Four Stories, One Chronicle, and a Little Optimism

Thursday, July 16, 2026 – Orlando, Florida

“Persistence can look a lot like stupid.” ― Kristen Lamb, Are You There, Blog? It’s Me, Writer

Pull up a chair, friend—today comes with a little publishing news and the faint aroma of freshly brewed optimism.

Yesterday morning, Kindle Direct Publishing released my fifth and latest book, The Jim Garraty Chronicles: A Life in Four Movements, as a Kindle e‑book ($12.50). It’s an omnibus—fancy publishing‑speak for “all the Jim Garraty stories in one convenient place”—collecting the four existing stories centered on Jim’s life: Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen, and The Summer of Two Movies. I hadn’t planned on bundling them after publishing Reunion: Coda and Comings and Goings last year. But once I began working with three ACX producers—Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, and Stefan Lee—to adapt the first three stories into audiobooks, the idea of an omnibus wandered into the room, pulled up a chair, and refused to leave.

Naturally, I ordered the first—and so far, only—e‑book copy. And yes, I’m biased, but after looking over the finished product, I was relieved to see that my months‑long wrestling match with Kindle Create’s stubborn formatting finally paid off. The page layout is neat and clean; the chapter and vignette titles are behaving themselves; and I removed the visual elements that distracted the eye during the reading experience, especially in Reunion: Coda.

I also went back through the text—primarily Reunion: Coda, though a few of the others got a tune‑up—to fix typos, clunky phrases, and the occasional non sequitur that slipped past Word’s spellchecker or my copy editor’s vigilant eyes. Readers who bought the individual titles may notice slightly different versions of the text here and there. Nothing radical—just wording that comes a little closer to what I meant to say before the sentences wandered off and started freelancing.

Tomorrow, the paperback edition of the Chronicles should be available on Amazon and through its Expanded Distribution partners—Barnes & Noble Online, for instance, and independent bookstores with online ordering, such as Book Culture in New York.

Alex Diaz-Granados

“A person who publishes a book willfully appears before the populace with his pants down. If it is a good book nothing can hurt him. If it is a bad book nothing can help him.” ― Edna St. Vincent Millay

Tomorrow, the paperback edition of the Chronicles should be available on Amazon and through its Expanded Distribution partners—Barnes & Noble Online, for instance, and independent bookstores with online ordering, such as Book Culture in New York. It costs more than the Kindle edition, thanks to the stubborn realities of printing, paper, and shipping, none of which seem especially moved by my charm. Still, since it gathers four unabridged stories under one cover, I think it’s a fair deal for readers who’d like to spend time with Jim Garraty, Mark Prieto, Marty and Maddie Reynaud, Kelly Moore, Mrs. Quincy, and the other people who shape Jim’s life as he grows from a sharp‑eyed teen into the man he becomes. So if e‑books aren’t your bag—as we used to say back when sideburns were a lifestyle choice—the paperback may be more your speed.

Now, do I expect The Jim Garraty Chronicles to be the breakout book that plants me on the literary map and lets me pay the bills with nothing but prose and stubborn optimism? No. I’m hopeful, but I haven’t misplaced my grip on reality. Most indie authors earn modest sums from their books; many have day jobs, and others are happily retired and writing because the stories keep tugging at their sleeves. I’m in that same neighborhood. I write because I love telling stories. After all, these characters still feel alive to me, and because every now and then, even a royalty statement that looks less like a paycheck and more like a polite handshake is enough to make me grin and keep going.

(That said, I would like to sell more books! I’d be lying if I said otherwise.)

And here’s the part where I awkwardly put on the little marketing hat, which never quite fits but is apparently required by law—or at least by the gods of discoverability: if The Jim Garraty Chronicles sounds like your kind of thing, I’d be grateful if you picked up the Kindle edition, ordered the paperback when it goes live, or—if you’re a Kindle Unlimited subscriber—gave it a read there. And if you do read it, a short, honest review on Amazon helps more than you might think. Reviews are one of those small reader gestures that can make a big difference for indie authors trying not to vanish into the digital wallpaper. No pressure, no guilt trip, no sad violin—just a sincere thank‑you from the fellow across the table, raising his glass and hoping you’ll spend a little time with Jim and the gang.