Spring in South Florida: Hot, Humid, and Thunderous…and All Too Familiar

Late Morning, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, Miami, Florida

Late spring mornings in South Florida have a certain charm, even when the heat is already making its presence felt. The air today is thick and warm, with temperatures hovering at 81°F (27°C) under mostly sunny skies. Humidity wraps the city in its embrace, making it feel closer to 94°F (34°C). A gentle breeze, just 5 mph (7 km/h), stirs the air, providing a small reprieve from the warmth. After yesterday’s stormy turmoil, today promises clear skies and a high of 87°F (30°C)—a taste of July in May, but without the dramatic thunderstorms that rattled windows and hearts last night.

Speaking of those storms, they were nothing short of spectacular. Lightning lit up the sky like a fireworks display, and thunder rolled through the night in waves so powerful it woke me around 1 a.m. Still, it was a familiar sensation—one I’ve grown accustomed to from decades spent between Miami-Fort Lauderdale and Tampa-St. Petersburg.

Life, however, has a way of surprising you. Just one year ago, I was trying to settle into rural New Hampshire, a place I had hoped would become my permanent home. But by May 13, 2024, an unexpected offer had come my way—an old friend from high school, worried about my situation, suggested I return to Miami. At first, I hesitated. I wanted to give New Hampshire a genuine chance, despite frequent bouts of homesickness and challenges that I believed were manageable.

As time wore on, the homesickness faded, but the other hurdles proved far more significant than I had anticipated. And so, here I am again, back in the land of blazing summers, dramatic thunderstorms, and hurricane season—a reality that I thought had become a distant memory. It’s funny how life turns, isn’t it? These rhythms of South Florida, both harsh and beautiful, have once again become my everyday backdrop. For better or worse, this vibrant, unpredictable place feels like home once more.

Also worth noting is that one year ago, while I was still in New England and marveling at how clearly defined the seasons are there, I was slightly past the midway point of the manuscript for Reunion: Coda. I was not making spectacular progress with the story – I tended to bog down between scenes and often endured long periods when no new writing was done – but was still optimistic that I’d finish the novel in time for a Summer 2024 release.

As I wrote on this blog one year ago today:

It’s – obviously – Monday, May 13, 2024 in my part of the planet. It’s also the beginning of another regular Monday-Friday workweek, so I am trying to get back into “Novelist Mode” after a weekend of not dealing much with the Reunion: Coda manuscript.

I don’t know – yet – how today is going to unfold. With Chapter 16 mostly finished (I’m still waiting for feedback from my Beta Reader before I can completely close the books on it), I want to start working on Chapter 17 as soon as possible. I have – as always – a vague idea of how I want the first scene to start, but I need to visualize it a bit more before I type the first sentence of the starting paragraph.

(In other words, I need to re-read Chapter 16, AKA The Breathless Hush of Evening, then ask myself, “Well, what happens next?” Only when I can answer that question clearly and fully will I be able to write the first sentence to begin Chapter 17, Scene One.)

I want to start the new chapter sooner rather than later; as I’ve said before in other writing-related posts, I have been working on this novel for 14 months now, and even though it is a project I love, I want to finish it sometime this summer. Partly because writing it is has been difficult and tiring. Mostly because many consider summer to be “Prime Time” for readers, and Reunion: Coda is – in my opinion – perfectly suited to be read at the beach or during a vacation. I hope that I can release this book at a time when most folks are looking for something new to read. So if I want to do that by July or early August, I must finish the manuscript by late June.

Thus, if I want to meet that deadline, I must avoid long pauses between the end of writing one chapter and starting the next.

I will try to play the “What Happens Next?” game after lunch today, even though I don’t know how much – or how little – I will have to revise the final scene of The Breathless Hush of Evening.

Naturally, the same challenges that prompted my move back to Miami had an impact on my writing process, especially during the uncertainty of late summer when I was preparing for the transition but lacked a clear timeline. It’s no surprise, then, that my original projections for completing the novel were far from accurate.

But today, I’m delighted to share that Reunion: Coda is no longer a work in progress—it’s a fully realized, independently published book. Since early April, it has been available on Amazon, and I’m humbled to say it has already received two glowing five-star reviews. Hearing such positive feedback so early on has been incredibly heartening and reminds me why I poured my heart into this story.

In Reunion: Coda, Jim Garraty’s journey continues as he navigates the intricate dance between past regrets and present hopes. Now a successful history professor, Jim’s life is a tapestry of unspoken love, haunting memories, and the pursuit of emotional closure.

As Jim reflects on his high school years and the profound impact of his relationships, he grapples with the lessons learned from missed opportunities and the unpredictable nature of life. Through introspective moments and heartfelt letters, Jim uncovers the strength to confront his deepest fears and embrace new beginnings.

Reunion: Coda delves into the complexities of love, loss, and the enduring power of memory. It also explores the significance of friendship and the unpredictable turns that shape our lives. This poignant novel is a heartfelt exploration of the choices that define us, the connections that sustain us, and the hope that guides us on the journey of self-discovery.

If you’ve been considering adding Reunion: Coda to your reading list, I would be so grateful if you gave it a chance. And if you’re still unsure, you might want to take a peek at the wonderful early reviews on Amazon. Your support, whether by purchasing the book, sharing it with a friend, or simply spreading the word, would mean the world to me. Thank you for considering it, and I truly hope the story resonates with you as deeply as it did with me while writing it.