Saturday, August 1, 2026 – Orlando, Florida
Hi there.
Central Florida Weather Check
To no one’s surprise, August has arrived in Central Florida with its usual late-summer combination: oppressive heat, heavy humidity, and the afternoon threat of rain and thunderstorms. As I write this from my corner of Orange County, the temperature is 91°F (33°C), with scattered light showers just beginning to move into the area.
With humidity at a sticky 57% and a west-southwest wind blowing at 12 mph (19 km/h), it feels closer to 96°F (36°C).
Still, it could be worse. August and September are the peak months of the Atlantic hurricane season, but for now the tropics on this side of the world are relatively calm, with no named storms headed toward Hurricane Alley.
A Brief Creative Breather
Image Credit: Juan Carlos Hernandez
As for me, I don’t have much to report because I’m taking a brief sabbatical from my creative writing endeavors. After three years of sustained work on stories centered on Jim Garraty—my protagonist and narrator—I’m feeling a bit fatigued.
During that stretch, I wrote a full-length novel, a novelette, and a piece of flash fiction. That meant plenty of Professional Daydreaming™, drafting, reading, sharing with beta readers, editing, revising, uploading, self-publishing, and then revising some more.
Moves, Stress, and Still Somehow Publishing
As if that were not enough, I also had to deal with three unforeseen, undesired, and decidedly unpleasant moves:
- From Tampa, Florida, to Madison, New Hampshire
- From Madison back to my hometown of Miami, Florida
- From Miami to the Orlando area at the end of August 2025
The stress, the packing, the traveling, the constant adjusting and readjusting to different living arrangements, and the reshuffling of my plans all took a toll. I’m surprised I still managed to publish two books through Kindle Direct Publishing—Reunion: Coda and Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen—after all that.
And, of course, I recently published The Jim Garraty Chronicles, which collects the four existing Jim Garraty stories I’ve written since 1998.
What Comes Next
So, yes: Your Humble Correspondent needs to give the little grey cells in the Creative Writing department a breather, while still keeping the folks in Marketing busy in their cubicles.
A Little Rest, A Little Reading, A Little Twilight Zone
In the meantime, I’m letting the creative engines idle while I recharge. I’ve been enjoying a hilarious new novel—The Best of All Possible Planets—which has been a welcome palate cleanser after months of drafting and revising. I’m also working my way through The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series on Blu‑ray. The packaging is atrocious, but Rod Serling’s brilliance more than compensates for the clamshell chaos.
Of course, even during a breather, the mind wanders. I’m hoping to see a nice spike in sales of my books— Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen, and The Jim Garraty Chronicles—while quietly mulling over what Jim Garraty might get himself into next. The ideas aren’t fully formed yet, but they’re circling, waiting for the right moment to land.
Until Then…
If you haven’t picked up any of my books yet, this is a great time to dive in. And if you have, thank you—your support keeps the lights on in the Creative Writing department and gives Marketing something to celebrate. Feel free to leave a review, share the books with friends, or drop me a note about your favorite moments. Every bit helps.
More updates soon, once the grey cells finish their vacation.
A Certain Point of View, Too 
Share your thoughts with the world!