Award-winning author announces new series

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, September 17, 2021 - Award-winning author Taylor Thomas Smythe revealed the title and details for his upcoming book series. Entitled Magic City Wonders, the new series blends elements of the science-fiction and fantasy genres and will span multiple mediums, including traditional books and scripted podcasts.

Smythe released a brief synopsis: “In 1980s Miami — a colorful and dangerous place known as the Magic City — a group of individuals discover supernatural powers. With crime on the rise, brave heroes begin to uncover a growing mystery.”

“I’ve been explaining it as X-Men meets Miami Vice,” said Smythe. “You have all of the mystery and grit of the mutant-superhero tropes mixed with the glamor and danger and color of the early ’80s melting pot that we associate with Miami. I really wanted it to evoke the feeling of action-adventure movies from that era, and I’ve spent countless hours researching and gathering inspiration. There was one rule that I had at the top of my documents as I wrote: ‘Must be fun!’ I truly let that become the guiding principle with these stories. It’s been one of the most enjoyable things to write—the world, the characters—I think readers are going to love it all.” 

While the stories are completely fictional, Smythe hinted that they will be anchored in reality. “The story takes place in a very specific time in history, starting in 1980, which allows us to explore historical events and themes that mirror many of the things we’re wrestling with in the present. While many of these events take place at the periphery of my stories, I’m excited to see how they weave through and inform my fictionalized version of real-world Miami.” 

The first book in the Magic City Wonders series will arrive in 2022, and installments will be published under the recently-announced Lamplight Universe moniker. 

Taylor Thomas Smythe is the author of the award-winning Kingdom of Florida middle-grade fantasy series, which includes six published novels and a seventh releasing late 2021. The series, which draws inspiration from such classics as The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, and L. Frank Baum’s Oz books, follows the journey of a group of South Florida children as they discover a magical parallel world ruled by an evil prince. The first book in the series--The Golden Alligator—was recently chosen as the winner of the silver medal in the Children: Sci-Fi/Fantasy category in the Florida Authors and Publishers Association President's Book Awards and as a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards.

For updates on this exciting new series, visit www.magiccitywonders.com. More information on Smythe’s award-winning Kingdom of Florida series can be found at www.kingdomofflorida.com.