Florida’s History Detective
These stories will inspire, educate, and provide jaw-dropping amazement at Florida’s incredible history:
- Al Capone’s contentious time in Miami,
- An over 135-year-old state mental institution steeped in dark secrets,
- A WWII top-secret military base tasked with the installation, maintenance, and operation of America’s most important war-worthy device,
- The real story about Florida’s involvement in bringing illegal booze into the country during the Prohibition era, Unsolved murders, Mysterious ancient artifacts, and more.
I love Florida history and am committed to finding buried, forgotten, or unusual stories and bringing them to my readers in a compelling manner. Whether it’s nonfiction or fiction Florida history permeates my writing.
Author
As an author, I have written six historic nonfiction books, each about a fascinating aspect of Florida history. And, my fiction books and current projects each have a Florida history component.
SPEAKER
I have shared my stories with audiences at numerous educational institutions, social and philanthropic organizations, and historical societies throughout Florida. I enjoy speaking about Florida’s rich history, and never miss an opportunity to talk about writing and the excitement of discovering a good story.
I have also been a guest on NPR (National Public Radio and TV) many times, and a guest lecturer with the Life Long Learning Society at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida.
Because of my book Run the Rum In, I had the privilege of participating in two documentaries depicting South Florida during the Prohibition era. I was associate producer and on-camera speaker in WLRN’s documentary “Prohibition and the South Florida Connection” that premiered November 2011 and is still running on PBS channels. In 2012 it was nominated for a Suncoast Emmy Award. I also participated in a series entitled “Gangsters” for the National Geographic Channel.
EMMY AWARD WINING DOCUMENTARY!
JOURNALIST
As a journalist, I’ve covered important people, events, and organizations in South Florida. I’ve interviewed Olympic champions, world-renowned men-of-the-cloth, Carnegie Hall performers, high-powered developers, politicians, and TV personalities. I’ve covered Mickey Mantle memorabilia, World World II exhibits, historic walking tours, restaurateurs, and entrepreneurs. I am even a ghostwriter.
For four years, I was a special correspondent for the Sun Sentinel newspaper in South Florida where hundreds of my articles appeared in the Community News section. As a freelance journalist, dozens of my articles appear in South Florida magazines.
** Contact Me ** Visit my Blog for Announcements!
Now that I know of it I can keep track of you from here as well.
Leno
Ms. Ling, I Grew Up In Miami Beach, and for many many years I’ve been trying to find ‘just one’ person who remembers what the hotels there all called ‘Splash Parties’, which each had almost daily during the week in the late afternoon. Horses jumped off the high-diving board into the pool, along with clowns and other comic entertainers. They served hot dogs and hamburgers. . . Could You Email Me Whether Or Not You Have Heard Of Them? . . . They were most prevalent in the 50’s.
After receiving your e-mail I looked at your web site. There is something that has always bothered me. While in grammer school in Pompano I was a newspaper delivery boy for the Fort lauderdale Times. In fact have a photograph showing all of the carrier boys with our distribution manager. I have tried to research information about that newspaper and the closest I have been was some old microfilm in the public library in Ft. lauderdale. I do not understand why that bit of history has just been elimiated from public records. The Times was a morning delivery distributed as far north as Dearfield and Boca. Do you know anything about that paper?
You might try Denyse at the Historical Commission – 954 357 5513.
I work for a capital mitigation firm who is currently working with a client who was in the South Florida State Hospital in the late 1960’s to early 1970’s. While he was a patient there he described being part of an experiment where he was exposed to radiation as well as other patients. Unfortunately we are unable to locate any records indicating that these events took place. If anyone has any information on this please reply to my post. Thank you!!
In all of my research, I didn’t see any evidence of this, but that’s not to say it didn’t exist.
Sally
Did you have a chance of reading the attached: http://www.sundresspublications.com/bestof/2012/vozenilekg.htm
can you add anything to it?
The article was well written. Obviously, the writer did tons of research to uncover this story. One never knows where their research will take them but she seems to have learned some fascinating information about her family that had been buried for decades. Nothing further to add.
Sally
I would like to invite you to speak about the Boca airfield at Edgewater Pt. Estates in March. I was wondering about your fee> Is Saturdays afternoons better or Wednesday evenings
Karie, Thank you for the inivitation. I have sent you a response to your email address. If you don’t see it, check your spam folder. Sally
sally, please contact me about speaking at The Forum at Deer Creek.
Thanks.
I’ve sent you an email to your personal address. If you don’t see it, please check your spam folder. Sally
Good morning
If you drive over to 1400 N.W. First Court.
You will see a new building called the Commissary Building
Which is the exact address of where the Air Force Building stood
Bob
There are a number of warehouses still standing in that area that were part of the Air field.
Just read your story about Boca Raton WWII army base.
I have a ton of WWII stories and actual original papers etc.
Have original snapshots of USS Missouri peace treaty signing.
Would love to share with you.
Good morning,
I was always curious on the symbolism/meaning of the Boca Raton Resort & Club logo. Do you know the history behind it?
Thanks for contacting me. As I recall, the first hotel didn’t have a logo, so this was probably added later. I’m going to give you the email address of the curator at the Boca Raton Historical Society. She may know: curator@bocahistory.com.
Reader
I’d like to read your new book and comment. Have read Run The Rum In a few years back. Excellent.
Hi John,
I’ve emailed your privately regarding your request. Please watch for it.