Venice is often defined by its coastline, its historic downtown, and its easy Gulf-coast rhythm—but look a little closer and you’ll find a community shaped just as much by stories. This month, we’re spotlighting three Venice-based authors whose latest books reflect the range of storytelling happening right here.
From a love letter to the city itself by first time author Lee Grace Mathews, to a gentle, illustrated guide born from personal loss written by former educator Jane Morris, to a fast-paced legal thriller series penned by retired disciplinary attorney Vincent Scarsella, these writers approach their craft from very different places—yet all are driven by a desire to share and connect. Their books preserve local history, offer comfort and hope, and explore justice and ethics. Together, they show that Venice’s literary landscape is as varied and compelling as the people who call it home.
The Heart of Venice
For Lee Grace Mathews, “The Heart of Venice: Celebrating the Charm of Venice, Nokomis, and Osprey, Florida” began with a simple question: “Why is this area so special to me?” She had been asking herself that for years—ever since first visiting Venice as a teenager in the 1970s, vacationing from Memphis with her family and spending long, unhurried days at the beach, combing the sand for treasures.
Those early visits left an imprint. As adulthood carried her into a corporate career, she continued returning to Venice with her husband, drawn by the same mix of natural beauty and historic charm. “It’s so fulfilling to return to the place I never wanted to leave,” she reflected, a line so true she put it in the book.
Nine years ago, she and her husband finally made the move, working remotely while settling into the community that had once been a vacation spot. And then, while driving around town one day, inspiration struck. She realized her attachment to Venice wasn’t only personal—it was shared by many others. “I started feeling this was a story that needed to be told,” she said. That realization became the seed of a book she’d never expected to write.
What emerged is a full-color, small-format gift book that blends history, photography, and heartfelt reflection. Mathews dug into early settler stories, John Nolen’s visionary city plan, and the natural beauty that defines the region. She took most of the photos herself, even incorporating images of shells and sea glass she collected in the 1970s. The book, sold locally at the Island Bookshop, the Venice Museum & Archives, and the Venice Olive Oil Co., offers both longtime residents and newcomers a way to connect more deeply with the community.
“It just has a lot of happiness in it,” she said. What began as a personal love letter has become a shared celebration of the unique convergence of nature and heritage that makes Venice what it is today.
Offering Support
When retired educator Jane Morris began searching for support after becoming estranged from her daughter eight years ago, she discovered that resources on the topic were few and far between. The books she found were insightful but often clinical, dense, or filled with other people’s stories she didn’t have the bandwidth to absorb while grappling with her own. What she wanted was something gentler: a bit of lightheartedness, a way forward.
So, she decided to create the book she wished she’d found. The result is “Getting Through Estrangement: Ways to Cope & Have Hope,” a 21-page guide, available through Amazon.com, that distills the most compassionate, practical lessons she has learned and presents them with warmth and simplicity.
Originally from Missouri, Morris spent 37 years teaching elementary and special-education students before retiring to Venice. Her instinct to help others is lifelong, and when she realized how many people shared her experience—an estimated 17 million Americans, she noted—she felt called to act. She started by developing a six-week estrangement class for her church, which grew into her website, EstrangedParentsAndChildren.org, where she curates articles, videos, and book recommendations.
The idea for the book came to her one night while lying awake. She started imagining a Dr. Seuss-like tone: short rhymes and illustrations that soften a painful topic without trivializing it. She reached out to longtime friend and former colleague Kevin Donahoe, an art teacher whose whimsical character designs captured exactly the warmth she envisioned. His illustrations helped shape the book’s visual identity.
Inside are gentle reminders like “Be forgiving, start living,” accompanied by two boxers embracing in the ring, or a tiny character holding a list of positive traits beneath the words, “Make a list of who you are, and remember you’re a star.” But Morris is careful not to offer false hope. Reconciliation can happen, she affirms, but some relationships may require boundaries instead of reunion.
Morris’s goal with her book is to give people hope and good practices. “People feel embarrassed and don’t know where to turn,” she said. “I want them to know they aren’t alone.” She now speaks to groups large and small, determined to bring light to a very difficult subject. Reach her at support@EstrangedParentsAndChildren.org.
Lawyer Gone Good
As a disciplinary counsel in Buffalo, New York, Vincent Scarsella spent nearly two decades investigating attorneys who committed professional misconduct. Long before he retired in 2010, he knew one thing for certain: these kinds of stories would make for great entertainment.
After relocating to Florida—first Davenport, then Venice in 2018—Scarsella finally had the time to explore the creative side of a legal world he knew intimately. Between 2015 and 2020, he wrote the four novels that would become his “Lawyers Gone Bad” series. “The premise is simple,” he said. “It’s about a good lawyer going after bad lawyers.”
In 2024, Scarsella adapted the series into a screenplay. What began as a TV concept evolved into a feature film, “One of the Good Ones”, filmed in Buffalo in early 2025. The film is currently on the festival circuit and was screened at Florida’s Dunedin International Film Festival last month.
That success reignited Scarsella’s creative momentum. This year, he decided to go back and rewrite his whole “Lawyers Gone Bad” series. “I ended up liking the screenplay even better than the original novels, so I wanted to update the books," he explained. Plus, I have definitely evolved as a writer over the past ten years.” His “new and completely revised editions” are now available through Amazon.com. The books can be read in sequence or as standalones.
Aside from his legal thrillers, Scarsella also writes speculative fiction, screenplays, short stories, and plays, several of which have been performed at community theaters and colleges. He writes for three hours each day, spends an hour a day on marketing, and still finds time to teach business law classes at Polk State College. “It’s all a labor of love,” Scarsella said. “Challenging, yes—but deeply rewarding.”
This year, Scarsella decided to go back and rewrite his whole “Lawyers Gone Bad” series. “I ended up liking the screenplay even better than the original novels, so I wanted to update the books," he explained.
This year, Scarsella decided to go back and rewrite his whole “Lawyers Gone Bad” series.