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Fire is the Test of Gold - New Release
Two men in a flimsy boat disappear at sea and a saga rich in humor and pathos is born. Meet Truly, Sara, Jay, and Link. They’re just a few of the residents of Lake Anne, Florida, where sex, drugs, and murder set the stage. It’s anything but your typical suburban neighborhood.
Fire is the Test of Gold is a sexy and suspenseful novel luring the reader into the mysteries of New Orleans’ voodoo to Florida’s New South, where the characters, scarred from the past, are willing to do anything for a better future. Through a bizarre twist of fate, the unexpected truth is delivered.
Historic Orlando
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Orlando’s historic districts are separate throughout the city, yet its landmarks and its memories unite them. Images of Orlando from 1875 to 2022 paint a picture of its landscape dotted with cattle and orange trees exploding into a bustling city. While some authors claim that Orlando’s history is lost, these images show how the city’s Historic Preservation Board has safeguarded many cultural and architectural treasures. Elizabeth and Bob Randall work together as a photojournalist team and have won awards for their writing and photography. This is their sixth book about Florida.
Comparing our present to our past is how we understand our history. Arcadia’s Past & Present series makes such local comparisons available. Books in this series offer a special view of American life by placing historical images side by side with contemporary photographs.
An Ocklawaha River Odyssey
Photojournalists Bob and Liz Randall spent two years exploring Florida’s ancient and enchanting Ocklawaha River. Their journey provides an inside look at the rich recreational resources of the river, its wildlife and the people, past and present, who contributed to its history and welfare. Along the way, they met artists, environmentalists, captains, law enforcement officials, conservationists, filmmakers, historians and local descendants whose lives are inextricably intertwined with the prehistoric river. From its subterranean and aquatic past to the Seminole Indian Wars, the steamboat era and political struggles, many voices are integral to the river’s survival and to one of the longest environmental conflicts in Florida history.
“Part journal, part historical, this fine book provides an experience of a vital and wonderful part of Florida.”
“This is no ‘stream’ of consciousness, but a witty, descriptive and detailed river adventure with twists and turns through historic, geographic, economic and environmental tributaries.”
A portion of all book royalties go to Florida Defenders of the Environment.
Murder in St. Augustine:
The Mysterious Death of Athalia Ponsell Lindsley
“A riveting read. You won’t want to put this book down once you have started reading it!”
“This book is excellent and portrays in such realistic terms (writing was superb) the complexity of the case and how “results” are not always as they seem.”
The murder of Athalia Ponsell Lindsley is notorious more than four decades after it occurred. The only eyewitness said a man attacked Lindsley with a machete in broad daylight on the front steps of her white mansion. Gossip swirled that neighbor Frances Bemis knew who killed Lindsley and would notify authorities. Bemis was later murdered on her nightly walk. Police arrested only one suspect for Lindsley’s murder, which remains unsolved to this day.
Murder in St. Augustine:
The Mysterious Death of Athalia Ponsell Lindsley
The murder of Athalia Ponsell Lindsley is notorious more than four decades after it occurred. The only eyewitness said a man attacked Lindsley with a machete in broad daylight on the front steps of her white mansion. Gossip swirled that neighbor Frances Bemis knew who killed Lindsley and would notify authorities. Bemis was later murdered on her nightly walk. Police arrested only one suspect for Lindsley’s murder, which remains unsolved to this day.
“A riveting read. You won’t want to put this book down once you have started reading it!”
“This book is excellent and portrays in such realistic terms (writing was superb) the complexity of the case and how “results” are not always as they seem.”
Haunted St. Augustine and St. Johns County
St. Johns County and St. Augustine are some of the earliest settled areas in the United States, and both are home to fascinating history. The area’s story is filled with tales from Native Americans, early European settlers and modern-day Floridians. In some places, the habitants of those historical moments have remained. From the Castillo de San Marcos to the Huguenot Cemetery and the authentic old drugstore, the city and the county are filled with fascinating and terrifying stories of lingering spirits.
“Awesome history, I got this book expecting to read only a ghost story book, but was pleasantly pleased to find it also a history of St Augustine and the surrounding area.”
“Must read! Well researched with little known facts about America’s oldest continuously settled community. It’s written to convey facts not feelings and sensationalism.”
Women In White: The Haunting of Northeast Florida
Read 29 tales from 4 northeastern Florida counties that are dominated by the wispy trails of strange female spirits known as ghostly “Women in White.” They stand and stare, float, appear in mirrors, and can be seen in many varied locations. These apparitions guard the many secrets in northeast Florida…secrets told in the coded language of ghost lore. Who is the wet spirit woman at Princess Place Preserve? Is a Woman in White still looking for someone to haunt at the Old Clay County jail? Who is the woman wringing her hands at Old St. Luke’s Hospital? What apparition haunts the Casa Marina Hotel by running the halls at night? Who is the ghostly woman walking back and forth on the second floor of the Homestead Restaurant? To see such a spirit, one only need look beneath the surface of northeast Florida’s beauty…or turn the pages of this tome.
Women In White: The Haunting of Northeast Florida
Read 29 tales from 4 northeastern Florida counties that are dominated by the wispy trails of strange female spirits known as ghostly “Women in White.” They stand and stare, float, appear in mirrors, and can be seen in many varied locations. These apparitions guard the many secrets in northeast Florida…secrets told in the coded language of ghost lore. Who is the wet spirit woman at Princess Place Preserve? Is a Woman in White still looking for someone to haunt at the Old Clay County jail? Who is the woman wringing her hands at Old St. Luke’s Hospital? What apparition haunts the Casa Marina Hotel by running the halls at night? Who is the ghostly woman walking back and forth on the second floor of the Homestead Restaurant? To see such a spirit, one only need look beneath the surface of northeast Florida’s beauty…or turn the pages of this tome.
“The writer has done all the footwork for you. Read and enjoy.”
The Ghostly Tales of St. Augustine and St. Johns County
The haunted history of St. Augustine comes to life–even when the main players are dead. Visit the Castillo de San Marcos to help a headless soldier look for a lost wedding ring. Or spot the ghostly boy dashing among the headstones at Tolomato Cemetery. And if you visit the St. Augustine Lighthouse, beware of the mischievous spirits who have been known to tie visitors’ shoelaces together! Dive into this spooky chapter book for suspenseful tales of bumps in the night, paranormal investigations, and the unexplained; just be sure to keep the light on.