Meet Jayme

Hello, and thank you for being here. I’m Jayme Gough Cushing, a writer of historical and speculative fiction rooted in the wild, humid, breathtaking landscapes of Florida and the Caribbean. I’m drawn to stories where land and memory entwine, where the past has a pulse, and where people and place are impossible to separate.

My work blends lyrical voice, cultural memory, and deeply human characters navigating the mess and magic handed down through generations. I love stories that welcome strangeness, lean into softness, and honor the small wonders of everyday life. My background in creative writing and education shapes the way I build worlds: grounded yet imaginative, culturally attuned, and always centered on resilient, flawed characters facing mysteries of land, legacy, and love.

Like most writers, I’ve spent my life observing, collecting bits of story and texture, not quite fitting in anywhere, making myself at home everywhere. I love easily. I laugh easily too. I’m a mom, a wife, a higher-education proponent, the human to a golden retriever, a wisher on stars, a slapper of mosquitoes, and the silliest of geese.

I’m glad you’re here. Truly. May the stories you find in Okeela Grove and beyond offer you something true, something beautiful, or something you didn’t realize you were looking for. And if you’re looking for an author to attend your book club, invite me! I’m always happy to join the conversation.