A Certain Point of View, Too

Getting to Know You, Round #75 — Plus a Tiny Royalty Plot Twist

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Alex Diaz-Granados
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Getting to Know You, Round #75 — Plus a Tiny Royalty Plot Twist

Every so often, Kymber posts another round of her “Getting to Know You” questions, and I always enjoy jumping in. Round #75 landed this week, so here are my answers — equal parts honest, reflective, and lightly caffeinated.

1. What drives you to get up in the morning?

I took this “selfie” back in November of 2020.

At this stage of my early 60s, it’s a blend of urgency and devotion. Time feels more finite than it used to, and the stories in my head are far too restless to let me sleep in. Between the ticking clock and the writing impulse that refuses to take a day off, staying under the covers isn’t really an option.

2. Cities or remote places?

Look at all the snow. Pretty postcard image…but rural life is a bit too isolating for me.

Cities, without hesitation. I’ve lived in both urban and rural settings, and while small towns have their charms, they also have a lot of…stillness. Too much stillness. If I’m going to be “remote,” I’d at least like a bookstore, a movie theater, and a decent cup of coffee within reach.

3. Best concert you’ve ever been to?

My Star Wars The Black Series 40th Anniversary Legacy Pack display stand. It came with the 40th Anniversary figure of Darth Vader; I had to buy the other 11 figures to complete the display.

I’ve been to a wide range of concerts over the years — pop, classical, and a few that defy easy categorization. On the pop side, Billy Joel’s Storm Front tour stop in Miami back in March 1990 still stands out as the gold standard. On the symphonic side, nothing beats watching Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope at Ruth Eckerd Hall while the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra performed John Williams’ score live. Goosebumps, nostalgia, and the thrill of hearing that opening fanfare played by a live orchestra — unforgettable.

In Other News

This morning, as part of my daily ritual, I checked my Kindle Direct Publishing dashboard. I wasn’t expecting much movement — unless Amazon ships the copies of Reunion: A Story and Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen I’m sending to a friend before January 31, things usually stay pretty quiet. After all, I’m not Stephen King. (I don’t even own a haunted car.)

But I’d forgotten about Kindle Unlimited. Someone out there read Reunion: A Story from start to finish, which nudged my January royalties up by a mighty 32 cents, bringing the total to $14.58. According to KDP, that’s 67 KENP pages read — meaning one reader single‑handedly accounted for 2% of my earnings this month.

For an indie author, that’s not too shabby. Every page read, every penny earned, and every reader who spends time with my work — it all matters, and I’m grateful for it.

Comments

8 responses to “Getting to Know You, Round #75 — Plus a Tiny Royalty Plot Twist”

  1. thomasstigwikman Avatar
    thomasstigwikman

    Interesting answers to the questions. About the second one, it is interesting that you prefer cities so strongly. I grew up on the country side in northern Sweden but have lived in cities ever since my twenties, and I still prefer the country side even though that is not where I have lived for a long time. Well, there’s one issue. Here in the US most people on the country side are a bit strange/MAGA in my opinion. The same is not true for Sweden.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Alex Diaz-Granados Avatar
      Alex Diaz-Granados

      I was born and raised in Miami, with a side jaunt to Bogota, Colombia that lasted almost six years. Except for the 10 months I spent in New Hampshire, big cities have been home. I have been lucky to not have lived in the core of a city…just the suburbs.

      If circumstances had been different (mainly, the person I lived with in NH), I am 65-75% sure I’d have adapted to rural life. I was getting used to the climate, although now that I’m back in Florida the occasional cold fronts and arctic blasts affect me the way they used to before I moved to New England.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. thomasstigwikman Avatar
        thomasstigwikman

        That makes sense. You are comfortable with what you are used to, especially what you get used to in childhood.

        Like

  2. Kymber @booomcha Avatar
    Kymber @booomcha

    Thank you so much for playing, Alex!

    Your answers are great! I like that you have different tastes in music. I do, too. I love it all. I’ve never seen Billy Joel live, but I’ve wanted to. It just never worked out. Maybe someday.

    Happy Thursday!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Alex Diaz-Granados Avatar
      Alex Diaz-Granados

      I think my dominant genre is classical music, which includes symphonic film scores. I’m pickier about other genres than I am about classical, though.

      Here are my top five musical genres/styles:

      1. Classical/Film Scores
      2. Big Band/Swing/Jazz
      3. Standards (The Great American Songbook)
      4. Pop/Rock (1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s)
      5. Folk/Country

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Kymber @booomcha Avatar
        Kymber @booomcha

        I love the genres and styles you listed. Big Band/Swing/Jazz are favorites, too. Film scores really make you feel something.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Alex Diaz-Granados Avatar
        Alex Diaz-Granados

        I listen to film scores, classical music, and standards when I’m writing fiction. It sounds counterintuitive, but I often write story beats based on the music I’m hearing at any given point.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Kymber @booomcha Avatar
        Kymber @booomcha

        That’s really cool. I enjoy learning how different authors go through the process of writing.

        Like

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