Quick answer: Nic Schuck is a Pensacola-based author, high school English teacher, and tour company owner whose novel “The Green Flash at Sunset” follows four characters chasing reinvention in Key West. In our Fun in Key West Book Club chat, he opened up about his honeymoon inspiration, why he refuses to write “to the market,” and his (and wife Julie’s) favorite local spots.

Some books you finish and just… shrug. Others? They follow you around for weeks, popping into your head while you’re brushing your teeth or staring into a sunset. “The Green Flash at Sunset” by Nic Schuck is firmly in that second camp—and judging by how much our June book club had to say about it, I’m not the only one who thinks so.

We had readers who fell head over heels for the Key West setting. Others got completely wrapped up in the characters. And then there were the folks who pulled me aside like, “Michele… this one’s got a little darkness to it.” (They’re not wrong. More on that later.)

So I sat down with Nic to dig into the story behind the story—where this whole thing started, why Key West is basically the world capital of reinvention, and what happens when your characters go searching for freedom but life keeps handing them stuff they definitely did not order. Grab a Cuban coffee (we’ll get to those, too) and let’s get into it.

Who is Nic Schuck, the author behind “The Green Flash at Sunset”?

Here’s the thing about Nic—he wears a lot of hats. He teaches senior English in Pensacola, Florida. He runs a historic tour company called Emerald Coast Tours. He’s a dad to four kids and married to Julie (hi, Julie! She was watching from right around the corner during our chat). And somewhere in all of that chaos, he writes novels.

But don’t go assuming the book is autobiographical. “I have to remind people that my work is fiction,” Nic told me, laughing. “Especially when my mom reads it. I’m like, ‘Ma, this is fiction!'”

So when did the writing bug bite? Turns out it goes way back. Nic won a middle school award through Young Authors of America—but back then, he was just a kid who liked making his creative writing class laugh. The real lightbulb moment came at 19 or 20, when he read Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises” (fun fact: 2026 marks its 100th anniversary).

“That was the book where I was like, ‘This is what I’m gonna do,'” he said. His post-high-school options felt limited to the military—which his whole family had done—or, in his words, becoming a beach bum. Neither paid the bills. So he landed on a third option: “I said, ‘If Hemingway can do it, why can’t I?’ I didn’t realize how hard it was.”

Spoiler: it was hard. But every job he juggles circles back to the same goal. “Everything I do is really geared toward me attempting to get better at being a writer,” Nic explained. Teaching pays the bills (and provides those grown-up perks like health benefits and retirement—things, as Nic pointed out, writers don’t exactly get handed). But the writing? That’s the dream he keeps chasing.

What inspired “The Green Flash at Sunset”?

Get this—Nic started with the ending. (No spoilers, promise.)

Back in his early 20s, living in Miami in the early 2000s, Nic was hanging around Mallory Square watching a street performer—an escape artist. “I thought, ‘This would be a fun idea for a novel one day,'” he recalled. So he jotted down some notes… and then promptly shelved the whole thing for about a decade. He had maybe 10,000 words and a whole lot of nothing.

Then 2019 rolled around, and Nic and Julie went to Key West for their honeymoon. Sitting back at Mallory Square, watching crowds basically burn their eyeballs out waiting for the sunset, something clicked. “I was sparked back to that moment, and I was like, ‘I think I can finish this book now. I’ve got an idea of who this character is.'”

Nic writes backward, which is delightfully chaotic. He knew where his escape artist was going to end up, then worked outward: Where does he live? Who are his roommates? What do they do? From there, the cast filled in—a charter boat captain (a nod to one of Nic’s all-time favorites, Thomas McGuane’s “Ninety-Two in the Shade”), a songwriter (because how do you write about Key West without musicians?), and a woman escaping the Florida Panhandle for so-called paradise.

“And then they get down there,” Nic said, “and they’re like, ‘Oh… maybe it’s not as easy as it seems.'”

What does “the green flash” symbolize in the book?

I made Nic put his English-teacher hat on for this one. What’s the deal with the title?

For Nic, the green flash works as a metaphor. Stick with me here. When you stand at Mallory Square—or honestly anywhere the sun dips into the water—people are straining to catch that fleeting green flash on the horizon. They’re literally risking their eyesight, staring into the sun, hoping to see something that might not even show up.

“But you do it anyway,” Nic said. “It’s this idea of chasing your dreams. They might not ever pan out the way you think, but you do it anyway.”

He sees his own writing the exact same way. “I’m not selling a million copies. My books haven’t been made into movies yet. But I’m still gonna do it.” He pointed to a Kris Kristofferson song, “To Beat the Devil,” about songwriters playing to empty rooms—or rooms full of people who aren’t even listening. You keep going anyway. “All it takes is a couple readers to remind me why I do it,” Nic said. “When they reach out like, ‘Hey, I read your work and I liked it,’ I’m like, ‘You know what? Yeah. I’m glad I did it.'”

Why is Key West the perfect setting for a story about reinvention?

