Longest Day, Shortest Royalty Check… But Who’s Counting?

Friday Afternoon, June 20, 2025 – Miami, Florida

Hi, everyone—

A few notable highlights from this first official day of summer:

• It’s the summer solstice, the longest day of the year and the traditional curtain-raiser for the season.
• It also marks the 50th anniversary of Jaws—the film that turned the ocean into a no-go zone for a generation and launched Steven Spielberg’s second collaboration with John Williams. The result? One of the most enduring creative partnerships in modern cinema.

Now for a little personal update: Kindle Direct Publishing has processed my April royalties, and I’m set to receive a not-so-whopping (but still smile-worthy) $78.21. Most of that comes courtesy of Reunion: Coda, though a few generous readers also picked up Reunion: A Story—the novella that Coda expands upon—and Save Me the Aisle Seat, a slightly rushed collection of film reviews I assembled while my mother was ill in 2012.

Sure, $78.21 might be what Stephen King earns during the time it takes him to nuke a cup of coffee—but hey, it’s not nothing! And just to keep expectations properly calibrated: May’s royalties (ahem… more modest still) are due next month. KDP, bless them, operates on a schedule that puts the “delay” in “delayed gratification.”

If you’re in the market for a novel that will break your heart, stitch it up, and then make you snort with laughter before your next caffeine fix, look no further than Reunion: Coda. Denise Longrie calls it a “lyrical story of new love interwoven with acceptance of love lost and self-forgiveness… richly textured and enjoyable.”

Still not convinced? Well, Anonymous says:

“There are no wasted pages or unnecessary details. Never a dull moment. And the novel is simply emotionally captivating. Don’t miss it!!!”

(And let’s be honest—anonymous reviewers are rarely wrong.)

So go ahead—treat yourself (and maybe a book club pal or two) to a story where winter’s gloom gives way to golden light, and where music, memory, and messy, beautiful hope dance through every page.

Buy Reunion: Coda today. Your bookshelf will be glad you did. And maybe, just maybe, so will your heart.