Adventures in Audiobook Production – In Review: On Waiting, Vigilance, and the Quiet Hope of Release

In Review: On Waiting, Vigilance, and the Quiet Hope of Release

Wednesday Afternoon, November 5, 2025 – Orlando, Florida

There’s a moment in every creative journey when the work feels complete — or nearly so. The narration is done. The emotional cadence is intact. The cover art has been finalized, checked, and rechecked. The story has been shaped, voiced, and offered. And then comes the pause: “In review.”

That’s where Reunion: A Story stands now — the second Garratyverse audiobook to be completed, but poised to be the first released, if ACX gives its quiet nod. It’s a poetic twist, really. This was the first story I ever wrote in the Garratyverse, the one that introduced Jim Garraty’s emotional cadence, his restraint, his longing. It’s the origin point, even if it wasn’t the first to be adapted.

The delay with Comings and Goings — a cover art hiccup that failed ACX’s QA test — was frustrating, yes. But it also gave Reunion room to breathe. To speak first. To be heard before the others. And maybe that’s a kind of poetic justice. Maybe the story that began it all deserves to lead the way.

Still, I wait. Vigilant. Hopeful. Knowing that “in review” is not the end, but a breath held between creation and communion.

Brandon Padilla’s narration is complete, and his message — “It’s been an honor” — still echoes in my heart. I’ve been thanked before for my work on scripts and stories, but never quite like this. Never for a self-published adaptation. That simple phrase, offered without fanfare, felt like a quiet triumph. A recognition not just of the story, but of the emotional stewardship behind it.

So here we are. Waiting. Watching. Hoping. And if Reunion: A Story is the first to be heard, then let it be heard with all the warmth, memory, and emotional realism it was written to carry.

Thanks for walking this road with me.