Welcome to In the Writer's Chair with host Lana McAra! Today, we pull up a chair with veteran journalist and author Eliot Kleinberg. After a 33-and-a-half-year career at the Palm Beach Post where he wrote roughly 14,000 stories, Eliot transitioned into writing captivating historical fiction.
As the creator of the original Weird Florida books—first published in 1998 before the "Florida Man" craze took over—Eliot has always had a knack for finding the wildest true stories. Now, he is channeling that passion for his home state into vivid historical novels.
In This Episode, We Discuss:
- From Journalism to Fiction: Eliot shares why he waited until retirement to tackle fiction, and why the secret to good writing is simply to write, read, and write some more.
- The Dilemma of Historical Fiction: Discover why Eliot is likely the only novelist who includes bibliographies at the end of his books to prove his wild historical scenes actually happened.
- Florida's Forgotten Civil War History: We dive into the Battle of Olustee, the most important Civil War battle in Florida's history, which inspired Eliot's novel Peace River.
- A Wild Prohibition Era: Eliot explains why Florida's Prohibition era was even crazier than the 1970s drug wars, complete with rum runners and gangsters.
- The Adventures of Nate Moran: Get an inside look at Eliot's upcoming four-book series featuring a Miami police detective.
- Real-Life Inspiration: Learn the tragic and fascinating true story of a 1930 shooting that inspired the first Nate Moran book, Hypocrites Row, releasing in February 2026.
- Writing Process: Eliot reveals why he considers himself a "hybrid" writer who skips outlining but relies on a solid historical framework.
About Our Guest
- Eliot Kleinberg is a passionate advocate for Florida history who regularly lectures on the topic.
- He is on a mission to teach people that Florida's history didn't start with Walt Disney in 1970, noting that St. Augustine is actually 55 years older than Plymouth Rock.
- You can sign up for his newsletter, check out his speaking schedule, and read his blog "Something Went Horribly Wrong" at his website: ekfa.com.
Sponsor Spotlight
- This episode is brought to you by Vendela Publishing.
- Vendela Publishing is a traditional publisher with a unique model that provides marketing help without requiring authors to have large social media or email followings.
- Learn more at vendelapublishing.com.
