I've got to get on track with Patreon stuff--I owe folks a reading. But in the meantime, here are this month's reviews. The review of DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL should be readable to everyone, while the review of the STRANGER THINGS ending is Patrons-only. www.patreon.com/posts/review...

Today's writing-related search: "Is piss-poor hyphenated?" (The answer appears to be yes, at least according to @merriam-webster.com.) #ProfessionalWriterAtWork

Swung by Schuler Books in Okemos this afternoon to sign some SLAYERS OF OLD stock in the back room. Okemos store has signed copies now, and the other stores should be getting theirs soon.

💜

Gah. I had the settings not quite right on my Writing Income post earlier this month. Sorry about that. It should now be free and readable to anyone without requiring a Patreon account. www.patreon.com/posts/2025-w...

"Bani Adam," a poem by Saadi Shirazi. This translation comes from PROBABILITY MOON, by Nancy Kress.

Happy booger-freezing season, everyone!

So far, I've seen what appear to be legitimate warnings about frostquakes and exploding trees in the U.S. midwest. Given how 2026 is going so far? Yeah, that tracks. (Seriously, stay warm and stay safe out there.*)

The @sfwa.org Recommended Reading List is up and running! For SFWA members, this means you can grab a reading copy of Kitemaster at www.sfwa.org/reading-list... (And check out lots of other awesome work too!)

A NATURAL HISTORY OF DRAGONS, by @swantower.bsky.social, is on sale for $1.99 at Amazon and elsewhere. I blurbed this one when it came out in 2013. “Lady Trent is the Jane Goodall of dragonkind, and I'm glad she's finally sharing her story with the world.” www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...

I'm curious what a six-month old baby was supposed to do differently, how they should have "complied" or "obeyed," to avoid being flash-banged and tear-gassed by ICE.

It’s review day over on Patreon. Today brings reviews of the movie Idiocracy (free for all) and the forthcoming book Ode to the Half-Broken (for Patrons). www.patreon.com/posts/147994...

Last night I finished Slayers of Old by @jimchines.com and I absolutely loved it! Found family, supernatural hijinks, chocolate chip muffins and a tentacled cat - a real treat for Buffy fans. I can already see this being in my top reads for 2026 and the year has barely started!

My latest essay for @uncannymagazine.bsky.social is live!! My editor: "I've never published a more important essay." 🥹

I have written the first seven words of the new draft! UNCHOSEN ONES's new opening line is: Ebony Morales really wanted to get mugged. #Writing

Is it me, or does the whole personification of Grok and other chatbot software have some creepy “Wouldn’t it be nice if I could own people?” vibes?

We do NOT have 9 ladies dancing but we DO have a full trio of queens in @natania.bsky.social 's QUEENS OF FATE series! Now complete, here's your opportunity to grab the full set! Open to US/CAN/UK & IE only. Like, follow, repost & drop a 👑 in the comments to enter! Ends 11th Jan 2026 23:59 GMT🪐📚💙

The new year means it's time for another writing income post. I've been doing these since 2007, because I think it's important to have the conversation. I think of it partly as mythbusting… www.patreon.com/posts/147160...

Updated the Patreon support tiers and added a new "Kitemaster" level for 2026. I also prepped the 2025 writing income write-up, which should go live tomorrow morning as a public post at www.patreon.com/jchines That's enough productivity for day one of the year, right?

bye 2025👋

Fortunately, I saw this post before I'd eaten anything this morning, so I was able to grab a chocolate. 2026 is gonna be sweet!

Marking the last day of 2025 by (finally) finishing this draft of UNCHOSEN ONES! 🥳

“I think I know what demons are like. I’e seen Army of Darkness 3 times” ~teenager in @jimchines.com Slayers of Old.

Oh yay, a new follower! ::Glances at bio:: "Boost your book’s exposure* ... honest, impactful reviews on Goodreads & Amazon!" (*by paying us for) Oh yay, a blocked ex-follower!

