Book signing on Saturday

This is just a reminder that if you are in the Northwest Florida area and would like autographed copies of my books either for yourself or to give as a gifts this holiday season, I plan to attend only one book signing in December.

It will be this Saturday (December 1st) at Chipola River Book and Tea on Lafayette Street in downtown Marianna (right across the street from the Battle of Marianna monument).

They will have copies of The Battle of Marianna, Florida and The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida on hand, as well as copies of my third book, Two Egg, Florida: A Collection of Ghost Stories, Legends and Unusual Facts.

The event gets underway at around 10 a.m. and will continue until either 2 p.m. or the books sell out. The Two Egg book has already sold out three times and it looks like it probably will again before Christmas, so if you would like a copy before then, this may be your best chance.

I'll be glad to do special inscriptions during that time and I hope to see you there. If you can't make it, all three books are in stock through http://www.amazon.com/ and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ and there is still time for them to arrive by Christmas.

Annual cane grinding scheduled for Saturday

The annual Long cane grinding will take place this Saturday (December 1st) in Two Egg. Just drive in on State Road 69 from either direction and you can't miss it.

The event has been going for about a decade and a half now and features authentic grinding of sugar cane, once an annual ritual in the South. The cane juice is cooked down to make syrup.

The event also includes arts and crafts and will be underway all through Saturday morning and lunchtime, so make a point of stopping by!

Childhood home of Faye Dunaway

She might not recognize it today, but this slowly deteriorating frame house near Two Egg was the childhood home of actress Faye Dunaway. She was born in Jackson County on January 14, 1941.

The Academy Award winning actress spent her childhood years in the area and many of her close relatives still live in Jackson County. Her breakthrough role was in the 1967 gangster classic, "Bonnie and Clyde." She also starred in "Chinatown" and, my personal favorite, "Little Big Man" with Dustin Hoffman.

Special thanks to my friend Ashley Pollette, a true son of the South, for passing this along.

Book Signing scheduled for December 1st

If you would like to obtain autographed copies of my book Two Egg, Florida: A Collection of Ghost Stories, Legends and Unusual Facts, I will be at Chipola River Book and Tea for a book signing on Saturday, December 1st. They are located on Lafayette Street in downtown Marianna (in the same block as the Gazebo restaurant) and directly across the street from the Battle of Marianna monument.

The event begins at 10 a.m. and will continue until 2 p.m. or until the books sell out. Copies of my other books, The Battle of Marianna, Florida and The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida will also be available.

If you would like to have copies specially inscribed as Christmas gifts, I'll be glad to do so.

The book includes, of course, a history of Two Egg, as well as the stories behind the stories of a number of other popular Northwest Florida legends. Included are:

• Two Egg, Florida
• The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge
• The Legend of Two Toed Tom (Northwest Florida's famed alligator monster)
• The Garden of Eden
• The Washington County Volcano
• The Fiddling Ghost of Boynton Island
• Jackson County's Pirate Treasure
• The Bible of St. Luke's Episcopal Church
• The Battle of Vernon
• The West Florida Swamp Booger (Bigfoot)
• The Story of Milly Francis
• Florida's Underground Wonderland
• Andrew Jackson and the Natural Bridge

Due to my health, this is the only signing I have scheduled for December. If you can't make it, but would like to have an autographed copy, they can be ordered at http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/. As long as you order by December 15th, they will make it in time for Christmas. After the 15th, I can't promise.

Non-autographed copies are in stock and available for pre-Christmas delivery at http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ and http://www.target.com/.

River Wars will impact Two Egg

I usually stay away from political issues here, but I want to weigh in on the current debate that is swirling about the use of water from the Chattahoochee River. The outcome will affect our area and I encourage you to educate yourself and voice your opinion at well.

The low water conditions that prevail throughout the South right now are putting a major strain on Lake Lanier, the upper most of the lakes on the Chattahoochee River. Lanier is a major source of water for the city of Atlanta, but also is the primary source for water coming down the Chattahoochee to Lake Seminole.

At issue is whether more water should be held back at Lanier for the use of Atlanta. This, of course, would mean lower water levels for the entire rest of the Chattahoochee and Apalachicola system. In other words, the rest of us.

Since many lakes and ponds in east Jackson County rise and fall with the water level of Lake Seminole, a lowering of water levels in the lake will translate to even more dry conditions in an already dry area. In addition, low water levels in Lake Seminole and on the Apalachicola River will mean reduced and more dangerous recreational opportunities. The lake is a major economic engine for the Sneads area. Lowering the Apalachicola River, another obvious effect of holding back water at Lanier, would mean reduced flow going into Apalachicola Bay, home of one of the finest oyster fisheries in the world.

It now looks as if the U.S. government is leaning in favor of holding back the water. I strongly oppose doing so. The wants and economic needs of Atlanta should not outweigh those of the entire rest of the river system. The river water has been maintained according to its current formula for many years. There should be no changes unless all three states impacted (Florida, Alabama and Georgia) agree.

Two Egg, Florida book now in national release

I'm pleased to announce that my book Two Egg, Florida: A Collection of Ghost Stories, Legends and Unusual Facts is now available in full national release. It can now be ordered through your favorite bookstore anywhere in the world, as well as through http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/, http://www.bamm.com/, http://www.target.com/, http://www.borders.com/, etc.

If you prefer to order by mail, you can obtain the address at http://www.twoeggfla.com/.

If you live in Jackson County, you can buy the book at Chipola River Book & Tea on Lafayette Street in downtown Marianna (directly across Lafayette Street from the gazebo and park). One note, though, they often sell out so you may want to have them reserve a copy for you.

I finished the book last year and have been amazed by its success so far. Two Egg definitely seems to attract attention!

Passing the torch...

My oldest son William has decided to follow in his dad's footsteps, so to speak, and is starting a publishing firm. He will specialize in books on little known aspects of Florida and Southern history.

To help get him started, I'm in the process of handing over a number of manuscripts that I finished over the last ten years. He has begun working on editing them and will begin putting them into print over the next few years. He is also looking for additional works by nonfiction writers, with a special emphasis on lesser known yet significant historical events. For more information, you can email me at dalecox@twoeggfla.com with your inquiry and I'll be glad to pass it along.

I'm really proud to see him giving this a chance. As my last three books (The Battle of Marianna, Florida, Two Egg, Florida and The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida) have demonstrated, there is definitely a market for well-researched books on Florida and Southern history. Those of you who know me are aware of my health situation. I'm no longer able to do the research and writing I would like to do, so it is great to see him take interest in my unpublished work.

The first of the new books, The Battle of Massard Prairie: The 1864 Confederate Attack on Fort Smith, Arkansas, should be out in December.

He'll have a website up soon, and I'll pass that along as soon as it is ready to go.

The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge

I've updated the pages on the Bellamy Bridge ghost story at www.exploresouthernhistory.com. Bellamy Bridge is located just a few miles west of Two Egg on the Chipola River and is the site of one of Jackson County's most popular legends.

The truth behind the story might surprise you, so take a look!

Update on Blog

I've been a little off schedule with my postings lately, but be sure to check in tomorrow and I'll get things going again!