Tag: book-review
-
Tales of Writing and Weather in Southeastern Florida
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Books, Creative Writing, Dawn Pisturino, Florida Weather, Haiku for the Midnight Hour, Ian W. Toll, Ian W. Toll, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami….Again, Life in South Florida, Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942, Pacific War Trilogy, Poetry, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Spring in Florida, The Conquering Tide: War in the Pacific Islands, 1942-1944, Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 1944-1945Early Afternoon, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, there. Well, it’s another torrid late spring day in southeastern Florida on this second workday of the week. Outside, the temperature in my neighborhood – Coral Terrace – is 91°F (33°C) under sunny conditions – the same as in my former home in the Tampa Bay…
-
On Writing and Storytelling: Summer is (Almost) Here, So What Are My Post-‘Reunion: Coda’ Plans?
Late Morning/Midday, Monday, May 19, 2025, Miami, Florida “I believe someone made a grievous mistake when summer was created; no novitiate or god in their right mind would make a season akin to hell on purpose. Someone should be fired.” ― Michelle Franklin Hi, everyone. It’s another torrid, late spring day that somehow feels like…
-
Torrid Saturday Twilight in the Subtropics
Evening, Saturday, May 17, 2025 – Miami, Florida “You’re from Florida. There’s got to be more holes to hell in Florida than any other state.” ― T. Kingfisher, The Hollow Places The sun lingers just past 6 PM, its fading light offering little relief from the unrelenting heat. At 87°F (31°C), with humidity thick at…
-
My Brilliant Career Plan!
Late Afternoon, Friday, May 9, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone! I hope today has brought you moments of joy, even if it’s just the simple pleasure of a good cup of coffee or a walk in the sunshine. I’m a little late checking in today because I had some errands to run—a quick trip to…
-
What a Difference a Year Makes!
—
by
Late Morning, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, Miami, Florida What a difference a year makes. On this date last year, I lived in rural New Hampshire, some 1,600 miles from where I am sitting now. It was a Tuesday, not a Wednesday, and spring felt more “real” there than here because the four seasons are more…
-
A Milestone Worth Celebrating: My First U.S. Review for ‘Reunion: Coda’
Late Afternoon, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, Miami, Florida When you pour two years of dedication, passion, and no small amount of stubborn perseverance into a novel, there’s nothing quite like seeing it resonate with readers. On May 3, 2025, Reunion: Coda received its first U.S. review—and second overall—on Amazon, and to say I’m thrilled is…
-
A Story Concludes, A Legacy Begins: The Reunion Duology Is Complete
The Reunion Duology is Complete! On April 5, 2025, I published Reunion: Coda, the second book of a duology that began with my 2018 novella, Reunion: A Story. My first novel, it serves as both a prequel and sequel to what Amazon reviewer Meg Learner called a “lovely lyrical book” about “how the angst of…
-
From Childhood Dreams to Grownup Reality: My Hopes and Aspirations for ‘Reunion: Coda’
Midday, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, Miami, Florida “Write the book you want to read and can’t find.” – Ilona Andrews Writer’s Log: Stardate 2504.30 It’s been four weeks since I typed the last lines of the closing chapter in Reunion: Coda, yet I still can’t quite believe that I’m now part of the 3% of…
-
Waiting for My Copy of ‘Reunion: Coda’ – and Thinking of a Promise Kept
Late Afternoon, Thursday, April 17, 2025, Miami, Florida Well, two years and eight days after I began working on what I briefly called “The New Story” in another writing room in another part of Florida, I can now say that tomorrow I will hold a hardcover edition of Reunion: Coda in my hands. For me,…
-
Behind the Scenes of Publishing My Debut Novel
Late Afternoon, Thursday, April 10, 2025, Miami, Florida It’s a gray, gloomy, and somewhat sticky South Florida afternoon. Outside, the skies are shrouded in a blanket of gray-white clouds. For a while, it seemed like there would be light rain showers, but they never came—at least not to Coral Terrace. My room feels as dark…
