Way Under Contract - A Florida Story

Set on an overdeveloped stretch of sand along Florida's west coast, Way Under Contract takes the reader deep inside the outrageous world of Florida real estate. With a cast of eccentric characters, a condominium project built in a swamp and a category five hurricane named Emily, this book is both comic and thrilling. A rip-roaring tale of greed, folly and hubris set against the backdrop of nature's terrible fury, Way Under Contract is a classic black comedy. A tour de force in the vein of Catch 22 and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Way Under Contract was originally written and published in 2000, long before Hurricane Charley ripped into the barrier islands of Southwest Florida in 2004. The hurricane described in the book more closely resembled Hurricane Katrina, which was a much larger and more powerful storm. Although some of the real estate terms have changed since the book was first published more than a decade ago, the human drama that is the backbone of this story, sadly remains the same. The author got much of his inspiration from a Rudyard Kipling story, which was also made into a feature film, titled "The Man Who Would be King." In Way Under Contract that man is Adam Bartlett, an arrogant, self-enthralled real estate agent who has to come to terms with the raw forces of mother nature. This is a story that has been told and will be retold for as long as mankind walks this planet.

Charles Sobczak lives and writes on Sanibel Island, Florida. He formed Indigo Press, L.L.C. upon the publication of his first book, Six Mornings on Sanibel (1999) That novel, set at the Sanibel fishing pier, is currently in its seventh printing. His second novel, Way Under Contract, a Florida Story (Nov. 2000) went on to win The 2001 Patrick Smith Award for Florida literature. In April of 2003 Indigo Press released A Choice of Angels, the story of the forbidden marriage between a Muslin girl and the son of a Southern Baptist minister. It immediately received a starred review in Booklist, the official review publication of The American Library Association. It also earned a Bronze Medal for Best Religious Fiction from Foreword Magazine of Traverse City, Michigan. Charles then wrote a non-fiction title called Alligators, Sharks & Panthers: Deadly Encounters with Florida’s Top Predator-Man (Oct. 2006). The book won a Bronze IPPY Award as well as a Finalist Award for both young adult and adult non-fiction from the Florida Publishers Association in 2007. The author’s interest in nature inspired him to research and print a pair of Florida-based field guides. Living Sanibel - a Nature Guide to Sanibel & Captiva Islands, (Feb., 2010) and The Living Gulf Coast - A Nature Guide to Southwest Florida (March, 2011) Both include extensive descriptions of the native flora and fauna of Southwest Florida as well as the parks, preserves and eco-destinations found in the region. Each book comes complete with more than 600 full-color photographs from award-winning photographers such as Alan S. Maltz, Judd Patterson, Sara Lopez and Dick Fortune. The second book in that series, The Living Gulf Coast - A Nature Guide to Southwest Florida, recently won a Gold Medal President’s Award from the Florida Publisher’s Association for the best work of Adult non-fiction published by a small press in 2011. Charles Sobczak is a lifetime member of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, President of the Sanibel Island Fishing Club, President of Lee Reefs (creators of artificial reefs for fish habitat), and a member of the Sanibel and Captiva Board of Realtors. When he is not writing, Charles makes his living selling real estate with VIP Realty, Inc. on Sanibel and Captiva. He enjoys extended vacations with his wife, Molly Heuer, offshore fishing and hiking nature trails. He is currently working on a futuristic novel based on climate change, with a working title of: The Year of the Bad Decision.