Laura Kennedy? Now there’s a name from the past! Almost – gulp! – 30 years ago, I had the crazy idea to start a lifestyle magazine for young people in the Tampa Bay area -- JUMP Monthly. It was a few years before Creative Loafing entered the market and I thought it was an unfulfilled niche in my adopted community. LAURA KENNEDY podcast excerpt: "I started in my early 20s writing love stories. I wrote about 30 and sold 24 of them. But then I had kids -- four children in a row -- and life got in the way." What I needed were advertising salespeople. What I got were writers! The magazine lasted maybe four issues, but it was a blast. We sold very few ads, but everyone who worked on Jump Monthly is still friendly and in contact... although it took Laura Kennedy, then a salesperson, now a writer, about 28 years to get back in touch. Laura, who I always thought of as charming, resurfaced recently with her first book, a young adult novel titled Double Take. As first efforts go, it’s remarkably compelling and smartly executed, telling the story of 16-year-old Brooke’s life-changing meeting with 80-year-old former actress Laura de France. LAURA KENNEDY: "I have a young life voice and attitude. A 17-year-old protagonist is perfect for me -- I think that's where I'm stuck in life." If you are a 16-year-old girl – or know one – you will probably enjoy reading this story. And because Laura Kennedy places her tale in Florida’s world famous Greek sponge fishing village, Tarpon Springs, it is also quite picturesque. I’m delighted to welcome to the show today a dear old friend. Laura Kennedy • •