In towns and cities across the nation, people rush by rich history overlaid by the present, seldom pausing to wonder about those who had once passed the same way. Such is true of Florida’s capital city, Tallahassee. If not for dedicated museum curators, archival librarians, and those curious enough to question, all would dissipate beneath ..read more

Cristen E. Rose’s debut novel, Apothecary 709, weaves together an enchanting story of magic, curses, and unwavering love. Even readers unfamiliar with gaslamp fantasy will find themselves immediately drawn into its labyrinth. For her entire young life, everyone has told Violet Morgen she’s ill, but she fears it’s something more ominous. Shadow entities taunt her ..read more

The following is an excerpt from my new book Lincoln’s Ghost: Our Haunted Presidency Harry Truman wrote from the White House, “I sit here in this old house and work on foreign affairs, read reports, and work on speeches — all the while listening to the ghosts walk up and down the hallway… The floors ..read more

Local authors M.R. Street of Tallahassee and Ochlockonee Bay and Taylor C. Phillips of Tallahassee will be featured at Books By the Bay, a free, day-long outdoor book festival in Pensacola. Phillips has been invited to discuss “A Woman’s Place in the Clouds: Women in Aviation,” including his research on women aviation pioneers Jackie Cochran ..read more

Enchanting and riveting are the two words that come to mind when describing author M.R. Street’s middle grade novel, The Claddagh, Book 1: The Loyalty of the Leprechauns. From the first page, readers lucky enough to pick up this book will be drawn into the world of the main character Dune, his family, and friends. M.R ..read more

Tallahassee, October 24, 2023 – The Florida literary world is abuzz with excitement as three talented and accomplished local writers were announced as winners in the esteemed Royal Palm Literary Awards (RPLA). Doug Alderson’s work, Discovering Florida’s Coast: From the Emerald Northwest to Miami’s Biscayne Jewel and Beyond (Pineapple Press, 2023), won the Gold Medal ..read more

Like the title character in Anna Sewell’s 1870s classic Black Beauty, Jett, a black bulldog mix, is an overlooked sweetheart who reveals empathic skills, perhaps because he’s a three-times rejected rescue pup. The comparisons of Black Beauty to Babette De Jongh’s Coming Home to Magnolia Bay (Tranquil Dragonfly Press, 2023) are multiple. And though De Jongh’s ..read more

What: Launch of Heart’s Core by Joann Gardner Where: Midtown Reader, 1123 Thomasville Road, Tallahassee When: Thursday, October 26, 6:30 p.m. Journey deep into the South, gather gems from Florida’s underground rivers, explore experiences too complex for simple surface tellings in Heart’s Core (Finishing Line Press, 2023). The new poetry book by prize-winning Joann Gardner ..read more

Many Tallahassee-based authors were recognized as medal winners recently at the 2023 Annual Florida Authors and Publishers Association (FAPA) President’s Book Awards. Hosted by FAPA, this prestigious national award was open to books published between 2021 and 2023. The judges for this national competition are librarians, educators, and publishing professionals. Tallahassee Writers Association members winning awards ..read more

Special to the Democrat Songwriting is a marriage of words and music. Tallahassee Writers Association asked Adrian Fogelin and Craig Reeder, AKA Hot Tamale, to lead a workshop dealing with how those elements fit together, placing an emphasis on creating lyrics. The workshop will be held at Goodwood Museum’s Jubilee Cottage on August 19 from ..read more