Okay, here’s where things get juicy—because in this book, Key West isn’t just a backdrop. It’s practically a character. And Nic agreed.

He framed it like this: think of Florida as a microcosm, with Pensacola and Key West sitting at opposite ends—the last two cities on the map. Up in Pensacola, there’s even a running urban legend called Geronimo’s Curse (Geronimo was held captive at Fort Pickens and supposedly cursed the land so you can never truly leave). Key West, on the other hand, is the great escape—the gateway to the Caribbean, the end of the road.

“You have to kind of trick your mind into this fantasy world that exists down there,” Nic explained. “The fantasy of running away to Key West might not always be the reality of what exists down there.”

We bonded over this, honestly. I’m from Alaska, where the running joke was that everyone’s either in the military or running from something. Key West gives off that same energy—it’s as far as you can go, the literal end of the road. Nic nodded along. “If you wanna be an expatriate but still live within the United States, Key West is the place to do it.”

He credits a big chunk of his inspiration to the legendary Key West literary crowd—Tom McGuane, Jim Harrison, Jimmy Buffett, Richard Brautigan—the gang chronicled in William McKeen’s “Mile Marker Zero.” There’s this whole mythology of going down there and becoming whoever you want. Heck, even Jerry Jeff Walker invented his own name and persona. “Just go somewhere nobody knows you and invent yourself,” as Nic summed up the philosophy.

Who is Janet, and what does her story say about reinvention?

Let’s talk about Janet, because she absolutely wrecked me (in the best way). She’s escaping a horrendous marriage and trying to reclaim a passion for art and photography she’d nearly forgotten.

What does Nic want readers to take from her? “That despite everything she’s been through… she still endures. The hardships aren’t gonna go away. It’s not a happily-ever-after kind of story. But I think it’s realistic.”

Here’s the gut-punch part: Janet had every reason to give up. “It’s easy to lose your passion. It’s easy to just give up,” Nic said, quoting the Stephen Stills line from “Southern Cross”—”failing was the easiest thing to do.” And yet, Janet doesn’t. That’s the whole point.

When I asked whether people can really outrun their past, Nic offered something more grounded than a motivational poster. “I don’t know if you can outrun it, but you can overcome it. You can’t change the past, but you can change your trajectory going forward. You’re not glued to that past.” It’s the same thing he tells his graduating seniors—you really can do whatever you want. “The worst that’s gonna happen is you’re still the same person.”

Why does “The Green Flash at Sunset” go to some dark places?

So, about that darkness. A few readers reached out genuinely surprised by how heavy parts of the book got. Nic’s response? Refreshingly blunt.

“It’s no darker than what’s happening—just read the newspaper. Turn on the news. The world is chaotic and people can be horrible, and it exists out there. So if I’m writing a story that doesn’t include that stuff, I feel like I’m telling a lie.”

For Nic, books demand more from a reader than movies do. “If I’m spending six, seven, eight hours on a book, I wanna have some emotional connection to it at the end.” He wants the cathartic release. He wants you to feel everything.

And here’s the part I respect most—Nic actually tried to write something commercial. “When I first started, I thought I was gonna write to the market, write something that might sell. But as I started writing, it didn’t go that way. I felt I’d be doing myself a disservice if I wasn’t being honest as a writer.”

Can a book be dark but ultimately hopeful? Nic didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, you have to be. The world is pretty… there’s a lot of evil in the world. And you have to be optimistic and hopeful to navigate it.”

How does Nic Schuck approach his writing process?

If you’re a “plot every chapter on an index card” type, brace yourself—Nic is your nightmare. He doesn’t outline. At all. (Yes, the high school English teacher breaks every rule he probably teaches.)

“I figure it out as I go,” he admitted. “If I’m not excited about what I’m writing—if I’m not surprised by what I’m writing—then I don’t know if the readers will be surprised either.”

He also ignores the classic Hemingway advice that “all first drafts are shit” and you should just barrel through. Not Nic. He edits as he writes, rearranges pages and paragraphs, reshuffles characters. It’s slower, sure, but it’s his way.

Across his three books—”Native Moments,” “Panhandlers,” and now “The Green Flash at Sunset”—he’s picked up tricks along the way. Shorter chapters (his first book’s chapters ran too long, he says). Playing with timelines, an experiment from “Panhandlers” that carried into “Green Flash.” As for what this latest book taught him? “I think I’ll know what I learned from Green Flash when I finish my fourth one.” (We’ll hold him to that.)

The hardest part of writing, by the way, isn’t plot or character. It’s just… doing it. “Making yourself sit down and do it,” Nic said. “It feels almost like you’re neglecting other parts of life to write. It feels selfish and silly. But it’s easy to give up—just like Janet.” Full circle, right there.

What is Emerald Coast Tours, Nic’s Pensacola tour company?

Plot twist: Nic accidentally became a tour operator because of a contest.

About 15 years ago, when downtown Pensacola was still pretty industrial (read: it smelled like a sewer plant, because there literally was one), a local investor launched an entrepreneur contest with a $50,000 prize. Nic figured if his friends could start businesses, so could he.

