Once Upon Academy Anthology The Winter Ball character profile: Mandevar

 Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing various character profiles for the upcoming release of OUA The Winter Ball. The book releases in early January but OUA Vol.1 is still available for a limited time.

Meet Mandevar!

He is 21 years old, a junior and majoring in physics in the magic realms.

He is 6'1'', slim, long dark hair, dark skin and wears square rimmed glasses over his brown eyes.

He has no magical talents but owns a flying carpet.

He grew up in Persia. His dad was a successful businessman and his mom a devoted mother.

His career goal is to understand better how and why magic works differently between the realms.

Three traits that fit him are: clever, quiet and curious

Honesty level between 1 and 5. 5 being most honest. He scores a 5.

He wants just once for a romantic evening with his girlfriend to go as planned.

Find out more!

OUA Vol. 1 

Pre-order OUA Vol.2 The Winter Ball

If you'd like to know more and get in the secret release and have some fun join the Facebook group.

Grab the Winter Ball chapters!

Once Upon Academy Anthology The Winter Ball: character profile Cindy

Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing various character profiles for the upcoming release of OUA The Winter Ball. The book releases in early January but OUA Vol.1 is still available for a limited time.

Meet Cindy!

She is 19 years old and is majoring in Fairy Godmothering.

She is 5'6'', tall, slender with blonde hair and blue eyes.

She has magical talents thanks to her magic wand and charm.

Her mother in the counselor of fairy godmothers at OUA.

Her current career goals are to party hard and enjoy life. Eventually she'll be a fairy godmother.

The traits that fit her are: party girl, cocky and unromantic

Honesty level between 1 and 5. 5 being most honest. She scores a 5.

Cindy loves college life, says it like it is and is a true bestie!

Get your copy of OUA Vol. 1 

Pre-order OUA Vol.2 The Winter Ball

If you'd like to know more and get in the secret release and have some fun join the Facebook group.

Grab the Winter Ball chapters!

Once Upon Academy The Winter Ball Vol. 2: character profile Zeke Wolfson

 Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing various character profiles for the upcoming release of OUA The Winter Ball. The book releases in early January but OUA Vol.1 is still available for a limited time.

Meet Zeke!

He is 22 years old and an ethics major.

He is 6'1'' with an athletic build. He's a knockout with short, dark curly hair, a scruffy beard, dark brown eyes and olive skin.

His best talent is being an enforcer and a dorm RA.

He is from the Canadian Yukon region.

His career goal is to be his own boss.

In his family he was the runt of the litter, always getting picked on by his siblings. He left home to start a pack of his own, but was defeated in battle by a rival, and his alpha status was stripped. Shunned and ostracized by society, he grew up bitter, believing he was a failure. He goes to Once Upon Academy to seek redemption and become stronger.

Three traits that fit him are: loyal, determined and hardworking

Honesty level between 1 and 5. 5 being most honest. He scores a 4.

He is unstable so the head mistress forbids him to leave the school until he does something extraordinarily positive to prove his worth to society. She offered him a job as a dorm RA to help him improve his leadership and social skills amongst his student peers. This seems to make him more bitter - that is until he meets Perle.

Find out more!

Get your copy of OUA Vol. 1 

Preorder OUA Vol. 2 The Winter Ball

If you'd like to know more and get in the secret release and have some fun join the Facebook group.

Grab the Winter Ball chapters!

Once Upon Academy Anthology The Winter Ball Balen Ravensblood character profile

 Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing various character profiles for the upcoming release of OUA The Winter Ball. The book releases in early January but OUA Vol.1 is still available for a limited time.

Meet Balen!

Balen is 20 years old and is majoring in business.

He is is 6'3'', dark and brooding.

He is a shifter; raven and wolf and comes from a land in a dying realm.

He has 3 ravens.

His mother is deceased and he's estranged from his father.

His only career goal right now is to survive.

The traits that fit him are loner, mischievious and loyal

Honesty level between 1 and 5. 5 being most honest. He scores a 3.

