Justine Pucella Winans
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justinepwinans.bsky.social
Justine Pucella Winans
@justinepwinans.bsky.social
800 followers 200 following 81 posts
Award-winning author, cat lover, and aspiring Pokémon trainer. Most recent: HOW TO SURVIVE A SLASHER Next up: A LITTLE TOO HAUNTED (9/30/25) They/She

www.justinepucellawinans.com/links
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justinepwinans.bsky.social
New book out next fall! There's gore, there's gays, there's facing trauma! #booksky
May 8, 2025 at 10:05 PM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
Sometimes I doodle for fun. I played around with doing an outline of my kitten birdwatching. It might be rough, unpolished, unfinished, maybe even bad, but I did it for free, for fun, for joy.

Not everything has to be amazing. Not everything has to be for profit. You can do it just to enjoy it.
March 29, 2025 at 4:37 PM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
Writers at work
A person on their laptop with a calico kitten in the foreground making a silly face The same person but with the calico now making a different face--mouth open wide, tongue out, winking
March 25, 2025 at 10:47 PM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
I recreated the cover of my YA horror with my cats, and I think we nailed it.

If you like meta, campy horror, and want a fun, quick read, HOW TO SURVIVE A SLASHER is available now!
A recreation of a book cover that has three cats with varied expressions and a person in a wolf mask holding a knife looking over them. The actual book cover that has three teens running from a person in a wolf mask holding a knife and looming over them
March 13, 2025 at 12:16 AM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
Miss Becky Buns is trying to get her copy early! If you are a fan of queer, meta horror like her, HOW TO SURVIVE A SLASHER is out this Tuesday! #Booksky #Horror
www.justinepucellawinans.com/howtosurvive...
A calico kitty reaching a paw out toward a book, HOW TO SURVIVE A SLASHER by Justine Pucella Winans
March 7, 2025 at 2:47 AM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
Excited/emotional to receive ARCs for my upcoming MG horror. There is a cat character in this book that might look familiar. I miss Kana all the time, but loved giving her another home in this book. My team at Bloomsbury made a gorgeous dedication page. Can't wait to share this one with the world.
An advanced reading copy of a book, A LITTLE TOO HAUNTED by Justine Pucella Winans (cover: a young girl in red hoodie holding a flashlight out within a blue-green ghost-filled house). The book is in front of a green glow lantern, purple Pusheen Halloween lights, and cat skeleton toy. A book dedication that reads: for my sweet Kana, thank you for choosing me as your first home. I hope you like this second one I built just for you. Under text is a picture of a gray tabby kitten looking up.
February 26, 2025 at 7:05 PM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
She had her green suit on yesterday and apparently all the vet techs were taking pictures because she's THAT girl. (I mean, seriously, look at her!!!)
A calico kitten looking up in wonder and wearing a light green recovery suit
February 14, 2025 at 5:43 PM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
Rebecca (Becky Buns) has to have a little recovery suit as she's healing up and stealing everyone's heart in the meantime
A calico kitten in a gray recovery suit with her tongue out A calico kitten sitting cutely with her gray recovery suit on
February 14, 2025 at 5:41 PM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
Kimura has decided this is HIS book now.
A Black cat sleeping on top of a copy of THE CAT WHO CAUGHT A KILLER by L. T. Shearer
February 5, 2025 at 10:33 PM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
Heating pad is a big hit with the kids
An orange tabby cat in a loaf position looking extremely content on a blue heating pad The orange tabby cat sprawled out on heating pad but now joined by a calico kitten
December 15, 2024 at 3:49 AM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
Don't tell the others, but this book is probably one of my very favorites, and I can't wait to share it with you! If you also can't wait, it is available for preorder now!
www.justinepucellawinans.com/alittletoohaunted
Stonewall Honor-winning author Justine Pucella Winans returns with a middle grade horror about a haunted house and the stories we tell when real life gets too scary. The only thing worse than having ghost hunters for parents is having fake ghost hunters for parents. Luna Catalano would know. Her moms are influencers who use their pretend psychic powers and interior design skills to turn spooky old houses into ghost-free modern homes—not that there were any ghosts in the first place. It’s bad enough her moms’ job means they have to move all the time, but just once, Luna wishes there was an actual, for real haunted house. When they move yet again, Luna isn't expecting much. But this new place feels...different. Things start out innocent enough—flickering lights, strange noises—but this ghost is playing for keeps. And if Luna doesn’t find a way to stop it, she and her moms might end up haunting the house themselves. With the help of her next-door neighbors, a cute girl Luna definitely doesn’t have a crush on, and a mysterious woman who seems to know a lot about the home, Luna starts to piece together who exactly this ghost is. But not everything is as it seems. And in order to save her family, Luna will have to get the story right before everything goes completely wrong.
December 9, 2024 at 5:01 PM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
🙀 COVER REVEAL 🙀

Here is the cover my next MG Horror, A LITTLE TOO HAUNTED, about a paranormal obsessed 13-yr-old who gets more than she bargained for when her fake haunted house flipping moms move her into an actually haunted fixer upper.

