Author: Alex Diaz-Granados
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The Dark Web of Russian Influence: How Moscow Manipulates America’s Right-Wing Politics
Midday/Early Afternoon, Tuesday, January 7, 2025, Miami, Florida For my esteemed friend Jenny: The Russian Influence on American Right-Wing Politics Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about how Russia is influencing American politics, especially on the right. Using their GRU intelligence service and the Internet Research Agency (IRA), they’ve managed to tangle up a…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Crafting Humor Through Character Reactions and Timing
What is the funniest moment in your story? Does it involve the hero and heroine, or side characters? Humor is pretty personal, so what makes one person laugh might not work for someone else. Reunion: Coda has a bunch of funny moments, but here’s one example you might like. The elevator is unusually empty as…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Exploring Character Evolution Through Letters in My Novella and Novel
Describe a letter written by your protagonist. Does he use email or a quill? What is distinctive about his writing style? What comes through in his written words that might not show when he speaks? How does he sign off? Example 1: The Letter from Reunion: A Story, written by Jim Garraty, 18, on June…
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Sunday Serenade: Songs and Compositions I Enjoy
Midday/Early Afternoon, Sunday, January 5, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. Well, while I am feeling a bit better today, I’m still under the weather. So, instead of the usual narrative blog post or occasional review, here’s a selection of music from YouTube for this first Sunday of 2025! Enjoy!
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Saturday Serenade: Some of My Favorite Piano Pieces*
Midday/Early Afternoon, Saturday, January 4, 2025, Miami, Florida * Including piano transcriptions of orchestral compositions. Hi, everyone. I’m feeling a bit better today, but still dealing with a persistent cold. I’m exhausted from the symptoms and medication. Instead of my usual long blog post, here are some of my favorite piano performances. Enjoy!
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Foggy Fridays and Novel Triumphs: A New Year’s Blogging Adventure
Late Morning, Friday, January 3, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. First, I’m a bit surprised that it’s Friday already. Oh, I knew intellectually that the weekend was imminent because I always date my blog posts when I write them, but “knowing” something is different from “perceiving” it. Since New Year fell on Wednesday (and New…
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A Writer’s Resolve: Completing ‘Reunion: Coda’ in 2025
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Madison (NH), Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaEarly Afternoon, Thursday, January 2, 2025, Miami, Florida Ah, January 1st – the magical day when people everywhere resolve to transform their lives, vowing to run ultramarathons, master the art of French pastry-making, and finally learn to speak Klingon fluently. By January 2nd, however, those grandiose ambitions often dissolve faster than the ink on a…
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Goodbye 2024…Hello 2025
Late Morning, Wednesday, January 1, 2025, Miami, Florida Well, another year has ended, and here I am, starting 2025 in my hometown of Miami, 1,616 miles from where I lived – Madison, New Hampshire – at the start of 2024. Instead of waking up to a chilly New England morning with a mix of light…
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Music Album Review: ‘Kiri Sings Gershwin’: A Swinging Tribute to Timeless Classics
Kiri Sings Gershwin (1990) Label: EMI Records Genre: Standards/Crossovers Artists: Kiri Te Kanawa (soprano), John McGlinn (conductor), New Princess Orchestra Release Date: October 25, 1990 Regular readers of this blog won’t be surprised. Still, I seem to follow the beat of a different drummer because I prefer older musical styles to contemporary ones, especially when…
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Old Gamers Never Die: Some Thoughts on ‘Sea Power: Naval Combat in the Missile Age’ (Early Access)
I’m an avid enthusiast of naval combat simulations. My journey began in the spring of 1987, when my uncle Sixto gifted me my very first computer, an Apple IIe. The first game I eagerly added to my collection was Destroyer, a 1986 single-player simulation of a Fletcher-class destroyer crafted by Epyx Games. Set in the…
A Certain Point of View, Too 