Find out more!

Get your copy of OUA Vol. 1 

Pre-order OUA Vol.2 The Winter Ball

If you'd like to know more and get in the secret release and have some fun join the Facebook group.

Get the Winter Ball Chapters here!

Once Upon Academy Antholgy The Winter Ball: character profile Astrid Ironside

 Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing various character profiles for the upcoming release of OUA The Winter Ball. The book releases in early January but OUA Vol.1 is still available for a limited time.

Meet Astrid!

She is 19 years, going on 20.

She hasn't declared a major yet.

She is 5'8'', auburn hair, brown eyes and wears lots of talismans jewelry.

She is an unlimited shifter.

She grew up not far from OUA.

Her father family is descended from The Boy Without Fear and her mother's side is descended from Shrek.

Her current career goal is that she's beginning to think she has a chance at anything so currently undecided.

Three character traits that fit her are fearful, romantic and protective.

Honesty level between 1 and 5. 5 being most honest. She scores a 4.

Get to know her better in OUA Vol. 2!

Get your copy of OUA Vol. 1 

Preorder OUA The Winter Ball!

If you'd like to know more and get in the secret release and have some fun join the Facebook group.

Grab the Winter Ball Chapters!

6 more days!

 In just 6 days Chelsea Evan's Girls Vol. 4 will be released!

The pre-order is available now. This is the longest yet of the Evan's Girls series. Enjoy the couple excerpts. No spoilers :-)

Excerpt 1:

We stopped in the business hallway. It was located in the back of the school, several hallways from the crowded cafeteria. In the quiet hallway we settled against the wall, our tushes on the floor. I’d worn shorts and hiked my gown up so it wouldn’t collect the dirt. 

It was my moment to tell James everything from the last couple days. I wasn’t sure how he’d take it but I needed someone to confide in because I felt like I was about to burst like a balloon. He didn’t interrupt as I spoke, but didn’t hide his emotions either. They were painted all over his face as he narrowed his eyes in skepticism then widened them in concern with an upper lip quiver.

“Have you talked with your foster parents?”

Now that was a silly question coming from him. A guy who never spoke to his dad or had any confidence in adults. 

“No, you know how I am. I’d feel guilty. They’ve taken care of me. Do you know any other foster children that have it as good as me? They’re all packed into houses.” I thought of the trucks again and took a deep breath to force the image away.

“But not you. You ever wonder why?” he asked.

No, I never had. Not really. It was just a thing that I got lucky. “I was high maintenance.” It was an easy answer that was my way of diverting the focus.

“All kids are high maintenance and don’t give me the martyr bit. Look, they got paid for having you there.” He rubbed his hands along his jeaned legs, turning away from me.

“I guess so.” Silence persisted between us for a few moments before I spoke again. “The other child who got out – Tyrus - I want to meet him.”

He sighed and spoke low, “Why? What is he going to tell you?”

Pushing a curl behind my ear I said, “I don’t know, but we’re both victims. Maybe he remembers something.”

“He was rescued by a killer and you were left outside a burning home. He went back to his family and you to a life of foster care.” His words hit the nail on the head. That was exactly it.

I leaned forward and drew circles on the tile. “Yeah. Why him and not me? It makes me angry. I was three years old, drugged and left to die!”

“I get it, Chelsea.” He brought a hand to my chin and lifted my head as my eyes focused on the invisible circles my fingers drew on the tile. I glanced away and into his eyes. “You’re not doing this alone. OK, I’m coming with you.”

I gave him a quick hug. It wasn’t the response I expected but it was me and him against the world for a few years now so it shouldn’t have surprised me. If he wanted to find his mom, I’d be right there with him.

Excerpt 2:

He handed me the card. “That’s the officer. He asked you to call or come by the station if you saw anything out of place.” His tone one of questioning, as if he knew I spent the evening talking to someone who didn’t belong.

