Welcome
Hi. I’m J.C. Bruce, journalist, author, and founder of Tropic Press.
Tropic Press is an online news site covering an eclectic mix of news from politics, science, medicine and culture with a special focus on my home state of Florida.
Wearing my author hat, I’ve written a series of award-winning novels recounting the misadventures of my Tropic Press colleague Alexander Strange, America’s only reporter covering news of the weird on a full-time basis.
I also write the Essential News column for Florida Weekly.
Backstory
I began my journalism career while still a student at the University of South Florida when I was hired as a cub reporter at The Tampa Times, the city’s afternoon daily that has since reached its expiration date.
As my career progressed, I served as an editor, managing editor, or reporter at, among other places, the Naples Daily News, the Dayton Daily News, the Austin American-Statesman, the Longview News-Journal, the Mesa Tribune, the Miami Herald, the Palm Beach Post, and the St. Petersburg Times (now the Tampa Bay Times). I also served as the press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a congressman, and I taught journalism at both the University of Dayton and Wright State University.
At various times along this journey, I nailed down a Master of Arts degree from Antioch University, a bachelor’s degree from St. Edward’s University, and, as mentioned earlier, I also served time at the University of South Florida.
A perpetual joiner, I’m a member of or have been a member of various professional organizations including the American Society of News Editors, the Society of Professional Journalists, Investigative Reporters and Editors, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Florida Writers Association, and Southwest Florida Fiction Writers.
I’m a former director of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and a former director (and lecturer) for the Antioch Writers’ Workshop. I’ve served as a juror for the Pulitzer Prizes and the National Journalism Awards, and am a member of American MENSA, which I like to mention so you’ll think I’m smart. And recently I scored a word worth 134 points in Word Chums.
About my novels
There are six books in The Strange Files series. In sequence, they are THE STRANGE FILES, FLORIDA MAN, GET STRANGE, STRANGE CURRENTS, MISTER MANNERS, and STRANGE TIMING.
They are available as hardcovers, trade paperbacks and eBooks at all major online book retailers. MISTER MANNERS and STRANGE TIMING are also available as audiobooks.
Recently, STRANGE TIMING was named Book of the Year in the annual Royal Palm Literary Awards. It also won two Gold Medals in the thriller and science fiction categories. STRANGE TIMING also won the Bronze Medal in the Florida Book Awards in the category of Popular Fiction and was named a Finalist in the national Indie Book Awards.
Finally …
So now that I’ve wowed you with my resume, why don’t you hit the subscribe button below? It’s easy, burns nearly zero calories, and will help make you the smartest person in the room — or the Zoom.
