Sally J. Ling

I am a Florida History Detective. I love Florida history and am committed to finding buried, forgotten, or unusual stories and bringing them to my readers in a compelling manner. The heart of any community is in the history of its people, and my goal is to ferret out those stories. I have written seven fiction and nonfiction books

As a journalist, I have interviewed Olympic champions, world-renowned men-of-the-cloth, Carnegie Hall performers, high-powered developers, politicians and TV personalities. I have covered Mickey Mantle memorabilia, World World II exhibits, historic walking tours, restaurateurs and entrepreneurs.

For four years, I was a special correspondent for the Sun Sentinel newspaper where hundreds of my articles appeared in the Community News section. And as a freelance journalist, dozens of my articles appeared in Boca Raton, Gold Coast, Boca Life, Delray Beach, Palm Beacher and Carolina Bride magazines.

I have shared my stories with audiences at numerous educational institutions, social and philanthropic organizations, and historical societies throughout Florida. I enjoy speaking about Florida's rich history, and never miss an opportunity to talk with students about writing, and the excitement of discovering a good story.

I have been a guest on NPR (National Public Radio and TV) many times, and am a guest lecturer with the Life Long Learning Society at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida.

Based upon my book "Run the Rum In," I was associate producer and on-camera speaker in WLRN's documentary "Prohibition and the South Florida Connection" that premiered November 2011. And I participated in a series entitled "Gangsters" for the National Geographic Channel in 2010.