Like a stab to my heart. A pointed finger at the young man I’d spent the evening talking with. I didn’t know Leandra well. We’d had a couple classes together over the years and she joined the robotics club her sophomore year but left after a few weeks. We had a running inside joke as school twins because everyone mistook us for sisters, even occasionally mistaking one of us for the other. She had darker hair and neither of us saw the resemblance. 

So much for never an incidence at the grad party. I’d spoken too soon. James’s words of warning grew louder in my head. I left early, but what did the dangerously too hot guy I was talking with do? Did he stay? Had he lied to me? Who was he? James was in my head. He’d said something seemed off, like something was in the woods... 

Nonsense. The guy was easy to talk with and I felt good in his presence. Was he the kind of person that would attack someone, and why? What would he have to gain? There was no answer to that question or even a great excuse like those I made for my file not being where it should be. I knew absolutely nothing about him, not even his name, so I had nothing to offer the police.

“We’re glad you’re OK,” Judy said, her voice sincere and filled with unease.

I cradled the card in my hand. “If I think of anything, I’ll call, but there’s nothing I can think of. It was as normal as an alcohol party with a bunch of gradates could be; loud music, makeshift bars, and dancing.”

When I got to my room I took several deep breaths. All the little organized boxes in my brain were opening, their contents spilling out in a disjointed fashion. My breathing sped up as I collapsed against the closed door. The bed in front of me, moving closer, the walls closing in. I was having a panic attack.

Pre-order

Ashes on the Earth by Sarah Ashwood

 A romance with a great plot!

My thoughts:

This is a romance which I don't generally read but it had great elements of suspense as well as a pervading problem. Ally or Ellie, I'm not sure how its spelled, tries to do something right when she saves a child it backfires in her face. Carter is the guy in charge of her care. I won't give more details and definitely no spoilers. Its a fun story that kept me tuned in. I listened mostly on my way to and from work.

I love how the author brought various types of shifters into the story. It doesn't focus on a single type and Carter is unique. The story is originial, has a good flow and relatable characters. The narration is top notch. She does a fantastic job!

Amazon/Audible

Fire in Frost by Alicia Rades

 Ghosts and the ability to see the them. Right up my alley!

 My thoughts:

I've had this in ebook for awhile but like most people I have far more books than I'll ever read. I chose depending on what I feel like reading. This was an excellent choice. 

The storyline is about a young girl who finds she can see and interact with ghosts when a ghost appears to her more than once. She finds the ability runs in her family. The ghost she keeps seeing is trying to get a message to her. She has to decided whether to hep or not.

The story has a good flow, a solid plot and we'll developed characters. The narration is fantastic too!

Amazon/Audible

When life throws acidic lemonade in your eyes

The last couple weeks have been a bit of a rollercoaster. In good ways and bad.

Recently, I lost a good friend. Someone who always made me laugh, someone who had the best smile and was always herself. She was amazing and not a day goes by I don't think about her. 

She was more than friend, almost a business partner. We spent countess hours brainstorming ideas. I've made it a mission to put as many of those ideas out there. I'm probably going overboard and doing too much at once to keep my mind occupied but one thing I learned from her was to do it, just do it. You have nothing to lose.

That's how she lived her life. She went overboard on what she loved and believed in. Sometimes it's difficult to take a chance but in the end its usually worth it. 

Every business decision I make I'll always think what would she do? Would she approve? What would she suggest? I've been running my business for a few years now but won't make another decision without thinking about her first.

Currently, I've been working on a new series. It encompasses eight realms. She was the first person I told and we discussed for hours the possibilities. She really helped shape the story before I even started writing it. In her honor I will finish it with a dedication to her.

I'm thinking of designing a character around her. She'd get a kick out of that. Friends leave an impression on our hearts even after they are gone. They aren't forgotten and I'd like to make her immortal. The snarky teenager that does her thing. In essence that describes the main character in my work in progress but I think I can add another snarky teen.

