Fiction and literary work about power, identity, violence, resilience, and human connection

Jessica’s creative work explores the psychological and moral lives of people navigating family systems, geopolitical realities, trauma, grief, social conflict, and change.

Across fiction, screenwriting, poetry, and memoir, I am interested in what people inherit, what they endure, the choices they make under pressure, and the forms of love and compassion that remain possible.• Screenplay thriller “Bound to Burn” to be represented at the American Film Market, Nov 2025

My creative work explores the psychological and moral lives of people navigating family systems, geopolitical realities, trauma, grief, social conflict, and change.

Across fiction, screenwriting, poetry, and memoir, I am interested in what people inherit, what they endure, the choices they make under pressure, and the forms of love and compassion that remain possible.

Books

Blood Gilt

An epic crime-family thriller

Within a world shaped by loyalty, inheritance, violence, and competing forms of power, the members of a crime family must confront the cost of belonging—and the consequences of trying to escape what made them.

[Explore Blood Gilt]

Works in Progress

Information about forthcoming novels and book-length projects can appear here as they are ready to be announced.

Screenwriting

Bound to Burn

[Two- or three-sentence project description.]

[Learn More]

The Scream of the Siren

[Two- or three-sentence project description.]

[Learn More]

Short Fiction

Selected stories published in literary journals and other venues.

Story Title
Publication · Year
[Read]

Story Title
Publication · Year
[Read]

Poetry and Memoir

Selected poetry, personal essays, and memoir publications examining memory, grief, embodiment, identity, and resilience.

Title
Publication · Year
[Read]

Awards and Recognition

Selected awards, nominations, placements, residencies, and other recognition.

Literary Inquiries

For publication rights, interviews, readings, appearances, or other literary inquiries:

[Contact Jessica]

Creative Writing Credits

• Upcoming publication July 2026 Blood Gilt

• Published Poetry 2017 War, Literature & the Arts.

• Published Creative Nonfiction 2015 Word Riot.

• Published Creative Nonfiction 2014-2015 New Madrid.

• Published Poetry 2014  Poetry Pacific.

• Published Short Story (horror) 2014 anthology The Grotesquerie.

• Published Poetry 2014 Split Lip Magazine.

• Published Poetry 2014 Red River Review.

• Published Short Story (fiction) 2014 Red Ochre Lit.

• Published Poetry 2014 Poetry Quarterly.

• Published Poetry 2014 Main Course: Philadelphia’s Entertainment Magazine.

• Published Poetry 2013 The New Poet.

• Published Poetry 2013 Malpais Review.

• Published Poetry 2013 Fickle Muses.

• Published Poetry 2013 Crack the Spine Literary Magazine.

• Published Novelette (thriller) 2011 Mocha Memoirs Press.

• Published Short Story (thriller/horror) 2010 The Dark Fiction Spotlight edited by Stephen W. Roberts.

• Published Creative Nonfiction 2010 Mused-The BellaOnline Literary Review.

• Published Poetry 2009 Albuquerque Almanac edited by Amanda Gardner.

• Published Poetry 2006 Conceptions Southwest.

• Published Poetry 2005 abqArts Magazine.

• Published Poetry 2004 Poetic Voices Magazine by Ursula Gibson

• Published Short Story (fiction) 1992 Stone Soup Magazine.

Writing Contests

• Won 2nd place, The Dark Fiction Spotlight Fiction Contest, 2010 (Fiction)

• Won 2nd place, Space Coast Writer’s Guild Annual Writer’s Contest, 1992 (Fiction)

Creative Arts Nominations

• Nominated for Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Arts Award (creative writing), University of New Mexico, 2013