dimension to the story.

You can read the blog post here

Don’t forget to let me know what you think of the site and what places are special to you….