One of the things she convinced me to do was start a Patreon. I kind of knew what Patreon was but she had me create an account and had me check out various creators. We even discussed ideas but nothing quite meshed until about a week and a half ago. 

I had this epiphany as I was driving home. First, a chapter came to me. Popped into my head from nowhere. I don't really think it came from nowhere. I'm pretty convinced it was her because immediately following the story idea was using it to design a Patreon around.

Reading and books were a huge part of her world and she adored exclusive stuff from authors; books, swag, anything that couldn't be found anywhere else. That was it!

In honor of her and cool exclusive author stuff, the main idea behind my Patreon is to create exclusive stories that can't be found in stores, only Patrons have access to them. To make that even better Patrons get to decide where the story goes. The goal is once each story is done to have a special made book only for Patrons.

Not only would she have approved but without a doubt she was talking in my head. I invite readers anywhere, everywhere to subscribe. I promise fun, unique stuff and interactive stories!

I really can't wait to get my first Patron. Readers are a hoot and I need that in my life. Go ahead and click the link.

Patreon 

Remember, we all those we love. We can honor them everyday not only with our thoughts but our actions.

Wings of Fire by Stephanie Mirro

I'm adding this to my all-time favorites list. It's worth a second read or more.

My Thoughts:

Wow! The writing, the characters and the plot are all fantastic! If I could give 6 starts I would.

I love the tension and play with the grim reaper from the DEA. The story is hysterical yet there's a solid mystery and a few twists. The author has the ability to string words together in a fashion that is enteraining and bulds character. This story caught my attention and kept it. I'm not one to read or listen to a story more than once but with this one I just might!

Amazon/Audible

SOS from Florida

What the heck is happening in Florida? To answer the question the Delta variant and lack of leadership.

In Florida just the other day over 20,000 new cases were reported. Most of these cases are unvaccinated or undervaccinated people. Someone outside the US may wonder how this is even possible. We have vaccines a plenty. There's no wait to get one. A person who is old enough can simply walk into a pharmacy and get vaccinated. No appointment needed. We even have a jab option. It is really that easy and simple. Let me explain.

In this state are a large number of people who are against the vaccine. Many of those same people are against wearing masks or social distancing. Children of all ages are getting sick. The young children can't get vaccinated yet. The governor signed an executive order preventing local governments or school districts from mandating masks. Children go back to school this week and next. With that executive order the governor also threatened to pull school funding for counties who defy it.

Children are going back to school now. My county starts in a couple days. My county is also less than 40% vaccinated. Duval county home of Jacksonville is less than 50% vaccinated. Florida as a state is at approximately 50%. Take a look at the graphics. It's sickening not only because this didn't have to happen but people are getting sick and some are dying.

Children are in the hospital all over the state. Parents, neighbors, friends, family are getting sick and its avoidable. There's no reason for it. There are so many countries that are undervaccinated because they don't have access to the vaccines and people in Florida aren't bothering with it. Florida isn't the only state but we are the epicenter of COVID 19 in the US. Approximately 20% of cases in the US are in Florida.

According to the Washington Post on August 4th a few districts are ignoring the governor and mandating masks in schools. Parents are begging districts to defy the governor and mandate masks. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has recomended that people vaccinated and unvaccinated wear masks indoors. I hope the trend continues and that school districts everywhere in the state mandate masks. It is the very least that can be done. 

Let's get to another big issue with kids in schools. Classrooms will be full. Teachers can see their class sizes now. I know teachers with 30 students in a classroom. The CDC recomends three feet between students. There will not be three feet in many classrooms. The rooms simply aren't large enough. Florida lost teachers, some to COVID, some went on leave, some retired and others have quit going on to other professions. 

I watch as other countries and states cry about lockdowns and restrictions. I wish Florida had some. In my opinion, masks should be mandated in schools for all grades. We should be following CDC guidance.

