They Met at the Alabama-Florida Line
They Met at the Alabama-Florida Line

Author: Chris Warner

Publisher: Wagon Publishing

Published: 2020-05-15

Total Pages: 134

ISBN-13:

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What do four LSU fraternity brothers, three Auburn sorority sisters and a Birmingham volunteer church group have in common? They’re on a road trip to the iconic Flora-Bama Lounge & Package to first experience the world-famous Interstate Mullet Toss! Unbeknownst to them, they’re on an unprecedented collision course for fun, sun and subtle fame—meaning their lives will certainly never be the same. The Flora-Bama’s new owners, against the wishes of their minority partner, have cut a lucrative Hollywood deal to produce a “no-holds-barred…anything goes” documentary on the zany, voyeuristic beach party known for string bikinis, cold beer, frothy bushwhackers and of course, thrown fish. The filmmakers have coughed up major dough, and have been given full reign of the quintessential beach bar and its patrons for the duration of the risqué four-day event. What they witness and capture on film is wilder than anything Tinsel Town could have scripted. In their quest for a memorable time the college kids find unforgettable adventure. Amazingly, all the frat guys hook up with people who look better than them. The unfortunate fact for one is that unbeknownst to him, his significant other—a gorgeous church volunteer and preacher’s daughter—is underage—by almost two years. After a raucous night, an arrest lands the two in the local hoosegow, where that latter, salient fact is painstakingly revealed, warranting a more serious charge. The desperate kids seek and find help in the iconic bar’s founder, Joe, who uses local resources to try and ease them out of the jam they precariously find themselves. However, the gig is complicated by the fact that Hollywood producers have trained their cameras on the developing story, spooking the entrenched power players within the good ole’ boy network who will determine what level and brand of Southern-style justice is ultimately served—if at all. The loveable bar owner, Joe, and his inner circle of unique characters, musicians and connected island dwellers are challenged like never before to save not only the reputations and records of the kids he has befriended—but for posterity, the character of his beloved beach bar and the community it faithfully supports. A fast-paced yarn reminiscent of its predecessor, “They Met at the Alabama-Florida Line,” is the second fictional tome by Chris Warner set at the world-famous Flora-Bama Lounge & Package. It is another romantic, satirical tale seeking to draw semblance to Southern living, art, failed politics and pop culture.

Trouble at the Alabama-Florida Line
Trouble at the Alabama-Florida Line

Author: Chris E Warner

Publisher: Wagon Publishing

Published: 2021-06-04

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13:

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Trouble at the Alabama-Florida Line Third in a series of fictional tomes By Chris Warner Johnny Glass is busy dealing with life. His beautiful girlfriend and band mate, Lucy Whitman, is pregnant—with his baby. Estranged by her parents, Lucy has only Johnny to help her bring a child into the world. The tiny sailboat they have called home for months is no place for an infant. Their Nirvana interrupted, Johnny senses things might never be the same. He has never been more right. Johnny and Lucy are not alone in experiencing change. Pleasure Island’s favorite hot spot for live music and fun—the beloved Flora-Bama, is no longer the tiny, ramshackle honky-tonk locals knew. New ownership and a growing population brought a slew of changes that altered the dive once revered for its spontaneity, overt tackiness and penchant for the unrefined. The quintessential beach bar and ivory island strip loved by all has evolved, prompting locals and old regulars to consider the unthinkable: Seek good times, fun and frolic elsewhere. Pleasure Island is no longer the quaint retreat. The Mayor of Orange Beach and his developer cronies have unleashed a rash of dubious high rise condo construction projects that threaten to forever alter the gulf coast skyline and way of life. With the help of their powerful allies in the state legislature, new toll bridges and roads are being built to make it ever easier to get to the beach, ensuring that the risky developments will be handsomely rewarded. Despite the obvious warnings, few beach denizens realize their treasured existence hangs precariously in the balance. Marginalized by his majority stock holding partners and the hardened victim of several past surprise disasters, patriarch Joe Gideon is again in a quandary. Upset with the greed motivating the government’s misguided leadership, Gideon feels it may be time to sell out and retire in the nearby haven of West Pensacola, Florida. That is, until he hears of Johnny’s newest challenges—and realizes that everything he has worked so hard to create—the beloved Flora-Bama and the faithful community it supports, is certainly worth fighting for. Johnny and Joe reunite with the familiar cast of local characters to devise a plan to prevent during an unprecedented pandemic and an unforeseen category two hurricane the destructive domino effect from occurring. In order to save the island from certain ruin, they must win the hearts and minds of the locals as well as defeat in court and at the ballot box the energy thieves who will stop at nothing to turn a buck at the expense of their beloved way of life in the name of “progress.” Trouble at the Alabama Florida Line, the much-anticipated sequel to They Met at the Alabama-Florida Line, by Chris Warner, is another romantic, satirical tale seeking to draw semblance to Southern living, art, failed politics and pop culture.

