diary of a novelist lost in the wilderness

It was a delight and an honor to be on the radio this morning talking to Morning Edition reporter Carrie Healy about THE GATEPOST. The interview, which aired this morning on 88.5 NEPM throughout western Massachusetts, touched on the inspirations for the novel, why I chose to set it mostly in Vermont, legacy as a literary theme, and why the hallucinatory settings of the book, though frightening at…

For several years now I’ve been making book lists for Book DNA, the upstart Goodreads competitor previously known as Shepherd. It’s an appealing, well-organized site designed to help you find new reads that share “Book DNA” with books you’ve already enjoyed. In that spirit, here’s my new list. Click on the image below to see my choices for five very good recent speculative novels!

This one comes as a very pleasant surprise. OverDrive, the leading digital reading platform for libraries and schools (my agent calls it “one of the hidden behemoths of publishing”), has featured THE GATEPOST on their Libby Life blog, in a post titled “What is Speculative Fiction? Here’s what it means (and what to read first).” The Libby app allows users to borrow e-books, audiobooks, and…

Thrilled to report that Alex Good of the Toronto Star has reviewed The Gatepost! It’s part of a monthly round-up, and is syndicated to appear in a bunch of other regional Canadian newspapers as well. Given the origins of the novel, which I’ve talked about here and here, for example, this is by far my favorite line: “The doors of perception are opened wide in Tim Weed’s latest.” —Toronto…

Something special about waking up to a well-written front-page feature in a writer’s hometown newspaper! “A Gatepost to new & ancient worlds: Tim Weed’s new novel is worth the trip” is a feature & interview with Vermont News & Media’s Bill LeConey that appeared in The Brattleboro Reformer, The Bennington Banner, and Manchester Journal. Much gratitude to Bill or the great coverage and a very fun…

Such a fun conversation recently with Mikaela Lefrak, the host of Vermont Edition, up at Vermont Public’s headquarters in Colchester! We talked about my novel THE GATEPOST, its Vermont setting, the origin of its characters, psilocybin, dreams and hallucinations in fiction, and much more. My gratitude to Mikaela and the show’s producer, Jon Ehrens, for their hospitality and professionalism. You…

Very pleased to note this new review from Library Journal! Here’s an excerpt: “This suspenseful story explores fascinating ideas about reality and perception using an intriguing format that will keep readers turning pages; highly recommended for fans of Carlos Castaneda and the science fiction of psychedelia.” — Library Journal Here’s a link to the full review if you’re a Library Journal…

One of my resolutions this year has been to launch a periodic column on Substack: topics will mostly be travel, the writing craft, publishing insights, ancient wisdom, modern science, and thoughts on fiction & mythology—but we’ll see how it evolves. If you want to come along for the ride, you can subscribe for free here. I have no plans to try to monetize this, so full subscriptions will always…

Publishers Weekly is widely regarded as the most influential and essential trade magazine for the book industry, read by publishers, librarians, booksellers, newspaper and magazine editors, and even (ahem!) film industry types. PW reviews have a great deal of influence on which books get noticed, bought, and promoted in the media. Needless to say, I’m on cloud nine to have this new Publisher’s…

Delighted to see that THE AFTERLIFE PROJECT is a finalist for the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award in Science Fiction! This award honors books published by independent (non “Big 5”) presses. It’s judged by a panel over 100 librarians and booksellers around the country and has the potential to bring the novel to the attention of a broader audience of readers. Winners to be announced in June.…

“From the mountain lakes of the Colorado Rockies to cobbled streets of Spain, this fascinating collection of short stories never disappoints. A Field Guide to Murder and Fly Fishing is a collection you’ll be happy to get lost in.” — Ploughshares. “I found myself consuming [these] thirteen tightly wound tales with addictive delight.” — Fiction Writers Review “These stories bristle with energy…

It’s always touch-and-go when it comes to the big trade publications that specialize in forthcoming books. Will they review the book, and if so, will the review be positive? It’s quite important too, because these publications are influential with librarians and booksellers, and can be leading indicators regarding the potential success of new books out in the marketplace. Kirkus reviewers in…

My sincere gratitude to Kevin Simpson and the The Colorado Sun for their early interest in THE GATEPOST, launching May 26, 2026! In addition to the podcast, The Sun published an excerpt of the novel’s first chapter and a wide-ranging print interview in which we talked about Oaxaca and the inspiration for the novel, the writing process, Mesoamerican shamanism, hallucinogenic mushrooms, the…

So pleased to see that this book continues to have momentum out in the world! Very much appreciate this brilliantly written new book review from All Our Yesterdays, an innovative site keeping track of the recent and not-so-recent history of climate landmarks, climate action, and the sordid and continuing history of denialism on this planet. You can access the entire review here. Here’s a quick…

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be leading a new writers’ workshop and craft masterclass in Oaxaca, November 14-21, 2026! If you’re writing in any genre, consider giving yourself the gift of a week-long generative workshop and craft masterclass in this very spectacular corner of the world. In addition to the writing focus we’ll be doing plenty off-the-beaten track exploration of the area’s…