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Randy Wayne White is the author of dozens of novels set in Florida, including the fan favorite series about fictional marine biologist Marion “Doc” Ford. White’s latest Doc Ford novel is One Deadly Eye—as in, eye of the storm, just in time for peak hurricane season. The novel took him on a book tour that included stops at—where else?—Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille.

The restaurant, which White owns with two business partners, has four locations along Florida’s Central Gulf Coast. In June, the Terra Ceia resident stopped by the eatery’s location at the St. Pete Pier, where he’d come to do a reading and book signing. But first, he settled into a booth with Dalia for a chat.

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