38 reads written by Lakeland authors

What’s better than a good book? Maybe a good book written by your neighbor. Brew up a batch of your favorite local tea or coffee and get ready to meet your next read, because we’re talking about locally written books in Lakeland, FL.

Fiction

• “A Forever Kind of Guy ” by Barbara Meyers | Release date: Oct. 18, 2011 | This romance novel tells the story of Hayley, her nephew Fletcher, and her new love interest, Ray.
• “Dream Weaver ” by Sofia Simpson | Release date: March 2, 2014 | Ari is part of a parallel world that teaches humans to dream when romance sparks between her and her best friend.
• “Like a Hole in the Water: A Coming of Age Novel ” by J. Neil Sherouse | Release date: June 16, 2021 | Set in the 1960s, this coming-of-age tale follows two young boys in the North Florida town of Palatka.
• “Monessen Falls ” by Greg Burdick | Release date: August 2019 | An architect grapples with his family’s past in this play by a local playwright + theatre teacher.
• “Taboo Tech ” by Joy V. Smith | Release date: May 21, 2019 | Eighteen year-old Lacie is left in the care of her eccentric space-traveling uncle when her parents head out on an expedition.
• “Terra: An Elemental Series ” by Sofia Simpson | Release date: January 26, 2023 | Earth Elemental Vela begins to bond with Fire Elemental Linc, but they could be part of a prophecy to unite their warring clans.

Learn something new

• “Not by Bread Alone: Taking the F’s of Life & Making Them Work for You ” by Juli McShay | Release date: March 3, 2023 | Try your hand at globally-inspired recipes by this Lakeland native.
• “Day Hustle ” by Gianna Rahmani | Release date: Oct. 3, 2022 | Learn how to scale your business and build wealth in this book by a local business owner.
• “Ease into Aging “ by Dick Hartman | Release date: Jan. 30, 2021 | This book by Winter Haven native Dick Hartman shares tips for mitigating the effects of aging. From retirement readiness to continued self-improvement, Dick explores relevant topics for older adults of all ages.
• “Greater Than a Tourist - Lakeland Florida USA: 50 Travel Tips from a Local ” by Morgan Brownlee | Release date: April 19, 2022 | Learn Swan City’s secrets in this tour guide written by a true Lakelander.
• “Human Training: A User Guide to You ” by Charles E. McDanal Jr. | Release date: Nov. 15, 2020 | Improve your life with methods for “business adulting” and living with others from this Lakeland leader.
• “Millennial Marketing: Engage and Retain the Young Adult Consumer Market ” by Deliza Elizee | Release date: July 16, 2018 | Learn the skills required to communicate with young adults using branding + marketing tactics in this informative glimpse into Millennial shopping and communication.
• “P.S.S.T. Public School Speech Therapist: (The Best Kept Secret in the Public Schools) ” by W. Ray | Release date: Jan. 14, 2020 | If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to work in the public school system as a speech therapist, ready your reading nook. This first-hand account discusses the challenges and rewards of the profession.
• “Our Lakeland: The Other End of Florida Avenue ” by Yvonne M. McShay | Release date: 2012 | Read essays, profiles, and interviews about 31 prominent members of Lakeland’s African-American community.
  

For the family

• “Goodnight Lakeland “ by Ida Mundell and Josh “Bump” Galletta | Release date: Nov. 11, 2020 | This local take on “Goodnight Moon” is a 42-page homage to Swan City featuring illustrations of Lakeland’s most iconic landmarks and small businesses.
• “How to Cheer Up Dad ” by Fred Koehler | Release date: March 20, 2014 | Fred is also known for his 2018 children’s book “Garbage Island (The Nearly Always Precarious Adventures of Archibald Shrew) ” and for winning the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Award for his illustrations in “One Day, The End .”
• “I’m an Airplane Pilot ” by Tiffany M. Sutherland | Release date: Nov. 24, 2023 | The two brothers in this book live in a small town and achieve their dreams of becoming pilots together.
• “Kyler Treks to Ghana ” by Stephanie Claytor and Kat Powell | Release date: Feb. 1, 2022 | In this picture book, an African American family travels to Ghana to learn about their ancestors and history.
• “My Little Mockingbird ” by Rebekah Firmin | Release date: Feb. 7, 2022 | This children’s book from local illustrator Rebekah Firmin follows a baby mockingbird who is overwhelmed by noise.
• “Oh, to be a Delight ” by Anna Rodriguez | Release date: April 21, 2021 | Anna Rodriguez encourages children to be a good example in this book with 100% 5-star ratings on Amazon.
• “Phil and The Good-Luck Charm ” by Jennifer Audette | Release date: Mar. 13, 2019 | Phil’s summer is consumed by two things: Baseball and bar mitzvah lessons — what will happen when the two collide in an unexpected way?
• “Strawberry Pickles Vs. Bee-Bo the Rob-ot ” by Randy Richburg | Release date: April 26, 2021 | Round up the children for a reading of this illustrated children’s book about bravery and kindness from a local author + artist also responsible for titles like “The Little Star: The Story of Who and What You Are .”
• “Will You Be My Friend? “ By Hunter Blaise | Release date: March 2, 2021 | Hunter Blaise, an author who is legally blind, wrote “Will You Be My Friend?” and other stories about children with different abilities. This particular tale follows the story of a mermaid attempting to befriend a giant bunny who prefers to be alone.

