Tag: book-review
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On Writing and Storytelling: Jim, Mrs. Brillenstein, and the Confluence of Memory and Fiction
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Blogging, Books, Creative Writing, Life in Florida, Life in South Florida, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, South Miami Senior High School, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a Craft2 Late to Homeroom 7:45 AM I was late for homeroom. Mrs. Brillenstein didn’t like that. She was a young-looking woman, maybe in her early thirties, with long auburn hair and big brown eyes that could be friendly or fierce, depending on her mood. She taught English 2, Regular, and drama in Room 230, which…
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Adventures in Audiobook Production: Halfway Home to Audible
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audiobooks, Books, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, 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, Stefan (Steve) LeeWednesday, November 12, 2025 – Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. As I shared last night, Stefan (Steve) Lee has now recorded half of the audio tracks for the Reunion: Coda audiobook. He’s even gone ahead and taped the final chapter and some of the back matter, including the Afterword. Production is pausing briefly while his recording…
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Chilly Tuesday, Audible Dreams
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audiobooks, Audiobooks, Autumn in Florida, Books, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Life in Madison (NH), Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaTuesday, November 11, 2025 – Orlando, Florida It’s a chilly late autumn day in Central Florida, courtesy of the season’s first strong cold front. As I write this, it’s 52°F (11°C) under sunny skies. Not quite New Hampshire cold—Madison, my former stomping grounds, is sitting at 32°F (0°C) with light rain—but still brisk by Florida…
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Adventures in Audiobook Production: Two Books Are ‘In Review.’ Now…I Wait for the Green Light to Release
Saturday, November 8, 2025 – Orlando, Florida “For a while” is a phrase whose length can’t be measured. At least by the person who’s waiting. —Haruki Murakami, South of the Border, West of the Sun As I shared last night, the audiobook editions of Reunion: A Story and Comings and Goings – The Art of…
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Adventures in Audiobook Production: No (Bad or Good) News About My In-Review Projects…Yet
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audiobooks, Books, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Reunion: A StoryFriday, November 7, 2025 – Orlando, Florida Hi, friends. It’s already late afternoon here in Central Florida, and I’m still refreshing my inbox like a hopeful kid waiting for a letter from summer camp. So far, no news from Amazon’s Audiobook Creative Exchange (ACX) about the two Jim Garraty titles currently in their quality assurance…
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Adventures in Audiobook Production – In Review: On Waiting, Vigilance, and the Quiet Hope of Release
In Review: On Waiting, Vigilance, and the Quiet Hope of Release Wednesday Afternoon, November 5, 2025 – Orlando, Florida There’s a moment in every creative journey when the work feels complete — or nearly so. The narration is done. The emotional cadence is intact. The cover art has been finalized, checked, and rechecked. The story…
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Adventures in Audiobook Production: ‘Reunion: A Story’ — Almost Ready to Be Heard
🎧 Reunion: A Story — Now Coming to Life in Audio I’m thrilled to share that Reunion: A Story — the first novella in the Reunion Duology — has just been approved for audiobook distribution. Narrated with care and emotional clarity by Brandon Padilla, this story is about to find a new rhythm, a new…
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Adventures in Audiobook Production: Square One, Again
Saturday, November 1, 2025 – Orlando, Florida A dispatch from the trenches of self-publishing “The mind can go either direction under stress—toward positive or toward negative: on or off. Think of it as a spectrum whose extremes are unconsciousness at the negative end and hyperconsciousness at the positive end. The way the mind will lean…
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Stories Made Audible: A Garratyverse Milestone
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 – Orlando, Florida “Listen, and you will realize that we are made not from cells or from atoms. We are made from stories.” — Mia Couto As October draws to a close and November gently approaches, I’m thrilled to share a milestone: the very first audio adaptation of my Jim Garraty…
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I Wrote the Book, Now I’m Trying to Read it
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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, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftHow one missing passage reminded me I’m still editing—even when I’m reading “We write the books we most want to read; so it is of no surprise that we may still want to read those books sometime later.” — Hannah Fielding I’m a writer. Not a household name, not a bestseller (yet), and certainly not…