July 2025: Heat, Grief, and Writing-Related Stress

Wednesday Afternoon, July 9, 2025 – Miami, Florida

Hi, everyone.

Historically, July has never been my favorite month. Aside from the nearly six years I spent living in Colombia (1966–1972) and a more recent 10-month stint in New Hampshire, July in Florida usually means oppressive heat and humidity—weather that makes retreating indoors feel more like necessity than choice. Thunderstorms become frequent visitors, and even though the peak of hurricane season hasn’t arrived, there’s always that quiet, lingering anxiety: the possibility that another Hurricane Andrew might come roaring through during the most unforgiving time of year.

And this July, like clockwork, brings a more personal weight. In just under ten days, it will mark the tenth anniversary of my mom’s passing from dementia and its complications. The grief isn’t as searing as it was five years ago, but as my fictional counterpart Jim Garraty says in the Reunion Duology and its new companion piece, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen—time doesn’t truly heal wounds. The ache left by the loss of a beloved parent doesn’t dissolve with the calendar’s turn.

Still, I haven’t been steeped in sorrow. These days, my writing continues to shape and energize my life. Many of you already know I post regularly here, but I’ve also recently completed and published two deeply personal literary works: Reunion: Coda, my debut novel, and Comings and Goings, a short story that builds on Jim’s journey. Coda came together over two years and three locations, while Comings and Goings found its way to readers a few months ahead of schedule—an unexpected triumph in a season of long hours and soul-searching drafts.

That said, the past few months have been hectic in a way that challenges even my love of the craft. Publishing two books just two and a half months apart means I’m wearing the marketing hat twice over—without the support of ad budgets or a dedicated team. I’m a writer, not a salesperson, and while my words flow freely onto the page, getting those words into the hands of readers often feels like pushing a boulder uphill.

Today, I’m running on little sleep and a surplus of worry—about sales, about reviews, about the silence that sometimes greets even the most heartfelt work. But I keep going because writing is my lifeblood. My mother once said it was what I was born to do. And whether it’s blog posts, short stories, or novels, I feel most myself when I’m shaping a narrative. It’s not the creativity I struggle with—it’s sharing that creativity widely enough so it finds the readers it’s meant for.

So, if you’ve read Reunion: Coda or Comings and Goings, I’d be incredibly grateful if you shared your thoughts in a review, recommended them to a friend, or gave them a closer look. One reader said of Reunion: Coda, “Readers will be swept away by this nostalgic tale, a great read that deeply considers the impact of life’s choices.” Another wrote of Comings and Goings, “Every line is constructed in a way that reminds the reader of the great writers of the past: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, etc. You will not put this book down. The whole thing is one big quotable line, vivid descriptions, and emotional moments that form a story you will think about for days.”

Your support means everything. And if you’re new to Jim’s world, I hope you’ll take the time to see why these stories continue to resonate.