Tag: Books
-
📚 Gratitude for a Thoughtful Reader: Thank You, Thomas Wikman
Thomas Wikman’s rating of Reunion:Coda: Every writer dreams of being seen—of having their work not just read, but understood. Since Reunion: A Story first found its way into readers’ hands in 2018, Thomas Wikman has been one of the most steadfast and insightful champions of Jim Garraty’s story. His latest review of Reunion: Coda—titled “The…
-
Book Review: ‘The Fall of Japan: The Final Weeks of World War II in the Pacific
The Fall of Japan: The Final Weeks of World War II in the Pacific Kindle EditionBy: William CraigPublisher (Original): The Dial PressPublisher (Kindle Edition): Open Road MediaYear of Publication: Original (1967); Kindle Edition (2015) Amazon’s Publisher’s Description New York Times Bestseller: A “virtually faultless” account of the last weeks of WWII in the Pacific from…
-
Marketing, Memory, and Miami Skies
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Beatriz Diaz-Granados, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Family History, Florida Weather, Jeronimo Diaz-Granados, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in South Florida, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Summer in Florida, Victoria Eugenia Pineros Restrepo (Vicky), Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftMidday/Early Afternoon, Wednesday, July 16, 2025 — Miami, Florida I awoke this morning to the symphony of a torrential, thundering downpour. It was already past 8 a.m.—long after sunrise—yet the sky was still steeped in darkness, reminiscent of last night. The steady hiss of heavy rain filled the air, punctuated by the occasional crack-boom of…
-
A Brief Musing for Mid-July 2025
Afternoon, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, Miami, Florida Mid- to late July is never my favorite time of year. There are plenty of reasons. Unless I’ve managed to escape Florida—most recently for a ten-month stint in New Hampshire—the weather is either relentlessly hot, perpetually rainy, or, more often than not, both. The result is that I…
-
On Writing and Storytelling: What’s the Best Part of Being a Writer?
What’s the best thing about being a writer? Honestly, while I do cherish the creative side of writing—the thrill of shaping stories from nothing but ideas and turning blank pages or screens into worlds filled with believable characters and moments—there’s something even more rewarding: hearing from readers after a story finds its way into the…
-
On Writing and Storytelling: My Answer to ‘How Do You Get Inspired?’
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, College Life, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in Miami….Again, Life in South Florida, Miami-Dade Community College, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaHow Do You Get Inspired to Write? They say inspiration strikes when you least expect it. I say—it sneaks up on you like a friend who knows where you hide your best snacks. This post isn’t about formulas or foolproof strategies. It’s about the long and winding path my stories take from flickers of memory…
-
More Scattered Thoughts on Another Sweltering Afternoon
Afternoon, Friday, July 11, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. Today was Laundry Day for me on this sweltering last day of the regular workweek. As you know, I have never been able to write well on the day I must deal with doing two loads of laundry (one for the clothes I wear, the other…
-
Scattered Thoughts on a Sweltering Afternoon
I’ll admit it: today, I struggled to find a good topic for this post. It’s July in South Florida—hot, heavy, and maybe a little uninspiring. But I showed up anyway, because the habit of writing matters, even when clarity doesn’t come easy. So here it is: a mosaic of musings from a Thursday afternoon in…
-
July 2025: Heat, Grief, and Writing-Related Stress
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Anxiety, Blogging, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Going Full Circle: Back to South Florida I Go, Hurricane Andrew, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in Miami….Again, Life in South Florida, Life in the Tampa Bay area, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Summer 2025, Summer in FloridaWednesday Afternoon, July 9, 2025 – Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. Historically, July has never been my favorite month. Aside from the nearly six years I spent living in Colombia (1966–1972) and a more recent 10-month stint in New Hampshire, July in Florida usually means oppressive heat and humidity—weather that makes retreating indoors feel more like…
-
Being Seen (and Reviewed): A Small Request from the Author’s Desk
Asking for help has never come easy for me. Especially when it feels like the line between authentic connection and shameless self-promotion blurs under the weight of algorithms and sales metrics. But here I am, doing just that. Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen is out in the world now, carrying within…
A Certain Point of View, Too 