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My wife Kay and I got turned on to Florida mysteries reading the Travis McGee series by the godfather of the genre, John D.MacDonald. We even owned a big red Doberman we named Travis McGee. A few years ago, Kay started to collect first editions and now the house is full of them. These are books Kay and I have read and enjoyed and we hope you will too. Here is my latest book review from Go Riverwalk Magazine.

Bitter End by Christine Kling
A Seychelle Sullivan Mystery Ballantine Books, 2005

It was a cold morning on the New River when Seychelle Sullivan piloted her salvage tug Gorda toward the Andrews Avenue Bridge. Ahead of her she could see the Mykonos, a 50-foot Hatteras owned by sandwich shop and gambling cruise ship owner, Nick Pontus.

Suddenly, a shot rings out... So begins Christine Kling's latest Fort Lauderdale-set mystery, the third in her hard-cover Seychelle Sullivan series. Kling is a Fort Lauderdale resident and graduate of Florida International University's highly regarded Creative Writing Program.

If you love a mystery and love Fort Lauderdale, (or just live here) you will thoroughly enjoy following the adventures of Seychelle Sullivan, owner of a maritime salvage business inherited from her father who chose to name his children after islands. Seychelle has a brother named Mad(agascar.) She also has all the characteristics of a good mystery heroine: a business that exposes her to crime and violence, a mixed-up love life, a knack for sticking her nose into matters most of us conventional folk would leave to the police, and an exciting setting, our Fort Lauderdale. You don't need to read the previous books in the series, Cross Current and Surface Tension, first, but if you are into mysteries, especially Florida mysteries, as Kay and I are, you will want to go back and read them after you have finished Bitter End.

Kling's books are straight-forward, no wacky-drooling villains, a la our most famous native son author, Carl Hiaasen, who plays for black humor. She sticks to violent crime, plunging her heroine into a complex puzzle, conflict with the local cops, and dange. Throw in some personal conflicts, a little sex, and, most important, a great setting, and you have a terrific read.

Kling handles all elements of a story well: plot, character and setting, but what turns me on most is how she describes Fort Lauderdale, particularly its water elements: the New River, the Intracoastal and the open ocean. When Seychelle is on the New River early on a cold morning, you feel a chill. A reader can't ask for more.

Bitter End, of course, throws in a bit of roman a clef, Nick Pontus being a thinly fictionalized version of the recently terminally departed Gus Boulis, down to the black Mustang escape car. (Thank goodness it wasn't a red one.) But she doesn't follow that line for too long, bringing in her own characters and a totally different plot. Kling has both talent and skill, which explains why she has had three hard-covers published, a major accomplishment in a genre where most work comes out only in paperback. A ride on the Gorda with Seychelle Sullivan is a vicarious thrill and a wonderful tour of waterside Fort Lauderdale.

So my date and I, we're meeting a group of friends last night at the Hard Rock complex in Hollywood.

(Ok, it's really called Seminole Paradise but everyone just says Hard Rock to mean the whole place. Whatever.)

And we're all laughing among ourselves but not expecting too much from the night's entertainment. We're at the Improv Comedy Club supporting our friend, one of several "graduates" from a local comedy college. This is their public debut.

We're all waiting and some of my friends who hadn't been out to Hard Rock yet were amazed. Just the size of the casino and the huge complex itself and the diversity of restaurants and clubs.

Then the show starts...and who'd have believed it? They were funny! Our friend earned her share of laughs too and now we're all getting into this deal. (Great club, by the way -- comfortable, upscale, roomy. This is mostly an "amateur" night but some pro acts are mixed in and usually the Improv hosts national comics anyway, guys who play Letterman and Leno.)

The show ends and we're patting our friend and her comic buds on their backs -- a job well done for sure! How do they find the guts to get up and do that anyway? I mean, stand-up comedy is brutal! Wow!

But now my date and I meander off on our own, looking for food. And we end up at this great place, Tatu -- first time there for us both. It's an Asian bar and grill with stainless steel curtains separating individual dining areas and green cotton candy for dessert. Cool bar too, long and bathed in dim red light.

A tip: Fabulous sushi at Tatu. Our rainbow roll was excellent! My date is Asian and a real foodie -- she totally approved of the meal.

