Category: Reunion: Coda
-
Cold Snap, Penny Bump
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Books, 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, Life in Madison (NH), Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in the United States, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, Winter 2023-2024, Winter in FloridaWednesday, January 28, 2026, Orlando, Florida It’s another brisk winter day here in Central Florida. As I write this, the thermometer reads 53°F (12°C) under bright, generous sunshine, though the feels-like temperature edges closer to 68°F (20°C). Not exactly frigid by national standards, but certainly cool enough to make you pause before stepping outside. Of…
-
Falling Temperatures, (Modestly) Rising Earnings
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, 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, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Winter in FloridaTuesday, January 27, 2026 — Orlando, Florida Today’s chapter opens on a brisk—fine, let’s be honest, downright arctic by Floridian standards—January morning. At the heroic hour of 6:45 A.M., I rolled out of bed to find the temperature sulking in the mid‑30s, barely edging out a popsicle’s comfort zone (32°F/0°C). The house is mercifully warm…
-
Fourteen Dollars and a Dream
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Book Reviews, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Jim Garraty ChroniclesMonday, January 26, 2026, Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. I’m still working on The Jim Garraty Chronicles despite my misgivings about my ability to cope with Kindle Create’s formatting issues and low expectations for how well it will sell once I publish it. Fixing subheads and nitpicking the text for errors I missed when I published…
-
All Aboard the Gratitude Express! Next Stop – Betsy Matteis
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Books, College Life, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in South Florida, Miami-Dade Community College, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, South Miami Senior High School, The Gratitude ExpressThe Gratitude Tour Continues – Stop #7: Betsy Matteis Hi, everyone, and welcome aboard the Gratitude Tour Express. Today, our train is rolling north to Woodstock, Georgia, where my longtime friend Elizabeth—Betsy—Matteis has made her home. Of the seven Gratitude Award recipients so far, Betsy is the one whose story with mine stretches back the…
-
On Writing and Storytelling: ‘Big Things Come from Small Beginnings’
Saturday, January 24, 2026, Orlando, Florida Thank you for joining me as I revisit one of the quiet turning points in Reunion: Coda. In this excerpt, we return to January 1981, when Jim Garraty and Martina Elizabeth “Marty” Reynaud—two 10th graders at South Miami Senior High—share their first real conversation. It’s a small moment on…
-
On Writing and Storytelling: The Sixth Stop on the Gratitude Tour
—
by
in Adria K. Woomer-Hernandez, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Anthony (A.J.) Hernandez, Blogging, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Juan Carlos Hernandez, Movies, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Gratitude ExpressThe Sixth Stop on the Gratitude Tour: Juan Carlos Hernandez Hey there, my cherished reader! Thanks for hopping aboard yet another leg of my Gratitude Tour. Today, the Gratitude Express is rumbling its way into the heart of New York City—the city that never sleeps and, incidentally, the home of our honoree, Juan Carlos Hernandez.…
-
On Writing and Storytelling: My Ex-Co-Editor, Always
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Books, Brandon Padilla, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, South Miami High School in fiction, South Miami Senior High School, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, Writing as a CraftGratitude Tour, Stop Five: My Ex-Co-Editor, Always When I first mapped out my “Gratitude Tour,” the plan was simple: shine a little light on the readers who not only devoured the three existing Garratyverse books—Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, and Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen—but also took the time to leave…
-
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.…
-
On Writing and Storytelling: Another Stop in the ‘Gratitude Tour’
Gratitude Tour, Stop #3: Denise Longrie Every writer hopes—quietly, secretly—that somewhere out there is a reader who truly gets what they’re trying to do. Someone who doesn’t just read the words, but hears the music underneath them. For me, one of those rare readers is Denise Longrie. Denise is a California-based writer and poet whose…
-
On Writing and Storytelling: A Reader Who Truly Sees
A Reader Who Truly Sees: My Appreciation for Pooja Gudka’s Reviews The author also explores multiple philosophical aspects of life, such as true love, happiness, friendships, loss, and regret. Things most adults are familiar with. We also learn the importance of confessing our feelings when we have the chance because life is so incredibly unpredictable.…
A Certain Point of View, Too 