2.21.16 - Sunday Smatterings

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Sunday Smatterings

Hi, guys! Amy here, reveling in the sunshine and warmth we've gotten in the South over the weekend. Even though our winter has been fairly mild, I am SO READY for spring: flowers, blue skies, soft, green grass . . . my soul stretches a little bit more when the world feels alive. Maybe I should move to a private island.

Or maybe I should win the lottery first before I continue that train of thought.

ANYWAY.

Here's what happened around the Internets this week:
 

The Guardian published an article about the Koh-i-Noor, the storied diamond behind J.T. and Catherine's first Nicholas Drummond novel, THE FINAL CUT. It's mostly accurate, too. 

Cat lovers, rejoice: the Orange Collar Project aims to get lost cats home (!).

While she's on social media sabbatical, J.T. hasn't stopped reading things (if she did, she'd explode—trust me). So writers, read up: here's a collection of links she curated just for you:

A very thoughtful piece on accessing and building vulnerability: What's Your Kryptonite?

If you don't subscribe to Steven Pressfield's blog, you should. This week: the difference between subject and theme.

A beginner's guide to growing and maintaining men's long hair. (five words: Matt. Damon. Man. Bun. YES.)

How writing helps you think. (especially the part about note taking. I always absorb more when I write it down.)

Use your own voice, people, the one thing that can't be taught: Serious Writer Voice. J.T. recommends all writers learn the grammatical rules of their trade, and then trust themselves enough to know when to break those rules. 
 

Have any of you been watching the BBC's War and Peace miniseries? Thanks to the show, the book shot up on bestseller lists for the first time since the last century. Call me crazy, but this might be one I'd watch instead of read. Sorry, Tolstoy.

Also, Chris Stapleton won a bunch of Grammys, and that made me very excited. He and his wife, Morgane, have been hidden gems around Nashville for years, and I'm glad he's finally getting the recognition he deserves. Listen to this recording of the two of them singing this folk-bluesy version "You Are My Sunshine." They're just delightful.

Agents turned booksellers in this interview, and I just loved it.


And closer to home:
 

On the Tao this week, we hosted J.T.'s friend, YA author C.J. Redwine, who just released a new series!

If you're looking for some cheap weekend reads, here are a couple of ebook deals for you: 

On The Wine Vixen, I disclosed why it's so important to chill your wine, and J.T. talked about one of the best value red wines she's found (spoiler alert: it's great with pizza!).


Well, folks, that's it from me. Let's cross our fingers for spring, and I'll see you next week!

–Amy

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J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.