He has a Web site. He talks to civic groups, historical societies, just about anybody who will listen. Rona Brinlee, owner of The Book Mark in Atlantic Beach, gave Reynolds his first break. He came in to tell me about his book and said he wanted to work with me, and if I would take a chance on him, he would make sure it worked. I agreed to order 500 books, which is a lot.
Most books have a short shelf life.
He does have the dark side of Mayport, but it's not sensationalism. People who grew up there say it's not off the mark. But they know things happened . . . Alec Newell, a Mayport collector and teller of his own stories, agreed that Reynolds can get down and dirty in his books. But, he added that he has given the books to a lot of people.