"Finding the Fountain of Youth" earns Florida Book Award

I am honored to announce that "Finding the Fountain of Youth" has been awarded the bronze medal at the Florida Book Awards in the category of Visual Arts.  The Florida Book Awards are coordinated by the Florida State University Libraries and co-sponsored by the Florida Center for the Book, the State Library and Archives of Florida, the Florida Historical Society, the Florida Humanities Council, the Florida Literary Arts Coalition, the Florida Library Association, "Just Read, Florida!," the Governor's Family Literacy Initiative, the Florida Association for Media in Education, the Florida Center for the Literary Arts, Friends of the Florida State University Libraries, the Florida Writers Association, and the Florida Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America. An annual awards program that recognizes, honors, and celebrates the best Florida literature and books about Florida published in the previous year, the Florida Book Awards recognize winners at a luncheon hosted that day at the Florida Governor's Mansion by the First Lady.

I am proud to have my book recognized for such a prestigious award and humbled to be included in the company of some Florida's most significant authors.

Launch Week

In some ways it seemed like this week would never arrive; in other ways it seems like I was just meeting with my publisher to start my book. One dream came true this week, when I saw my book featured at the Barnes and Noble near my house. Another will come true next Saturday at the official launch of "Finding the Fountain of Youth" at Urban ReThink near downtown Orlando.

Seeing my book displayed in the History section at Barnes and Nobles felt hugely rewarding...

I asked the clerk to take a picture of me with the book and she asked me to sign them all!

Urban ReThink used to be the Urban Think bookstore, one of the last independent bookstores in Orlando. During the bookstore's brief existence they sold my Florida Roadside Retro calendars, and for that I will always be grateful. Located in the hip Thornton Park District east of Lake Eola, the space at Urban ReThink seems like the perfect venue for the launch.

The informal atmosphere of Urban ReThink

If you are in the Orlando, area next Saturday, May 18th please join me for the celebration of my book. I plan to do a slideshow with fun images and describe how this book came into being. This will be my first opportunity to speak about the content of the book, (outside of Toastmasters at least), and I look forward to testing out the material. The event goes from 3-5 pm. and parking is available here.

Also next week, my publisher will be giving away five free books in celebration of the launch on their Facebook page. And on Thursday at 9 am I will be on Patrick Greene's ReThinking the City radio show on Rollins College's WPRK.

I hope you are able to join me in marking the beginning of the life of this book and a milestone in my own journey.