Tim Weed's Blog, page 4

Six great literary post-apocalypse novels (+ one bonus rec)

Was happy to have been asked recently to provide a novel recommendation list for Booklisti, a new site to help readers discover new books through the creation and sharing of lists. I love sites like this because they’re great tools for fostering literary community and for spreading the word on good literature, so I was happy to create not one but two lists! This is the first of two.

3 top fiction reads of 2024

Last year I put together a list of three of the books I most enjoyed reading for this interesting emerging literary organization called Shepherd, which has been conceived as a competitor to Goodreads. This year’s selection was harder to narrow down, but here it is, my list of my three top reads for 2024! (Note that these are books I read in 2024, not necessarily ones that were published in 2024. I tend to read new books a year or two after they come out.)

I think it’s important for writers and readers to support organizations that are trying to get the word out about good books. For one thing, it’s a way to circumvent the powerful media channels dominated by conglomerate publishing; instead of the books they say we should be reading, why not listen to each other? Word of mouth, not well-funded marketing campaigns, after all, is a much more reliable way to find good books.

Of course anyone who loves to read is going to be relying to a major extent on the conglomerates; it’s just baked into the system. I try to buy books from small and independent presses whenever possible, but many of my favorites were put out by the Big 5 corporate imprints. And while it’s true that Goodreads is owned by the Amazon corporate empire, Goodreads and Amazon offer some of the best (and often the only) ways for relatively unknown writers to make their books discoverable to the world at large. This is why I’m pretty assiduous about rating and briefly reviewing the books I’ve read and enjoyed on these sites—and if you care about books and authors, you should too!

Still, Shepherd is a refreshing upstart, and I love what they’re doing for books and authors, so I tend to respond when they approach me to make this kind of list. Some time ago I compiled my list of the best historical novels of early colonial New England; and here are my three top fiction reads of 2023. Enjoy!

Upcoming travel programs

Cuba Writers Program (with Alden Jones): March 7 – 15, 2025

Join me and my old friend Alden Jones, distinguished fellow novelist and creative writing professor, for the 5th edition of the Cuba Writers Program: a fun, informal, dynamic, off-the-beaten track nine-day literary adventure in Havana and on the island’s southern coast.

Alden and I have been traveling to Cuba together and separately since the early 2000s; we’ve developed a formidable network of very special in-country contacts and if you’ve been thinking about a trip I can tell you without caveats that this is simply the best way to do it—especially if you’re a writer, though the program is also open to aspiring writers, significant others, friends, and family members. Generative writing workshops combined with amazing encounters and interactions with real Cubans make this an unparalleled and unforgettable opportunity to experience the unique richness and joy of Cuba. More info and an application form here. 

Friends trip to Spain: Madrid and points north, April 23 – May 2, 2025

Join a small group of fellow travelers for a ten-day insider’s journey to a country I’ve known and loved since I first lived in Madrid as an undergraduate Spanish major. Later I spent a year directing college semester abroad programs in Spain and have returned countless times since, both on my own and as a guide and featured expert for National Geographic.

This informal, creative, light-hearted educational small-group trip will get you off the tourist circuit and out into the hidden corners of Madrid and points north. Our focus will be art, architecture, history, wine, cuisine (in particular the quintessentially Spanish art of tapas or pintxos), and generally taking the time to enjoy Spanish life! The itinerary has not yet been formalized but is likely to include Madrid, León, Bilbao, and the Basque Country. Throughout the trip we’ll have the chance to interact with carefully selected local guides and experts, and I’ll be hosting several cocktail hours with a special illustrated lecture series on Iberian history, the artist Francisco de Goya, and Ernest Hemingway’s long love affair with Spain. If this trip is of interest to you, send me a message and I’ll put you on the list of potential traveling friends. 

Custom small-group trips to Cuba

As many of you know, the island of Cuba—its art, landscape, music, history, and especially its people—has been an enduring fascination for me since 1999. I try to visit at least once a year, and as a result of the knowledge and the contacts I’ve developed over the years I’ve been able to help quite a few friends and their families put together some amazing trips.

“I find that words are insufficient in conveying the depth of my gratitude for our extraordinary adventure in Cuba. Your deep relationships with Cubans allowed us to glimpse a Cuba hidden to most tourists.”

With the help of my excellent, highly experienced Havana ground crew I can set up spectacular, informal, very affordable, and legally compliant custom trips for small groups of family and friends (preferably a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 12).  To explore your own custom small-group travel program send me a note and we can set up a no-obligation informational call. Note that it’s good to have at least a 2-3 months advance notice to plan these trips. 

And in the slightly longer term . . . 

June ‘25: Book launch & tour! Bookmark the “Upcoming” page on my website or follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Threads, for updates on readings, signings, and a limited national speaking tour. 

Fall 2025 . . . Peru! I’m so excited about doing an adventurous off-the-beaten track expedition to Peru with my good friend and former college classmate, the talented Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker Amy Bucher. If you’re up for an adventure, and are interested in archaeology and ancient cultures, this is going to be an amazing trip! There will be more about it in a future newsletter, but meanwhile if you want to put your name on an early interest list, send me a message here. 

The Fiction Chronicles: a series of short videos for writers and close readers

Hello all,

I’m pleased to announce “The Fiction Chronicles,” a series of short videos for fiction writers and avid readers exploring such topics as why humanity needs fiction, what fiction can do that film cannot, the virtues of escapist fiction, and highlights from great classic and contemporary novels and stories that showcase the power and reach of this very special narrative art. This is something I’m having fun putting together, and the plan is to keep adding videos in the months leading up to the release of my new novel, THE AFTERLIFE PROJECT. So if this kind of thing is up your alley, stay tuned!