Then we're off finally, heading home and still laughing about the comedy and savoring the dinner. A good night at the Hard Rock...and we'll be back there soon!

One valuable trait I picked up quickly after relocating to Fort Lauderdale was how to balance work and play. Imagine working where people come to play! Whew. The advantage is when work is said and done, that vacation is only five minutes from your front door!

I spent last week vigorously patching up my resume and editing cover letters to send out to prospective employers. I had a lunch date with my internship supervisor at the popular downtown Las Olas restaurant Johnny V. By the end of my glazed salmon salad, we had discussed positions and locations for me to apply. I returned back to the office completely full and completely encouraged in my job endeavors.

By the end of the week I was over the "work" and ready for the "play." The weather called for a bright, sunny day (of course) and I knew exactly where to go. I grabbed my new beau and headed down Commercial Boulevard until we reached the ocean and one of my fav's, Aruba Beach Cafe. Ocean view and beach access? Check. Great food and drinks? Check. Great live music? Check. We ran into friends and co-workers and made sure to make friends with the bartender. We even talked her into changing the TV channels so I could watch the Gator game! Now that's service!
It was all just another weekend in paradise. Did I mention that I love this place?

I never feel quite awake until about noon. So I'm always looking for some way to ease into my day...slowly.

Gimme that first morning coffee, baby. Strong and black. And please don't talk a lot for a while.

Just the other day, I was back at my fave wake-me-up spot. Las Olas Boulevard. It was a Sunday morning and people were already ambling around, looking for some place to eat or shop or something. Waking up, like me, after their Saturday late-partying.

Sunday mornings can be a little painful. That's how you know you had fun the night before, I guess.

For me, one of the best spots for this kind of relaxed morning thing is Cafe Europa, which sits on a downtown corner. I've spent a lot of time in Europe and Cafe Europa always reminds me of those amazing mornings in Rome or Amsterdam or Paris.

Cafe Europa is verrrry Italian. Great espresso, great sweet stuff, great pasta and soups. The owner really is Italian and so is his food.

So I ordered my usual double macchiato (ok, not totally black -- but the coffee is bigtime strong!) and a nice Italian pastry. And I just sat. Still a little bleary-eyed, but damn happy.

The corner always seems to catch a coolish breeze, even on the sweatiest summer days, and all the waitresses and shopkeepers and tourists slipped past me, going wherever. And the reliable stream of downtown babes, to be totally honest with you -- they were around too and a major attraction, for me at least.

Las Olas was coming alive around me. And I was coming alive with it. Slowly. And that's when I caught myself smiling.

And thinking, "This is not a bad way to wake up!"

It was the beginning of August, and I traded in my jeans and t-shirts for dress suits and heels. Yes, I had finally finished four crazy (but studious) years of college. I was ready for change; new people, new places, new beginnings. I had no idea what was in store. I only knew that I was driving South on I-75 with a shiny new key for apartment # 3 and a trunk full of college memories. Destination: Fort Lauderdale.

Fast forward four months and here I am with a diploma-earning internship under my belt. Any previous notions of me returning home after this adventure have fizzled away as if they never existed. I have stars in my eyes. I love this place.

I was nervous at first about moving to a new town completely alone. However, after only two weekends of cruising down Las Olas Boulevard to the beach, I could recognize the regulars at the Elbo Room and Blondies as well as the determined sun-worshipers and skim boarders catching rays and waves. Those nerves calmed right down! I definitely was not alone. The weekend isn't the weekend until you get in some quality beach time! Everyone's warm, inviting disposition made me feel at home. Then there was concern # 2. I was worried about meeting people my own age, but have met some of my new, closest friends downtown at hot spots along Himmarshee Street and Las Olas Riverfront. There are plenty of young professionals starting their lives. It's hard to beat sipping a cocktail on Friday evening downtown at Dicey Riley's after a long week! The reservations I had about moving to this place (aka- my new home) have disappeared. All I can think about is what's next. I love this place.

My life has changed these last few months, mostly due to my big move. Living in the "Venice of America," amid a cruise port, luxury hotels, and great dining provides the ultimate location to begin my career in hospitality. Degree in hand, I am ready to conquer the world (well, I'll have to conquer landing a job first!). I believe many doors will open for me here. I am grateful beyond words to start a new chapter of my life. I love this place.

