Subscriber Spotlight: Your New Favorite Author Tim Pallies

(And not just because he's giving away free stuff, I promise.)

IN CASE YOU’RE NEW HERE, Jenna’s Side Subscriber Spotlight is a perk for paid subscribers who have something they’d like to share with the class. Think of it as show-and-tell for grown-ups—except instead of a taxidermied squirrel or the invisible rainbow your sister gave you for your ninth birthday, it’s your business, project, purpose, Substack, side hustle, or genius idea. Upgrade today and get yourself on the list!

I’m just going to start with this: Tim Pallies can write. I don’t say that lightly (or often), because if I did—if I was out here recommending hacks left and right—you’d start to question my discernment, my knowledge of my supposed craft, or both.

Something you may not know is that when you’ve made a living as a wordsmith for decades, lots of people ask you to read their work. Colleagues, acquaintances, friends, and once—I swear I am not making this up—a friend’s mom’s college roommate’s niece. Some want feedback; others claim they don’t (to the point of insisting, “If you see any mistakes or inconsistencies or anything, do not tell me,” which would be like instructing a toddler, “If you see any cookies or toys lying around, do not pick them up.”). It’s always—and I mean always—a losing proposition.

Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth (2009), The Village Voice published a brilliant essay by screenwriter Josh Olson titled “I Will Not Read Your F*%!ing Script,” which perfectly explains the conundrum (with an excess of profanity; you’ve been warned). I’ve literally sent it to people who’ve asked me to read something they’ve written by way of a decline. In fact, several years ago I started charging for feedback—mostly hoping to deter people, and frankly because if I had to deliver bad news, it was easier when it came wrapped in “I want you to get your money’s worth, so I’m going to be blunt…”

My point is, I’m always a little bit anxious when I find myself in the judge’s chair, so to speak.

And to be clear, Tim did not ask me to read his novel, The Trumansburg Project. I only learned about it when he submitted his Subscriber Spotlight. But let me tell you, by page two I wanted to cry with relief. His style is conversational, clear, and unpretentious. It’s also observant, humorous, and quietly profound—the sort of writing that hits you right in the human. A quick tease (and then I’ll let Tim have the mic, for crying out loud):

From The Trumansburg Project, which you can get FOR FREE (details at the end)!

WHO EVEN ARE YOU?

I’m a retired teacher/school counselor, having done each of those jobs over a 30-year career in education. I ended up counseling at the elementary level—by accident—right around year 20. Had I known how much I would love that, I like to think I’d have found my way there sooner.

Now I like to spend my time reading, writing, taking our dogs to the park with my wife, and working outside (in short spurts and in good weather). Shortly after retiring, I finished my book, The Trumansburg Project, which I’d started as a hobby way back in 2010.

WHAT’S YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH?

I’m about 99% sure my book is unlike anything you’ve read before. I’m 100% sure it’s unlike anything I’ve read before.

When I started, my goal was to tell a story about family life and community. One morning years later, on the drive to work, I realized that faith, hope, and love were also central to the story and message. Where have we all seen that combination before?

As you can tell, I’m not much of a pitch man. What I will say is that you’re just a click away from reading the first 30 pages risk-free. [Ed note: For the next three days, starting tomorrow, you can read the whole thing risk-free; see below.]

GIVE US SOME DIRT.

I go to bed most nights in the 8-8:30 time frame. To be fair, it’s also true that I get up at 4 or 5 a.m. I love the quiet and even the darkness, although once it’s daylight, I am a huge fan of brilliant sunshine!

One more confession? I believe that in my entire life I’ve read exactly two Christian fiction books. The first was The Keys of the Kingdom, a 1941 novel by A. J. Cronin. I loved it, but never explored the genre further. The second was The Trumansburg Project.

NOW YOU GET TO BRAG!

I’m pretty quick with a funny comment on occasion. The funniest two people I’ve ever known personally, though, were light years ahead of me in this respect.

Sadly, both faced mental health challenges and each left us much too soon by my way of thinking. It’s led me to wonder if there’s a connection between mental health and humor.

JENNA: [laughs nervously]

I know. I wanted to brag, but I’m not that good at it.

WHAT’S A HILL YOU’D DIE ON?

I try not to die—on hills or elsewhere. That said, while I don’t seek out conflict, I just can’t participate in the political absurdities we experience almost daily (birthing persons, pronouns, etc.). Before you label me, keep in mind that I voted for Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton twice, and Barack Obama the first time. It’s a little embarrassing to admit that Barry O. got the largest donation I’ve ever made to a candidate.

I guess the REAL hill for me is that I am anti-war. Not anti-red-war. Not anti-blue-war. Just anti-war.

SHARE SOMETHING GOOD.

I’m gonna go with Corinthians 13:13: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Also, as much as I’d love to see you read my book, if time is an issue, I’d recommend the New Testament first. If you haven’t looked lately, you might not remember how brief and powerful many verses are.

WHY DO YOU SUPPORT JENNA’S SIDE?

Jenna is great at choosing interesting topics and events to dissect. She has some of the best one-liners around. And the bottom line? She makes me laugh!

WHAT IF WE WANT MORE?

Take a look at my book, The Trumansburg Project. I think the reviews are the best place to start, but you can also read a few chapters on the Amazon page or on my Substack.

NOTE FROM JENNA: TIM HAS MADE THE KINDLE VERSION FREE, JUST FOR US, starting tomorrow, for the next three days (February 15-17). Even though it’s free, every download helps an author with visibility, ranking, and recommendations. Also, I don’t know if y’all know this, but authors live for reviews. Like, I have some of my best ones memorized. So if you read and love his free book, kindly take the time to tell the world. ;)

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE! He’s also giving away three signed paperbacks. All you have to do is read enough of his work to take a stab at what 1990s book inspired him. The contest ends one week from today (February 21, 2026) and you can enter it here.

FROM TIM: Entries will be time-stamped, and the first three correct answers will win a copy of my book. Good luck and thanks for reading this!

Please make a note in you calendar to download Tim’s (FREE) book this Monday through Wednesday, and then come back here and tell him how awesome he is. :)

Oh, and happy Valentines/Galentines/Heart-Shape-Candy-and-Capitalism Day! I hope you all spend this special Hallmark occasion doing whatever you love the very most. (Honey, we said no gifts/cards/acknowledgement whatsoever… right?)

*Actually that’s a lie because I still have a bit of a queue going… but it could be you SOON!