Saved at the Alabama-Florida Line
Saved at the Alabama-Florida Line

Author: Chris Warner

Publisher: Wagon Publishing

Published: 2014-08-09

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13:

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Saved at the Alabama-Florida Line – A novel set in Perdido Key, Florida. Johnny Glass has had it with Nashville. He meets a beautiful girl at Flora-Bama and finds a regular gig playing music. Her father is a senator and he doesn’t take kindly to musicians...and uses his political connections to do the unthinkable: shutter the beach bar for good. Musicians and locals unite to save the bar from ruin. Hardback, 189 pages, $19.99. Out of print. Synopsis: Johnny Glass has had it with Nashville. Its many posers, pimps and politicians preyed on him for four difficult years, leaving him disheartened. A talented, struggling singer-songwriter, he still yearns to make a living doing what he loves, writing and singing songs. A former band mate lives in a broken down Airstream camper on the Florida-Alabama State line near the sparkling Gulf of Mexico for free. Playing music and singing songs at the world-famous Flora-Bama Lounge and Package Store on the beach is his everyday gig. Johnny has a standing offer to join his buddy anytime, as the owner of the place is a lover of singer-songwriters, and could certainly use someone with his skills. Lucy Whitman is a sophomore debutante at the University of South Alabama and the privileged daughter of an Alabama State Senator. Uninterested in her life as a university student and sorority girl, Lucy tilts to the wild side on the weekends where she sings, unbeknownst to her overbearing parents, in a bona fide honky-tonk band at America s Last Great American Roadhouse, the Flora-Bama. Instead of planned summer school, she has decided to spend the entire tourist season singing; and if it goes well, she likely won t go back to South. For Johnny and Lucy, it s love at first sight. Through joined artistry their relationship grows, and they become a popular on-stage duo. They enjoy each other and the creative fulfillment the partnership brings. However, Lucy s mother and powerful father want nothing of their daughter playing a honky-tonk joint in Orange Beach. After gently trying to win her favor, they make their strongest, connected attempt toward altering her brazen life path; and it has devastating consequences not only for Lucy s music, but for everyone living on Pleasure Island: The beloved Flora-Bama may be shuttered for good. Lucy s father uses his political connections to deploy an army of state government agents against the beach bar, trumping up dozens of unfounded charges resulting in its indefinite closure. Already in financial trouble stemming from bad outside investments, a great recession and an unprecedented manmade environmental disaster, the bar cannot afford to be closed during the lucrative tourist season. Johnny and Lucy, the locals and the rest of the musicians join forces with the Flora-Bama s loveable owner and come up with a plan to save the quintessential beach bar, and the community it faithfully supports. In doing so, Johnny and Lucy realize the grand futility of commercial success, and the bountiful wealth they already possess from living and enjoying life, making music and many friends, in a beautiful, unforgettable place like no other. Saved at the Alabama-Florida Line is a romantic, satirical tale of forbidden love that seeks to draw semblance to Southern living, art, failed politics and pop culture. NOMINATED: Best Piece of Fiction by an Alabama Author (Fairhope); The Alabama Library Association, 2017.

