Author: Alex Diaz-Granados
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Making of an Unplanned Literary Series
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Brazil, Amazon Canada, Amazon Germany, Amazon Italy, Amazon Japan, Amazon Mexico, Amazon Poland, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon Sweden, Amazon UK, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Summer of Two Movies, Writing as a CraftThursday, August 20, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Every story—or, in this case, every collection of stories—begins somewhere. It may start with a flash of inspiration, a lingering memory, a familiar-looking person or place, or even an old college creative-writing assignment that suddenly makes you want to revise, expand, and share it. In the introduction to…
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Seven Albums for a Penny: Remembering Columbia House
Seven Albums for a Penny: Remembering Columbia House Wednesday, August 19, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. Well, another iconic brand from my misspent youth is about to disappear into the mists of history, taking with it a particular kind of mail-order anticipation that younger readers may know only from old magazine ads and family…
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I’m Not Ready to Return to My Creative Writing Desk Yet
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Brazil, Amazon Canada, Amazon Germany, Amazon Italy, Amazon Japan, Amazon Mexico, Amazon Poland, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon Sweden, Amazon UK, Creative Writing, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Jim Garraty Chronicles (Series), Writing and Editing, Writing as a CraftTuesday, August 18, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. I’m still on my self-imposed break from Professional Daydreaming.™ Reluctantly, yes, but still on it. I had hoped to start writing—or at least seriously thinking through—the fine details of the story I’ve titled And the Horse You Rode in On this week. Maybe even today. I…
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The ‘Mean Season’ Just Keeps Getting Meaner
Monday, August 17, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Late summer is the season when the southern United States turns the heat up to its highest setting. It’s always been that way, and it’s no accident that August and September coincide with the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. Except for a few memorable detours — nearly…
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A Sunday Musicale for a Sweltering Summer Day
Sunday, August 16, 2026 – Orlando, Florida “Where words fail, music speaks.” ― Hans Christian Andersen “I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things.”― Tom Waits “Beethoven tells you what it’s like to be Beethoven, and Mozart tells you what it’s like to be human. Bach tells you what it’s like to be the universe.” ― Douglas Adams…
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Thoughts Upon a VERY Hot Late Summer Day
Saturday, August 15, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. It is another scorching late summer day in Central Florida. Like in many other countries in the Northern Hemisphere, we are experiencing a brutal heat wave in one of the hottest years on record. I’m not going to bore you by jotting down the current temperature…
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Billy Joel: Greatest Hits Volume III — A Retrospective Review
Billy Joel: Greatest Hits Volume III — 1985–1997 Year of Release: 1997 Record Label: Columbia Genre: Adult Contemporary, Pop, Soft Rock I’ll admit it freely now: I almost skipped this album. When Billy Joel Greatest Hits: Volume III arrived in 1997, I was deep into my classical music phase, spending what little discretionary money I…
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Musings and Thoughts for Thursday, August 13, 2026
Thursday, August 13, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Hi, there. I am, once again, off to a later start with my blogging than I’d like. As I write this, it’s early afternoon on a hot late summer day in Central Florida. Currently, the temperature is 94°F (34°C) under mostly sunny conditions. With humidity at 58% and…
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On Writing and Storytelling: ‘The Jim Garraty Chronicles’ is Almost One Month Old!
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Brazil, Amazon Canada, Amazon Germany, Amazon Italy, Amazon Japan, Amazon Mexico, Amazon Poland, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon Sweden, Amazon UK, Book Reviews, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Summer of Two MoviesWednesday, August 12, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. It’s hard to believe, but it’s been almost a month since I published The Jim Garraty Chronicles: A Life in Four Movements, an omnibus that presents Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen, and the bonus tale The Summer…
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On Writing and Storytelling: All Good Things – Even Sabbaticals – Must Come to an End…Just Not Yet
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Blogging, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Summer 2026, Summer in Florida, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Jim Garraty Chronicles (Series), Writing and Editing Software, Writing as a CraftTuesday, August 11, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. Late summer in Central Florida has a way of announcing itself without saying a word. If you’ve spent any time in the Sunshine State, you already know the drill: heat thick enough to feel like a physical presence, humidity that clings like an overly affectionate relative,…