On Writing and Storytelling: A Royalty Check, a Reflection, and a Gentle Ask

A Royalty Check, a Reflection, and a Gentle Ask

Thursday Afternoon, October 23, 2025 – Orlando, Florida

Hi there, friends.

As October winds down here in Central Florida, I wanted to share a quick update from my writing life—especially since this is the week when Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing sends out royalty payments for September. According to the email I received earlier this week, I’ll be receiving the princely sum of $30.02 between now and October 29.

It’s not nothing. But it’s also not quite what I’d hoped for after publishing Reunion: Coda, my first full-length novel, back in April. That book took over two years to write—across two interstate moves, no less—and followed the novella Reunion: A Story, which introduced Jim Garraty to the world. Based on the kind reviews for Reunion: A Story, I had hoped that more readers would return for the sequel. Not Stephen King numbers, of course (though I wouldn’t have minded a Fifty Shades-style viral moment), but certainly more than I’ve seen so far.

Some readers did show up—and I’m deeply grateful to those who read Reunion: Coda, shared kind words, and posted reviews. Others told me they’ve shifted to audiobooks for convenience, and that’s fair. I hadn’t planned on audio editions originally, but once I discovered ACX, I knew I had to make it happen.

Now, all three Jim Garraty titles—including Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen, the summer novelette—are in production for Audible:

• 🎙️ Brandon Padilla is narrating Reunion: A Story and plans to feature it on his professional site. Look for it in November.
• 🎙️ Bryan Haddock is bringing Comings and Goings to life, with a release expected in early December.
• 🎙️ Stefan Lee is tackling the more complex Reunion: Coda, and if all goes well, it should be ready by February 2026.

Each narrator brings care, nuance, and emotional fluency to the work. I believe the finished audiobooks will be worth the wait—for listeners and for me.

Still, I hope the print and e-book editions find more readers. Reunion: Coda currently has just nine reviews on Amazon, compared to 29 for Reunion: A Story across Amazon U.S., Canada, and the UK. And while $30.02 is better than zero, it’s a modest return for a project that cost time, money, and emotional investment—especially for a book that readers once asked for when Reunion was still a standalone.

So here’s my gentle ask:
If you’ve read any of the Jim Garraty stories—whether in print, on Kindle, or soon on Audible—please consider leaving a review. Share a thought, a favorite moment, or just a star rating. It helps more than you know. And if you haven’t yet met Jim Garraty, now’s a great time to dive in. The stories are waiting, and so am I.

Thanks for walking this road with me.

Warmly,
Alex Diaz-Granados