Category: Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Soft Heart I Spent Years Trying to Hide
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Casablanca (1942), Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Coral Estates Park (Miami-area Neighborhood), Creative Writing, Family History, Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in South Florida, Life in the United States, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Things I Miss, Writing as a CraftThe Soft Heart I Spent Years Trying to Hide Some people spend their lives pretending they’re not sentimental. I’m not one of them. To borrow the words of Captain Louis Renault, I freely admit I’m a rank sentimentalist—and unlike Rick Blaine from Casablanca, I don’t bother hiding it behind a mask of cynicism or put‑on…
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A Chilly Tuesday’s Update
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Audible, Audiobooks, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Computers, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Lenovo – IdeaPad S340 15″ Touch-Screen Laptop, Lenovo C560 All-in-One PC, Lenovo IdeaCentre (PC), Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: Coda, Royalties, Royalties, Stefan (Steve) Lee, Winter in FloridaTuesday, February 3, 2026, Orlando, Florida It’s another beautiful — and surprisingly frigid — winter morning here in Central Florida. As I write this, the temperature sits at 52°F (11°C) under mostly sunny skies. Not quite the bone‑deep cold I woke up to at 6:30, but still very much a “Sweater Weather” kind of day.…
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A Maddening Monday
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Computers, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Lenovo – IdeaPad S340 15″ Touch-Screen Laptop, Lenovo C560 All-in-One PC, Lenovo IdeaCentre (PC), Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Shop with Points, The Jim Garraty ChroniclesMonday, February 2, 2026, Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. Today has been… a day. My Lenovo Idea Centre all‑in‑one decided it had had enough of this mortal coil and tapped out this morning. The machine is only three or four years old, and it had been behaving well enough — except for the increasingly stubborn power…
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A Chilly Start to February 2026…in Florida!
Sunday, February 1, 2026, Orlando, Florida “Everything was frozen up and silent that morning. Even the wind was silent, but not really dead. It waved about a little and beat its tail gently against the hard sky. There was no sun yet. The sky was empty. It was all frozen up, like a sheet hanging…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Music of Memory: Why These Four Pieces Score the Garratyverse
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Billy Joel, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Melodies and Memories: Music, Songs, and Singers, Music, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaTaken together, these pieces form a musical arc that mirrors Jim Garraty’s journey: Elegy (Death of Falstaff) Renewal (All the Things You Are) Continuity (This Night) Memory (Forgotten Dreams) It’s a progression from grief to love to understanding — from silence to song.
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Gray Skies, Cold Wind, and Editing Misadventures
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Royalties, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, Winter in Florida, Writing as a CraftSaturday, January 31, 2026 — Orlando, Florida Hello again, Dear Reader. Central Florida is wearing its grayest winter coat today. The sky is a solid sheet of cloud, the air sits at a brisk 59°F (15°C), and the wind promises to make things even chillier as the afternoon rolls on. It’s hardly the sort of…
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All Quiet on the Writing Front….
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Kindle Unlimited (subscription service), Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Novella, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Royalties, Stalled Projects, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, Winter in FloridaFriday, January 30, 2026 — Orlando, Florida It’s early afternoon here in Central Florida, and while the weather is cooler than usual — 69°F (21°C) under bright, steady sunshine — it’s still a lovely late‑January day. Several cold‑weather alerts remain in effect until February 1, but the chill will pass soon enough. No snow, no…
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Getting to Know You, Round #75 — Plus a Tiny Royalty Plot Twist
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Billy Joel, Blogging, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, John Williams (Composer), Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in the United States, Music & Concert Specials, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Royalties, Star Wars, WordPress, Writing as a CraftGetting to Know You, Round #75 — Plus a Tiny Royalty Plot Twist Every so often, Kymber posts another round of her “Getting to Know You” questions, and I always enjoy jumping in. Round #75 landed this week, so here are my answers — equal parts honest, reflective, and lightly caffeinated. 1. What drives you…
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Cold Snap, Penny Bump
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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…
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Falling Temperatures, (Modestly) Rising Earnings
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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…
A Certain Point of View, Too 