Wilfair: Wilfair Hotel

Showing posts with label Wilfair Hotel. Show all posts

Fireworks

Los Angeles is home to at least a dozen big fireworks shows come the Fourth of July.

But in The Wilfair Hotel's city neighborhood? No fireworks. Meaning that Fair and Sutton would need to go to the roof of the hotel to watch pyrotechnics (they could probably see the Hollywood Bowl's show and Exposition Park at USC). Of course, The Wilfair has that slight tilt, so the ladies would have to sit with their chairs against the stairwell door, in order not to slowly slide.

The Motel Fairwil has a pool and all of that lovely outdoor space, so I imagine the Overbove cousins would roll out the barbecue for the guests. Would they hand out sparklers? You bet. Monty seems like a guy who might always have a batch of sparklers on hand.

Now I want Monty and Gomery to go up on The Wilfair's roof, too, for fireworks. Note to self.

Happy fireworks, happy hot dogs, and happy Fourth! (And if you're visiting the blog from abroad, welcome, and thanks for saying hello!)

Fruit Basket

Stealing a Swimming Pool Is Hard

It's easy to pocket a lot of stuff in this world. Jewelry? Paintings? Cars, even? Traditional thievery has been covered in many a great movie and book.

But an entire swimming pool? Harder to take in the dead of night. Even harder when the people you're taking it from know your plan.

I wanted The Wilfair Hotel to pinch something important from its smaller neighbor the Motel Fairwil. And I wanted the article in question to be something that isn't traditionally stolen.

The thing with a pool is, even if it is stolen, it has to remain exactly where it has always been.

That intrigued me, a stolen thing that can't be moved. Things that are taken but stay in place is one Wilfair theme.

And whether the pool is being taken, given, stolen, or borrowed may be open to interpretation. Fair Finley, the series lead, calls it stealing. And she's the thief.

What's in a Name: Wilfair

Does your city do this?

Many Los Angeles businesses are "combo named" after their nearest intersection. Probably the most famous is the Wiltern Theater, which is located at Wilshire and Western (hence the "Wil" and "tern").

The intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, however, doesn't have any such businesses. It's long been a mystery to me.

I knew I wanted to write a story set in this intersection's neighborhood, which I happen to think is one of the most magical places on the planet. (Here's why I think that.)

Then I knew I'd name the main business The Wilfair.

Then I knew The Wilfair would be a hotel. I love hotel stories and I grew up in hotels.

Then I knew it needed an antagonist. So I created Motel Fairwil, also a combo-named business.

Then I needed some people living and working in each building who liked each other but didn't feel entirely comfortable with liking each other, due to their businesses being in competition.

Then I needed something for them to fight over. Enter the motel's swimming pool.

Lastly? The series lead is named Fair Finley. (Fair's name comes from Fairfax Avenue.) So, is the title "Wilfair" also a question?

And does that make the motel's name -- Fairwil -- something of an answer?

Questions.

The Stuff of Wilfair

I'm not a stuff person, generally, but I like stories that include particular items and revisit those items for different reasons. Call them a tale's physical hallmarks.

So when I wrote Wilfair and Redwoodian I included a few things I could revisit. Like a snood. A four-color pen. Tar. Dips.

I've compiled those items for both books but the lists will definitely contain spoilers if you haven't read one or both. If you don't intend to read the books, click away. If you have read the books, click away.

The Stuff of Wilfair

The Stuff of Redwoodian

About the Wilfair Series

A (possibly) magical motel, a (potentially) haunted hotel, and the young (and infatuated) competitors running each are at the heart of Wilfair.

Hotel heiress Fair Finley is a week shy of her twentieth birthday, eats frosting for breakfast, and dresses like long-gone film goddesses. She isn't yet the seasoned leader her hotel magnate parents want her to be, due to the fact she's prone to pleasing people who often don't deserve to be pleased.

Fair's first problem? She inherited The Wilfair Hotel long before she was ready to oversee it. But her major headache? The famous Los Angeles landmark she owns famously lacks a swimming pool. The motel next door has one, but the handsome cousins who own the property won't let the young executive steal it; they're rather fond of Fair, she thinks, maybe, possibly, sort of, and she's a little mad at, and mad about, them. And stealing 24,500 gallons of water from someone you like is complicated, messy, and nearly impossible.

Further flying up Fair’s ointment? A hotel ghost that suddenly isn’t acting like itself, friendly movie stars with memorable forearms, and physical places showing up where they shouldn’t be.

The title is inspired by a real Los Angeles intersection. Here's a map.

Wilfair in Images

Wilfair by agraypainter featuring ball gowns evening dresses

Question

What if you wanted to date someone who essentially lived with you, but all the employees who worked for your family business pretty much lived with you, too? And there were dozens of strangers who never left your house? Meaning there would always be a rapt audience to your love life, watching your every wobbly decision and potentially bad choice?

It's in Wilfair.