Annabelle Tometich went from medical-school reject to line cook to journalist to author. She spent 18 years as a food writer, editor, and restaurant critic for The News-Press in her hometown of Fort Myers, Florida. Her first book, “The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony” published in April 2024 and was called “sweet, sharp” by The New York Times.

Tometich’s writing has appeared in The Washington Post, USA Today, Catapult, the Tampa Bay Times, and many more outlets. She has won more than a dozen awards for her stories, including first place for Food & Travel Writing at the 2022 Sunshine State Awards. She (still) lives in Fort Myers with her husband, two children, and her ever-fiery Filipina mother.

Her literary work is represented by Kayla Lightner at Ayesha Pande Literary.