Category: Books
-

Writer’s Shop Talk: Discussing the End of Chapter 24 of Reunion: Coda in the Chill of a Miami Morning
Mid-Morning, Thursday, February 6, 2025, Miami, Florida “After nourishment, shelter, and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” ― Philip Pullman It’s a bit past 6:30 on a chilly – by Florida standards, at any rate – morning here in Miami. It’s still dark outside, and the temperature is a “brisk” 69°F…
-

Writer’s Shop Talk: Mastering the Craft: Progress Update on Writing ‘Reunion: Coda’ Chapter 24
Late Morning, Wednesday, February 5, 2025, Miami, Florida “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy,…
-

Book Review: ‘How to Write a Romance: Or, How to Write Witty Dialogue, Smoldering Love Scenes & Happily Ever Afters’
How to Write a Romance: Or, How to Write Witty Dialogue, Smoldering Love Scenes & Happily-Ever-Afters (2019) By: The Editors at Avon Books Publisher: Morrow Gift, an imprint of William Morrow Although I’m not a romance novelist, I find myself diving into the delicate art of crafting love stories within my novel, Reunion: Coda. While…
-

Writer’s Shop Talk: Winging It vs. Mapping It: A Writer’s Journey from Chaos to Clarity
Midday, Sunday, January 26, 2025, Miami, Florida In the world of writing, there are two primary camps: planners and pantsers. Planners meticulously outline their stories, mapping out each plot point and character arc before they ever write a single word. Pantsers, on the other hand, fly by the seat of their pants, allowing the story…
-

Writer’s Shop Talk: Crafting Cold Days and Warm Words in Miami
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Books, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Madison (NH), Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in South Florida, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writing as a CraftSaturday, January 25, 2025, Late Morning, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. It’s a brisk and beautiful Saturday morning in Miami. Though the recent cold snap that blanketed the northern parts of the state left South Florida untouched by snow, we’re still feeling the chill. At the moment, the temperature is a crisp 59°F (15°C) under clear…
-

Writer’s Shop Talk: Brisk Miami Winter and Literary Progress: A Writer’s Journey
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Books, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Weather, Weather in New Hampshire, Writing as a CraftHi all! It’s another wonderfully brisk and gray winter day in South Florida. Believe it or not, it’s colder – by subtropical standards, of course – than it was yesterday. As I type this shortly before noon on this last day of the workweek, it’s a nippy 53°F (about 12°C) under cloudy skies. No rain…
-

Writing Wisdom from a Jedi: Mastering Your Novel with a Clear Mind and Steady Hand
Early Afternoon, Wednesday, January 15, 2025, Miami, Florida Random Thoughts About Writing
-
Writer’s Shop Talk: Crafting Humor Through Character Reactions and Timing
What is the funniest moment in your story? Does it involve the hero and heroine, or side characters? Humor is pretty personal, so what makes one person laugh might not work for someone else. Reunion: Coda has a bunch of funny moments, but here’s one example you might like. The elevator is unusually empty as…
-

Writer’s Shop Talk: ‘Reunion: Coda’ Update – 22 Chapters Down…Only a Few More to Go!
Late Morning, Friday, December 20, 2024, Miami, Florida I’m pleased to report that yesterday’s afternoon writing session was delightfully productive, and Chapter 22 of Reunion: Coda is, pending my Beta Reader’s seal of approval, officially complete. It’s a rather succinct chapter, perhaps one of the shortest in the novel, clocking in at a mere three…
-

Triumph and Tragedy in the Med: A ‘Sea Power’ After-Action Account Told as a Press Release
Press Release: Naval Battle in the Eastern Mediterranean October 21, 1984 The Navy Department reports that, 12 hours after Warsaw Pact forces began hostilities in Western Europe following the deposition of the ailing General Secretary Konstantin Chernenko by Soviet hardliners, the USS Nimitz carrier battlegroup successfully fended off coordinated air and submarine attacks by Soviet…