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SoFlo Publishing is a social media site operated by Kelli and Rod Baxter. We created the SoFlo Publishing social media site to share our love of writing, reading, books, authors, and the joy of a good story. From fiction and mysteries to nonfiction and personal stories, we enjoy bringing good books into the world—and connecting with others who enjoy them as much as we do. Thanks for stopping by, following along, and sharing our love of books and storytelling. Kelli & Rod Baxt

🎄🍂 The December edition of the Grayhaven Gazette has arrived—and it’s a special one. This is the final edition of the Grayhaven Gazette. Over the past several months, we’ve shared stories of Grayhaven’s history, its people, its traditions, and a few mysteries along the way. 📖🕯️ This month, Wren takes us into the archives, Hayes has a few words of thanks, and one final mystery waits to be solved. Thank you for spending a little time in Grayhaven with us. Our Town. Our Stor

What the Water Remembers Some of you may remember this story under its original title, The Boy Who Swam with Alligators. I’ve spent a great deal of time reimagining and rewriting the book—not simply editing it, but going back to the story and rewriting the storytelling. The story of Grayson, who becomes Cayman. Sarah, who sees the world through a camera before discovering that conservation is her calling. Emma, who grows up surrounded by family, nature, animals, and the stori

There is a difference between telling a story and storytelling. Telling a story gives the reader information. It explains what happened, what a character is feeling, why something matters, and how one event connects to another. The writer guides the reader through the story. Storytelling is a little different. Storytelling gives the reader an experience from which they can discover the story for themselves. Instead of telling us that a character is nervous, the writer might s

The Calamity Club is a fun, laugh-out-loud story about strong women who will do whatever it takes to save their family home during the Depression. We really enjoyed the way the women stick together and help each other through difficult times. There’s plenty of humor, but also a wonderful story about survival, determination, and resilience. The stories about the orphanages were especially memorable and showed the incredible spirit of people who had very little but refused to g

🍂🦃 The November edition of the Grayhaven Gazette has arrived! Thanksgiving has arrived in Grayhaven, bringing old traditions, community gatherings, a little history, and—of course—a mystery involving a turkey that got away. 🦃😉 Inside this month’s Gazette, Wren looks through the archives, Hayes has a few holiday driving reminders, and the town prepares to celebrate Thanksgiving together. Our Town. Our Stories. Our Grayhaven. 📰📖 Happy Thanksgiving from Grayhaven!

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley When you hear Frankenstein, you probably picture one of the many horror movies. But Mary Shelley’s original story is something quite different—and we really enjoyed it. Victor Frankenstein creates a creature who, as the story unfolds, becomes self-aware and longs for something surprisingly simple: friendship, companionship, and a place where he belongs. And here’s the interesting part: the more you learn about Victor and his creation, the more yo

The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig The Midnight Library is a fascinating story about Nora Seed, who finds herself in a mysterious library between life and death. Each book on the shelves gives her the chance to experience a different version of her life. Nora explores lives where she becomes a rock star, an Olympic swimmer, a glaciologist, and much more. But as she experiences these different possibilities, she discovers that no life is perfect. Every path has its own challen

Legends & Lattes, by Travis Baldree Legends & Lattes is a cozy fantasy about Viv, an adventurer who decides it’s time to trade her sword for an apron and open a coffee shop. With Tandri by her side, Viv builds something special that brings all kinds of people together. What starts as a small business quickly becomes a place where friendships grow and everyone seems to find a little sense of belonging. We really enjoyed the humor, the characters, and the heart behind the story

Reading is a journey the mind can take without ever leaving where we are. A book can take us to a place we’ve never been or return us to a place we’ve nearly forgotten. It can take us into another time, another culture, or another person’s life. Reading can transport us into a fantasy world, challenge us with a complex mystery, introduce us to people we’ve never met, or simply give us another way of thinking about the world around us. And all of this can happen from the comfo