Designer - Jeanette Levy
Illustrator - Alla Khatkevich
A young girl with wavy brown hair and brown eyes holding a flashlight. Behind her, in dark greens and blues, there is a staircase with shadowy ghosts looking out, and an open door with shadowed hands reaching through the crack.
December 9, 2024 at 5:01 PM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
He's eating again and seems much more like himself today 🥹 thanks to everyone for the love!
December 1, 2024 at 8:50 PM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
This week, you can get my MG horror, THE OTHERWOODS, audiobook for only $5 on @librofm.bsky.social

My meowketing and purrblicity assistants worked hard on this graphic in honor of such a great sale!

libro.fm/audiobooks/9...
The audiobook cover for THE OTHERWOODS by Justine Pucella Winans with two adorable cats (one black, one calico) that have badly photoshopped earbuds over their ears and text: audiobook only $4.99 on Libro.fm from 11/26-12/2!
November 25, 2024 at 8:57 PM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
How your email finds me
An orange tabby cat looking tired with his head against an orange sheet
November 21, 2024 at 11:50 PM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
My YA slasher with a nonbinary bisexual MC who is forced into the role of Final Girl (Final Gay?) when the town's murderous legend makes an unwanted reboot releases 3/11/25!

I'll also have a queer MG haunted house horror dropping in the fall, cover to be revealed next month! #booksky
November 16, 2024 at 11:58 PM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
I was having a rough day but this calico cutie cuddled up to me and things might not all be better but they certainly feel better.
A calico kitten curled in a small ball with her head poking up
November 15, 2024 at 2:03 AM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
Hi there, it's been a while since I posted but since people in the book community are coming over, I'm doing a re-introduction on here! I'm Justine, queer author of MG and YA mystery/thriller/horror books. I'm also very into cats, horror movies, manga/webcomics, Pokémon, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
A femme presenting person with pink glasses and tattoos leaning over a calico kitten with green eyes. There are bookshelves in the background.
November 13, 2024 at 7:04 PM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
Thrilled that THE OTHERWOODS was a regional indie bestseller in Southern California! I have the best local indies!!
A text list of the Southern California indie regional bestsellers with THE OTHERWOODS at number 8 A photo of a bookshelf with THE OTHERWOODS face out and the cat from the cover printed on a large cardboard cutout and looming over
September 23, 2023 at 12:37 AM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
It's THE OTHERWOODS release day!

I hope you enjoy this queer, spooky adventure, as I'm so excited to share it with all of you 💕

www.justinepucellawinans.com/the-other-wo...
A person with glasses holding a copy of THE OTHERWOODS. They have a cardboard cutout of the cat from the cover around their shoulders and look scared, like the protagonist on the cover. The same person, still holding the book and cat, but this time smiling
September 12, 2023 at 3:45 PM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
Get ready for your journey into The Otherwoods with this fun activity kit! You can meet River and Pancakes! Make finger puppets! Design your own OTHERWOODS monster 👀

Download (and preorder) here: https://www.justinepucellawinans.com/the-other-woods

THE OTHERWOODS is out 9/12 📚🌈
Printed activity sheets including a maze and coloring page for THE OTHERWOODS by Justine Pucella Winans in front of an orange cat
August 17, 2023 at 11:52 PM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
My "just got home from office and into pajamas but final copies arrived" makeshift photoshoot
August 15, 2023 at 3:33 AM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
Delighted to announce that THE OTHERWOODS is a September/October Kids' Indie Next pick! There's few things I love more than indie bookstores (indie bookstore cats?) so this means the world. If you or your kids are feeling fun and spooky this September, preorder from your local indie if you can!
The cover of THE OTHERWOODS by Justine Pucella Winans (a nonbinary kid with shocked expression and a gray cat around their shoulders. They have a hoodie that depicts a scary wooded area with monsters.) next to the Indie Bound logo and a Kids' Indie Next Bookseller recommended stamp
August 9, 2023 at 3:28 PM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
Fun reminder that if you preorder my queer MG horror fantasy, THE OTHERWOODS (out 9/12!), you can get this amazing sticker sheet and also my appreciation. It's a fun and spooky time! 🌈📚

bit.ly/TheOtherwoods
A sticker sheet with various stickers from THE OTHERWOODS by Justine Pucella Winans, including the protagonist, a nonbinary kid with short, dark hair; their gray cat, Mr. Fluffy Pancakes; a crow like monster; a white, elongated monster: a black tentacle monster
August 4, 2023 at 3:35 PM
justinepwinans.bsky.social
It's a star from Publishers Weekly!
July 25, 2023 at 1:35 PM