Once the vaccines have regular FDA approval I think the COVID vaccine should be mandated as part of a students shot record. It might be as early as this fall when chldren under 12 can start getting vaccinated. The sooner, the better. Parents have to provide a shot record to enroll a student in kindergarten in the US then an updated one when they start junior high. There are very few exemptions to that. As a country we have weeded out measles, mumps, polio and other illness because of these vaccine requirements.

I think healthcare workers would applaud that. They are overworked, fatigued mentally and physically. Literally they are living in a COVID nightmare. I don't know how much more they can take. These are humans who haven't had much reprieve in Florida and a few other states. For them, for children, for those who can't get vaccinated because of medical reasons I follow CDC guidance.

I want people to live! 

Another article about Desantis executive order and schools from ABC News.

An article from ClickOrlanda about hospitals and COVID in Florida.

SOS from Florida

The Yorkshire Dipper by Maria Frankland

 A fantastic, suspenseful and moving thriller!

My Thoughts:

The Yorkshire Dipper has all the elements that make a good mystery/thriller. It was my entertainment on a cross state excursion and made the time goquick as I couldn't wait to fnd out what happened next. The characters and plot was rich. The narrator Naomi Rose-Mock was also great. I thought her voice, pitch ans speed were perfect.

Amazon/Audible

The Florida Hunger Games Part 3

 This post is two an a half months over due.

I made it to one of the FEMA sites and got my first COVID jab. Three weeks later I got the second. Its now June and no problems.

The first week of April is when I got jab 2 in the morning about 10:00 a.m. I had the initial arm soreness at the injection site but it didn't last. All day I felt great. Went about m day like normal. That evening I got tired, went to bed and felt pretty tired the next day. By that evening a second wind caught me and I was wide awake.

That was it. No real side effects.

A lot has changed since then and anybody 12 and up can get their shot in the US. About 50% of the population in Florida is vaccinated. Some states are much higher and I'm a bit jealous. I'm crossing my fingers in hopes Florida will get to even 60%. Time will tell.

Stay healthy!

Hunger Games in Florida part 2

 I did it! I'm half way there.

Eight days ago I started my hunger games in Florida series. Attempting to schedule a vaccine proved to be impossible and a waste of time. I live close to one of Florida's largest cities and decided to visit one of the federal vaccination sites.

That proved to be a wise decision. It was a bit of a drive but I avoided the freeways and rush hour and still got there in thirty minutes. I walked up. There was a few people in line in front of me but the line moved quickly and I entered the site. Almost immediately I was sent to a table and the worker took my information and asked me a few questions then gave me a sticker to wear and I was sent to another line.

This line was to point people in the right direction for the vaccine they were getting. This site was giving out two types of COVID vaccines. Again, the line was short and I was sent directly to a table and promptly given the vaccine. I was then sent to the 15 minute waiting area.

After 15 minutes I was sent home. It was super easy and no hassle. It took me longer to drive there and home than it did to get jabbed.

I won't say the shot was painless but it lasted a couple seconds. My arm has felt a little heavy since and its tender at the injection site but that was to be expected.

In three weeks I return for shot two :-)

I'm happy that I get to attend my first book event next weekend at least half vaccinated. It will be the first crowd I've been in, in over a year.

My gratitude is to the President and the federal government for making these sites possible.

I'll check back in with you in three weeks after jab two!

Spicy New Release!

 Author TL Katt has a new release that will take you on a somewhat comical paranormal romantic adventure to the fictional town of Nirvana Isle on Florida's emerald coast.

Buy here!

She told herself she was taking Julian’s advice and spending quality time on a pleasure activity. One last glance from her balcony. The sparkle caught her eye again, but straight on as it sank beneath the water. A surfboard bobbed above it and a hand came up over the edge. A man lifted himself out of the water.

She couldn’t move her eyes from him. He was perfect in every way physically possible. Long, dark, wet hair in a ponytail fell over his back. His body held a deep tan. Water glistened on his muscled shoulders as he swam on top of the board towards the shore. He was the epitome of utopia.