Slaughterhouse-Five is one of those books that is difficult to describe without giving too much away. At its center is Billy Pilgrim, a soldier during World War II who seems to move back and forth through different moments of his life, experiencing the past, present, and future in unexpected ways. There’s war, science fiction, dark humor, and some very strange moments along the way. But underneath all of that is a story about the lasting effects of war and the way people try

Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus Lessons in Chemistry is a fun and entertaining book with a wonderfully unconventional main character. Elizabeth Zott is a brilliant chemist in the 1960s who isn’t interested in following society’s rules about what women should or shouldn’t do. When she unexpectedly becomes the host of a popular cooking show, Elizabeth decides to teach her audience something a little different: chemistry through cooking. She’s smart, independent, outspoke

The October edition of the Grayhaven Gazette has arrived! 🍂🎃 Autumn has settled over Grayhaven, and Halloween is just around the corner. This month’s Gazette brings pumpkins, hayrides, a little history, a few safety reminders from Hayes, and—of course—a mystery from Rock Point. Grab a cup of something warm, settle in, and see what’s happening around Grayhaven. 📖🕯️ Our Town. Our Stories. Our Grayhaven.

The Maid, by Nita Prose The Maid is a fun and engaging mystery featuring Molly, a quirky maid who sees the world a little differently than most people. Molly doesn’t always fit in. She’s sometimes brutally honest, follows her own way of doing things, and has a remarkable ability to notice things that most other people miss. When a murder occurs at the hotel where she works, Molly finds herself drawn into solving a mystery that others haven’t been able to figure out. Along the

Writing, drawing, and painting are different ways of telling a story. A writer uses words to create a picture in the reader’s mind. An artist uses lines, shapes, color, and light to tell a story the viewer can interpret. A writer may spend a paragraph describing an old house. An artist may capture it with a few strokes of a pencil or brush. One gives us the words to imagine it; the other gives us the image to interpret. Someone writes about what happened. Another draws what t

I’m pleased to announce the release of the updated Workshop Facilitation Handbook — Operational Excellence Series. Workshops can be powerful ways to bring people together, solve problems, improve processes, make decisions, and achieve important organizational goals. But a successful workshop takes more than putting a group of people in a room. It takes preparation, structure, facilitation, the right tools, and follow-through. Workshop Facilitation Handbook introduces a practi

🔎 Every Problem Has a Cause. Find It. Problems are part of every organization. Customer complaints. Quality issues. Process failures. Delays. Defects. Cost concerns. Recurring problems that seem to come back no matter how many times they’re “fixed.” The real challenge isn’t simply solving a problem. It’s solving the right problem—and finding the true root cause. That’s the purpose behind the Problem Solving Handbook and the seven-step Problem Solving for Success approach: 🔹

Projects don’t succeed simply because people work hard. They succeed when the work is defined, planned, organized, communicated, executed, and followed through. I’m pleased to share the updated Project Management Handbook, part of the Operational Excellence Series. The handbook uses a straightforward seven-step approach called Project Management for Success: 🔹 Set-up the Project 🔹 Understand the Requirements 🔹 Create the Team 🔹 Construct the Plan 🔹 Execute the Plan 🔹 Si

I’m excited to announce the release of the Third Edition of Strategy Deployment Handbook — Operational Excellence Series. Strategy is more than creating a plan. The real challenge is turning strategic direction into aligned action—and ultimately, measurable results. This new edition provides a practical framework for doing just that, connecting: 🎯 Strategic goals 📊 Key performance indicators 🤝 Cultural engagement 🚀 Strategic initiatives ⚙️ Execution 📈 Sustaining results

Today is National Read a Book Day—a perfect excuse to put the phone down, find a comfortable chair, and get lost in a good story. 📖😊 Whether it’s a mystery that keeps you guessing, a novel that takes you somewhere new, a memoir that makes you see life a little differently, or an old favorite you’ve read a dozen times, there’s something special about spending time with a good book. Reading can help us relax, exercise our minds, learn something new, and—perhaps best of all—gi