Category: Amazon Spain (Amazon.es)
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Real Writers Don’t Need Permission
Dear Alex (Age 9), It’s 1972. You’re sitting in a corner of Mrs. Chambers’ classroom, writing stories with a battleship grey Royal electric typewriter, dreaming of paperback covers and author photos. You don’t know what a blog is. You’ve never heard of self-publishing. You think “real writers” live in New York and wear tweed. But…
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On Writing and Storytelling: When Fiction Finds Its Muse After the Fact
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I didn’t set out to write Leigh E. into Comings and Goings. In fact, I didn’t realize I had until yesterday. Kelly Moore, as she appears in the novella, was always her own person—smart, witty, emotionally fluent, and possessed of that quiet confidence that doesn’t demand space; it simply fits. But as I reread a…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Reviews Matter! (A Lot! Really!)
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Books, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Reunion: Coda, Reviews, Writing as a Craft✍️ Echoes and Endings: What Readers Are Saying About Comings and Goings By Alex Diaz-Granados When I released Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen, I didn’t expect fanfare. It’s a quiet story — 51 pages long — about a first-time encounter that isn’t quite romance, isn’t quite nostalgia, but something softer, more…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Why a Prologue Was Necessary: Reopening the Door to Jim Garraty’s Emotional Past
Why a Prologue Was Necessary: Reopening the Door to Jim Garraty’s Emotional Past When I returned to the world of Reunion: A Story nearly 25 years after its original publication, I wasn’t simply revisiting old characters—I was confronting the emotional residue they left behind. Reunion: Coda demanded more than a sequel; it required a bridge.…
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Typos, Royalties, and the Indie Hustle
Midmonth Musings from the Garratyverse Late Afternoon, Saturday, August 16, 2025 – Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. Here’s a little update on my writing life and book sales for August—such as they are. I’m not exactly launching a new project at the moment, and honestly, my royalties this month will barely cover the spare change Stephen…
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Garratyverse Motif Map: Memory, Music, and Emotional Echo
Introduction to My Motif Map Understanding the Threads That Weave My Stories When I begin to dive into a story, I often find myself tracing patterns—recurring symbols, images, or themes—that act as connective tissue running through the narrative. I call this intricate web a “motif map.” For me, a motif map is more than just…
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Understanding ‘Reunion: Coda’: Why the High School Chapters Matter
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Book Reviews, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in South Florida, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, South Miami Senior High SchoolWhy the High School Chapters Matter: A Reflection (and Rebuttal) I didn’t hate high school. I didn’t romanticize it either—not like those who peaked there and never quite came down. But South Miami Senior High gave me something I didn’t expect: a sense of community. I sang in the choral department, wrote for the newspaper,…
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Writing Intimacy with Reverence: A Scene from ‘Comings and Goings’
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Billy Joel, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Love, Sex, & Relationships, Music, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda🛋️ Writing Intimacy with Reverence: A Scene from Comings and Goings There’s a scene in Comings and Goings that still lingers with me—not because it’s dramatic, but because it’s quiet. It’s Jim Garraty, nineteen, sitting in Kelly’s apartment in Mission Hill, letting the world slow down long enough to feel something real. It’s a moment…
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A Breath Between Heartbeats, Now Protected
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Copyright, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, U.S. Copyright OfficeLate Morning, Friday, August 15, 2025 – Miami, Florida Well, folks, it’s official: Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen is now under copyright protection. As I may have mentioned earlier this summer, I registered my short story—a “breath between heartbeats” set between Reunion: A Story and Reunion: Coda—with the United States Copyright…
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The Twins from Different Families: Male Friendship and Emotional Architecture in ‘Reunion: Coda’
The Twins from Different Families: Male Friendship and Emotional Architecture in Reunion: Coda Romantic love may haunt the pages of Reunion: Coda, but it’s male friendship—quiet, loyal, and emotionally fluent—that gives the novel its ballast. Jim Garraty’s bond with Mark Prieto isn’t just a subplot; it’s a mirror, a refuge, and a reminder that intimacy…