Part of a series

• “Dreadgod ” by Will Wight | Release date: July 5, 2022 | The eleventh installment of the fantasy series “Cradle,” this novel was topping the bestseller charts on Audible + Amazon Kindle in June of 2022.
• “If You Stay ” by Barbara Meyers | Release date: May 1, 2022 | Buckle up for the second installment of the Lakeland author’s “Red Bud, Iowa” series, which tells the tale of a young woman who does whatever it takes to make a new life for her daughter.
• “Penalty Box ” by Kayla Tirrell | Release date: March 20, 2020 | Fall in love with this soccer-themed romance novel, the first in the “Love in the Arena” series.
• “Survival of the Fittest: The Lifeboat Augusta Book 5 ” by Jamie Beckett | Release date: Oct. 4, 2014 | Beckett’s five-book series revolves around Randy Tagget, the man responsible for saving the human race by creating a new civilization to repopulate the Earth.
• “The Eastwood Event ” by J.G. Petrichor | Release date: April 4, 2021 | A mysterious mass disappearance, children with special abilities, and an unknown entity in a massive crater are just the beginning of this fantasy novel. The sequel, “On The Road,” is also available now .
• “The Imaginary Voyages of Edgar Allan Poe ” by Dwight L. MacPherson | Release date: March 4, 2019 | There are three volumes in this series of comic books by the team at HP Comics .

Personal stories

• “Reaching Across the Aisle: Reflections on My Experiences in Politics ” by Dennis Ross | Release date: Jan. 16, 2024 | This Lakeland native, Florida congressman, and Southeastern University professor shares his experiences in politics in this memoir.
• “1995: Out of the Darkness, into the Light ” by Charles R. Sands | Release date: May 31, 2023 | The author of this book wrote about his 11 years in Haiti where he has built two bakeries and helped to feed local children.
• “A Boy from Down East ” by Larry B. Gray | Release date: March, 5, 2014 | Read this collection of stories about one boy’s childhood growing up in rural North Carolina.
• “Heaven’s Joy ” by Susan McCeldry | Release date: July 9, 2022 | Susan McCeldry’s autobiography documents her journey from one realm of spirituality to another.
• “Jimmy Buffett: The Key West Years ” by Tom Corcoran | Release date: Nov. 21, 2006 | Lakeland author + photographer Tom Corcoran was Jimmy Buffett’s longtime photographer (and even co-wrote lyrics for “Cuban Crime of Passion”). This photo book includes over three dozen photos from Jimmy’s time in Key West.
• “Resolve, Courage, Hope ” by Scott Headly with Allison Nissen | Release date: May 19, 2016 | In this true account of what is considered the worst violent spree in Polk County history, Scott and Allison tell the story of regaining one’s sense of self after tragedy.
• “Serena Williams: Tennis Champion, Sports Legend, and Cultural Heroine ” by Merlisa Lawrence Corbett | Release date: Feb. 15, 2020 | Dubbed as “more than a biography,” former “Sports Illustrated” reporter Merlisa Lawrence Corbett shares the stories behind the legendary tennis player and female icon.
• “Success in Exile ” by Teresa Vázquez Martínez | Release date: Jan. 1, 2009 | Stories of 25 families fleeing 1970s Cuba are told in this bilingual book of short stories.
• “The One Jesus Loves ” by Robert Crosby | Release date: March 25, 2014 | This Southeastern University professor, former pastor + conference speaker shares relationship theory and provides personal and reflective opportunities for readers to examine their position of faith.

Need more recommendations? Stop by Bookends Used Books , Crash Bookshop , Inklings Book Shoppe , Little Bus Books , Pressed LKLD , or The Unbound Bookery to get expert advice from Lakeland’s local booksellers.