Tag: book-review
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On Writing and Storytelling: Themes, Subtext, and the Uninvited Guests of Fiction
Themes, Subtext, and the Uninvited Guests of Fiction Thursday, December 11, 2025 — Orlando, Florida I don’t believe every novelist consciously aims to send a message for readers to ponder about themes or social issues. Sure, on some level, we authors create stories reflecting human needs and desires, exploring our religious, philosophical, and political beliefs,…
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Three Stories, Three Reviews
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audiobooks, Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Books, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Dawn Pisturino, Pooja (P.J.) Gudka, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Thomas WikmanThree Stories, Three Reviews Every great series is defined not only by the stories themselves but by the way readers respond to them. Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, and Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen together form a tapestry of memory, love, regret, and the fragile beauty of human connection. Each title…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Writing Romance Without Reading Romance
📖 Writing Romance Without Reading Romance: Why Reunion: Coda Works I’ll admit something: when I started writing Reunion: Coda, I worried. I don’t, as a general rule, read romance novels. My shelves are filled with history, memoir, and fiction of other stripes, but not much in the way of “romance.” So when I realized my…
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On Writing and Storytelling: An Unexpected (if Modest) Bonanza of Royalties
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audiobooks, Audiobooks, Books, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Stefan (Steve) LeeSaturday, November 22, 2025 – Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. Last night, I checked my Kindle Direct Publishing account’s Reports page for the first time in about a month. I had been focusing most of my attention on the progress of the audiobooks for Reunion and Comings and Goings. I wanted to see if there were…
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On Writing and Storytelling: What Amazon Readers Say About ‘Reunion: A Story’
The audiobook edition of Reunion: A Story – my first work of fiction – is now available on Audible and Amazon. “A profound ‘what if’ scenario, poignantly told.” —Amazon Reviewer It is February 1998. 33-year-old Jim Garraty is a respected history professor and bestselling author who lives in New York City. Popular with both students…
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‘Reunion: A Story’ Lands on Audible!
📣 Release Announcement: Reunion: A Story I’m thrilled to share that Reunion: A Story: A Novella (The Reunion Duology Book 1) is now officially available for purchase on Audible and Amazon, with iTunes availability coming in just a few days. Produced by Brandon Padilla, this audiobook successfully passed ACX’s rigorous quality assurance reviews—Cover, Metadata, and…
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Adventures in Audiobook Production: ‘Comings and Goings’ Gets Its First Audible Review!
🎧 Our First Review: Comings and Goings Every story lives twice—once in the act of writing, and again in the act of being received. Today, I’m grateful to share the very first listener review of Comings and Goings, the audiobook that bridges the emotional space between Reunion: A Story and Reunion: Coda. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Delightful listenPJCAI…
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Adventures in Audiobook Production: The First Listener Response!
🎧 Listener Spotlight: Peggy Jensen Cai I’m thrilled to share some early feedback on the Comings and Goings audiobook. Peggy Jensen Cai wrote: “I just finished listening to it and it was wonderful… I will write a review later today.” Peggy’s words mean a lot — not just because they affirm the narration and production,…
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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…
A Certain Point of View, Too 