It’s…a book!

I returned home after the FOWA Conference to discover my newest publication in a FedEx box on the kitchen counter: South Florida: An Explorer’s Guide. Kathy and I had a devil of a time with this one, as we’d gotten about half our research done in 2004 when hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne wrecked places we knew and loved. I was in tears about Punta Gorda because I’d just fallen in love with it a week before Charley hit. We started anew in 2005 only to have Dennis, Katrina, and Wilma wreak havoc with our “finalized” research.

It took persistence and tenacity to finish the book (not to mention hundreds of phone calls), and still I discovered on this Keys trip that some of the shopping & eateries are no more because of the storm surges that hit last fall. Alas. But here it is, and it’s probably the most comprehensive coverage that South Florida has ever seen … heck, we even covered Wauchula and North Port and Goodland and Fort Drum with this one. You’ll be impressed! It should be in stores by the end of this month, but you can place an order now online.