On the beach she spread out her towel and plunged her large umbrella into the sand. A light wind kept the beach temperature from getting absurdly hot. It didn’t take her roving eye long to find the man on his surfboard. The Emerald Coast wasn’t known for surfing. The waters were quite shallow and not rough enough to form large waves, but it didn’t seem to bother him.

Hidden by dark sunglasses, she kept her eye on him while she listened to her favorite playlist on her phone. She imagined the two of them in a steamy love scene,  the tide rushing over them and then receding. In her mind there was no one else on the beach but the two of them.

After hours of surfing he came onto the beach, his board tucked

under his arm. He walked straight towards her with a look so intense she almost had to look away. He was even more beautiful up close. Was he aware she’d been watching him? Daydreaming? She suddenly felt nervous and awkward.

He undid his ponytail; his hair fell, hanging just below his shoulders. It was the color of dark-roasted coffee and his eyes were so radiant. She felt as though she could see inside his soul. His heart pounded in his chest, a steady rhythm in her ears. For a moment she felt as though their minds connected. That’s impossible, Abby. Pull your eyes away, she thought as he grew closer, only a few feet from her now.

In that instant the world stood still and a primordial urge from somewhere deep within her welled to the surface. It was a feeling she had never felt before but it guided her actions as he dropped onto the sand beside her.

​Copyright 2021 TL Katt

Florida Hunger Games

In Florida some pharmacies, CVS and Walmart, have now expanded who can get the COVID 19 vaccine. I'm now eligible but that doesn't mean I necessarily can walk in and get the vaccine.

Yesterday I got onto CVS website and tried to schedule my vaccination but they were booked. I tried it again today. Still booked.

I got onto Walmart's website and attempted to schedule my vaccine. After the first 2 closest locations were booked I tried the third closest and there was an 11:40 appointment for next week. I quickly chose it but then was deflated when it said that appointment was already taken. I tried a couple other locations going as far as 30 miles from my home. All booked.

It feel like I'm in the Hunger Games. If you're lucky you get an appointment but like filing unemployment in Florida you just have to keep at daily. I'm pretty adept at using the computer and scheduling appointments online but I wonder about older people who can't maneuver online well. Are these people getting their vaccines?

Just about everybody in Florida knows there's been vaccination sites set up in wealthy retired communities but what about those living in the "wrong" zip codes?

Read one such story here. These stories are all over media. Simply type in DeSantis Covid mishandling or DeSantis vaccinating donors or even try DeSantis calls for DOJ investigation.

Its pretty disgusting that people can't get vaccinated. I think we need something more organized. Its a true shit show here. I will continue my plight because I want to see how long it actually takes to schedule the vaccine.

I'm guessing if I try daily I may be able to get it scheduled within the next 30 days but I'm not holding my breath. How long do you think it will take?

Florida's success...

 As a Florida resident for over 20 years I'm sick and tired of the US view on Florida that we are wide open and a haven for those seeking refuge from restrictions related to the virus. Honestly, many of us don't want you here if that's why you're visiting. We've been working without government guidance to keep people safe.

I'm tired of watching the governor take credit for something that he shouldn't get to take responsibility for. None of the elected officials should be able to take credit for.

Yes, Florida is wide open. No COVID restrictions. This part is true but what is never discussed or printed in papers is how the people and businesses in Florida have in the absence of state mandated restrictions taken the matters into their own hands.

I live in a precarious place, in a small county that is mostly suburban/rural with a population of approximately 230,000 and on the edge (less than 1 mile) of one of Florida's largest cities with a population of approximately 1,000,000. I see the stark differences between both worlds.

When I leave my house to head to the grocery store or post office I enter the city. People are wearing masks, businesses have restrictions in place, not all restaurants are open to 100% capacity and there is distance between the tables. Fast food restaurants are drive-thru only etc.

When I go into my own county about half the population are wearing masks, stores have few restrictions and most restaurants are open to 100% capacity.

