Category: ACX
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You Are Already Moving
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Blogging, Books, College Life, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Life in Bogota, Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Life in Madison (NH), Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in South Florida, Life in the Tampa Bay area, Life in the United States, Love, Sex, & Relationships, Miami-Dade Community College, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Personal History, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Sevilla (Seville), Spain, South Miami Senior High SchoolTuesday, June 16, 2026 — Orlando, Florida I don’t usually build blog posts around WordPress’ Daily Writing Prompt, but today the universe nudged me. Sometimes it leaves a note on the kitchen counter, and this one had my handwriting on it. Today’s Prompt:What is something you wish you could tell your 20‑year‑old self? Mid‑June in…
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A Nice Little Surprise from ACX
Late tonight, as I was winding down and trying to convince myself that checking email one last time was a good idea, a message from ACX popped up. Nothing dramatic, nothing earth‑shaking—just one of those small, satisfying milestones that make the indie author grind feel a little less grindy. Reunion: A Story, the first book…
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Excerpt from ‘Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen’: An Unexpected (and Fateful) Escape from a Bad Party
An Excerpt from Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen Boston, 1984. A party Jim Garraty never wanted to attend. A girl who didn’t look away. A night stitched together by mixtapes, quiet courage, and the ache of choosing to stay. Jim isn’t chasing romance—he’s just trying to outrun the noise. But when…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Comfort of Lasagna, the Weight of Goodbye
By the time I began writing Reunion: Coda in the spring of 2023, I was facing an uncomfortable truth: this was my third attempt to write a novel since 2015 and my fourth attempt overall. Each previous project had stalled out somewhere between ambition and exhaustion. I knew I couldn’t afford to abandon another one.…
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On Writing and Storytelling: When the Spark Won’t Catch
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audiobooks, Books, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Garratyverse, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Life in the United States, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Spring 2026, Spring in Florida, Stefan (Steve) Lee, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Summer of Two MoviesTuesday, April 7, 2026, Orlando, Florida It’s a gray, sodden spring day in Central Florida, the kind that feels more like November than April. As I write this, it’s just shy of noon. The temperature sits at 66°F (19°C), a light rain drifting across the neighborhood like a half-hearted curtain. The forecast promises more of…
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On Slow Weeks and Stubborn Callings
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audible Reviews, Audiobooks, Blogging, Book Reviews, Books, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Personal Thoughts, Praise Circles, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Royalties, Spring in Florida, Stefan (Steve) Lee, The Jim Garraty ChroniclesA brief dispatch from the post‑DST haze Thursday, March 12, 2026 — Orlando, Florida It’s midafternoon on a muggy, rain‑soaked March day in Central Florida. The temperature is hovering around 85°F (29°C) under a curtain of heavy rain, and thanks to our subtropical climate—now supercharged by global warming—it feels more like early summer than spring.…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Why Dishonest Praise‑Circle Reviews Harm Indie Authors, the Industry, and Readers
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Audible, Blogging, Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, CreateSpace Independent Publishing, Creative Writing, Ethical Reviewing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Miami-Dade Community College, Personal Thoughts, Praise Circles, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Student Journalist, WordPressWhy Dishonest Praise‑Circle Reviews Harm Indie Authors, the Industry, and Readers I’ve been writing entertainment reviews for most of my life—long before “content creation” became a buzzword and long before social media turned book promotion into a popularity contest. My first real assignments came in high school, where I cut my teeth as a student…
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On Writing and Storytelling: A Year of Stories, Memory, and Gratitude
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audiobooks, Blogging, Book Reviews, Books, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Personal History, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Stefan (Steve) Lee, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftA Year of Stories, Memory, and Gratitude Marking the 11‑Month Anniversary of Reunion: Coda and My 63rd Birthday March 5th is a meaningful date for me this year—not only because I’m turning 63, but because it marks eleven months since Reunion: Coda first stepped out into the world. When I released it last April, I…
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When Amazon Says Yes Before the Sun Does
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audible Reviews, Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Stefan (Steve) Lee, Winter in FloridaSaturday, February 28, 2026 — Orlando, Florida “Sometimes the clouds in the sky are mistaken. They didn’t come to block the sunlight. They came to embrace it.” — Kaylee Stepkoski Late winter days—no matter your zip code or circumstances—have a knack for being gray and a touch moody, even here in Central Florida, where the…
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The Sunshine State of Mind (and Sales Reports)
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audible Reviews, Audiobooks, Audiobooks, Books, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Royalties, Royalties, Stefan (Steve) Lee, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, Winter in FloridaThursday, February 26, 2026, Orlando, Florida Hi, there! It’s a cool but gradually warming day in Central Florida. As I write this, it’s 71°F (22°C) under mostly sunny skies. Still a touch cooler than my comfort zone—my climatic sweet spot is 75°F (24°C) or a bit higher—but far better than yesterday’s mid‑30s wake‑up call. I’ve…
A Certain Point of View, Too 