Tailgater's Guide to SEC Football
Tailgater's Guide to SEC Football

Author: Chris Warner

Publisher: Wagon Publishing

Published: 2000-08-09

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13:

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The definitive guide to the nation's toughest football conference; the Bible of SEC Football, the fascinating history of the nation's toughest football conference told by one of the best storytellers In the business, Dr. Chris Warner. Tailgater’s Guide to SEC Football Volume V – The definitive guide to the history and traditions of the 14 schools of the Southeastern Conference (2020). Contains profiles of great players and coaches, school histories, recipes, famous alumni, where to shop and golf, etc. The Bible of SEC Football. $15.95 Paperback, 320 pages. Synopsis: “Dan Jenkins, author and sportswriter, simply summed up the popularity of the game of football in the South with the following statement: “To Southerners, football is as essential as air conditioning.” The irreplaceable “Voice of the Volunteers” on radio during the 1950’s, George Mooney, once stated, “…No matter where I was broadcasting from, I found the fans in the South to be knowledgeable, fair—and yes, loud and frenzied. They are very proud of their rich football heritage. And they are very proud of their schools, their teams—and the deep pride that goes with being from the South.” Late legendary college football commenter Keith Jackson, in describing the SEC Football experience, once aptly stated that” …there are few instances of alleged entertainment and relaxation that can match a college football game in stirring the deepest flames of partisanship and outright provincialism. And down South you can color that partisanship passionate!” Southeastern Conference Football is the paragon of the college athletic experience. During its storied, 87-year existence, the SEC has evolved into the most impressive league of organized, intercollegiate gridiron competition in the history of the United States. No other Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conference can boast of the many accolades and attendance records that the SEC currently holds. Furthermore, the Southeastern Conference has produced more All-American football players than any other conference. This book is dedicated to all the Southern people who live for Saturdays in the fall, for those individuals who plan their business and personal engagements around their favorite team’s football schedule; for those who always experience a rise in their body temperature when they enter the stadium; for those who shed a tear during the singing of their alma mater; and especially, for those who know all the words to their school’s fight song. It is for the people who wake up early on Sunday morning after a win so they can read each and every one of the sports columns about the game they witnessed the day before. It is for all those who enjoy good company and good food in the parking lot before the game, as much, and if not more, than the food and company at a fancy restaurant. These things that we hold dear – all true SEC fans know and love, and look forward to each autumn. It’s that time of year when the heated summer temperatures begin to fade and yield to colder days, when the leaves begin to change color, and when the youthful partisan spirit within us all crackles like the kindling of a well-planned winter fire.

If the Flora-Bama Walls Could Talk
If the Flora-Bama Walls Could Talk

Author: Chris Warner

Publisher: Wagon Publishing

Published: 2020-05-15

Total Pages: 49

ISBN-13:

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Over 500 quotes from the hallowed walls of the Last Great American Roadhouse on the Gulf of Mexico at the Alabama-Florida Line.

I Am a Town
I Am a Town

Author: Shari Smith

Publisher: River's Edge Media, LLC

Published: 2014-11-25

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 1940595118

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Shari Smith's roots reach into the Midwest and spread under the Mason-Dixon line into the heart of Dixie. She draws on both in this collection of heartwarming stories that originated on her blog, Gunpowder, Cowboy Boots, and Mascara. With the compassion of an old soul, irreverent wit, her North Carolina vernacular, and more than a few cuss words, Shari takes the reader into "her country," the small town of Claremont, North Carolina and a mystical land in Alabama called Waterhole Branch. Holding nothing back, she explores the sensitive issues of a rural community, creative minds of the music and literary world, and how a small town's tragedy affects an entire nation. Smith introduces the reader to real war heroes and a Bronze Star recipient author who told their story in graphic detail in We Were Soldiers Once and Young. She allows us to listen in on a telephone conversation with a handsome cowboy actor who had called that hard-nosed reporter to thank him for his work, and without a word of introduction, the reporter passed the phone to Shari, telling the movie star to "say hello." Shari Smith writes with insight into the ordinary folks who meet each morning at the Claremont Café, the Boys at the Back Table, and with equanimity of prize-winning writers, songwriters, and musicians who gather on the deck of her hundred-year-old farm house. Her world is populated with beloved dogs, horses, children, neighbors, and a bunch of crazy artist-types. All are "her people" - people you want to know.

