TAMPA, Fla. — Instead of competing against one another, two Tampa Bay authors are working together. Each of their books focuses on things to do and places to go in Tampa Bay.
Kristen Hare is originally from Missouri, while Josh Ginsberg is from Pennsylvania, but it wasn’t until they moved to Florida that they had the inkling to start writing books.
“We thought we were only going to live here for a year and decided we wanted to live like tourists so we started gathering all the great adventures,” said Hare.
“My wife and I had begun creating this sort of adventure list or bucket list to try to get to know the area,” said Ginsberg.
This year Hare released “100 Things to Do in Tampa Bay Before you Die, Third Edition.”
“I really wrote it for people who live here and have maybe lived here their whole lives, and I’m delighted when they are surprised by things that are in the book,” said Hare.
Employees of La Segunda Bakery were especially excited to see the history of the century-old business make it onto the pages.
“It’s the place to come for some of the best pastries and bread in town, but it’s also the place that makes all of the Cuban bread for the Columbia restaurants,” said Hare.
While Ginsberg’s book is titled “Secret Tampa Bay, A Guide to the Weird Wonderful and Obscure.”
“Hopefully, the kind of things you can only see in one place on earth,” said Ginsberg.
Ginsberg focuses more on locations of curiosity, like the Ybor City store Dysfunctional Grace.
“For those who are seeking oddities and wonders and things that are unique and strange and different, I can think of no better place to start that search,” said Ginsberg.
Both authors will be holding a combined speaking and book signing event on Thursday at the Safety Harbor Public Library at 6:30 p.m., promoting each other's books, but even more importantly, promoting the place they love.
“Especially after the pandemic, those are the places we want to celebrate and make sure stay in business so they keep the fabric of our city and region intact,” said Hare.
