Key West Writers Bloc Serves Up Thirty-Five Smokin’ Hot Authors
Popular TV host Jenna Stauffer discovers whodunit in “Murder in Key West,” a volume of mystery stories set in the Southernmost City. This page-turner and many others will be available at a book signing event featuring thirty-five premier local and visiting authors, December 7, 2-5 pm at Smokin’ Tuna Saloon.
Saturday, December 7, 2-5pm, Key West Writers Bloc presents a premier authors book signing even at the Smokin’ Tuna Saloon, 4 Charles Street, Old Town, Key West.
For the first time in Key West, thirty-five authors will appear at a single event for one afternoon only, including high-profile visiting authors such as Rodman Philbrick, author of “Freak the Mighty,” the acclaimed new thriller, “Measure of Darkness,” and other popular titles; Miriam Auerbach, award winning author of the satirical “Dirty Harriet” Horowitz mystery series; Sandra Balzo, award-winning author of crime fiction; Robert Coburn, author of “A Loose Knot” and “A Deadly Deception;” Jeremiah Healy, Shamus award winning creator of the John Francis Cuddy private investigator series; Wayne Gales, author of “Treasure Key” and “Key West Camouflage;” Barbara Fox, murder-mystery writer and theater producer; Dirk Wyle, retired chemist and molecular biology professor turned popular medical mystery author; Liz Stauffer, author of the Thursday Morning Breakfast and Murder Club mysteries; and Peggy Butler, author of “Starfish” and “And Then There Was One.”
The visiting authors are joined by area notables Roberta Isleib (under the pseudonym Lucy Burdette), Jane Dawkins, Bill Lorraine, Wesley Sizemore, Elizabeth Warner, Jane Newhagen, Jill Zima Borski, Rusty Hodgdon, Reef Perkins, Ben Harrison, Chuck Van Soye, Hal Howland, Dale Dapkins, Ralph DePalma, Jonathan Woods, Suzie Byrd, Terry Schmida, Mandy Miles, Chuck Meier, David Sloan, Letty Nowak, Connie Gilbert, Alex Vega and Key West Writers Bloc founders Michael Haskins and Shirrel Rhoades.
Haskins and Rhoades created Key West Writers Bloc as an umbrella for future literary events they are co-producing, including a Mystery Writers Key West Fest conference scheduled for June. “Key West has a literary tradition from Hemingway to Hunter S. Thompson that we want to built on by encouraging contemporary writers,” said Rhoades, an author and entrepreneur who has held executive positions with Reader’s Digest, Scholastic, Harper’s, Marvel Entertainment and other well-known publishing companies.
“Key West is still a writer’s paradise,” said Haskins, author of the popular Mick Murphy Key West mystery series. “The plethora of writers in all genres is amazing. Events like the Mystery Writers festival and the Smokin’ Tuna authors event testify that Hemingway and Tennessee Williams’ muse is still alive and well in the Southernmost City.”
Books by all of the authors will be available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Key West Library book-buying fund. The public is invited to meet the authors, collect signed editions, and enjoy drink specials from 2-5pm, December 7, at Smokin’ Tuna Saloon, 4 Charles Street in Old Town Key West.