Where is Grapefruit Grove located? In the imaginary world of my stories it exists on the outskirts of Orlando, Florida. As the name suggests, the town was originally settled by citrus growers. But citrus is no longer viable in many parts of Florida. Times are changing, and the residents are only too aware that their community could be one land deal away from becoming swallowed by suburban sprawl.
First impressions suggest a charming little town filled with people living unhurried lives. Here, families have lived and worked together for generations. Children roam freely, have space to breathe, and time to form lasting friendships. While all of this is true, it only tells part of the story. With the lives of the families so intertwined, gossip has become a favorite pastime. Grapefruit Grove also harbors secrets, some of which could devastate lives. Old tensions remain unresolved, feuds; the community would rather not acknowledge an ugly undercurrent of bigotry.
Then, there is that other matter, the thing nobody wants to talk about. The people of Grapefruit Grove prefer that the rest of the world never find out about the ghosts, the phantoms, the alien visitors, or any of the other peculiar occurrences that make their town just a tiny bit different.
While the stories take place in 2024, and the characters and events are fictitious, they contain impressions and fleeting memories from a life lived in Central Florida. The dilapidated old house in “Soulmates Ever After” resembles my grandparents’ creaky old place in Winter Haven—long since demolished. I never saw ghosts, but neither would I have been surprised if one materialized while the house shuttered and shook during a storm.
Funny how I came to know every inch of this town that never existed. I knew how Destiny felt eating lunches under the lives oaks, watching the swans and ducks on Lake Sunday. I knew how the girls felt while venturing into the marsh in “Touching Grass”. I will never forget my accidental marsh adventure as a child, when my sisters and I wandered into the lower end of a nearby lake. That marsh, like countless others, has long since vanished beneath highways and houses.