I am getting ready to see Wicked: For Good tonight and let me tell you, I am definitely not ready.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! For today's edition of Omnivorous I reviewed the final two episodes of this season of The Witcher. Things get pretty grim, and I actually applaud the show for taking us into some darker, grittier territory. Can't wait for season 5! open.substack.com/pub/omnivoro...

Ugh. I hate how everyone always sees my home state as their natural resource piggy bank. Disgusting.

I'm very pleased with how clean this new manuscript is. The final revisions and edits are taking shape, and I'm on track to submit A Bond of Blood and Stone for preorders next Tuesday! It will be available on 12/16. Then it's on to the next project, another WV queer romance due out in April!

Man, it is so empowering reading more Appalachian lit, both fiction and nonfiction. It feels like finally connecting with a part of myself I'd denied for so long. It feels like coming home at last.

Come to mama!

Happy Monday, everyone! For today's edition of Omnivorous I reviewed Hedda, Nia DaCosta's beautiful and tragic adaptation of Ibsen's play. open.substack.com/pub/omnivoro...

Dear TJ of previous months, please stop using "that" so much. All My Love, Today's TJ

One of the things I really enjoy about growing as a writer is paying more attention to style and prose, finding weasel words and phrases that clutter the story and constrict my voice. I've still got a long way to go, but I feel much more confident than ever before.

I'm in the stage o editing where I'm just adding in a few grace notes to clarify some plot elements, as well as polishing the style (removing a lot of "thats" and adverbs). The story is so much stronger, the prose is tighter. I'm genuinely proud of this forthcoming romantasy!

So what are we all working on today? I'm finishing up edits/revisions to A Bond of Blood and Stone, which I'm submitting for preorders next week. Almost to the finish line!

So, my very good friend is kindly putting together a couple of maps for A Bond of Blood and Stone, and today was the first time that I saw the rough version. It's already amazing, and I can't wait to see the final version this week!

It's Swoony Sunday at Omnivorous, where I reviewed Catherine Doyle's The Dagger and the Flame, a quite gripping enemies-the-lovers romance that I couldn't put down. open.substack.com/pub/omnivoro...

Looking more and more like my dad every day.

The most surprising part of today's writer's conference, was when, during a poetry workshop, I actually volunteered to share something I wrote. I prefaced it by saying that I'm not a poet but, to my surprise, both the moderator (the great Ruth McQuade) and

Baby’s first West Virginia Writers Conference!

Happy Saturday, everyone! For today's edition of Omnivorous I reviewed the third and fourth episodes of King & Conqueror, which I continue to find a really compelling, and very tragic, pierce of period storytelling.

Happy Friday, everyone! For today's edition of Omnivorous I reviewed the fifth and sixth episodes of this season of The Witcher. IMO this season is quite good, and these two episodes in particular are exceptional. open.substack.com/pub/omnivoro...

I've now done a complete read-through of A Bond of Blood and Stone. A few edits a needed here and there, but we're close to the having it done and ready to put into production. A couple of days' more work, and then it'll be submitted for preorders!

New byline!! Got to shout out some of the disabled movies worth watching for @letterboxd.social!! letterboxd.com/journal/disa...

No, I will not stop barraging you with pictures of my cat.

Happy Thursday, everyone! For today's edition of Omnivorous I reviewed the fourth and final season of Acapulco, which I found to be an absolute delight (even if some plot points felt a little rushed). I'm gonna miss this happy little gem of a show! open.substack.com/pub/omnivoro...

I watch King & Comqueror for the plot: The plot:

Oof. Okay. I just read the scene where my lovers get back together and felt a pinch in my heart. When that happens I know the book is in the final stages of completion. Mark it down. Submitting preorders 2 weeks from today. Get ready world for A Bond of Blood and Stone.

It's Writer Wednesday over at Omnivorous, where I wrote about how sometimes the unexpected character or plot twist can change your whole project for the better, even when they step in at the last minute. open.substack.com/pub/omnivoro...

