Ready for a weekend in a cozy B&B in Savannah? Put some cheese in those grits, if you please. Today we have a guest post about the beautiful city of Savannah, Georgia written by USA Today Best Selling Author Carole Fardiq who is touring her latest mystery Southern Discomfort.
Savannah—The Squares
You can’t visit Savannah, Georgia and not spend time in one of its many squares. Savannah’s squares are beautiful small parks dotted throughout town, all of them shaded by tall trees, many of them majestic live oaks hanging full of Spanish moss. Not that Savannah is a particularly bustling city, but it’s nice to be able to sit and relax in a calm outdoor setting as you’re sightseeing, shopping, or working there. The squares are an especially lovely place to cool off during Savannah’s sweltering summers. In fact, the fountain area in Ellis Square is often packed with kids in bathing suits, squealing in delight as the dancing jets of water douse them.
Originally, the squares served more of a practical purpose. James Oglethorpe founded Savannah in 1733 and laid out the town in the shape of a grid containing a series of wards. Each ward would have a square at its center, and the surrounding ground would be divided into either commercial or residential lots. The squares were intended for use as militia training grounds.
Today, the city has of course expanded beyond Oglethorpe’s original plan, but most of the squares have been kept intact and all are kept up beautifully. As originally intended, the lots surrounding the squares are a nice eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, businesses, and residential buildings. If you’re looking to visit, the best way by far to see most of them is by horse-drawn carriage tour. I’ve been on several of those tours!
The last time my family visited Savannah, we skipped the carriage ride so I could do some hands-on research of the parks for SOUTHERN DISCOMFORT. I needed the exact right park as a backdrop to be able to “see” my story in my head. My poor husband and kids suffered through stopping at square after square for me to get out of the family minivan and spend time at each square, walking the surrounding streets and getting a feel for the area. Needless to say, after hours of that, I owed them dinner at their favorite Savannah restaurant, The Pirates’ House.
Ultimately, I chose Pulaski Square for the setting of SOUTHERN DISCOMFORT. It’s on the southwest side of the historic district, far enough away from the more touristy areas near the river that I could imagine Quinn, Delilah, and Papa Sal running their B&B in a peaceful setting. (Other than finding a murder victim a couple of blocks away, of course.) Pulaski Square was built in 1837 and named after General Casimir Pulaski. Originally born in Poland, General Pulaski fought with the colonists in the Revolutionary War and died in the Siege of Savannah in 1779. Although most squares boast monuments to the person the square is named after, Pulaski’s monument is located in Monterey Square instead.
Bottom line, if you visit Savannah, make it a point to spend time in the parks. Sure, Broughton and River Streets are packed with some of the most interesting and unusual shopping and dining you can find, but it would be an oversight to miss the real beauty and history of this wonderful city.
About the Book
Southern Discomfort: A Southern B&B Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1s in Series
Alibi (March 6, 2018)
ASIN: B071K4DV7W
Will be up on GoodReads soon.
Southern hospitality meets deadly deception in the start of a charming new mystery series from the USA Today bestselling author of the Java Jive novels.
Quinn Bellandini loves her life in Savannah, Georgia, where she runs her grandfather’s B&B with her sister, Delilah. From baking fresh scones and serving up grits every morning to ensuring the guests see the best of their historic city, Quinn can’t imagine doing anything else—even if it means dealing with nuisances like the occasional malfunctioning commode. But when Quinn drops by the local restaurant owned by her friend Drew Green, and stumbles upon a murder, her whole world comes crashing down.
Drew’s brother was always a little surly, but Quinn can’t imagine that someone disliked the prickly chef enough to kill him. The police, on the other hand, don’t believe that Quinn was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Before her guests can even digest the next morning’s gourmet breakfast, Quinn learns that she and Drew are suspects.
Drew thinks they should do some investigating of their own. Quinn is pretty sure she’s better suited to playing hostess than amateur sleuth. But with Delilah as her cynical sidekick, Quinn starts looking for the real killer—before she gets put away faster than you can say “sugar.”
About the Author
CAROLINE FARDIG is the USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR of the Java Jive Mysteries series and the Lizzie Hart Mysteries series. Fardig’s BAD MEDICINE was named one of the “Best Books of 2015” by Suspense Magazine. She worked as a schoolteacher, church organist, insurance agent, funeral parlor associate, and stay-at-home mom before she realized that she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Born and raised in a small town in Indiana, Fardig still lives in that same town with an understanding husband, two sweet kids, two energetic dogs, and one malevolent cat.
Social Media
Website: www.carolinefardig.com
Blog: http://www.carolinefardig.com/blog/
Twitter: @carolinefardig
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carolinefardigbooks
Purchase Links
Don’t miss Caroline Fardig’s thrilling Java Jive mysteries, which can be read together or separately:
DEATH BEFORE DECAF| MUG SHOT
| A WHOLE LATTE MURDER
| BREW OR DIE
| MURDER OVER MOCHAS
