Author: Alex Diaz-Granados
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Music Album Review: ‘Billy Joel – Greatest Hits, Volumes I & II (1973-1983)’
🎶 Billy Joel – Greatest Hits: Volume I & Volume II Some albums become more than music—they turn into companions. For me, Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits: Volume I & Volume II was exactly that. I received the cassette in 1986 for my 23rd birthday, one of my last big celebrations. That tape became a lifeline:…
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On Writing and Storytelling: An Unexpected (if Modest) Bonanza of Royalties
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audiobooks, Audiobooks, Books, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Stefan (Steve) LeeSaturday, November 22, 2025 – Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. Last night, I checked my Kindle Direct Publishing account’s Reports page for the first time in about a month. I had been focusing most of my attention on the progress of the audiobooks for Reunion and Comings and Goings. I wanted to see if there were…
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Adventures in Audiobook Production: Six Purchases, One Garratyverse
The Garratyverse has officially set sail on Audible—and six listeners have already come aboard. Four chose Comings and Goings, while two picked up Reunion: A Story. Whether purchased outright, redeemed with credits, or discovered through iTunes, each copy represents a reader willing to carry Jim Garraty’s voice into their own world. For me, this is…
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Old Gamers Never Die: A Look at ‘Sea Power’ A Year Into Its Run
⚓ Sea Power: Naval Combat in the Missile Age A Gamer’s Reflections on Year One When Sea Power: Naval Combat in the Missile Age (Triassic Games, MicroProse) launched in November 2024, I was there on Day One. As someone who grew up on naval sims like Strike Fleet, Red Storm Rising, Harpoon Classic ’97, Fleet…
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On Writing and Storytelling: What Amazon Readers Say About ‘Reunion: A Story’
The audiobook edition of Reunion: A Story – my first work of fiction – is now available on Audible and Amazon. “A profound ‘what if’ scenario, poignantly told.” —Amazon Reviewer It is February 1998. 33-year-old Jim Garraty is a respected history professor and bestselling author who lives in New York City. Popular with both students…
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Book Review: ‘Carrier: A Guided Tour of an Aircraft Carrier’
⚓ Carrier: Tom Clancy’s Guided Tour of American Sea Power Tom Clancy’s Carrier, the sixth installment in his Guided Tour nonfiction series, offers readers a vivid exploration of the U.S. Navy’s most iconic asset: the aircraft carrier and its accompanying battle group (CVBG). More than six decades after Pearl Harbor signaled the end of battleship…
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‘Reunion: A Story’ Lands on Audible!
📣 Release Announcement: Reunion: A Story I’m thrilled to share that Reunion: A Story: A Novella (The Reunion Duology Book 1) is now officially available for purchase on Audible and Amazon, with iTunes availability coming in just a few days. Produced by Brandon Padilla, this audiobook successfully passed ACX’s rigorous quality assurance reviews—Cover, Metadata, and…
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Adventures in Audiobook Production: ‘Reunion: A Story’ Passes All Three QA Tests!
📣 Pre‑Release Announcement: Reunion: A Story I’m excited to share that Reunion: A Story has officially passed all three ACX quality assurance reviews—Cover, Metadata, and Audio Files. This means the audiobook, produced by Brandon Padilla, is now cleared for distribution on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. All that’s left is for ACX to ask me to…
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The Quill and the Lyre: Music and ‘Comings and Goings’
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Music, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Billy Joel, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Ludwig van Beethoven, Music, Music & Concert Specials, Pathetique Piano Sonata (Adagio cantabile), Reunion DuologyEvery story has its soundtrack. For Comings and Goings, the most overtly relevant piece isn’t tucked away in a concert hall—it’s right there in Billy Joel’s “This Night”, spinning from Kelly’s stereo in Mission Hill. Yet, at the heart of this pop ballad lies Beethoven’s Adagio cantabile, whose timeless melody Joel borrowed and reimagined, creating…
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Adventures in Audiobook Production: ‘Comings and Goings’ Gets Its First Audible Review!
🎧 Our First Review: Comings and Goings Every story lives twice—once in the act of writing, and again in the act of being received. Today, I’m grateful to share the very first listener review of Comings and Goings, the audiobook that bridges the emotional space between Reunion: A Story and Reunion: Coda. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Delightful listenPJCAI…
A Certain Point of View, Too 