State of Romance: Cali-FORN-ya! (in William Shatner voice)
On this day in 1776, the Presidio opened as a Spanish garrison to defend Spain's claim along the California coast. Nearly 200 years later, on Sept. 17, 1859, failed entrepreneur Joshua Norton proclaimed himself emperor of the United States while living in San Francisco. He strolled around the city in a blue uniform from the Presidio. Locals humored him and even accepted printed money with his portrait. California is steeped in romantic adventure from San Francisco to Hollywood.
California's turbulent history is captured by Elizabeth Fritch in her California series with Passion's Trail, Golden Fires and A Heart Divided. Published in 1983 by Kensington, the California series delivers old-school romance.
Kat Colorado serves Sacramento with her PI skills in Karen Kijewski's mystery series, spanning nine lives, er, books, including Katwalk, Wild Kat and Stray Kat Waltz.
Fashion designer Maddie Springer struts in Gemma Halliday's High Heels mystery series with sexy LAPD Detective Jack Ramirez following her footsteps. Deadly in High Heels (book nine) is coming in February 2015, taking Maddie and Jack to the Hawaiian Paradise Beauty Pageant. Guess who's preordered this book?
Linda O. Johnson's Pet Rescue Mysteries spotlights LA's Lauren Vancouver as she cares for animals by day and solves murders by night. I am currently reading Teacup Turbulence (book five) and loving this canine adventure.
Sandra Hill delivers laughs a minute with her Vikings II series — a Norse family travels through time in their karr (ship), coming ashore in modern-day Los Angeles in The Very Virile Viking (book three). The sons are natural candidates for Navy SEAL training in Wet and Wild (book four) and Rough and Ready (book six).
Speaking of SEALs, Anne Elizabeth's West Coast Navy SEALs series focuses on the emotional commitments of military lives in A SEAL at Heart, Once a SEAL and A SEAL Forever.
Can you add to the list of romances set in California? Use #stateofromance on Twitter to share your favorite novel from The Golden State.
Next week we visit Mississippi, the Magnolia State.
Kim Lowe is an Air Force veteran, Air Force spouse and romance book blogger at SOS Aloha. You can reach her at sos.aloha@yahoo.com.