A California fiction writer makes a Tallahassee stopover later this month. Her first literary effort connects directly to her long love of Shakespeare. Although Dale Flint insisted she never started out to be an author.
"For the longest time I envisioned myself as an actress on the Broadway stage. That's how I spent my childhood as a founder of the Young Peoples' Musical Theater Company in San Francisco. I really fell in love with Shakespeare and that became my area of expertise."
That's led Flint to directing Shakespeare productions, including a yearly festival she organized. And during her current day job as a middle school teacher, that love for the Bard and his work persists.
"They're actually not as afraid of Shakespeare as adults are. It's so much fun to get Shakespeare's words into the mouths of young people and to see them performing it and excited about it."
Flint said a jump into literature just seemed the next logical step.
"The goal was basically; I'm going to start a book and I'm going to finish a book. It took me on a long, long journey. It's been 13 years almost from beginning to end. But I'm so lucky to have a fabulous editor and publisher M.R. Street out of Tallahassee, Florida who's been so supportive and guided me through this process."
Flint's book, "Finding Juliet," has already hit Amazon's number three spot for e-book pre-release orders in the "Young Adult Fiction Adventure Comedy Romance" category weeks before it's even available.
"In my homage to 'Romeo and Juliet' in a modern-day high school, something happens and there is a time jump in the classic tradition of 'Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' or dare I say 'Outlander.'"
Flint confessed Diana Gabaldon, the author of the "Outlander" series, is one of her literary inspirations. And soon Flint will be in Tallahassee. Her first appearance on Saturday, July 26 at My Favorite Books on Market Street.
"We're calling it 'Who said it? Shakespeare, Tupac or Taylor Swift? Language, music and the rhythm of the heart.' So this will be a book signing event where I can talk about 'Finding Juliet' but we'll also have some fun activities as well."
The next day, Sunday, July 27th, Flint will pop into Common Ground Books on South Adams Street.
"We're going to present Shakespeare's poetry and the title of it is 'Mine be thy love,' which is taken from one of Shakespeare's sonnets."
And here's some late-breaking news: some folks from the local Southern Shakespeare Company are hoping to be at Flint's visits and might even show up in Shakespearean character.