I have nothing against South Beach, really. Sorta.

It's good having SoBe around. Well, ok, it's good having it half an hour away from my house. Nice place to visit sometimes.

But I have to admit, most of the time I'm happier here in greater Fort Lauderdale. So, for today's blog, let me count a few of the ways that I, and some others, feel Broward is better. Sorry, SoBe!

** The big Shaqster, the Miami Heat's own Shaquille O'Neal, thinks it's better! When he moved from his Miami mansion, where did he go? FORT LAUDERDALE!

** I can actually park my car and have fun rather than drive around for two hours looking for a vacant spot somewhere, only to pay $27 an hour. Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Weston, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach -- you name it, there's easy parking. Call me crazy, but I think that's better.

** BankAtlantic Center versus American Airlines Arena. Need I say more?

** Two words: King Tut. All right, a few more words: Maybe there's a reason this hugely popular art exhibit is going to L.A., Chicago and...where? Fort Lauderdale. Somehow, the organizers skipped SoBe.

** I prefer to walk into a nightclub rather than stand behind a fake velvet rope waiting for some gorilla to grant me membership in his hand-picked audience. That's a lot easier to do on Saturday night around here than in South Beach.

** The New York Times says it's better! Just read the article by Denny Lee from a couple years ago, headlined, "Who needs South Beach?" (www.nytimes.com) It's all about the upscale nightlife in Fort Lauderdale.

How does a king travel anyway? A dead king, in this case. Or, to be really precise, a dead pharaoh. It's tempting to answer with that classic old punch line: "Very carefully."

In this case, that punch line also happens to be very true.

King Tut is about ready to roll up the red rug in California, where His Highness has been making a guest appearance at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Just two days after Thanksgiving, Tut will start to be wrapped, boxed, crated and then hauled to Fort Lauderdale.

Very carefully.

You think it's easy getting a 3,300-year-old royal ready to hit the interstates? Just ask Irvin Lippman, executive director of the Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale.

"There's a whole team of 12 Egyptian curators who first will go to L.A. for packing, then come to the Museum of Art for unpacking," Irvin explains. The show's 130 objects will require about one week to pack, about the same to unpack. Four tractor-trailer trucks will carry everything across the country to Fort Lauderdale.

In charge of the whole operation? The Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, a scholarly chap named Zahii Hawass, who enjoys an especially impressive title.

"He is the only one who, by his own account, speaks to the pharaoh," Irvin says. The museum director is kidding about that -- we think. "He certainly has written numerous books on the topic of Tut."

Hawass, pharaoh-communicator extraordinaire, will speak to the rest of us on December 15, the exhibit's first day. More than 500 people already have reserved their seats for his talk.

Haven't bought your tickets yet, to hear Hawass or at least to check out the Pharaoh's golden artifacts?

Tsk, tsk!

Or maybe we should say, Tut-tut!

Everyone around greater Fort Lauderdale is ready for some fun about now.
So snapping the fingers, tapping the toes in time to some hot jazz -- that seems pretty appealing.

Luckily, hot jazz happens to be coming our way. Just in time.

The 23rd annual Hollywood Jazz Festival is gearing up now, preparing for the big opening night next weekend. Nine acts will groove and sway for three days starting on November 18th. There's even a free concert on the Hollywood beach next Saturday. The best high school jazz band in the nation will perform.

Of course, Wilma created communication challenges as the festival approached, says Ron Weber, president of South Florida Jazz, which runs the festival.

"But now, the show goes on!" Ron promises. "The venues are intact. The artists are all coming."

The acts include tributes to two jazz giants who lived and worked here before their death -- a first for the Hollywood festival.

Louis Hayes' Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band will bring audiences a style reminiscent of the great sax player, Cannonball Adderley, who taught at Fort Lauderdale's Dillard High School. The influential bass player, Jaco Pastorius, will be remembered by the Othello Molineaux JP Factor. Pastorius lived and performed in greater Fort Lauderdale.

"Both artists had a major impact on jazz," Ron explains.

