On Writing and Storytelling: A Year of Stories, Memory, and Gratitude

A Year of Stories, Memory, and Gratitude

Marking the 11‑Month Anniversary of Reunion: Coda and My 63rd Birthday

March 5th is a meaningful date for me this year—not only because I’m turning 63, but because it marks eleven months since Reunion: Coda first stepped out into the world. When I released it last April, I had no idea how deeply readers would connect with Jim Garraty’s journey, or how many conversations, reflections, and quiet moments of recognition the story would spark.

In the months since, something unexpected and wonderful has happened: the Garratyverse has grown into a small but heartfelt trilogy of interconnected stories—each one exploring memory, love, loss, and the quiet ways our past selves continue to shape who we become.

As I celebrate another year of life, I’m also celebrating the life these stories have taken on.

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The Garratyverse: Three Stories, One Emotional Arc

Reunion: A Story

The novella that started it all. A tender, lyrical look at first love, adolescent fear, and the ache of what might have been. Readers often tell me it feels like opening an old yearbook and finding a pressed flower inside—fragile, fragrant, and unexpectedly powerful.

Reunion: Coda

The novel that grew from a single reader’s question: “What about Marty’s point of view?”
Coda explores the long shadow of first love, the weight of memory, and the complicated beauty of reconnecting with the past. It’s a story about music, grief, hope, and the courage it takes to face the person you once were. It’s still told from Jim Garraty’s perspective, but it gives Marty a much larger (and luminous) presence.

Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen

The newest addition—a quiet, intimate short story about connection, vulnerability, and the small encounters that remind us we’re still alive to the world. It’s a companion piece that deepens the emotional resonance of the first two books without demanding anything from the reader except presence.

Together, these three stories form a kind of emotional triptych: youth, reflection, and the fragile, luminous space in between.

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Why This Anniversary Matters

When I look back at the past eleven months, I’m struck by how much these stories have given me:

• a renewed sense of creative purpose
• conversations with readers who saw themselves in Jim, Marty, or the spaces between them
• the joy of hearing the dream‑song from Coda sung by real performers
• the quiet satisfaction of finishing something that began decades ago in a high‑school chorus room

And now, with all three Garratyverse titles available, I feel a sense of completion—not an ending, but a settling. A breath released.

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A Thank‑You to Readers

If you’ve read one of the stories, or all three, or even just paused on a cover image and thought, Maybe someday—thank you. Stories only come fully alive when someone else carries them for a while.

Your reviews, messages, and reflections have meant more than you know. They’ve reminded me that the themes I care about—memory, music, longing, connection—still matter to people. They still resonate.

And that’s the best birthday gift a writer could ask for.

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Looking Ahead

As I step into my 63rd year, I’m not sure what comes next creatively. Maybe more stories. Maybe something entirely different. But I do know this: the Garratyverse will always hold a special place in my heart, and I’m grateful it’s found a place in yours.

If you haven’t yet explored the full trilogy, this anniversary feels like the right moment. Not because of marketing, not because of urgency—simply because the stories were meant to be read together, like movements in a symphony.

And if you have read them… thank you for walking with Jim, Marty, and me.