Hello, darlings. How are you? We're staving off the change-of-seasons sniffles here in the Ellison house, so I've got warm blankets, mugs of tea, and bowlfuls soup on my mind – the chicken stew I mentioned in this month's newsletter seems even more timely than ever. 

Sniffles notwithstanding, I'm in full work mode – I'm putting the final edits to my new standalone, currently titled TEAR ME APART. My editor and I are honing the edges, trying to make this a razor-sharp read for y'all, and I'm really excited with where this is headed. Come next fall, I hope you are too!

Without further ado...
 

Here's what happened on the Internets this week:
 

Nerdy Christmas gift alert: these Blackwing pencils. (longer, nerdier post about pencils to come later this week – I know, I know, something for you to look forward to!)

Y'all know I love a good work hack, and this is a good one for all of us: How to use social media and stay productive. 

Did you ever snoop in your sister's diary, or accidentally stumble upon your spouse's journal? The inner voyeur in you might enjoy reading this piece, though all of us can appreciate the beauty of writer May Sarton's insight on solitude and getting through life's darkest times.

Rejoice, English majors: the Oxford University Press has just named Christopher Marlowe as a co-author in their new edition of Shakespeare's collected works.

And closer to home:
 

Fellow writers, are you participating in NaNoWriMo? I almost always do. While you're blazing new trails through your story, you might find yourself stumbling on one of the more difficult subjects to write about: a steamy sex scene. I've written about this before, but this week I (along with 4 other brilliant writers) have a snippet of advice in Bustle on how to write about doing the deed, and doing it well.

As we've said time and time again on The Wine Vixen, good wine doesn't have to be expensive. And these five wines from Aldi prove that beautifully.

Also, if you've been under a rock, you might not have heard that the paperback version of NO ONE KNOWS is out!!!!! A little bird told me this would be a great stocking stuffer for a bookworm or a swap gift for a book club.

That's it from me! Y'all enjoy your week (Lord knows it'll be an eventful one), eat some soup, snuggle with a kitty, and I'll talk to you again soon.

xo,
J.T.