If you do watch and enjoy any of these videos, please feel very free to embed any of them in your own blogs, emails, social media posts, etc. I’ve made them with the hope that they be shared widely, and with anyone who might find them useful or interesting. For the same reason it’s helpful to me if you “like” the videos and subscribe to my YouTube page if you want to see more. Visit my YouTube page here.

With great appreciation!

Tim

The Fiction Chronicles: a series of short videos

Hello all,

I’m pleased to announce “The Fiction Chronicles,” a series of short videos for fiction writers and avid readers exploring such topics as why humanity needs fiction, what fiction can do that film cannot, the virtues of escapist fiction, and highlights from great classic and contemporary novels and stories that showcase the power and reach of this very special narrative art. This is something I’m having fun putting together, and the plan is to keep adding videos in the months leading up to the release of my new novel, THE AFTERLIFE PROJECT. So if this kind of thing is up your alley, stay tuned!

If you do watch and enjoy any of these videos, please feel very free to embed any of them in your own blogs, emails, social media posts, etc. I’ve made them with the hope that they be shared widely, and with anyone who might find them useful or interesting. For the same reason it’s helpful to me if you “like” the videos and subscribe to my YouTube page if you want to see more. Visit my YouTube page here.

With great appreciation!

Tim

THE AFTERLIFE PROJECT shortlisted for Uncharted Magazine’s Novel Excerpt Contest

Happy to report that the new novel, a finalist for the Prism Prize in Climate Literature, has garnered another pre-publication recognition. Uncharted is a magazine dedicated to high quality genre fiction, and I couldn’t be more pleased to have made this shortlist.

THE AFTERLIFE PROJECT will be released by Podium Publishing in all three formats—print, audio, and ebook—in early 2025.

If you’re interested in staying extra up-to-date on the book, and/or if you’d like to take advantage of various opportunities to get your hands on advance review copies, send me a quick note and I’ll add you to my email newsletter.* Otherwise, feel free to check in at your own pace here on my website or on my socials; I occasionally post as “vtweeder” on Instagram and Threads, and you can also find my pages on Facebook and LinkedIn.

*Given the current plague of spammy emails and social media posts, one of my goals with this newsletter is not to contribute to overloading anyone’s already-full inbox with junk. That’s why it is and will always be “very occasional but always interesting” — meaning that it will only contain information that is pithy, to the point, and, at least potentially, of interest and/or benefit to you. This may include book news, special deals and opportunities for friends, upcoming writing courses and opportunities for small-group travel experiences with creative and like-minded people. And I promise that it will land in your inbox a maximum of 2-3 times per year.

Book deal!

Those of you who’ve been keeping track will know that this deal has been a long time in development, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Coming to you in print, audio, and ebook in early 2025. Will be posting more about it here in the lead-up, obviously, but if you wanted to stay up to date on progress you can sign up for my “very occasional but always interesting” newsletter by using the form on the home page or sending me a quick message.

Meanwhile, if I see you in person I’m buying the drinks!

San Miguel Writers Conference, Feb ’24

Excited to be speaking and teaching at the San Miguel Writers’ Conference & Literary Festival in the new year, February 18 – 23, 2024, in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico! San Miguel is an amazingly beautiful small city full of history, art, and food. The conference will have a terrific slate of keynote writers including Chris Pavone, Guillermo Arriaga, Christina Baker Kline, Silvia Moreno-García, and Molly Ringwald. Among other things I’ll be leading an “authors in conversation” session with the keynotes, teaching a master class, “Beyond Conflict: Sources of Narrative Drive in Fiction,” and a teaching a writing workshop, “Point of View in Fiction: POV and Psychic Distance.” It’s going to be an exciting, fun, and enriching week of writing and high-level literary discussion; if you’re a writer and can swing it, you should really consider attending!

Saludos, and I hope to see you there. Maybe we can grab a mescal!

Three top fiction reads of 2023

I put together a list of three of the books I most enjoyed reading this year for this cool literary organization called Shepherd, which has been conceived as a competitor to Goodreads. Some time ago I compiled my list of the best historical novels of early colonial New England; this year they asked me to compile my three top fiction reads.

I think it’s important for writers and readers to support organizations that are trying to get the word out about good books. For one thing, it’s a way to circumvent the powerful media channels dominated by conglomerate publishing; instead of the books they say we should be reading, why not listen to each other? Word of mouth, not well-funded marketing campaigns, after all, is a much more reliable way to find good books.

Of course anyone who loves to read is going to be relying to a major extent on the conglomerates; it’s just baked into the system. I try to buy books from small and independent presses whenever possible, but many of my favorites were put out by the Big 5 corporate imprints. And while it’s true that Goodreads is owned by the Amazon corporate empire, Goodreads and Amazon offer some of the best (and often the only) ways for relatively unknown writers to make their books discoverable to the world at large. This is why I’m pretty assiduous about rating and briefly reviewing the books I’ve read and enjoyed on these sites—and if you care about books and authors, you should too!

Still, Shepherd is a refreshing upstart, and I love what they’re doing for books and authors, so I tend to respond when they approach me to make this kind of list. Enjoy!

Tim Weed’s 3 favorite reads of 2023

The best historical novels of early colonial New England

New story out with Fairlight Shorts

Happy to announce that my new fiction, “Under the Highway,” is now out with Fairlight Shorts, a branch of Fairlight Books. This story is part of my collection-in-progress, working title Tickets to the Reckoning, and was also awarded a prize in the 2023 Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition.

For those of you that knew me growing up, please know that this is fiction, and any resemblance to actual living people isn’t intended and shouldn’t be inferred. I hope you enjoy it!