Joseph A. Reiss, Author

A little thank you.

It’s been a week since I dusted off this old page and introduced myself again, and I just wanted to say thank you.

To everyone who welcomed me back, followed along, commented, shared a kind word, or picked up one of my books—I’ve noticed, and I appreciate it more than you probably realize.

The funny thing about writing is that so much of it happens alone. You sit with characters and places that exist only in your head for months, sometimes years, hoping that eventually someone else might want to spend a little time with them too.

Seeing people begin to do exactly that has been pretty wonderful.

There are more stories coming. Some are already written. Some are being written now. And at least one is currently causing me more trouble than I’m willing to admit. 😉

I’m glad you’re here for them.

Thank you. Truly.

— Joseph

Some stories begin with a place. Others begin with what’s left after that place is gone.

Ashes of La Cañada grew from an idea about loss, rebuilding, and the things we discover about ourselves when the life we knew has been reduced to ashes.

Set against the rugged beauty of late-1890s New Mexico, it’s a story about uncovering the truth, surviving what came before—and finding something worth building again.

This was a very different world for me to write than Hawthorne Valley, but at its heart, I realized I was still writing about many of the same things:

Belonging. Second chances. Home. And love arriving when you weren’t looking for it.

I’m incredibly proud to have this one sitting beside The Season of Belonging.

Two books.
Same storyteller.
And apparently, I’m just getting started. ❤️
“Ashes of LaCañada” available now on Amazon!

Some places you visit, and then there are places that quietly become part of you. Hawthorne Valley was that kind of place for me. When I started A Season of Belonging, I wanted to tell a story about more than romance. I wanted to write about second chances, chosen family, and the moment we finally stop leaving. This is a story about belonging, really belonging. About finding home in a place and in people who see you clearly and make room for all of you. The imperfect parts too. The response over the last day has honestly caught me off guard in the best way. To everyone who’s bought a copy, sent a message, or just said they want to read it. Thank you. I hope you fall a little in love with Hawthorne Valley. And maybe somewhere along the way, it reminds you that sometimes the place we’ve been searching for Is the place we finally allow ourselves to belong. “The Season of Belonging “ available now on Amazon.

Same man. New chapter.
Some of you have followed this page for a very long time—back when creativity for me meant interiors, color, texture, and helping people imagine what a space could become.
Life has changed quite a bit since then. So have I.
Somewhere along the way, that creative energy found a new home: storytelling.
What began as an idea became a manuscript. One manuscript became a published novel. And, somehow, one novel became two.
So tonight I archived the old posts, cleared the room, changed the name over the door, and started a new chapter:
Joseph A. Reiss, Author.
This page will now be home to my books, the characters and places inside them, some behind-the-scenes glimpses into the writing process—and probably a little of the humor and chaos that inevitably follows me wherever I go.
If you've been here since the old days, thank you for sticking around. And if you're just finding me now, welcome.
The room looks different.
But it's still me.
Same man. New chapter. ❤️