So happy to share that Publisher’s Weekly’s Booklife just named PINEVILLE TRACE an Editor’s Pick! They wrote such an insightful review, too. The review will appear in the new Publisher’s Weekly. Read the review, here: booklife.com/category/fic... #bookreview #publishersweekly #editorspick 💙📚🐈

Had an awesome time talking with Jacinda Townsend about her new book TRIGGER WARNING tonight. If you missed us, you can get signed copies of TRIGGER WARNING & PINEVILLE TRACE at Carmichael’s bookstore. Her new book is so good. Check it out. #booksigning #appalachianfiction

TODAY in Louisville:

Save the date, and please feel free to share! Jan LaPerle and I will be reading at the always incredible Last Monday Reading Series at KY Native Cafe on Mon. Sep. 29 at 8 pm. This is such an amazing place and such a cool reading series. Hope to see you there! #reading #lexingtonky

Good times today at A Likely Story Bookstore for the Midway Fall Festival signing PINEVILLE TRACE. If you missed me today, you can still get signed copies at A Likely Story in Midway! #midwayfallfestival #booksigning #southernfiction #appalachianlit #PinevilleTrace

Louisville! Come hang out with us on Sep. 23 at Carmichael’s Bookstore! Jacinda Townsend grew up in Bowling Green and calls Trigger Warning her love letter to Louisville. Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/jacinda-to....

Loved the conversation and reading tonight with Julie Hensley at Coffeetree Books in Morehead, KY! Get signed copies of Five Oaks and Pineville Trace at @coffeetreebooks ! It was great to be back in the town I lived in years ago. Thanks to everyone who hung out with us tonight! 💙📚

Back when we lived in Morehead, Kentucky in the 1980s! I’ll be back there with Julie Hensley talking about our new books at CoffeeTree Books thisTuesday at 5pm! #moreheadky #booksigning #appalachianlit #southernfiction #pinevilletrace #fiveoaks

#Bloomington #Indiana @wesblake.bsky.social is coming to town on Oct 10! Join us at Morgenstern’s at 6 pm. Plenty of notice, so no excuses :-) #booksky

Today is the one-year birthday of PINEVILLE TRACE! This is the copy I’ve read from at events at bookstores, libraries, bars, and book festival panels across my home state of Kentucky, and well beyond. I’m thankful to every person who has supported this book along the way. Thank you! 💙📚

Summer!

Good times at the Estill County Public Library Book Festival today! Had fun hanging out with readers and other writers. And I got a chance to lead a session and have a good conversation about paths to publication.

I’ll have a session on Paths to Publication at the Estill County Public Library Book Festival this Saturday, Aug. 30 from 3–3:45 pm in Makerspace. If you’re a writer looking to find a good home for your stories, poems, essays, or book, this might be helpful! Join us!

Join us at the Estill County Public Library Book Festival on Aug. 30, from 12-4 pm! The festival will feature Kentucky authors that the public will get to meet, purchase signed books from, and hear speak about their writing journey. #bookfestival #kentuckywriters

Had a blast at the Gathering of Authors at the Paul Sawyier Public Library talking to readers and other writers! Above with my table mates @browneallover.bsky.social & @ellenbirkettmorris.bsky.social front of books by @joshaboldt.bsky.social . Thanks to Diane and everyone at the library!

Thanks to @thekentuckybookstore for supporting fiction written by Kentucky writers! If you haven’t checked them out yet in downtown Lawrenceburg, you should! Such a cool spot. And really nice folks. It’s cool to see PINEVILLE TRACE hanging out with Wendell Berry! #kentuckywriters 💙📚

Thanks to Meg and @odysseybks.bsky.social for choosing PINEVILE TRACE as a staff pick! A few months back, @thebackoftheline.bsky.social and I had a great talk there about the book, novellas, and nature. It’s a cool bookstore. #staffpick #independentbookstore #indiebooks #southernfiction

Discover the profound truths that come with finding one's self and facing our histories with authors Julie Hensley and Wes Blake on Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 5:00 p.m. RSVP on Facebook: conta.cc/3Iz4Sez #coffeetreebooks #MoreheadKY #coffeetreebookstore #bluegrasswritersstudio

Looking for a good read? electricliterature.com?p=276297 #nationalbookloversday 💙📚

Happy International Cat Day from Pig and Queak! Scroll for more cats. If you’re looking for a good cat-centric story, check out PINEVILLE TRACE! #ınternationalcatday #cats #books #fiction #southernfiction #novella #literaryfiction #pinevilletrace

Awards for PINEVILLE TRACE! 🏅Etchings Press Novella Prize Winner 🏅 Next Generation Indie Book Award for First Novel Finalist 🏅Feathered Quill Book Award for Debut Author Finalist 🏅National Indie Excellence Award for Book Cover Design Finalist Thanks to the readers and judges!

I’m honored that Autumn House included “Hazelgreen and Other Haunts” as a semifinalist for their nonfiction book prize!

Great getting to hear @wesblake.bsky.social read from his novella this week at Roscoe Books!

Incredibly excited about this!

Denis Johnson on reading bad reviews of his books substack.com/home/post/p-...

Lexington! Celebrate the last day of July with us. Chris McGinley and I will be in conversation, reading, & signing books at the Carnegie Center in Lex at 6 pm this Thursday. Then catch My Two Dads at Chevy Chase Inn at 8:30 pm. Join us. Tell your friends! #kentuckyauthors #booksigning #mytwodads

Had a blast at SUNDAY SALON CHICAGO yesterday @roscoebooks.bsky.social, featuring Rita Woods, Cynthia Pelayo, @meganstielstra.bsky.social, Westley Heine, & @wesblake.bsky.social Check out future events at sundaysalon-chicago.com.

