Election Day 2024: Weather and Writing Updates from Miami

Mid- to Late Morning, Tuesday, November 5, 2024, Miami, Florida

Hey there, Constant Readers.

It’s a gray, windy, and potentially rainy late fall day in South Florida on this pivotal Election Day 2024. The temperature is a balmy 82°F (28°C) under cloudy skies. With the wind blowing from the east at 19 MPH (31 Km/H) and humidity at a sticky 79%, the heat index feels like 84°F (29°C). Today’s forecast calls for scattered light showers throughout the day. The high will be 83°F (29°C) on this humid second day of the workweek.

Since Florida sits in the middle of Hurricane Alley, I’m keeping a wary eye on the whereabouts of Tropical Storm Rafael, which is churning in the Caribbean and heading in a general northwesterly direction that will carry it to the west of the Florida Keys and into the Gulf of Mexico, avoiding the Sunshine State altogether. Good, because the last thing I need to worry about during my readjustment to living in Miami after being away for nearly nine years is to experience a tropical storm again.

I’m already bummed out over many things, including the fact that I moved here too late to vote in the 2024 election; I don’t need Rafael to rain on my parade, metaphorically speaking. So, here’s to hoping that while the winds of political change are blowing strong, the literal winds stay far away from my new (old) home.

On Writing and Storytelling: Reunion: Coda Progress Update

Yesterday I tackled Chapter 20, Scene Two of Reunion: Coda, wielding my editor’s pen like a literary samurai. It’s a 955-word scene, and for the most part, it seemed – in my humble opinion – shipshape. There was a bit of sensory detail that didn’t quite pass the smell test, so I gave it a good scrubbing and rewrote the offending passage before adding it to the Beta Reader’s copy of the manuscript and the Reunion: Coda project file in my Kindle Create app. Aside from that minor hiccup, the scene seems to flow like a well-oiled machine, at least from my perspective. Of course, I’ll need the thumbs-up from my trusty Beta Reader to make sure I haven’t missed anything glaring – or accidentally slipped in a plot twist involving space aliens.

Meanwhile, I’ll dive into Scene Three this afternoon, pushing the 20th chapter of my novel closer to its thrilling climax. The move from the serene landscapes of New Hampshire to the tropical allure of South Florida shook up my pre-publication plans, pushing back the release of Reunion: Coda initially slated for mid-December 2024. Yet, I remain undeterred, steadfastly weaving Jim Garraty’s tale like a tapestry since March of last year. With each keystroke, I edge nearer to typing those two triumphant words, “The End”, wrapping up his journey almost three decades after it began as a creative writing assignment at Miami-Dade Community College.

Speaking of Jim Garraty’s tale, the first half of the Reunion Duology – Reunion: A Story: A Novella  – is available in paperback or Kindle editions wherever Amazon has stores, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Spain, and even faraway Australia and Japan. If you haven’t purchased a copy either for yourself or someone else who loves to read, here are a couple of customer reviews that might be of interest to you.

 Excellent quick read that is bittersweet and heartwarming.

Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2024

I was captivated from the start by the author’s descriptive and easy style of writing. I could picture everything so well and it definitely took me back to the angst oftentimes felt in high school when a lack of confidence could get in the way of pursuing a love interest. The author captured the 1980s well and it was easy to follow the flashbacks and present tense when the character reflects on the choices he made. Hindsight is always 20-20 and we can see how our decisions in our youth greatly impact our lives, but the author really makes you see how our younger selves may be too insecure and self-sabotage our happiness. I highly recommend this novella that will resonate with you long after you read it. Excellent work, Alex! Your South Miami co-editor is so proud of you! – Maggie Wunderlich

Great story, well-written

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 22, 2018

Verified Purchase

A lovely lyrical book and excellently written. It makes use of flashbacks, yet these are expertly woven into the story so that you always know where you are and how they contribute to the tale. This is quite a short read (I downloaded it to my Kindle and read it on my train journey) but it certainly packs a lot into the story and the idea is fresh and novel. I have not read a story like this before. It’s not my normal type of reading material, as most of my reading these days is factual or business-related but I really enjoyed it and was sorry when it was finished.

The book basically makes the point that it is better to be sorry for sins of commission, rather than regret sins of omission, yet it also shows how the angst of high school and teen fears get in the way of true love. One point I would make – I would LOVE to see a sequel to this, written from Marty’s point of view. PLEASE? – Meg Learner

Well, Meg, although I am not quite ready to write an entire story from a woman’s point of view, I am committed to continuing Jim and Marty’s journey without altering the established lore from Reunion: A Story. Your enthusiasm and support mean a lot to me, and I am excited to share more updates about Reunion: Coda as it progresses. Stay tuned for what’s to come and thank you for being such a dedicated reader!