OKEECHOBEE — A Florida native has published her first novel, and it is based on the Lake Okeechobee area, particularly Moore Haven.

Christie Caliendo grew up in Fort Lauderdale but spent many exciting weekends and vacations in the Moore Haven area as her family enjoyed hunting, fishing and just relaxing in the quiet beauty.

“I was lucky enough to have always been surrounded by the hunting/outdoor crowd in Fort Lauderdale, and we spent decades travelling back and forth to Moore Haven. I was always mesmerized by the contrast between the Lake Okeechobee life and the coastal life I grew up around,” she said. “The people are different, nicer, and they actually have Southern accents and manners.”  She went on to say she loves the nature around this area, and it always gave her a sense of awe that something so entirely different could exist so close to where she lived. “There are people in Florida who aren’t even aware of this world over here.”

Always a writer, Caliendo began her career as a newspaper reporter and later worked as an editor for a magazine group. Now, she works in Public Relations and marketing and spends her evenings and weekends writing. She still enjoys coming to Moore Haven for the duck or gator hunting but can usually be found cooking breakfast for everyone when they get back from the hunts instead of heading out into the woods herself. Many of her friends and family own homes in Moore Haven now and spend as much time as possible there.

Though "Lesser Haven" was recently published, Caliendo said she actually wrote the book about 20 years ago but was so overwhelmed by the process of self-publishing back then that she just stuck the manuscript on a shelf to deal with it later. “It was a lot more complicated 20 years ago,” she explained. “There was not anything electronic then. It would have been a large investment of time.”

Fast forward 20 years, and publishing was much simpler. Her next problem was locating the book that had been stashed away for 20 years. It was not on her computer, but she finally found one copy stuck in a dusty old box on a shelf. She got it out and brushed it off and tried scanning it into her computer but found fonts from 20 years ago were not as easy to read now. After spending a lot of time editing and re-editing, she was finally ready to submit the book. “I just wanted to hold a copy of my own book,” she said. “That’s all I really wanted, just to see it and hold it. If that was all that ever came from it, that was enough.” She said her mother asked for a signed copy for Christmas, so she quickly got the book uploaded to Amazon and ready to go. The book can be purchased in hard cover, paperback or on Kindle. “I’ve been absolutely floored by the reception the book has gotten.”

Plans for a second book are already in the works, and this time, she plans to focus on Lake Okeechobee itself, and the people affected by the pollution going into the lake.  

The following are some of the reviews posted on Amazon:

Loved the Florida references and historical insight. The story was gripping and I never anticipated the plot turns. It was dark yet endearing, all at the same time. ~Kristie K.

 The author has enlightened us with rich Florida history and she exposes the main character, Callie, to enemies, hate, ugliness, horror as well as friends, love, beauty and peace. This story is better than a Disney theme park ride!! ~Robert W.

 What a great book, I can’t speak enough about it. Captivating through and through. Extremely well written, I highly recommend. ~Dcam

It’s the perfect quick read to escape into small-town America. ~Linz

The twists were unpredictable, and I found myself completely absorbed in the story. ~Jenn

From the very first page, Lesser Haven pulled me straight into its world. Christie Caliendo’s descriptive writing is absolutely captivating—she has a remarkable gift for painting scenes so vividly that you feel like you’re right there beside the characters, experiencing every twist, emotion, and discovery right along with them. ~Jen

Caliendo creates a world that is not only immersive but emotionally resonant, making it impossible not to invest in the journey. ~J

This book is soooo good. It’s a love story, a mystery, battle for survival and so much more. I could NOT put it down. I loved the threads of Florida history woven through the story. ~ T. Martin

I can totally see this as a great movie on Netflix! ~Kelli

You can follow Cailiendo on Facebook at Christie Caliendo, and her book can be purchased on Amazon Lesser Haven on Amazon

If you would like to meet the author, Caliendo will be doing a book signing event at the Olde 27 Coffee Co. in Moore Haven on Saturday, Dec. 27 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.