Sunday, September 27, 2026 – Orlando, Florida
It’s early afternoon on this last Sunday of September 2026. The current temperature is 82°F (28°C) under sunny skies, but with 37% humidity and a southeasterly breeze blowing at 5 MPH (8 Km/H), it feels more like early summer than early fall. The oppressive heat of this past summer is finally easing off; it was surprisingly cold in Central Florida when I woke up. At one point this morning, the temperature dipped to 60°F (16°C).
That’s hardly the coldest weather I’ve ever experienced. During my all-too-brief residence in New England, I saw more than a few snowy, icy days and nights where temperatures fell well below freezing. Mostly in the depth of winter—January through February—and not so much during the day. And when I lived in Bogotá, Colombia in the mid‑1960s and early 1970s, the climate there was far from warm. So a low of 60°F (16°C) wouldn’t have fazed me much back then.
The only news—if I can call it that—I have to share today is that Amazon will deliver my hardcover edition of The Jim Garraty Chronicles: A Life in Four Movements this afternoon. I ordered it on the 17th as soon as it went live, and it was originally estimated to arrive tomorrow. However, the e‑retailer manufactured my copy in Georgia rather than South Carolina, so it shipped out late yesterday afternoon from that state, expediting delivery by one day.
I would have been perfectly fine with a Monday arrival; I already own the Kindle and paperback editions, and I have the source file in Kindle Create. Still, nothing warms the cockles of a writer’s heart quite like holding a hardcover edition of one’s own work. E‑books and paperbacks have portability and convenience—and they’re usually more affordable—but there’s something about the size and heft of a hardback that simply can’t compare.
I didn’t originally plan on creating this edition. I figured most readers would be content with the Kindle or paperback versions, especially since times are tough all over and prices on everything are rising. But at least one loyal reader told me he had hoped for a hardcover edition of The Jim Garraty Chronicles and had settled for the paperback instead. So, based partly on that insight and mostly because I, too, prefer hardcovers, I added this format to the existing two—while trying to keep the price within reach for most prospective readers.
A Look at The Jim Garraty Chronicles: A Life in Four Movements
From the book’s Amazon product page:
The Jim Garraty Chronicles omnibus brings together three deeply personal stories tracing Jim Garraty’s early life through the 1980s — the friendships that shape him, the memories that follow him, and the quiet moments that become turning points.
This omnibus includes Reunion, Reunion: Coda, and Comings and Goings, forming a reflective portrait of a young man navigating time, loss, renewal, and the people who leave lasting marks on his life.
As a special addition, this collection also features The Summer of Two Movies, a bonus origin story set in 1977. This short, intimate tale offers a glimpse into the earliest days of Jim’s journey — a moment of childhood, friendship, and discovery that quietly echoes through everything that follows.
Warm, nostalgic, and deeply human, The Jim Garraty Chronicles invites readers to walk alongside Jim as he grows, remembers, and becomes the person he is meant to be.
Three stories, one bonus tale — and the story continues.
Product details
ASIN: B0HK3PMJ72
Publisher: Independently published
Publication date: September 16, 2026
Language: English
Print length: 539 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8174278226
Item Weight: 2.53 pounds
Dimensions: 7.24 x 1.54 x 10.24 inches
Book 4 of 4: The Jim Garraty Chronicles
If you’ve followed Jim’s journey through any of the earlier stories—or if you’re simply curious about this world I’ve been building—this new hardcover edition might be a welcome addition to your shelf. And if you enjoy the omnibus, I hope you’ll consider exploring the other books in the Jim Garraty canon as well; there’s much more of his story waiting to be discovered.
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