Janis FontaineAmy Woods mines stories behind the world-famous destination.
As a local journalist for more than 25 years, Amy Woods has traipsed all over Palm Beach County reporting the facts and interviewing the people who shape this place.
Now Woods is sharing the quirkiest stories in a new book, “Secret Palm Beach: A guide to the weird, wonderful, and obscure,” which she describes as “a romp through America’s first resort.”
“Secret Palm Beach” explores lore and little-known details about the island and its surroundings. For example, “Many of the mega-mansions in Palm Beach have names that reflect their heritage, their meaning, and more, although El Solano’s, Mar-a-Lago’s, Casa Apava’s, Whitehall’s, La Rêverie’s, and the Palm Beach Winter Club’s backstories far outdo their bougie sobriquets,” Woods writes.
“The book is about ‘the why’ behind things. It is designed to spark people to dig into their backyards and find the hidden gems and the quirky curiosities,” Woods said. “But it also explains how they came to be. Hopefully, it gets readers excited about where they live.”
On Feb. 19, more than 75 friends and guests gathered for the book launch and signing at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach. Palm Beach Deputy Town Manager Carolyn Stone introduced Woods, saying, “Amy reminds us, you can live here your entire life and still uncover surprises – hidden corners, forgotten histories, quirky details and stories that deepen your appreciation for where you are.”
This is Woods’ second project for boutique publisher Reedy Press, and it started with an email. The company was looking for a Jupiter writer to contribute to its popular series, “100 Things to Do in …”, a national collection with more than 100 titles in print.
“The light bulb went off,” Woods said. “I could hear the angel bells ringing. It just clicked. I couldn’t say no.” Reedy released Woods’ debut book, “100 Things to Do in Jupiter Before You Die,” in 2023.
With hundreds of bylines in a fistful of publications, Woods earned the gig through hard work and dues paid, beginning with her first job as a journalist for the Key West Citizen.
From there, the University of Florida graduate “followed a boy” to California and took a job at the Orange County Register, but by 1998, she was back in Palm Beach County with a new job at The Palm Beach Post. She’s contributed stories to The Coastal Star, Florida Weekly and Jupiter and Stuart magazines.
Hometown author
Woods grew up in North Palm Beach and went on school field trips to many of the places she wrote about: The Flagler Museum, Pine Jog Nature Center and the Loxahatchee River Battlefield Park. “And my parents took us all over the place for our enlightenment,” Woods said.
But even though the book covered lots of familiar territory, it wasn’t easy. Woods had nearly complete creative control of the content of the book, but she had to follow guidelines from the publisher to keep the book appropriate for young audiences.
“It’s PG-13. No politics, no religion, no sex. Other than that, I wrote what I wanted, and that gave me the opportunity to create a book that is stylistically mine and perhaps reveals a bit of my personality.”
Choosing the right stories “comes with a lot of responsibility,” Woods said. “But I like being able to find a story that makes people go, ‘Wow, I didn’t know that’ or ‘That’s so interesting that makes me want to go there.’ I like telling people about this area that is so beautiful and magical.”
Writing a book like “Secret Palm Beach” is solitary time at the computer mixed with spontaneous road trips.
“It’s a lot of getting in your car and driving to places to see them for yourself. And I’m not going to lie: It was a grind sitting in front of my computer every day for almost six months. It’s a lot of research. It’s a lot of thinking. The pictures of the book launch party might look glamorous, but that’s like one millionth of the whole process.”
Woods’ literary hero
Like most writers, Woods has a favorite: “Hemingway,” she said without hesitation.
“Because he started his career in journalism and — people can disagree with me because the times were different then — I just think he was an awesome guy. I would want to go have a beer with him. I admire him. And he was good-looking. Yes, he was probably a womanizer, but I don’t care. I think about Hemingway almost every day because I have a few Hemingway things around my house.”
Those treasured items she brought from Key West and her memories of visiting his beloved home on the island sustain her. “I loved living in a town where he wrote some of his best novels and being able to ride my bike past his house.”
Woods also left something behind. “When my cat, Mr. Blue, died, I climbed up the wall and sprinkled his ashes on the grounds. He’s there somewhere, in the soil of the Hemingway house.” Which seems appropriate somehow. Kismet. Like the books.
“I feel like I have been destined to write these two books. It all adds up from my background here. I feel like it all landed in my lap for a reason.”
Meet Amy Woods at one of these free events:
Book signing — 1-4 pm Saturday, Feb. 28, Barnes & Noble, 151 U.S. 1, Tequesta.
Presentation and book signing — 6:30-7:30 pm Wednesday, March 4, Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach. 411 Clematis St., West Palm Beach.
Presentation and book signing — 2-3 pm Saturday, March 7, Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach, 411 Clematis St., West Palm Beach.
Book signing — 1-4 pm Sunday, March 8, Barnes & Noble, 11380 Legacy Ave., Palm Beach Gardens.
Presentation and book signing — 1-2 pm Tuesday, March 10, Lantana Public Library, 205 W. Ocean Ave., Lantana.
Presentation and book signing — 6-7 pm Wednesday, March 25, Lantana Public Library. 205 W. Ocean Ave., Lantana.
Book signing — 11 am-noon Saturday, April 4, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, 1001 E. Indiantown Road, Jupiter.
