By: Sharon Aron Baron
A novel written by a Coral Springs author inspired by real Florida crimes involving hurricane heists has grabbed the attention of Hollywood.
Richard Wickliffe’s new novel “Storm Crashers,” is about high-tech thieves who prey upon wealthy communities that have been evacuated due to approaching hurricanes. They are extremely brazen and must race the clock – until they cross a mysterious young witness that no one believes.
Originally inspired when mansions on Sanibel and Captiva islands were left exposed during Hurricane Charlie which resulted in lack of bridge or police access and compounded due to lack of power. Numerous burglaries were reported during this time.
This concept alone gained the attention of Hollywood, where Wickliffe, along with the help of others, was able to sell an option to 20th Century Fox where a script was written.
“This is my third novel, and my material seems to borrow from the unique criminal, scandalous or satirical environments of Florida,” he said. “I also enjoy speaking about creative and unique crimes, and I’ve done so twice at the FBI’s InfraGard counterterrorism conferences, as well as on panels at seminars in Las Vegas dedicated to accuracy in crime writing.”
A 40-year resident of Coral Springs, Wickliffe graduated from Coral Springs High School, then went on to graduate from Florida Atlantic University. He continues to live in the city with his wife and three children, and two of them currently attend his old high school.
Wickliffe also has a passion for art and photography, and works by him have been exhibited in Fort Lauderdale’s Broward Art Guild and in Forbes Travel Magazine.
Wickliffe ultimately finished Storm Chasers and Florida residents will enjoy the the many local references, including a spectacular finale involving an evacuated South Florida as the target of a monstrous category-5 hurricane. Now he he hopes to eventually see it on the silver screen.
Storm Crashers is now available on Amazon and at many booksellers and soon will be in all formats of ebooks. Storm Crasher’s on Amazon
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- Editor of Talk Media and writer for Coral Springs Talk. CST was created in 2012 to provide News, Views, and Entertainment for the residents of Coral Springs and the rest of South Florida.
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