Alabama Scoundrels
Alabama Scoundrels

Author: Kelly Kazek

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2014-06-17

Total Pages: 156

ISBN-13: 1625850670

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While legislators were writing the first laws in Alabama, some miscreant citizens were already breaking them, causing disorder and fleeing the hands of justice. Among these were cult-leader-turned-murderer "Bloody" Bob Sims, social-activist-turned-anarchist Albert Parsons, the mysterious hobo bandit Railroad Bill and the nefarious outlaw sheriff Steve Renfroe, who was credited with countless prison escapes, thefts and arson. Legendary Wild West figures Frank and Jesse James also appeared in Alabama, along with numerous other well-known gunslingers, pirates, crooks and desperados. Bushwhackers caused widespread chaos during the Civil War and were considered outlaws depending on which side you supported. Join real-life partners in crime Kelly Kazek and Wil Elrick as they recount the atrocities of some of Alabama's most infamous lawbreakers.

A Land Remembered
A Land Remembered

Author: Patrick D Smith

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2012-10-01

Total Pages: 286

ISBN-13: 1561645826

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A Land Remembered has become Florida's favorite novel. Now this Student Edition in two volumes makes this rich, rugged story of the American pioneer spirit more accessible to young readers. Patrick Smith tells of three generations of the MacIveys, a Florida family battling the hardships of the frontier. The story opens in 1858, when Tobias and Emma MacIvey arrive in the Florida wilderness with their son, Zech, to start a new life, and ends in 1968 with Solomon MacIvey, who realizes that his wealth has not been worth the cost to the land. Between is a sweeping story rich in Florida history with a cast of memorable characters who battle wild animals, rustlers, Confederate deserters, mosquitoes, starvation, hurricanes, and freezes to carve a kingdom out of the Florida swamp. In this volume, meet young Zech MacIvey, who learns to ride like the wind through the Florida scrub on Ishmael, his marshtackie horse, his dogs, Nip and Tuck, at this side. His parents, Tobias and Emma, scratch a living from the land, gathering wild cows from the swamp and herding them across the state to market. Zech learns the ways of the land from the Seminoles, with whom his life becomes entwined as he grows into manhood. Next in series > > See all of the books in this series

Anatomy of a Lynching
Anatomy of a Lynching

Author: James R. McGovern

Publisher: LSU Press

Published: 2013-10-07

Total Pages: 203

ISBN-13: 0807154261

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"A sensitive and forthright analysis of one of the most gruesome episodes in Florida history... McGovern has produced a richly detailed case study that should enhance our general understanding of mob violence and vigilantism." -- Florida Historical Quarterly "[McGovern] has succeeded in writing more than a narrative account of this bloodcurdling story; he has explored its causes and ramifications." -- American Historical Review "A finely crafted historical case study of one lynching, its antecedents, and its aftermath." -- Contemporary Sociology First published in 1982, James R. McGovern's Anatomy of a Lynching unflinchingly reconstructs the grim events surrounding the death of Claude Neal, one of the estimated three thousand blacks who died at the hands of southern lynch mobs in the six decades between the 1880s and the outbreak of World War II. Neal was accused of the brutal rape and murder of Lola Cannidy, a young white woman he had known since childhood. On October 26, 1934, a well-organized mob took Neal from his jail cell. The following night, the mob tortured Neal and hanged him to the point of strangulation, repeating the process until the victim died. A large crowd of men, women, and children who gathered to witness, celebrate, and assist in the lynching further mutilated Neal's body. Finally, the battered corpse was put on display, suspended as a warning from a tree in front of the Jackson County, Florida, courthouse. Based on extensive research as well as on interviews with both blacks and whites who remember Neal's death, Anatomy of a Lynching sketches the social background of Jackson County, Florida -- deeply religious, crushed by the Depression, accustomed to violence, and proud of its role in the Civil War -- and examines which elements in the county's makeup contributed to the mob violence. McGovern offers a powerful dissection of an extraordinarily violent incident.