I’ll never get tired of taking pictures of him.

Whenever I walk through the house Tiggy trots along behind me like I'm a witch and he's my familiar and, tbh, I love that for us.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! For today's edition of Omnivorous I reviewed the first two episodes of the new series King & Conqueror, which I found to be quite a good time, thanks to some gutsy women and two well-matched male leads. open.substack.com/pub/omnivoro...

“Omg why are you so obsessed with me?”

A sober but important read for anyone who cares about academic freedom:

The thing I've had to accept as an indie author is that, when it comes to revision, you can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. You have to write the best story that you can in the best way that you can and present it in the best way you can. Then let the readers decide.

Happy Monday, everyone! For today's edition of Omnivorous I reviewed del Toro's Frankenstein, which is nothing short of a masterpiece, thanks to the director's gothic touch and Elordi's achingly tragic performance. open.substack.com/pub/omnivoro...

I'm now well into Hittin' the Right Note, my next Appalachian rom-com. Turns out that one of my characters is bisexual? I had no idea until just tonight. I love when they surprise me like this! I also love doing my part to craft complex bi rep in Appalachian queer romance!

One of my goals in 2026 is to read more queer indie fiction, particularly fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and romance. I'm a part of this community, and I want to give back. So, if you have some recs that I absolutely must read in the coming year, let me know! I love to uplift other authors!

Started King & Conqueror tonight, and it’s actually quite good! Definitely one of the better period dramas I’ve seen lately.

Happy Swoony Sunday, everyone! For today's edition of Omnivorous I reviewed This Monster of Mine, a terrific Rome-inspired romantasy that serves up lots of trauma and steam. A definite must-read. open.substack.com/pub/omnivoro...

Well, I WAS gonna throw this box away. 😂

Holy shit was Frankenstein fantastic. Jacob Elordi's performance broke my heart, and this line stood out to me: "I am the child of a charnel house." Ugh. My heart broke in that moment. What a fantastic piece of tragic horror.

In case you weren't tired of me going on about Queer Communion, I finally got around to writing a complete review. It's truly a terrific book, and I can't recommend it highly enough, particularly if you're a queer person struggling with your faith. open.substack.com/pub/omnivoro...

The Woman in Cabin 10 may not be a very good movie, but I’ll always be here for a film that depicts the rich as the parasitic sociopaths they are

Presented without comment.

After a lot of deliberation, I've decided my next queer Appalachian romance will be set in Moundsville. Titled "Hittin' the Right Note," it's a second-chance romance between a country singer and a pop singer who unite to try to save the (fictional) Northern Appalachia Artists Center.

Currently watching my favorite lesbian couple.

Happy Friday, everyone! For today's edition of Omnivorous I reviewed the first four episodes of this season of The Witcher. The show might not satisfy book purists, but I still find it eminently entertaining, and Hemsworth isn't half bad! open.substack.com/pub/omnivoro...

In today's "water is wet" moment: Ross Douthat once again reveals that he's trash.

So, I just found out someone went quasi-viral on TikTok talking about Country Road Romance, and they were praising the book and talking about how much it meant to them as a fellow WV queer. And my heart...it just kind of melted. THIS is why I write queer Appalachian stories, and why I'll never stop.

Getting updates from your editor in the track changes function of GoogleDocs is a lot like watching your professor grade your essay right in front of you.

Good evening, everyone! For today's edition of Omnivorous I reviewed the third season of The Diplomat, which is a truly terrific piece of TV that grapples with the pressing questions of our new nuclear age, and it's a joy watching Russell and Janney together. open.substack.com/pub/omnivoro...

My editor is giving the book a (hopefully final) read tonight. Fingers crossed that she likes it and gives it her approval! If she does, we're gonna be all set to get it ready for preorder by November 16!

Just found out that today is June Squibb's birthday! What a truly remarkable talent she is, and it's so amazing to see her out there acting right up into her 90s. Truly one of my favorite actresses working today.