Nightmare Array: A Magic City Wonders Novel available now

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, October 1, 2024 - Florida author Taylor Thomas Smythe’s latest book, Nightmare Array: A Magic City Wonders Novel, is now available from a variety of retailers. The novel is the third in the science-fiction/fantasy series, wrapping up the story that began in the award-winning series debut Goldie and its sequel The Dream Team. 

Nightmare Array is the thrilling conclusion to the story of Donna Locke, picking up just a short time after the events of the prior installment, The Dream Team. In the new book, Donna and her friends stage a mission to rescue her lost love Marcus Myles, but things do not go as planned.

Goldie, the first novel in the Magic City Wonders series, is set in 1980s Miami and follows the story of a young diner waitress named Donna Locke, whose life is turned upside-down when she develops an unusual and mysterious power to turn objects to gold. 

The Dream Team picks up nearly a year after Goldie. In the wake of tragedy and inexplicable events, Donna is determined to find answers. When an encounter with a dashing philanthropist finds her joining a ragtag team of rogues who stage heists to steal people’s dreams, Donna must decide if the rising stakes are worth the cost.

In 2023, the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY Awards) named Goldie the winner of the gold medal in the Southeast - Best Regional Fiction category. Earlier that year, Goldie received a silver medal in the Florida Book Awards. In 2021, the first installment in Smythe’s seven-book Kingdom of Florida middle-grade fantasy series--The Golden Alligator—was chosen as the winner of a silver medal in the Florida Authors and Publishers Association President's Book Awards and as a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards.
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To order Nightmare Array, or to order Goldie or The Dream Team, visit www.magiccitywonders.com. More information on Smythe’s award-winning Kingdom of Florida series can be found at www.kingdomofflorida.com.

The Dream Team: A Magic City Wonders Novel now available

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, September 5, 2023 - Award-winning Florida fiction author Taylor Thomas Smythe’s latest book, The Dream Team: A Magic City Wonders Novel, is officially available now. The novel is the second installment in the young adult science fiction series, following 2022’s award-winning series debut Goldie. 

In The Dream Team, protagonist Donna Locke has one goal: to locate her longtime beau Marcus Myles. As the summer of 1981 arrives, nearly a year has passed since Marcus disappeared. In the wake of tragedy and inexplicable events, Donna is determined to find answers. When an encounter with a dashing philanthropist finds her joining a ragtag team of rogues who stage heists to steal people’s dreams, Donna must decide if the rising stakes are worth the cost.

Goldie, the inaugural installment in the Magic City Wonders series, is set in 1980s Miami and follows the story of a young diner waitress named Donna Locke, whose life is turned upside-down when she develops an unusual and mysterious power to turn objects to gold. 

This spring, the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY Awards) announced that Goldie was named winner of the gold medal in the Southeast - Best Regional Fiction category. This recent honor marks the fourth formal awards recognition for Smythe’s written work. In March, Goldie received a silver medal in the Florida Book Awards. In 2021, the first installment in his seven-book Kingdom of Florida middle-grade fantasy series--The Golden Alligator—was chosen as the winner of a silver medal in the Florida Authors & Publishers Association President's Book Awards and as a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards.

To order The Dream Team: A Magic City Wonders Novel or Goldie, visit www.magiccitywonders.com. More information on Smythe’s award-winning Kingdom of Florida series can be found at www.kingdomofflorida.com.

Kingdom of Florida coffee table art book, Images From Films That Never Existed, available now

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, March 13, 2023 - On Monday, award-winning author Taylor Thomas Smythe released Images from Films That Never Existed: Words & Pictures Inspired by the Award-Winning Kingdom of Florida Novels, a coffee table companion book to his seven-book Kingdom of Florida fantasy series. The hardcover volume is available now from a variety of online retailers.

Utilizing state-of-the-art artificial intelligence technology and modern graphic design software, the innovative new volume imagines what Smythe’s novels might look like if they had been adapted as Hollywood films in the 1980s. “The lifelike images have an eerie, almost nostalgic quality that makes the reader wonder if, in fact, they may have seen these films before,” said Smythe. The images are accompanied by descriptive blurbs that summarize the events of the first four Kingdom of Florida novels, plus a fictional frame narrative that details the imaginary filmmaking process.

Kingdom of Florida is a middle-grade fantasy saga that draws inspiration from such classics as The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, and L. Frank Baum’s Oz books, and follows the journey of a group of South Florida children as they discover a magical parallel world ruled by an evil prince. The first book in the series—The Golden Alligator—was chosen as the winner of the silver medal for the Children: Sci-Fi/Fantasy category in the 2021 Florida Authors and Publishers Association President's Book Awards and was a finalist in the 2021 National Indie Excellence Awards.

Images from Films That Never Existed: Words & Pictures Inspired by the Award-Winning Kingdom of Florida Novels is published by Lamplight Universe and is available now via online booksellers or at www.kingdomofflorida.com.

Goldie: A Magic City Wonders Novel available now

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, November 1, 2022 - Today, award-winning author Taylor Thomas Smythe officially released the first novel in his new Miami-based, 1980s-set Magic City Wonders book series. The inaugural installment, entitled Goldie: A Magic City Wonders Novel, follows the story of a young diner waitress and aspiring singer named Donna Locke, whose life is turned upside-down when she develops an unusual and mysterious power. 

“It’s finally here!” Smythe said. “This series has been years in the making, and I’m incredibly proud to finally launch Magic City Wonders into the world. It’s sort of a genre mashup—you’ll find bits of science fiction, fantasy, adventure, comedy, and even a little romance. All of those pieces combine to evoke many favorite films from the 1980s, and I think this first book really hit the bullseye in terms of the tone and feel that I was aiming for. I also feel very attached to these characters after sitting with them for nearly three years, and I hope readers feel the same.”

Smythe released a brief synopsis of the series last fall: “In 1980s Miami—a colorful and dangerous place known as the Magic City—a group of individuals discover supernatural powers. With crime on the rise, brave heroes begin to uncover a growing mystery.”

“I’ve been explaining it as X-Men meets Miami Vice,” said Smythe in last year’s series announcement. “You have all of the mystery and grit of mutant-superhero stories mixed with the glamor and danger and color of the early ’80s melting pot that we associate with Miami.” 

“I’ve spent countless hours researching and gathering inspiration,” Smythe continued. While the stories are completely fictional, he hinted that they will be anchored in reality. “The story takes place in a very specific time in history, starting in 1980, which allows us to explore historical events and themes that mirror many of the things we’re wrestling with in the present. While many of these events take place at the periphery of my stories, I’m excited to see how they weave through and inform my fictionalized version of real-world Miami.” 

Goldie, the first novel in the Magic City Wonders series, is now available in a variety of formats. Installments in the series are published under the Lamplight Universe imprint.

Taylor Thomas Smythe is the author of the award-winning, seven-book Kingdom of Florida middle-grade fantasy series. The series, which draws inspiration from such classics as The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, and L. Frank Baum’s Oz books, follows the journey of a group of South Florida children as they discover a magical parallel world ruled by an evil prince. The first book in the series—The Golden Alligator—was chosen as the winner of a silver medal in the Florida Authors and Publishers Association President's Book Awards and as a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards.
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To order Goldie: A Magic City Wonders Novel, visit www.magiccitywonders.com. More information on Smythe’s award-winning Kingdom of Florida series can be found at www.kingdomofflorida.com.