Category: Books
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On Writing and Storytelling: When Fiction Meets Reality – an Excerpt from ‘Reunion: Coda’
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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, Books, Creative Writing, Life in Florida, Life in South Florida, Reunion Duology, Reunion: Coda, South Miami High School in fiction, South Miami Senior High School, The Jim Garraty ChroniclesWhere Fiction Meets Reality – An Excerpt from Reunion: Coda If you’re a regular visitor here, you may know that several episodes in my Jim Garraty stories draw on my experiences at South Miami Senior High from late August 1980 to mid-June 1983. Jim’s academic path, however, is vastly different from mine. He is college-bound…
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Thoughts and Musings for Saturday, October 10, 2026
Saturday, October 10, 2026 – Orlando, Florida It’s a steamy, summery Saturday afternoon in Central Florida — the kind that makes you wonder if the calendar is lying. As I write this, it’s 90°F (32°C) under mostly sunny skies, but the humidity has muscled the feels‑like temperature up to a sweltering 100°F (37°C). Technically it’s…
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On Writing and Storytelling: From Brain to Book: The Strange Magic of Making Stories Real
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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, Books, Creative Writing, Family History, Jeronimo Diaz-Granados, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Jim Garraty Chronicles (Series), Writing as a CraftFrom Brain to Book: The Strange Magic of Making Stories Real This morning, I picked up the hardcover edition of The Jim Garraty Chronicles and felt something I’ve felt many times before, but never quite this sharply: a kind of quiet awe. The weight of the book, the texture of the cover, the solidity of…
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Book Review: ‘Star Wars: Tales from Jabba’s Palace’
Thursday, October 8, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Tales From Jabba’s Palace is one of several anthologies of short stories set in George Lucas’ “galaxy far, far away” that delve into the cast of supporting characters that were seen in specific scenes of Classic Trilogy Episodes IV, V, and VI. Edited by prolific Star Wars author…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Today, I Strive to Repair My Story’s Timeline Issues
Monday, October 5, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. It’s Monday—again. The day that arrives with the punctuality of a tax bill and the enthusiasm of a damp dishrag. For most people, it’s the start of the work or school week. For me, it’s the day I march back into the first few pages of…
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Thoughts and Musings for Sunday, October 4, 2026
Sunday, October 4, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Hey, Dear Readers! It’s the second day of this first weekend in October, and I’m taking a well‑earned breather from And the Horse You Rode in On, the fifth entry in the life and times of Jim Garraty. I need it. I’ve been working almost nonstop in the…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Recovering from a Narrative Tailspin
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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, Autumn 2026, Autumn in Florida, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Life in Florida, Personal Thoughts, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Jim Garraty Chronicles (Series), Writing and Editing, Writing as a CraftSaturday, October 3, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Hi there, Dear Reader. I’m running a bit late today. The weather in my corner of Central Florida has been unsettled; it’s been rainy here over the past two days, and we even experienced a thunderstorm around 3 PM. After that, my landlady decided that we needed to…
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A Hardcover on the Way, and a Hint of Fall in the Air
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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, Autumn 2026, Autumn in Florida, Books, Creative Writing, Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Life in Madison (NH), Personal Thoughts, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Jim Garraty Chronicles (Series), Winter (2023-2024)Sunday, September 27, 2026 – Orlando, Florida It’s early afternoon on this last Sunday of September 2026. The current temperature is 82°F (28°C) under sunny skies, but with 37% humidity and a southeasterly breeze blowing at 5 MPH (8 Km/H), it feels more like early summer than early fall. The oppressive heat of this past…
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How a ‘Simple’ Story About High School and Lost Love Became Something More
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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, Creative Writing, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Jim Garraty Chronicles (Series), Writing a First Novel, Writing and Editing, Writing as a CraftWhen I finally sat down to write my first serious work of non-genre fiction since my college creative-writing class, the plan—if I’m being generous enough to call it one—was simple: tell the story of a high school romance that never quite got off the ground. As I’ve explained elsewhere—including in a behind-the-scenes interview two years…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Sometimes I Have Good Writing Days, Sometimes I Don’t
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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, And the Horse You Rode In On, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Jim Garraty Chronicles (Series), Writer's Block, Writing a First Novel, Writing and Editing, Writing as a CraftWednesday, September 23, 2026 — Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. I hope your Wednesday is treating you kindly. In stark contrast to Monday’s highly productive writing day, I have to admit that yesterday’s new word count was…zero. Not zero‑ish. Not “I almost wrote a sentence.” Zero. But honestly? At this point in my writing life, I’ve…
