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New mall to have ‘Key West’ vibe By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Tampa Premium Outlets will have water, water, everywhere. The mega-outlet mall will have a center court lagoon, five fountains, and buildings and interiors painted in soft pastels, to give shoppers a “Key West” experience. Special events and celebrities will punctuate an opening weekend slated for Oct. 29 through Nov. 1. General Manager Stacey Nance gave guests at the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce’s monthly breakfast a peek at the soon-to-open mall, off State Road 56, near Interstate 75. The breakfast marked the first formal event by Nance who was tapped as general See MALL, page 11A
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THE ARTS ARE ALIVE IN LUTZ
Sunlake grad earns AP distinction By Michael Murillo
mmurillo@lakerlutznews.com
When Alex Minnick was a senior at Sunlake High School back in June, he had to submit a 24-piece portfolio for his Advanced Placement Drawing class. They were on display at a scoring event in Salt Lake City, Utah, where judges determined an overall score of one through six. As it turns out, no sixes were awarded, and only around 15.5 percent of the approximately 18,000 entries earned a 5, which was the highest score awarded by the judges. Minnick was surprised when he learned his score. “I thought I would get a three or a four,” he said. The Lutz resident tends to be critical of his own work, but he devotes considerable time and effort to each composition. He estimates that it typically takes eight hours or more to complete a drawing, and he generally prefers the quiet of his room, so he can focus on his work. When he finishes a piece, he often feels more relieved, than satisfied. See GRAD, page 11A
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Alex Minnick’s favorite piece is the one he drew of his sister, Michelle.
Retired CPA becomes published novelist By B.C. Manion
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
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The morning after John Chaplick retired from his consulting business, he knew after he’d finished his first cup of coffee that he wasn’t a man who could live without plans. As he was drinking that cup of coffee, he quickly realized that no one was seeking his advice, he had no meetings to attend and no one was waiting for his reports. So, he decided to do something he’d promised himself years before that he would do. He decided to write a book. Of course, he soon learned that it sounded much easier than it was. COURTESY OF JOHN CHAPLICK It didn’t take long either to discover he John Chaplick, a retired certified public had a great deal to learn. accountant who lives in Lutz, has penned But he was up for the challenges. three novels and is working on No. 4.
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John Chaplick appearances Lutz author John Chaplick will be taking part in the Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading on Oct. 24 in St. Petersburg. He also will be giving a book talk at 5:30 p.m., on Oct. 26, at the Lutz Branch Library. He is the author of three books, “The Rivergrass Legacy,” “Bridge of the Paper Tiger” and “Forbidden Chronicles of a Roman Centurion.” The author is available to give talks to schools, libraries, service clubs and other groups. For more information, email him at jpchaplick@gmail.com, or visit his website at EngagingBooksBlog.com.
And now, the retired certified public accountant has published three novels and is working on his fourth. His publishers are Cricket Cottage Publishing and Southern Yellow Pines Publishing. The titles of his novels are “The Rivergrass Legacy,” “Bridge of the Paper Tiger” and “Forbidden Chronicles of a Roman Centurion.” He’s already about 80 pages into his next novel, “Wolves of Antikythera,” which he expects to be 300-plus pages, because of the research involved. Chaplick said he does his writing on the computer in his den at home, surrounded by his materials. He believes that readers want more than an engaging story. His novels always include a broad underlying premise, such as money laundering in “The Rivergrass Legacy.” When he writes, he keeps in mind that there’s no such thing as a perfectly righteous hero or completely evil villain. Obstacles change his characters, as the novel progresses. His novels always have a twist at the end, too. He believes that authors must capture the reader’s interest at the outset and use concise writing to keep them reading. He seeks to do more than merely tell a story. He uses “atmospherics” — which is a descriptive kind of writing that give readers a sense that they’ve been transported to the place where the story is unfolding and brings the characters in the novel to life. When it comes to the actual writing, See NOVELIST, page 11A