So yes, we are getting ready here for the jazz festival, ready to break loose and bop to a hot beat. A hurricane can only coop up the party-loving locals of Broward County for just so long.
Wilma is officially over now, as far as we're concerned. Bring on the fun again!

So, now we finally can catch our breath.

It's only two weeks after Wilma, but Broward County feels a lot more normal already. Since the recovery is so far along this quickly, now is a good time to talk about something else entirely.

Like what you're reading at this moment -- our new blog!

For anyone who may not know, a "blog" is simply the term for a "web log." It's really an online diary of sorts -- observations, experiences, random thoughts. The blog here at www.sunny.org will be all that and more.

You'll get to look behind the scenes at times, viewing greater Fort Lauderdale from fresh perspectives. You'll see some fun stories about major events such as the big King Tut exhibit at the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale or the 23rd annual Hollywood Jazz Fest.

You may even find a bit of sass sometimes too, greater Fort Lauderdale-style, an edgier slant on this exciting part of the world.

Our blog began, as chance would have it, after the worst storm to hit Broward County in 50 years. We take that as a good omen. Starting with the worst, our blog can look forward only to happier days ahead.

There will be plenty to talk about. These are the stories, told from a local viewpoint, about some of the things that make Broward County so special. Tales of the tropics told with a blogger's voice.

We hope you'll make this webpage one of your favorites and come visit us regularly.

We'll be waiting with more stories about greater Fort Lauderdale, its people and places and events, all the things that make life here so sunny.

Please allow us to take a moment of your time to respond to your concerns and questions about Greater Fort Lauderdale, now that Hurricane Wilma has passed and our clean up and recovery is well underway. Our partners in this incredible hospitality community---hotels, attractions, restaurants and shops---were the first to power up and get back into business, serving our residents and our visitors. It is important that you know how successful we have been in resuming our role, ready to provide the SUNsational service you have come to expect from Greater Fort Lauderdale.

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show at five locations---Bahia Mar Resort, the Broward Convention Center, Las Olas Marina, Marriott Portside Marina and Swimming Hall of Fame Marina welcomed 1,340 exhibitors and thousands of attendees Nov. 3-6, according to Kaye Pearson, president, Show Management.All 1,880 TEAMS Conference attendees (a 99% attendance rate for the travel, event, and management in sports expo) at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood from November 1-5, enjoyed a beach party at John U. Lloyd State Park , a scenic yacht tour along the Intracoastal Waterway, and lively poolside reception at the Westin Diplomat plus a golf and tennis tournament."All of our planned events at the TEAMS Conference & Expo have been tremendously successful--- even our three outdoor activities, including a beach party and boat cruise. Just a week and a half after Hurricane Wilma, the destination and our host hotel were not only ready to welcome our guests â€“ they completely exceeded our expectations," said Timothy Schneider, publisher of Sports Travel and Association News.

The shops and restaurants and attractions in the downtown Fort Lauderdale Riverwalk A&E district, Las Olas Boulevard, along 17th Street, Downtown Hollywood and the Hollywood Broadwalk, Seminole Paradise at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino are all open for business and pleasure. The 20th Annual Fort Lauderdale Int'l Film Festival runs through Nov. 20 at the AMC Coral Ridge. And remember, King Tut, the Original King of Bling is coming to the Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale December 15 through April 23. So order your tickets now at www.kingtut.org/tickets.The bottom line is that more than 90% of our hotels are currently open for business.

The Fort Lauderdale/ Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades are fully operational and nearly everything you would want to see or do in Greater Fort Lauderdale is available.We look forward to welcoming you to Greater Fort Lauderdale.

With warmest wishes,
Nicki E. Grossman

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THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

100 East Broward Boulevard, Suite 200, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301 (954) 765-4466 (800) 22-SUNNY

LauderBlog

Nov 29: Book Review

Nov 29: A Hard Rock Crack-Up

Nov 28: Sun 'n Fun and Getting Things Done

Nov 23: A European wake-me-up

Nov 22: New Arrival

Nov 18: Sorry, SOBE

Nov 16: A royal en route

Nov 10: Chillin' to a Jazzy Groove

Nov 8: A Sunny Blog

Nov 7: Thanks for asking