Category: Book Reviews
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Book Review: ‘Miss Harper Can Do It: A Novel’
Miss Harper Can Do It: A Novel By: Jane Berentson Publisher: Viking Year Published: 2009 Genre(s): Contemporary women’s fiction Miss Harper Can Do It — A Surprisingly Poignant Home‑Front Novel Every now and then, I like to wander outside my usual reading comfort zone. Most of the books on my shelves skew toward the traditionally…
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On Steamy Days and Sluggish Muses
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Blogging, Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Books, 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, Pooja (P.J.) Gudka, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Spring 2026, Spring in Florida, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Summer of Two MoviesMonday, May 18, 2026 — Orlando, Florida It’s early afternoon in my corner of Central Florida, and it is, in a word, steamy. The temperature outside is 89°F (32°C) under mostly sunny skies. With humidity at 47% and an easterly breeze at 11 MPH (18 km/h), the feels-like temperature is 94°F (35°C). We’ve already hit…
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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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When a Florida Spring Gives the Keys to Summer Prematurely
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Books, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Denise Longrie, Florida Weather, Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Scrivener 3 for Windows, Spring 2026, Spring in Florida, Stefan (Steve) Lee, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, Writing and Editing SoftwareFriday, May 1, 2026, Orlando, Florida “God, it was hot! Forget about frying an egg on the sidewalk; this kind of heat would fry an egg inside the chicken.” – Rachel Caine May didn’t stroll in this year — it kicked the door open and asked where the nearest sauna was. Today isn’t so much…
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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 the Subject of Ethical Reviewing: My Guiding Principles
On the subject of ethical reviewing: My guiding principles Last Friday, I mentioned a previous email exchange with Angela (a pseudonym), a blogger who self‑published an inspirational romance novel. She sent me her third email, again requesting that I read a sample of her book on Amazon, purchase it in Kindle or paperback format, and…
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Wrangling Subheadings and Other Midweek Adventures
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Blogging, Book Reviews, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, Winter in Florida, WordPress, Writing as a CraftWednesday, February 11, 2026, Orlando, Florida Hello there, dear reader— Well, here we are, smack in the middle of another workweek in Central Florida. It’s a cool, gray, late‑winter Wednesday, with the world outside draped in clouds—think more moody Russian play than sun‑drenched vacation postcard. As I sit here, it’s 63 °F (17 °C) and…
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A Pretty Swell Monday, All Things Considered
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Blogging, Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Books, 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, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, Winter in Florida, Writing as a CraftMonday, February 9, 2026 — Orlando, Florida Happy Monday, Dear Reader. There’s something about the first day of a new workweek that feels like a clean page—full of possibility, full of momentum. Today has that energy in spades. Central Florida is showing off a bit: bright sun, clear skies, and a gentle coolness that lingers…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Gratitude Tour Continues – Crossing the Atlantic (Virtually) to Thank the ‘Godmother of Reunion: Coda’
Gratitude Tour, Stop #4: Meg Learner — The Godmother of Reunion: Coda Next, I want to thank someone whose influence on the Garratyverse runs deeper than she probably realizes: Meg Learner, whom I’ve affectionately dubbed the Godmother of Reunion: Coda. Meg and I first crossed paths years ago on the now-defunct writing site Persona Paper.…
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On Writing and Storytelling: On Having a Reader Like Thomas Wikman
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Books, Creative Writing, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle: Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger, Thomas Wikman, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftOn Having a Reader Like Thomas Wikman Thomas Wikman’s Review of “Reunion: Coda” (2025) This is a love story complicated by life. Jim Garraty is a successful History Professor who has tragically lost love and found love again. The story follows two timelines. One is focused on Jim’s high school days and his secret love…
A Certain Point of View, Too 