Many workers who could work virtually were sent home in March and many of those people are still working from home and new hires are trained and work from home. Many residents even without lockdown measures in place aren't heading out into the public or at least large public gatherings. Many of us are watching out for our families and others.

Its the businesses and residents of our largest cities that in my opinion have kept our COVID numbers from reaching higher than they have. WE have taken responsibility. Not all people of Florida but many. Our businesses have stepped up.

I have four book events this year. All of them in Florida and as each approaches I'm sent information of precautions the venues are taking. I can say they aren't taking the virus lightly.

Florida is a tourist state. People flock from around the world to visit our beaches and the parks in Orlando. Businesses need people to stay in business. Don't come to Florida expecting to hang out at the resort without wearing a mask or enjoy a day at Disney without following precautions.

No or few businesses in Florida wants to be responsible for spreading the virus around the nation or the world. I will also say that there are groups that don't care about restrictions. Lets take the CPAC convention this weekend. Watch it on YouTube. People are packed into the convention indoors, sitting side by side without masks. These people will go home and some will take the virus with them because its likely some at the convention have the virus and don't know it yet or simply don't care. 

Unfortunately, these things do happen and many Floridians frown when they do. Let's take the super bowl in Tampa, Florida. Restrictions were put in place at the stadium but what about the tailgaters? What about those who gathered in sports bars or their living rooms across the US? Last week the US saw an uptick in cases. Can it be related to the super bowl? I don't have that answer but wouldn't be surprised if at least in some small way it was.

If we see an uptick in cases in approximately 2 weeks can we at least assume that it may have something to do with the large convention in Orlando this weekend.

Now, lets get into the vaccine rollout in Florida. In December health care workers, residents and workers in nursing homes were the first to start getting vaccinated. Next the governor added those 65 and older and at some point those with comorbidities have been added. I'm unsure if there is an age factor and wouldn't be surprised if it varies per county. Nearly three months later no one else has been able to get the vaccine.

As a tourist state I question very seriously why our frontline workers haven't been added to the vaccination list. Many of these people want the vaccine and have been the ones keeping our economy afloat yet they can't get vaccinated.

The benefit to vaccinating them (service workers, teachers, police officers, retail associates, hospitality, firemen, EMTs, agriculture etc,) isn't merely because they should be on a moral basis but vaccinating them (people who deal with the public) would add a layer of protection across the state for everyone; residents and non residents alike of all age groups.

Let's look at California. As of January 14 they had over 40,000 cases. Now February 27, they are down to just 4,400 cases. That's a massive drop. An impressive drop. California has twice the population of Florida and is at least in some part a touristy state as well ( in some areas).

Now here are Florida's unimpressive numbers. Florida peaked Jan.7 with almost 20,000 cases. Now, February 27 we have 5,900 cases. One has to ask what is California doing that Florida isn't? They are vaccinating phases 1A and 1B which includes healthcare workers, nursing home residents and staff, those 65 and older and frontline workers such as teachers, police officers, food and agriculture workers. California seems to at least have gotten vaccinations correct but like anything else related to the virus Florida got it wrong. 

We have half the population of California and if we'd vaccinate according to CDC guidelines could drastically reduce our cases. Heck, maybe even under 1,000 a day. Unfortunately, this is not the case and I wonder if and when anyone will say something about it. Besides those of us living in Florida. 

One last thing. People often are under the assumption that Florida is mostly old retired people so let me dispel that myth. According to the 2020 census 20.9% of the population is 65 and older. People under 18 make up 19.7 percent. That leaves approximately 60% of the population between the ages of 19 and 64. That's our work force. Approximately 80% of Floridians are under the age of 65. It is not the retired people haven non-Floridians think it is. 

Is anyone tracking upticks in cases related to travel to and from Florida? 

Does anyone besides Floridians care if we ever have access to the vaccine? 

Will those of us who are concerned about our fellow Floridians ever have a normal-ish life again?

Will we become or are we the super spreader state?