“Portersville” by Daryl Haskew is now available for purchase 

Author Reputation Press is honored to publish “Portersville” by Daryl Haskew. This masterpiece presents a compelling story about how, after a summer of record-setting heat, the water of the Gulf of Mexico began to boil. The book is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the ARP website.

In this, his first novel, author Daryl Haskew transports the reader into the exciting, mysterious world of Portersville. Spending decades in and on Portersville Bay allowed for personal experiences with sailing, building boats, and constructing log homes. The Spring Hill College graduate and retired educator blends fact and fiction into a powerful saga spanning twenty years among the characters of what is now known as Bayou La Batre, Coden, and Dauphin Island, Alabama.

“Portersville” by Daryl Haskew is highly acclaimed by Priscilla Estes of the US Review of Books and highlighted: “Haskew knows nature’s fury from growing up in Portersville and living through Hurricane Camille in 1969, which took his home. Two subsequent dwellings were swallowed, and now he lives in a trailer, moveable when hurricanes threaten. Haskew does a fine job of romanticizing the past and bringing it alive through a colorful cast of characters, including noble Greeks, shrimp boat captains, voodoo queens, Mafia dons, and Creek Indian archetypes. History buffs will enjoy the historically accurate progress of a real coastal town, from the first shrimp boat to pleasure boats and casinos through electricity and automobiles.”

In the story, a flicker of lightning behind a thunderhead and then a deep rumble marked the approach of a storm. Selena squeezed the hand of her handsome Greek husband. Together, they peered across the vastness of the Gulf of Mexico while digging their toes into the cool sand. A weathered lighthouse offshore split the darkness, casting its light across the treacherous waters.

They braced themselves against the wind gusts and pelting rain. Between lightning strikes, they watched the squall line draw nearer. A dark tendril reached skyward, attaching itself to the cloud above. The waterspout danced along the outer sandbars, then crashed ashore, ripping and tearing, before dissipating among the pines and sand dunes.

Only twelve miles to the north, hotels glowed like jewels scattered along the shoreline. Bandstands blasted out music across the bay as vacationers danced under the stars and giant oaks. Children carrying torches and nets squealed and laughed while chasing crabs in the shallow grass beds. Lovers whispered as they walked along the banks of the bay. Old people sat in the glow of lantern light on their porches, reminiscing of times gone by, legends of pirates, fast schooners, floating spirits, and the lost art of voodoo. Lightning on the southern horizon gave a warning that the evening was about to change.

Cy and Selena fled Greece to avoid a personal storm and protect their families. They knew that this same storm could cross the ocean and track them to Portersville. Dripping wet and chilled, they vowed never to run again.

“Portersville” by Daryl Haskew is now available for purchase via ARP Bookstore: https://authorreputationpress.com/products/portersville.