Evening, Saturday, May 17, 2025 – Miami, Florida
“You’re from Florida. There’s got to be more holes to hell in Florida than any other state.” ― T. Kingfisher, The Hollow Places
The sun lingers just past 6 PM, its fading light offering little relief from the unrelenting heat. At 87°F (31°C), with humidity thick at 66% and a sluggish breeze from the south-southeast at 9 MPH (14 Km/H), the air feels weighted, oppressive. Even with the air conditioning running and blinds drawn, the room refuses to cool—a stubborn reminder of Florida’s ability to defy comfort.
As I sit in my Miami-area bedroom this late spring evening, I find myself retracing the path between now and May 17, 2024. A year ago, it was a Friday, not a Saturday, and I was deep in my stay in Madison, New Hampshire—though I hadn’t yet realized how temporary that chapter would be. I had arrived in rural New England only five months earlier, legally a resident of the Granite State, with little more than a whisper of desire to return to Florida.
Perhaps more significantly, I was just past the midpoint of Reunion: Coda’s manuscript, the novel I began writing in Tampa, Florida, on March 9, 2023. I had originally envisioned a concise 25-chapter story, but as the draft unfolded, it became clear that the narrative needed more weight, more conflict. The addition of a subplot intensified the stakes for Jim Garraty, enriching the story beyond its initial framework. By the time May 17, 2024 arrived, I had crossed the 50% mark—but not far enough to guarantee a 2024 publication.
Now, just over a month since Reunion: Coda debuted in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle editions, I find myself in a different stage of the journey. The book has garnered three reviews and four ratings, averaging 4.4 stars—modest but promising. Sales have been steady, but like any author, I hope for more: more visibility, more reviews, more readers discovering Jim Garraty’s story.
The most detailed review so far comes from British blogger and author Meg Learner, who called Reunion: Coda “lyrical and well written with a satisfying story.” Her insights highlight the novel’s deeper emotional currents—Jim’s search for love, his conflicts with a student who challenges his interpretation of history, and the role of music in shaping his journey.
I know more reviews will appear in time, and with them, more opportunities for readers to discover this book. Writing is a compulsion, a need—but seeing people engage with my work, discuss it, and find meaning in it? That’s the fuel that keeps me moving forward.
A Certain Point of View, Too 
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