Tag: Life in Florida
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Audiobook Adventures: A Hopeful Update on ‘Reunion: A Story’
Hope in the Inbox: A Narratorâs Chain of Joy This morning, I woke up to a chain of messages from Brandon Padilla, the narrator of Reunion: A Story. Heâd just recorded another 25 minutes, declared Chapter 5 his favorite, and shared plans to feature the audiobook as his debut listing on his website. He even…
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Books, Friends, and the Weight of Quiet Ambition
Late Morning, Tuesday, September 9, 2025 â Bithlo, Florida Itâs a warm, humid, and mostly cloudy morning in Orlando with a current temperature of 78°F (26°C). Winds are from the east-northeast at 4 MPH (7 Km/H), and humidity is sitting at 90%, making it feel closer to 90°F. Scattered light showers are expected today, with…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Rewards of Being a Storyteller
âď¸ A Chewed Cover, a Plane Ride, and the Gift of Lost Love: Gratitude Reflections Sometimes, the most meaningful moments begin with a bit of chaos. Last night, my friend Dayna Pitcher shared a story that touched me deeplyânot just because she praised Reunion: A Story, but because of how the book found its way…
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Midweek Update: M-Day Plus Three in Orlando
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in 4K UHD Blu-rays, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Blogging, Blu-ray Box Sets, Blu-ray Collection, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Movies, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaMidmorning, Wednesday, September 3, 2025, Orlando, Florida Hey there. It’s my third day living in Bithlo, a suburb not far from Orlando. Florida’s autumn weather is as usualâwarm and humid. This Wednesday morning, it’s about 77°F (25°C) with partly sunny skies. Humidity’s at 90%, and there’s a light breeze coming from the south-southwest at around…
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Echoes of Emotion: What a Thoughtful Review Reveals About ‘Reunion: Coda’
đŹ Echoes of Emotion: What a Thoughtful Review Reveals About Reunion: Coda When Thomas Wikman reviewed Reunion: Coda on his Leonberger Life blog, I expected kindness. What I didnât expect was emotional precisionâthe kind that doesnât just summarize a book but listens to its heartbeat. Thomas called it âa love story complicated by life.â That…
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A New Chapter Begins: From Miami to Orlando
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, GoFundMe, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in South Florida, Life in the Tampa Bay area, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaMidday, Tuesday, September 2, 2025 â East Orlando, Florida Hello, friends. As you may have noticed from the heading, Iâm no longer in South Florida. After decades rooted in Miami, Iâve relocated about 200 miles north to the Orlando area. The move wasnât smoothâour first attempt on Saturday was derailed by trailer issues that left…
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Leaving Miami, Again
Later this morning, Iâll leave Miami behindâagain. The city that raised me, shaped me, and held me through so many versions of myself. Iâve left before, always with a suitcase full of books and a heart full of ambivalence. This time feels different. Not dramatic, not cinematic. Just quietly significant. Thereâs a strange ache in…
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Real Writers Donât Need Permission
Dear Alex (Age 9), Itâs 1972. Youâre sitting in a corner of Mrs. Chambersâ classroom, writing stories with a battleship grey Royal electric typewriter, dreaming of paperback covers and author photos. You donât know what a blog is. Youâve never heard of self-publishing. You think âreal writersâ live in New York and wear tweed. But…
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Writing Doesnât Pay the Movers: An Update from Alex Diaz-Granados
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, GoFundMe, Insomnia, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Personal History, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, TransitionsFriday Afternoon, August 22, 2025 â Miami, Florida Hi, friends. I wish I could sit down today and write about storiesâespecially those in the Garratyverseâand the quiet ways they unfold. But clarity eludes me at the moment. Itâs Laundry Day, and while Iâve got about half an hour before the dryer cycle ends, my mind…
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On Writing and Storytelling: When Fiction Finds Its Muse After the Fact
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I didnât set out to write Leigh E. into Comings and Goings. In fact, I didnât realize I had until yesterday. Kelly Moore, as she appears in the novella, was always her own personâsmart, witty, emotionally fluent, and possessed of that quiet confidence that doesnât demand space; it simply fits. But as I reread a…
