‘Hunt for the Black Coral’

Biba writes second novel

By Angie Landsverk

A family heads into the Bermuda Triangle for a scuba diving adventure in Greg Biba’s latest book.

“Hunt for the Black Coral” is the title of the second book in his trilogy.

“I wanted the treasure theme to continue,” he said.

Biba was referring to that same theme in “A Stratton Lake Mystery,” which he self-published in June 2018.

That book was about the family discovering Al Capone’s bank heist.

Their search for treasure now continues after the father (Greg) sees an ad in an adventure magazine from a salvage company, looking for certified scuba divers.

The ad explains that if hired, the divers will search for treasure from sunken ships off the Florida coast.

The family decides to use some of the money from their discovery of Capone’s bank heist to help cover the trip’s cost.

Greg is joined by his wife Dawn and children, Adam and Kaylee, on the trip.

The names of the characters coincide with the names of Biba’s wife and children.

“Hunt for the Black Coral” was published this year.

Its subtitle is “Treasure, Suspense, Pirates and the Devil’s Triangle.”

That is because the family soon learns the dive location is in the Bermuda Triangle, where they will search for black coral.

“The Bermuda Triangle has always fascinated me – all the unexplained mysteries,” Biba said.

He said black coral is rare.

Scuba diving

“There are native divers that are allowed to go down deeper than a normal person can,” he said.

Biba used his family’s knowledge about diving as he worked on the book.

All four of them are certified scuba divers.

Dawn’s ocean diving experience helped him in particular.

From 1985-87, she took groups of divers to the Florida Keys and Munising, Michigan, for shipwrecks.

“I called on Dawn’s experience and what she saw, her dive experience off the Florida Keys,” Biba said.

That included seeing waterspouts, octopuses and sharks.

“Hunt for the Black Coral” became available on Amazon a few weeks ago.

Locally, it is available at the Book Cellar, Little Fat Gretchen’s, Main Street Marketplace, Office Outfitters, Aquamos Coffee Shop, Waupaca River Gallery and Gifts, Northern Home, Salon Arian, Vintage Plus and ScandiHus.

The book is also available at the public libraries in Waupaca, Iola and Manawa, as well as at Waupaca Middle School and Waupaca High School.

Writing group

Biba worked with local writers, groups, editors, librarians and others on his latest project.

That included Richard Sweitzer, Bill Riemer, Sarah Hanneman, Lori Jungers, Kerry Leuders, Shirley Ellis, Molly Eaton, Camin Potts and Andrea Jenson.

Dawn, Adam and Kaylee also assisted.

Biba taught instrumental music at Waupaca Middle School, and retired from teaching at the end of the 2018-19 school year.

“It’s given me a little more time, freedom to sit down and write,” he said.

He enjoys the research and writing process.

“I’m learning a lot from other professionals in the area,” Biba said. “We’re not meeting a lot because of covid, but their influence is certainly there.”

Biba is working on the next book in his trilogy.

That one will take the family to Machu Picchu in Peru for its next adventure.

He hopes to complete it within the next year.

Biba decided to set the next book there because both Adam and Kaylee were Rotary exchange students in South America.

He is able to learn about Peru from Ian Johhnson, a Waupaca High School graduate who spent a year in that country when he was a Rotary exchange student.

“So I’m working with Ian and Adam and Kaylee on this book,” Biba said.

They know the culture, and Biba described it as a setting where there can “be more treasure and more adventure.”