Randy hadmade it.The world discovered him and his novels were now in high demand. In 1990, he introduced (under his own name) the character that became his main fictional character in 25 action-packed novels, marine biologist Doc Ford. Let me set the scene. Ford lives in a stilthouse, part living quarters and part laboratory, at the foot of Sanibel’s fictional Dinkins Bay. His business is collecting marine specimens to supply various universities. Sound boring so far? But, as the books move on, we find that Ford has retired from a very dangerous, secret, high-level military service, with reaches to the White House. He became a marine biologist because he wanted a very retiring and boring life after escaping death many times…but it’s not to be! Anchored in the Bay is a sailboat owned by his sidekick Tomlinson, a live-aboard, misfit hippy who still thinks that he is living in the 1960s. Tomlinson has some very quirky habits, which add a lot of colour to the series of books. Nearby, Dinkins Bay Marina is full of interesting characters whose life stories develop throughout the 26-book series. Every Friday evening, there is a shrimp and clam BBQ behind closed gates just for the locals, and this is where some of the colourful characters’ backgrounds are revealed. Love interests? You bet! There are many, including an on-again/off-again affair with local fishing guide Hannah Smith. Smith goes on to star in four of her own adventure books. As someone who knows Florida and its history well, I admire Randy for the depth and accuracy of his research. Each book is based on little-known Floridian episodes from the past. Three girls pose in the reproduced jaw of a huge Megalodon Shark (Museum of Discovery and Science,Fort Lauderdale), featured in "Bone Deep." Imagine one of these circling around in the ocean a million years ago a hundred feet above Lakeland, one of today's centres for foss il hunting. Fossilized teeth from these monsters are extremely rare and very valuable. Navigational chart of Doc Ford’s Sanibel Island. CSANews | FALL 2020 | 23 Travel
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