Late Morning, Wednesday, May 29, 2024, Madison, New Hampshire
Spring Almanac & Observations
“The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.” – Harriet Ann Jacobs
Hi there. It’s another lovely but cool late spring day; for this Florida exile, it’s hard to believe that meteorological summer is only a few days away. Currently, the temperature is 73°F (23°C) under partly sunny skies. With humidity at 58% and the wind blowing from the west-northwest at 5 MPH (8 Km/H), the feels-like temperature is 84°F (29°C). Today’s forecast calls for scattered rain showers during the daylight hours and a high of 78°F (25°C). Tonight, the skies will be mostly clear. The low will be 58°F (15°C).
On Writing & Storytelling: Another Frustrating, Unproductive Day
Ugh. What can I say about yesterday’s disappointment of a workday? Not much. I did everything “right” to get into a positive writing mindset. I took my two-hour lunch and rest break. I went outside for a walk. I read for about 30 minutes. I listened to relaxing classical music (pop songs with lyrics usually pull me out of my “writer’s spell”). I even spent 45 minutes re-reading the two scenes I’ve written for Reunion: Coda’s 17th chapter. All this I did…and produced nothing.
I was unhappy when, at 6 PM, I closed down Microsoft Word feeling defeated and frustrated. I thought that after a three-day weekend, I’d be far more creative and productive. Alas, no. I did not add a single word to Reunion: Coda during the four hours I spent at my desk yesterday.
Action This Day
As for today – a Wednesday that feels more like a Tuesday because yesterday was supposed to be a Monday-like workday – my plan is simple: To try and get some new writing in, even if it is just part of a third scene for Chapter 17.
I will soon be going on my rest break. I usually start my midday respite around noon, but maybe if I do it earlier – as soon as I post this on WordPress and share it on social media – things will be different and I’ll get my writer’s mojo back.
A Note About an Audiobook Version of Reunion: Coda
Last night, while I was checking my Facebook notification queue, I found a comment on one of my posts about Reunion: Coda’s progress and its page count:
Wow, it’s getting quite long. I mostly do audiobooks now because my eyes are so bad. Will this be available in audiobook format?
The answer to this question is…yes and no.
Reunion: Coda will have a feature in its Kindle edition called “text-to-voice” that is similar to an audiobook. I know this because Reunion: A Story has this feature in its Kindle e-book edition, including the free Kindle for PC app. I like the version on my Kindle Fire tablet better because the AI reader sounds human (female); the one on Kindle for PC sounds too mechanical for me, so I hardly ever listen to my novella when I’m on my computer.
Alex Diaz-Granados
Let’s go with the “No” part of the answer first.
Sorry, but there won’t be an audiobook of Reunion: Coda by a pro actor. My novel is a self-published work, sadly. I don’t have the money to pay for a professional audiobook, and I can’t do it myself either. So, if you’re hoping for a real audiobook like the ones on Audible, you’re out of luck.
However, Reunion: Coda will have a feature in its Kindle edition called “text-to-voice” that is similar to an audiobook. I know this because Reunion: A Story has this feature in its Kindle e-book edition, including the free Kindle for PC app. I like the version on my Kindle Fire tablet better because the AI reader sounds human (female); the one on Kindle for PC sounds too mechanical for me, so I hardly ever listen to my novella when I’m on my computer.
So, while there’s no real audiobook version yet, there’s an audio alternative that could work until Reunion: Coda is recorded and released on Audible.
Well, that’s all I have for you today, so…adios, amigos!
A Certain Point of View, Too 
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