Local Author Captivates Life to North Central Florida

Local Author Captivates Life to North Central Florida

Local author, Jeanette Pekala, is a resident of north central Florida. "I went to UF and fell in love with the area and never left". Her debut series, Culture Shock, has been receiving excellent reviews since its released in March 2013. She's put NC Florida on the map in her Young Adult Paranormal novel.

Culture Shock is a series with the first book being titled just that. It takes place in a small country town, very fitting to the towns surrounding the area's main hub, Gainesville and the University of Florida. Pekala is now a resident of High Springs and says that the area has inspired her to write.

"The nature is just so pure. From the majestic old homes, the springs, the prairie, and the locals all fuel my writing." Bougainvillea is the name of the city she created which is located between Micanopy and McIntosh on Highway 441.

"Bougainvillea is not modeled after just one town is a mixture of the different flavors of NC Florida. There are some scenes that take place around Gainesville as well because as all locals know, sometimes you just have to go to Gainesville."

Images from North Central Florida that have inspired Jeanette Pekala:

CULTURE SHOCK is a witty tale of mystery and romance with a large helping of southern hospitality.

Macy Holmes is a seventeen-year-old socially-isolated introvert since her best friend's death a year ago. When her family decides to move from Manhattan to the quaint country town of Bougainvillea, Florida, Macy finds she's in a completely different world. Macy is no longer the outsider hiding behind designer clothes when she is sought out by three strange students, one of whom she is particularly interested in. The more time she spends with Chad the more things don't add up. When his true identity is finally revealed, Macy is pulled into a supernatural society with its saturation of inhabitants residing in Bougainvillea.

You would think she has enough on her plate, but no, then her dreams become infiltrated by an external magical force, Macy and her band of supernatural misfits must find the culprit behind the magic-induced nightmares. They must dodge zombie assassins, shifty shape-shifters and high school bullies in order to stop this perpetrator before Macy, her friends or her parents pay the ultimate price. Especially when Macy has the sneaking suspicion that these dreams are reality...

After finishing her degree in Sociology from the University of Florida, Jeanette Pekala had no idea what she wanted to do with her life.

While her husband was deployed overseas, she focused on what she loved to do, write, where she has finally found an outlet for her overactive imagination.

 She lives a not so normal life just a wee bit north of Bougainvillea where she resides with her husband and two children working on Shock Wave, book 2 in the Culture Shock Series.

 

"Holiday House Restaurant"

I love this! My hubby and I were trying to find some old pics of High Springs, FL (the town we love so much) and found this old postcard. Today, the building is still standing and holds a dive shop and a pawn shop, but this is truly remarkable. The fifties-shaped signs and the those beautiful cars are no longer parked out front by the original building still stands on Hwy 441.

We never knew that the building that houses the Cave Country Dive Shop or the Old Irishman's Pawn Shop was actually a restaurant at one time. We were able to place the location of the Holiday House Restaurant by the building next to it in the photograph. It says on the back of the postcard that there are 5 motels within walking distance and that is still true today, though only 3 are opened for business, one is for sale, and one houses apartments.

This is truly charming to see and I've a new love for my town. So much history in one place it's overwhelming, infused with the beauty of the springs and rivers, High Springs really is a great place to be since 1883.

Check out my reading/writer blog: http://adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/

See my Author profile website: http://jeanettepekala.com/

Follow me on Twitter: @jeanettepekala

or on Facebook: It's Always Sunny in High Springs

Happy Travels,

Jeanette Pekala

Pictures of Downtown Main Street & Springs in High Springs

 Beautiful Downtown Main Street in High Springs, FL with its quaint friendly atmosphere. Little shops and restaurants. Perfect weekend getaway or shopping after the springs.

A nice place to be since 1883

 The gorgeous crystal clear springs waters of Ginnie Springs. It's a private park and it costs $14/person. 5 and under free. They give Military discounts! Camping is wonderful there too! Great sites, plus tubing all day and night. Just ask my brother-in-laws who have gone tubing at 2 in the morning. Sorry boys, dusk is where I draw the line.

 Train Station in downtown High Springs, FL

 Ginnie again!

Blue Springs has got to be my favorite park. It has a beach walk-in so it's great if you have little ones, since most of the other springs in the area are deep. Campsites. An awesome diving platform, which mama loves more than the kiddos. You can rent tubes, kayaks, or canoes and float down the Santa Fe River. You can visit Rum Island Springs across the river. They have snacks and refreshments. Oh, and they give Military discounts too! Otherwise, it's $10/person. 5 and under free.

Meet Jeanette:

I'm also an urban fantasy writer for young adults, check out my website: http://jeanettepekala.com

I also have a book blog: adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/

Oh, and don't forget to follow me on:

Twitter: @jeanettepekala

Facebook: It's Always Sunny in High Springs

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' on the River!

BEFORE TROPICAL STORM DEBBY....

AFTER TROPICAL STORM DEBBY....

Those pictures are of the exact same boat ramp with only a week gap between pictures. Thanks Debby!

The top picture is in High Springs off of Boat Ramp Rd, off Hwy 441. You can walk across the entire river without ever getting wet. Crazy!

The bottom picture is off of Boat Ramp Rd as well, but after the TS hit the area.

Last weekend we had not one, but two visits from our dear friend Debby. I know, I know, we needed the water really bad, but I think we prayed a little too hard for rain, 'cause we got a little too  much.

My neighbors went out on the river yesterday to enjoy the 4th of July holiday. They launched at US 27 and flew down the Santa Fe River (due to the rapid current from the abundance of water) down to the 47 bridge.

That is always a great ride. My husband and I went canoeing not too long ago down that same way, but at points, we had to get out and pull the boat, or maneuver around rocks and earth. We were hitting the river bottom which is now hidden by tons of water.

I'd like to take a trip down it now in a canoe. I'm sure the scenery is much different.

Don't forget to check out my other blog:

adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/

AND introducing my new website: http://www.jeanettepekala.com

Happy Travels and remember...It's Always Sunny in High Springs!

"A Nice Place To Be Since 1883"

 The historic charm of High Springs, FL always warms my heart. Seven years ago, I was at the University of Florida attending as a student. I needed to take a science lab for my degree. I luckily stumbled across the most awesome lab ever. It was a geology lab that was once a week. The awesome thing about it was that all the class was was a series of field trips to local geological sites. I thought graduating grade school would cure me of school field trips, but nope. I loved going on field trips even as a sophomore in college.

High Springs happened to be one of the places we visited while enjoying these field trips. From the very second our caravan of college students drove through downtown High Springs...I was hooked. The charming downtown called to me. The people browsing shops and dining in the one of a kind restaurants. The country feel to the outskirts and of course the natural wonders that sprawl throughout the city. A city that spans three counties. The population is between 4,000 and 5,000 residents, but people come from all around to enjoy swimming, diving, tubing, boating, canoeing, hiking, and camping in the natural wonder of High Springs.

When my husband returned from Iraq after his first deployment, we were eligible for the VA loan. Since I was nearly done with my degree and our lease was almost up on our apartment, we decided to search for a home to buy. We both grew up in the Fort Lauderdale area of south Florida, so we were used to the city. After seeing what home prices were in the Gainesville area, we knew all we could afford was a small condo.

So, we figured to look just outside the city of Gainesville. I kept thinking about those field trips I took with my geology lab over two years prior and couldn't stop thinking about High Springs. We found tons of listings in High Springs for single family homes. From historic homes to new homes. We found an adorable starter home and bought it. We never looked back and love that we made the decision to make High Springs our home. A dog and two children later, we are still enjoying our starter home and loving every minute of it.

More pics of the beauty of High Springs: