Category: Garratyverse
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On Writing and Storytelling: My Ex-Co-Editor, Always
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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…
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When Fiction Shops Local (Even If the Store Doesn’t Stock the Book)
When Fiction Shops Local (Even If the Store Doesn’t Stock the Book) There’s a moment at the start of the Jim–Maddie arc where Maddie walks into the Moonglow Club carrying a Book Culture bag stuffed with Jim’s books. Jim, of course, has no idea. He only sees a refined stranger with caramel hair, a sky‑blue…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Excavating a Lost Branch of the Garratyverse
Excavating a Lost Branch of the Garratyverse A reflection on the story that almost was Every long-running fictional universe has its ghost trails—the paths nearly taken, the drafts that flickered briefly before vanishing, the characters who stepped forward only to retreat into the wings. Within the Garratyverse, one such spectral branch is The Best Years…
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Reading in Rhythm: How the Reunion Duology Is Meant to Be Experienced
Reading in Rhythm: How the Reunion Duology Is Meant to Be Experienced Every so often, an author gets a message that reminds them why they write in the first place. This week, I received one of those notes from Paul Schingle, author of Schingle’s Blog, who—along with his wife, J—has begun reading the Reunion books…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Behind the Curtain – Marty’s Origins
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audiobooks, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Passage of Time, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, South Miami High School in fiction, South Miami Senior High School, Stefan (Steve) Lee, The Jim Garraty ChroniclesBehind the Curtain: Marty’s Origins Ever since the day I first sent my novella, Reunion: A Story, out into the world back in 2018, the questions started coming. Sometimes they arrived shy and quiet, like old friends at a backyard barbecue, and other times they landed with surprising directness. Most often, it was a fellow…
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From ’42 to ’84: The Heirship of Memory
Sidebar Note for Readers Comings and Goings is not simply a sequel or a spin‑off. It is a spiritual heir to Summer of ’42, consciously borrowing Raucher’s cadence while reimagining its architecture. It insists that intimacy is not imbalance but mutual agency, that memory is not loss but legacy, and that being seen—even once—matters.
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Adventures in Audiobook Production: Six Purchases, One Garratyverse
The Garratyverse has officially set sail on Audible—and six listeners have already come aboard. Four chose Comings and Goings, while two picked up Reunion: A Story. Whether purchased outright, redeemed with credits, or discovered through iTunes, each copy represents a reader willing to carry Jim Garraty’s voice into their own world. For me, this is…
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The Quill and the Lyre: Music and ‘Comings and Goings’
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Music, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Billy Joel, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Ludwig van Beethoven, Music, Music & Concert Specials, Pathetique Piano Sonata (Adagio cantabile), Reunion DuologyEvery story has its soundtrack. For Comings and Goings, the most overtly relevant piece isn’t tucked away in a concert hall—it’s right there in Billy Joel’s “This Night”, spinning from Kelly’s stereo in Mission Hill. Yet, at the heart of this pop ballad lies Beethoven’s Adagio cantabile, whose timeless melody Joel borrowed and reimagined, creating…
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Adventures in Audiobook Production: Gratitude, Garraty, and Growing Momentum
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audiobooks, Audiobooks, Books, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Reunion Duology, Uncategorized🎧 Comings and Goings — Our Audiobook Journey Continues On November 15, I shared some wonderful news with Bryan Haddock, the narrator and producer of Comings and Goings: our audiobook adaptation officially went live on Audible the day before. The road to publication wasn’t without a hiccup. My original cover design included borders—a detail that…
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Adventures in Audiobook Production: Celebrating the First Garratyverse Audiobook…and the Fine Art of Creative Collaboration
🎧 Comings and Goings Is Now on Audible! Well, we did it! Yesterday afternoon, our audiobook adaptation of Comings and Goings officially went live on Audible. The release was briefly delayed because my original cover design didn’t meet ACX’s requirements—borders, I discovered, are a big no‑no—but once I corrected that, the project cleared review. The…