Category: Book Reviews
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On Being Seen (Even When You Weren’t There)
📚 Comings and Goings Update We’re now up to three reviews (and one quiet rating) for Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen, and all three are graciously positive—resulting in a global average rating of 4.7 stars ⭐️. That’s a lovely surprise. The latest review comes from Jan Peregrine, who highlights the story’s…
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On Being Understood: Reflections on the Response to ‘Comings and Goings’
It’s been just over a month since Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen was released into the world, gently and without fanfare. I didn’t expect a wave of attention—not for a story that doesn’t chase drama, but rather leans into stillness, nuance, and the kind of empathy that often goes unnoticed. Jim…
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Book Review: ‘The Eagle Has Landed’ (1975)
The Eagle Has Landed Author: Jack Higgins Publisher: Collins (UK); Bantam Books (U.S.) Year of Publication: 1975 Genre: Historical Thriller / World War II Fiction November 1943. Europe is ablaze. With the Eastern Front collapsing and Allied forces carving their way through Italy, Nazi Germany is desperate for a symbolic triumph. Hitler, ever obsessed with…
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Book Review: ‘Greetings From Jamaica, Wish You Were Queer’
Greetings From Jamaica, Wish You Were Queer Author: Mari SanGiovanni Publisher: Bywater Books Year of Publication: 2006 One of my personal tenets: never trust back-cover blurbs. So when Mari SanGiovanni’s debut novel, Greetings From Jamaica, Wish You Were Queer, came with a bold “Warning: This Book May Have You Laughing Out Loud in Public,” I…
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On Writing and Storytelling: When a Reviewer Truly ‘Gets’ My Story: Denise Longrie Reviews ‘Comings and Goings’
When a Reader Sees What You Meant to Say There are moments in a writer’s life that feel like exhaling after holding your breath for years. Reading Denise Longrie’s review of Comings and Goings was one of those moments. “The story is not a romance, but rather an enjoyable, insightful journey into empathy and the…
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Book Review: ‘Starring John Wayne As Genghis Khan: Hollywood’s All-Time Worst Casting Blunders’
Starring John Wayne as Genghis Khan: Hollywood’s All-Time Worst Casting Blunders By: Damien Bona Publisher: Citadel Press Year of Publication: 1996 Genre(s): Film, Film History, Humor 🎬 A Rollicking Ride Through Hollywood’s Casting Catastrophes What separates a “good” film from a “great” one? The answer is delightfully complicated. A truly great movie needs a sturdy…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Advice for Aspiring Writers
Advice for Aspiring Writers So, you want to write—or maybe you already do, scribbling stories in the margins of your day, chasing sentences that shimmer just out of reach. The path isn’t paved in gold, nor is it mapped by a single, shining formula. It’s a winding, idiosyncratic journey, full of turns, detours, and the…
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Book Review: ‘The Fall of Japan: The Final Weeks of World War II in the Pacific
The Fall of Japan: The Final Weeks of World War II in the Pacific Kindle EditionBy: William CraigPublisher (Original): The Dial PressPublisher (Kindle Edition): Open Road MediaYear of Publication: Original (1967); Kindle Edition (2015) Amazon’s Publisher’s Description New York Times Bestseller: A “virtually faultless” account of the last weeks of WWII in the Pacific from…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Writer’s Block…and How I Deal With It…(Or Try To, Anyway)
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Books, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, How to Write a Romance: Or, How to Write Witty Dialogue, Smoldering Love Scenes & Happily-Ever-Afters (2019), Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writer's Block, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftHow do you deal with writer’s block? Honestly, it depends on my mood—and the day! If it’s a workday (I try to keep my muse gainfully employed Monday through Friday and let them enjoy some well-earned laziness on the weekends), my approach to writer’s block is a bit of an art form itself. Let’s rewind…
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Being Seen (and Reviewed): A Small Request from the Author’s Desk
Asking for help has never come easy for me. Especially when it feels like the line between authentic connection and shameless self-promotion blurs under the weight of algorithms and sales metrics. But here I am, doing just that. Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen is out in the world now, carrying within…
A Certain Point of View, Too 