British author calls Sebring his second home

He spends only about two months of the year in Sebring, but British writer Jack Everett says he loves Highlands County and its people.

"Everyone here has always been wonderful to us, whether Florida crackers, or transplants, or visitors like us," says Jack. "That's why we keep coming back." And he's been doing it ever since he first stopped here overnight on a family vacation in 1980.

That's also about how long Jack Everett has been writing and selling books. As an author, Everett is unique for several reasons. One, he writes in multiple genres rather than just one like most authors. Everett has published mysteries, historical adventures, thrillers, science fiction, and fantasies.

The idea of writing started when Everett's youngest son, Gavin, got in the habit of asking his father to tell him a story at bedtime. Everett says, "When I ran out of all the usual stories I started making them up and discovered that I loved it. Eventually I started writing them down and here I am, still at it."

His wife, Wendy, will tell you that when Jack is "at it" he's completely absorbed. While writing his latest book "Jihad," Wendy says she literally didn't see or talk to Jack for two weeks, though they were together here in Sebring in the cottage they rent every winter. "Jihad," which deals with a hypothetical chain of terrorist attacks on the city of London, is now at the printer and set to be released this spring.

Jack Everett also differs from most writers in his approach. He writes with a partner, David Coles, also from Britain. Each was working on his first book when they decided to help each other by exchanging chapters for review. Somehow they hit on the idea of each writing the next chapter of the other's book then exchanging again. "It was such fun," says Everett. "I was writing a mystery and David would always get my hero stuck up a tree, so to speak, and I'd have to find a way to get him down. It made us both better writers."

Eventually, they joined forces and now write everything as a team. "Usually I generate the ideas," says Everett, "then I write the basic story. David adds the details and description." Coles also creates a Web site for each book and handles the submission details of publishing.

And that's another area where Jack Everett is not the usual writer. His books are not all published the same way. Several are available only online as serials, a chapter at a time. Others are downloadable in entirety. Still others are in print as traditional books. In total, the writing team of Jack Everett and David Coles has generated more than 20 books.

Jack Everett will be the guest speaker Monday, March 1 at the monthly meeting of Sebring's Scribes and Scribblers writers club, at 7 p.m. at Beef O'Brady's. The public is welcome to hear the presentation and readings, in Everett's lilting king's English. In addition, a variety of books will be available for purchase and signing by the author.