Tag: Writing
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Remembering the Springs I’ve Known
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Blogging, College Life, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Life in Bogota, Life in Central Florida, 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, Life in the United States, Miami-Dade Community College, New Hampshire Weather, Personal Thoughts, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Spring 2024, Spring 2026, Spring in Florida, Writing a First NovelRemembering the Springs I’ve Known Friday, March 20, 2026, Orlando, Florida “She turned to the sunlightAnd shook her yellow head,And whispered to her neighbor:‘Winter is dead.’”— A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young Spring has arrived again, at least according to the astronomical calendar. I turned 63 a little over two weeks ago, just four…
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A Wednesday Reboot
Wednesday, March 18, 2026, Orlando, Florida It’s another pleasantly crisp morning in Central Florida as the workweek settles into its comfortable middle. Right now we’re sitting at 64°F (18°C) under generous sunshine. Spring’s chilly cameo is already packing up—today is a full ten degrees warmer than yesterday, so this cold snap won’t be sticking around.…
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From Orlando Heat to La Jolla Recognition
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in Accolade Global Film Competition, Adria K. Woomer-Hernandez, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Anthony (A.J.) Hernandez, Blogging, Clown 345 (Video Short), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Juan Carlos Hernandez, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Life in Florida, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Movies, Personal Thoughts, Popcorn Sky Productions, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Spring in FloridaMonday, March 16, 2026 — Orlando, Florida It’s another partly sunny and muggy early spring day in Central Florida. As I write this, it’s 81°F (27°C), and while some areas of Orange County are covered by a shroud of gray cumulus clouds, my neighborhood is getting a bit of sunlight. With humidity at a sticky…
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Musings for Saturday, March 14, 2026
Saturday, March 14, 2026, Orlando, Florida It’s midafternoon on a cloudy, warm, and unmistakably springlike day here in Central Florida. The humidity is already creeping in, the kind that reminds you we’re firmly in the subtropics, where temperatures rise and fall as if Mother Nature were having mood swings of her own. It feels more…
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On Slow Weeks and Stubborn Callings
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audible Reviews, Audiobooks, Blogging, Book Reviews, Books, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Personal Thoughts, Praise Circles, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Royalties, Spring in Florida, Stefan (Steve) Lee, The Jim Garraty ChroniclesA brief dispatch from the post‑DST haze Thursday, March 12, 2026 — Orlando, Florida It’s midafternoon on a muggy, rain‑soaked March day in Central Florida. The temperature is hovering around 85°F (29°C) under a curtain of heavy rain, and thanks to our subtropical climate—now supercharged by global warming—it feels more like early summer than spring.…
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Bridging Two Stories: An Excerpt from ‘Reunion: Coda’
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audiobooks, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Stefan (Steve) Lee, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a Craft✨ Introductory Note for the Excerpt When I first wrote Reunion: A Story back in 1998, I believed it was complete—a self‑contained tale about a man haunted by a moment he never fully understood. I didn’t know then that I would return to Jim Garraty’s world decades later, or that the emotional fault lines of…
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Florida Heat, DST Fog, and the Best‑Laid Plans
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Blogging, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Spring in Florida, Stefan (Steve) Lee, The Jim Garraty ChroniclesMonday, March 9, 2026, Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. My internal clock is still wobbling after yesterday’s switch to Daylight Saving Time, so I’m running behind my usual blog‑writing rhythm. I’m groggy, sluggish, and more than a little irritated—not just because I forgot about the time change, but because today is one of those hot, sticky…
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Blame It on the Clock
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Computer and Video Games, Computer Games, Creative Writing, Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Life in the United States, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Spring in Florida, Strategic Command series, Strategic Command WWII: World at War, Strategy Games, Strategy Games, The Jim Garraty ChroniclesSunday, March 8, 2026, Orlando, Florida Normally, I tap out these posts in the late morning, coffee in hand and ideas (mostly) awake. But the first day of Daylight Saving Time has, as usual, thrown my internal clock for a loop. On this warm and muggy Sunday, my energy and creativity are hiding somewhere—probably still…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Giving a Fictional Universe a Theme Song
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Billy Joel, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Forgotten Dreams, Garratyverse, Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Leroy Anderson, Melodies and Memories: Music, Songs, and Singers, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Jim Garraty ChroniclesThe Garratyverse Has a Theme Song — And It’s “Forgotten Dreams” Every now and then, a creative universe taps you on the shoulder and says, Hey, I know what I sound like.Today, the Garratyverse did exactly that. If the world of Jim Garraty — his memories, his ghosts, his quiet victories — had to be…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Why Dishonest Praise‑Circle Reviews Harm Indie Authors, the Industry, and Readers
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Audible, Blogging, Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, CreateSpace Independent Publishing, Creative Writing, Ethical Reviewing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Miami-Dade Community College, Personal Thoughts, Praise Circles, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Student Journalist, WordPressWhy Dishonest Praise‑Circle Reviews Harm Indie Authors, the Industry, and Readers I’ve been writing entertainment reviews for most of my life—long before “content creation” became a buzzword and long before social media turned book promotion into a popularity contest. My first real assignments came in high school, where I cut my teeth as a student…
A Certain Point of View, Too 