Book 1 in the Magic City Wonders Series

Goldie: A Magic City Wonders Novel

Written by: Taylor Thomas Smythe

Release Date: November 1, 2022

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Award laurel badge that reads 2023 Gold Medal Award Winner Independent Publisher Book Awards
Award laurel badge that reads 2022 Silver Medal Award Winner Florida Book Awards

In 1980s Miami Beach, money is tight, the heat is relentless, and Donna Locke is out of options. When she volunteers for a mysterious experimental clinical trial to earn some quick cash, she inherits an unexpected supernatural side effect that turns her life upside down—Donna gains the ability to turn anything she touches into solid gold.

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  • From the award-winning author of the Kingdom of Florida series comes a brand-new series: enter the world of Magic City Wonders.

    In 1980s Miami Beach, money is tight, the heat is relentless, and Donna Locke is out of options. When she volunteers for a mysterious experimental clinical trial to earn some quick cash, she inherits an unexpected supernatural side effect that turns her life upside down—Donna gains the ability to turn anything she touches into solid gold.

    At first, her new power feels like a blessing. But when one accidental touch results in a tragedy she can’t undo, Donna is thrust into a dangerous game of secrets, survival, and impossible choices.

    Meanwhile, as two Miami cops investigate a string of strange incidents, Donna must outrun those who want to exploit her power.

    This fast-paced supernatural thriller set in vibrant 1980s Miami kicks off the award-winning Magic City Wonders series, filled with action, humor, suspense, retro nostalgia, and a heart-warming emotional depth. Perfect for fans of Stranger Things, Miami Vice, supernatural mystery thrillers, and light-hearted sci-fi adventure with a dark twist.

    A thrilling, funny, and sharply imagined novel about unexpected power, unintended consequences, and the secrets hiding under the Miami sun.

    All that glitters isn’t gold.

  • Gold Medal - IPPY Awards

    In 2023, the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY Awards) named Taylor Thomas Smythe’s Goldie: A Magic City Wonders Novel the winner of the gold medal in the Southeast - Best Regional Fiction category.

    Silver Medal - Florida Book Awards

    In 2022, Goldie: A Magic City Wonders Novel by Taylor Thomas Smythe received a silver medal in the Florida Book Awards.

  • Taylor Thomas Smythe was born and raised in South Florida and has been writing creatively for the majority of his life, transitioning to books with his award-winning debut novel in the Kingdom of Florida series: The Golden Alligator. Smythe is a graphic designer and a long-time resident of West Palm Beach, Florida. Read more about him here.

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    Ebook: Amazon | Kobo | Nook

    Hardcover: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Bookshop.org | Walmart

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Awards & Accolades

Award laurel badge that reads 2023 Gold Medal Award Winner Independent Publisher Book Awards
Award laurel badge that reads 2022 Silver Medal Award Winner Florida Book Awards

  • In 2023, the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY Awards) named Taylor Thomas Smythe’s Goldie: A Magic City Wonders Novel the winner of the gold medal in the Southeast - Best Regional Fiction category.

  • In 2022, Goldie: A Magic City Wonders Novel by Taylor Thomas Smythe received a silver medal in the Florida Book Awards.

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About the Series

Magic City Wonders is a light-hearted, high-stakes supernatural sci-fi thriller mystery series set in 1980s & 1990s Miami, blending fast-paced action, police investigations, science experiments gone wrong, and deepening mysteries.

Perfect for fans of Stranger Things, Miami Vice, supernatural mystery thrillers, and light-hearted sci-fi adventures with a dark, neon-drenched twist—mixing experimental superpowers, Miami crime mysteries, and ’80s retro adventure for a delightful, fun, and riveting ride that’s hard to put down.

Read the Award-Winning 1980s Miami Supernatural Sci-Fi Thriller Mystery Series from Taylor Thomas Smythe:

Goldie (Book 1)

The Dream Team (Book 2)

Nightmare Array (Book 3)

Song of the Starling (Book 4) Coming soon!

Latest News & Releases

News
Award-winning author Taylor Thomas Smythe interviewed for Voyage MIA

Good morning Taylor, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?

That’s a great question. I think many people struggle with imposter syndrome—the idea that we’re not good enough or creative enough, and that everyone (except us) has it all figured out. That’s a huge lie that even the most competent people believe. For me, one way to combat that is to continue to be courageous, putting my creative efforts out there and building my self-efficacy as I go. Deeper than that, though, is that I start with the foundation: that I’m loved by God and created for a purpose. When that’s the starting point, it helps ground us and shield us from needing to find validation elsewhere. Otherwise, we’re easily tempted to base our worth on our work.

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Kingdom of Florida: Journey to the Wayward Isles novella out now

On Wednesday, award-winning author Taylor Thomas Smythe released Kingdom of Florida: Journey to the Wayward Isles, a novella set in the world of his award-winning Kingdom of Florida fantasy series. The book is framed as the in-universe journal of Jesse Haywood—a character who debuted in the original Kingdom of Florida novels and features as the narrator of the podcast limited series Treasure Hunters: A Kingdom of Florida Adventure. 

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Treasure Hunters: A Kingdom of Florida Adventure now available

On Wednesday, the first episode of Treasure Hunters: A Kingdom of Florida Adventure was released. Treasure Hunters is creator Taylor Thomas Smythe’s new fiction podcast, an audio drama set in the world of his award-winning Kingdom of Florida fantasy series. The scripted audio adventure consists of five episodes, which will be released weekly on all major podcast platforms.

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