Psst. Jewelry-making pals. I've got some market intel you might be able to use. This is a cane strap. It's a common functional attachment that allows a cane user to drop their cane without it falling to the ground, which is useful for temporary use of that hand, or if they don't have a great grip.

Damn, that was quick. From @sfwa.org: Previous Text: "Works that are wholly written using generative large language model (LLM) tools are not eligible." New Text: "Works that are written, either wholly or partially, by generative large language model (LLM) tools are not eligible."

I'm so disappointed in @sfwa.org for this. I understand that by requiring disclosure of partial LLM-created works, as their announcement states, means SFWA's letting "nominators and the voters" make the final decision. BUT YOU'RE STILL ALLOWING SUCH WORKS ON THE NEBULA AWARDS FINAL BALLOT! 1/

Paused in the writing to look up the proper spelling of "hemorrhoids." #VeryImportantScene #WritingResearch

My interview with Blasters & Blades is up. We chatted about books and reading and KITEMASTER. (They were also kind enough to plug my sale on signed books. 10% off w/code OMG2025WTF at payhip.com/jchines) You can listen on YouTube or anywhere else pods are cast. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_3W...

There is now a hardcover edition of KITEMASTER! Looks like it's available through Amazon and B&N so far. I'm not seeing it on @bookshop.org yet, but I'll keep checking. www.amazon.com/gp/product/1...

One of the nice things about going through the Magic ex Libris books for eventual re-release is that I get to remove/change any references to JK and the HP books.

Somehow, this line hits very differently in 2025 than it did back in 2017...

It's that time of year again! ❄️🎁⛄ That's right, it's Award Eligibility Post Season! I had two fantasy novels out this year. KITEMASTER, from Caezik Science Fiction & Fantasy, and SLAYERS OF OLD, from @dawbooks.bsky.social. If you'll be nomming this year and want to read one or both, hit me up.

#bookreview 📚💙 📚🪐 📚🌃 Fan of: - Urban Fantasy - Buffy The Vampire Slayer 📺 - Meddling Kids 📖 - Being too old for this s*** - Growing up Try: @jimchines.com's Slayers Of Old www.jimchines.com/bookstore/#S... The MC's saving the world days were long since over...until trouble came looking for them.

Of course photography counts as artwork! If you see this, post your black and white artwork.

The more I do the writing thing, the more I sympathize with Snoopy and his struggles...

Google alerts popped up a review of one of my older books. I kind of want to use this quote as a cover blurb 😆 "Actually not as dumb as it sounds."

Since this is the season for it, I'm doing a 10% off sale on signed books (including KITEMASTER and SLAYERS OF OLD) and direct-sale ebooks on my Payhip store. Use coupon code: OMG2025WTF payhip.com/jchines

"Looks like meat's back on the menu, Charlie Brown!"

Totally random, but I love that I'm cited in the Wikipedia entry for Kim Possible 😁

A little late, but this month's Patreon story is up! This month, it's "Images of Death," a more serious story that was first published in 2008 in the @dawbooks.bsky.social anthology IMAGINARY FRIENDS, edited by Martin Greenberg and John Marco. www.patreon.com/c/jchines

My author photo has a much younger-looking beard than me. Not sure how that happened…

Absolutely no disrespect intended to the dead. Names change with the times, and all that. With that said, a photo from our walk this afternoon…

"He only raped children who were at least 13 years old" really, really isn't the "gotcha" you seem to think it is.

Looks like the trend of the week is sharing the very first sentences of my book to convince you to read it. Am I doing this right?

@graphicaudio.bsky.social is celebrating the five-year anniversary of TAMORA CARTER: GOBLIN QUEEN by offering 70% off through December 12. That's a full-cast audio recording for only $4.80. (Also, how the heck has it been five years since this one came out???) www.audiobooks.com/promotions/p...

Me: All right, time to focus. Lots of work to do this afternoon on the book and other brain-intensive activities. My Brain: Hey, remember that really ignorant thing you said twenty-five years ago? How about we run that on a loop for a while, instead?