Tag: Writing a First Novel
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Quality Matters in Independent Publishing: Fixing ‘Reunion: Coda’…and Other Matters
Afternoon, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, there. It’s another scorching late spring day in South Florida on this last “Hump Day” of May 2025. Outside, it’s 89°F (32°C) under mostly sunny skies. With humidity at 63% and a gentle 9 MPH (15 Km/H) breeze from the southeast, it feels like 98°F (37°C). We’ve…
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Dear Reader, Let Me Tell You a Story About Friends and Beers—But Not the Whole Story
Afternoon, Monday, May 26, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, there, folks. It’s a hellishly hot late spring day in South Florida. Currently, the temperature is 90°F (32°C) under mostly sunny skies. That’s hot, but with 66% humidity and a southeasterly breeze blowing at 12 MPH (19 Km/H), it feels like 97°F (36°C). The original forecast high…
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Summer-like Springs, Rave Reviews, and Sleepless Nights
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Book Reviews, Books, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Life in Bogota, Life in Florida, Life in Madison (NH), Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in South Florida, Life in the Tampa Bay area, Miami-Dade Community College, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Semester in Spain Program, Semester in Spain Program – CCIS, Spring 2025, Spring in FloridaAfternoon, Thursday, May 22, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi there! It’s one of those gloriously vibrant late spring days that feels like summer has arrived a bit early. The temperature is sitting at a toasty 94°F (34°C) under cheerful, mostly sunny skies—high for May, or at least higher than what I remember from my younger days…
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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…
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Rainy Day Musings: Finding Solace in Modest Literary Victories
Midday/Early Afternoon, Saturday, May 3, 2025, Miami, Florida “You have to celebrate the small wins as well.” ― Robin S. Baker Hi, everyone. It’s a gray, sometimes rainy day here in the Greater Miami area on this first Saturday in May 2025. Currently, the temperature is 81°F (27°C) under rainy conditions. With humidity at 66%…
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Victory and Vexation: A Writer’s Journey through Self-Publishing (A ‘Reunion Coda’ Cautionary Tale)
Late Morning/Midday, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, Miami, Florida “Read, read, read. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it.Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out…
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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…
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Another Lesson I Learned While Writing ‘Reunion: Coda’
Comedy and Pathos Can Coexist Harmoniously in the Same Narrative Storytelling, at its core, is our way of exploring both the outer and inner world, trying to make sense of it all. Stories grounded in lived experience strive to capture fleeting moments and evoke emotions that resonate with readers. In more realistic narratives, it’s not…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Five Things I Learned While Writing ‘Reunion: Coda’
1. Don’t Set Unrealistic Goals for Your First Novel While there’s certainly a place for ambition and artistic risks, I learned (through trial and error) that setting overly ambitious goals for your first novel can lead to frustration and burnout. Instead of diving into a sprawling historical epic or a complex science fiction adventure, start…
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My Writing Journey: New Projects and Reunion: Coda
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in Adria K. Woomer-Hernandez, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Boy of Harvard (Men of Harlech parody), Creative Writing, Juan Carlos Hernandez, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami….Again, Movies, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Song Parody, Uncategorized, Writing a First NovelMid-Morning, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. It’s a warm spring morning in my corner of South Florida as I prepare for another working day as a writer. The temperature is 76°F (24°C) under partly sunny conditions. It should be a pleasant, albeit slightly humid, day in our subtropical haven; today’s high is…
A Certain Point of View, Too 