SUNDAY SALON CHICAGO HAPPENS TONIGHT 7/27 in-person at @roscoebooks.bsky.social at 7 pm CT, featuring Rita Woods, Cynthia Pelayo, @meganstielstra.bsky.social , Westley Heine, & me! Hosted by the @ignatius2u.bsky.social sundaysalon-chicago.com for more info. Hope to see you in Chicago.

Tonight in Chicago. Join us!

I’ve wanted to come to the Appalachian Writers Workshop at Hindman Settlement School ever since I took Gurney Norman’s creative writing and Appalachian lit classes in 2000. So nice to finally be here at the workshop 25 years later. #hindman #appalachianwriters #jamesstill

Set up at the Madison County Public Library book fest in Richmond! #bookfestival #richmondky #library #southernfiction #kentuckywriters #novella #literaryfiction #pinevilletrace

Richmond! I’ll be at the Madison County Public Library Book Fest w/ Beth Brown and others on Sunday, July 20 from 2-4. Signed books available. See all the authors below: #booksigning #bookfestival #richmond #library #southernfiction #appalachianlit #novella #flashfiction #cats #pinevilletrace 💙📚

Loved taking with Bluegrass Writers Studio MFA students at their summer residency at EKU about paths to publication. The students were so engaged, thoughtful, dedicated, and kind. Be on the lookout for all of their books soon! #bluegrasswritersstudio #mfa #creativewriting #pathstopublication

Lexington! James Still Day seems like the perfect time to invite everyone to come hang out with Chris McGinley and me at Carnegie Center in Lexington. We’ll talk writing and sign our new books. Hope you can join us. Do share! Thank you! #kentuckywriters #booksigning #writingcommunity

In just under 2 weeks, on July 27 at 7 pm CT, SUNDAY SALON CHICAGO happens @roscoebooks.bsky.social, featuring Rita Woods, Cynthia Pelayo, @meganstielstra.bsky.social, Westley Heine, & @wesblake.bsky.social 🔥❤️👏 You can read all authors' bios at sundaysalon-chicago.com. Join us! 🥰🌺🌞

Had a fun time this weekend at the Columbus Book Festival! Here are some pics from our short stories panel. I’ll try and post some pics from our author speed matching and writing community panel in the coming days. Such a well-run festival! Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to this together!

Columbus! Looking forward to being part of the Columbus Book Festival! I’ll be on panels talking about the power of short stories, community, and I’ll be on an author speed matching session. I’ll be signing books after each panel. Swipe for panel info. Hope to see you there! #bookfestival

Had a great conversation about the writing craft with David Arnold and fellow writers at Scott County Public Library! #writingcommunity #writingcraft #pathstopublication #libraries

Throwback Thursday? Back in 1987 at my Aunt Betty’s house outside Columbus, Ohio. My dad’s people are from there. He sent me this a couple days ago. Looking forward to getting back this weekend. #cicadas

Cats and squash and cucumber from first garden! And more cats. Lots of tree watering lately, but no pictures of that. The end. #cats

Columbus! Lauren Marie Fleming, @khanwong.bsky.social & I will be talking about the importance of literary community on our panel “No One Can Do It Alone: The Writing Community.” Moderated by Kathryn Powers. Authors will sign their books after the panel. Come see us at the Columbus Book Festival!

Georgetown! Come hang out with David Arnold and I this Thursday night at 6:30 at Scott County Public Library for a talk about writing and the creative journey/process! #booksigning #authortalk #writingcommunity

Columbus, small groups of readers will have five minutes to learn about new books by @rosiesrambles.bsky.social Chyana Marie Sage, Helena Rho, L.T. Thompson, Heather S. Cole, and myself. Come see us at the Columbus Book Festival: www.columbusbookfestival.org #columbusbookfestival

Pool!

Columbus! @jaredlemus.bsky.social, @lenavalencia.bsky.social, Bob Johnson, and I will be talking short stories on our panel “Humanity in a Snapshot: Short Stories.” Come see us at the Columbus Book Festival! www.columbusbookfestival.org #columbusbookfestival #shortstories #writingcommunity 💙📚

Had fun reading tonight at the Bluegrass Writers Studio featured alumni reading! I can’t thank BGWS enough for how much they’ve supported my work both during and after my time in the program. Thank you! #bgwritersstudio #summerreadingseries #southernfiction #pinevilletrace

SUNDAY SALON CHICAGO is pleased to announce its next in-person reading event @roscoebooks.bsky.social on July 27 at 7 pm CT, featuring Rita Woods, Cynthia Pelayo, @meganstielstra.bsky.social, Westley Heine, & @wesblake.bsky.social 🔥❤️👏 Bios are up at www.sundaysalon-chicago.com. Mark your calendars!

Richmond! Bluegrass Writers Studio Alumni Reading tonight at Dreaming Creek Brewery at 6. Join us! #bgwritersstudio #summerreadingseries

New Review of PINEVILLE TRACE in Kentucky Living magazine! Check out the new July issue of @KentuckyLiving . Thanks to Penny Woods. www.kentuckyliving.com/kentucky-liv... #bookreview #kentuckyliving #kentuckywriters #appalachianfiction #southernfiction #southernlit #pinevilletrace

Excited to be a featured writer at the @columbusbookfestival . I’ll be on three panels and will share more details in coming days. If you’re in the area, drop in and say hello. It’s a fantastic book festival. www.columbusbookfestival.org/authors/ #bookfestival #booksigning #pinevilletrace 💙📚