His buddy Tim Lara—who runs Hawaiian Paddle Sports over in Maui—planted the seed: Segway tours. Nic was skeptical at first (“I thought they’d look hokey”), but after trying one in New Orleans, he was hooked. He combined that with a school project he’d done teaching kids Pensacola history, and boom—Emerald Coast Tours was born.

He told himself three years would be a fun little side gig. He’s now in year 15. The company runs Segway tours plus walking pub tours that Nic affectionately calls “Pensacola’s version of Drunk History”—five bars, real history, and actual drinks (a combo he dreamed up after a sweaty, drink-free walking tour through a New Orleans cemetery left him parched). If you’re ever in Pensacola, go book one.

Where does Nic Schuck eat, drink, and hang out in Key West?

Now for the good stuff—the local intel. Nic came prepared (and Julie chimed in via the comments to fill in his blanks, because of course she did). Here’s the rundown:

• Pepe’s — His must-stop spot, every single trip. He’s there for the Bloody Marys and the homemade bread.
• BO’s Fish Wagon — His go-to lunch, hands down. Get the fish sandwich.
• Eaton Street Seafood Market — Tucked into Old Town near the old gas station, across from Island House. The lobster sandwich and the shrimp are apparently chef’s kiss.
• Cuban coffee — Nic grabs a plain Cuban coffee as one of his very first stops in town. (Julie? She takes hers with cream and sugar. Noted.)
• That corner store by the wharf — His low-key move: grab a beer and just walk the docks. No fuss, all vibes.
• El Siboney on Stock Island — Nic and Julie rent bikes and pedal over for this one. Worth the ride.
• Bookstores — This couple loves a good bookshop. Definitely hit Key West Island Books while you’re in town.

But honestly? Nic’s real travel philosophy isn’t about ticking off restaurants. He and Julie are bar sitters and chronic strangers-talkers. One trip, chatting up musician Jockey Jord at Two Friends led to watching the sunset from a secret upstairs hideout, then catching another show on Wisteria Island alongside a Mel Fisher’s treasure diver who’d just made the news. “If we wouldn’t just randomly talk to strangers, we wouldn’t have these experiences,” Nic said. Lesson learned: sit at the bar, make a friend, see where the night takes you.

What’s next for Nic Schuck?

Book number four is in the works—and it’s a doozy. It’s set during Reconstruction, which means Nic is buried under a mountain of research about what the Gulf Coast looked like right after the Civil War. “It’s bogging me down quite a bit,” he admitted, but he’s about halfway through and committed to finishing it… eventually.

In the meantime, he’s keeping busy writing people profiles for Scenic 98 Coastal, an online magazine out of Fairhope, Alabama, and helping his father-in-law format a memoir about growing up in Scobey, Mississippi. So yeah—a fourth book is coming. “Soon-ish,” as Nic put it.

Go read “The Green Flash at Sunset” (then go to Key West)

Here’s my honest take: “The Green Flash at Sunset” gave our book club a ton to chew on—the grit, the heartbreak, the beauty, the whole emotional spectrum. Which, when you think about it, is exactly what makes Key West so magnetic in the first place.

So here’s what to do next. Grab a copy—you can find Nic’s books at Key West Island Books, where Suzanne keeps a whole shelf of our Fun in Key West Book Club picks. Read it on a beach if you can swing it (just maybe charge your Kindle first—learned that one the hard way). And if you want more author interviews, local recommendations, and Key West history than you can shake a chicken at, come hang out with us over at funinkeywest.com.

A huge thank-you to Nic for joining us—and to you for being part of this community. Now go catch yourself a sunset.

Frequently asked questions

What is “The Green Flash at Sunset” about?

“The Green Flash at Sunset” is a literary novel by Nic Schuck following four characters—including an escape artist, a charter boat captain, a songwriter, and a woman named Janet fleeing a difficult marriage—who converge in Key West while searching for reinvention and freedom. It’s an honest, sometimes dark, but ultimately hopeful story.

Who is Nic Schuck?

Nic Schuck is an author from Pensacola, Florida. He teaches senior English, runs the historic tour company Emerald Coast Tours, and has written three novels: “Native Moments,” “Panhandlers,” and “The Green Flash at Sunset.”

Is “The Green Flash at Sunset” based on a true story?

No. Nic Schuck emphasizes that his work is fiction. The book was inspired by real Key West experiences—like watching a street-performing escape artist at Mallory Square—but the characters and plot are invented. (One real Key West local did sneak into the book under his real name, slightly disguised.)

Why is “The Green Flash at Sunset” considered dark?

The novel tackles real-world hardship, trauma, and chaos rather than offering pure escapism. Nic Schuck believes honest storytelling has to reflect the difficult parts of life—but he insists the book remains hopeful, because optimism is what helps people navigate a tough world.

Where can I buy Nic Schuck’s books?

You can find Nic Schuck’s books, including “The Green Flash at Sunset,” at Key West Island Books, where the Fun in Key West Book Club picks are featured on a dedicated shelf.