September 2013 Newsletter
Vol. XXVII Special Edition
THE FINAL CUT Release 

Gentle Readers:

The time is finally nigh! THE FINAL CUT is here!

I can’t tell you how excited I am today. This book is now 18 months in the making, since its inception in May of 2012. Months of research, writing, and just plain fun ensued, all with the fabulous Catherine Coulter at the helm. I can’t wait for you to meet DCI Nicholas Drummond, Michaela (Mike) Caine, the Fox, and the rest of the characters. This story leaps from country to country as nimbly as a jewel thief – hmm, I wonder why that is?

No more waiting! Order your copy today! I promise you’re going to love this book!

And to celebrate, we are giving away a spectacular diamond halo necklace, courtesy of the fine folks at Adler’s Jewelers in New Orleans. You can enter the contest here: penguin.com/finalcutsweepstakes.

There are several great reviews and interviews with us out there, so I collected them into a single blog post you can click over to see. I’ll be adding to it as interviews pop up, but you can get an idea of what the process was like, how we co-wrote, etc.

And if you’re not familiar with the story, here’s a little teaser copy for you:

New Scotland Yard’s detective chief inspector Nicholas Drummond is on the first flight to New York when he learns his colleague, Elaine York, the “minder” of the Crown Jewels for the “Jewel of the Lion” exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was found murdered. Then the centerpiece of the exhibit, the infamous Koh-i-Noor Diamond, is stolen from the Queen Mother’s crown. Drummond, American-born but raised in the UK, is a dark, dangerous, fast-rising star in the Yard who never backs down. And this case is no exception.

Special Agents Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich from Coulter’s bestselling FBI series don’t hesitate to help Drummond find the cunning international thief known as the Fox. Nonstop action and high stakes intensify as the chase gets deadly. The Fox will stop at nothing to deliver the Koh-i-Noor to the man who believes in its deadly prophecy. Nicholas Drummond, along with his partner, FBI Special Agent Mike Caine, lay it on the line to retrieve the diamond for Queen and country.

Get yours today!

Amazon / Kindle / Barnes & Noble / Nook / Books-a-Million / iTunes
Walmart / Target / IndieBound

East Side Story / Reading Rock

Tours 

I’m so excited to share with you that Catherine and I are doing a couple of signings for THE FINAL CUT. Catherine has a 150 miles rule – if you’re in the area, we’d certainly love to see you!

September 21, 1:00 p.m. COSTCO Danville, CA

September 26, [TBD] Adler's Jewelers New Orleans, LA (Please check back on my events page or Facebook for the time)

And I am hosting an online chat at Writerspace September 18, 2013, at 9pm EST. Stop by, ask me anything, and win cool stuff! 

Get Thee to a Bookstore 

...And buy THE FINAL CUT! No passing Go, no collecting $200.

Okay, okay, I’ll give you a few others to look at as well. I read like a fiend on vacation last month, here were my favorites: 

Jennifer Brooks — NO EVIL LOST
Allison Brennan and Laura Griffin — CRASH AND BURN
Susan Gregg Gilmore — THE FUNERAL DRESS
Paula McLain — THE PARIS WIFE
Ernest Hemingway — A MOVEABLE FEAST
Samantha Shannon — THE BONE SEASON
Julian Barnes — SENSE OF AN ENDING 

I’ve made a commitment to track all my reading this year, so if you’re onGoodreads, friend me, and follow along. I’m always interested in what you’re reading, too! 

Contest 

What? Giving away a diamond isn’t enough? Good thing I like to give stuff away, so every month there’s a new contest on my site. The September contest is live now – enter to win a signed copy of EDGE OF BLACK, Dr. Samantha Owens #2. 

September Recipe — Cheesecake Diamonds 

What better way to celebrate all of our diamonds this month than with a rich and yummy dessert? Luscious cheesecake is always a winner. 

Ingredients 

• 5 tablespoons butter, softened
• ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup chopped pecans

Filling:

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons lemon peel
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• In a small bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in pecans.
• Set aside 1 cup for topping. Press the remaining mixture into a greased 8-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.
• In another small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add egg, beating just until combined. Beat in the cream, lemon juice, peel and vanilla. Spread over crust. Sprinkle with reserved topping.
• Bake at 350° for 20-22 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.
• Refrigerate overnight. Cut into diamonds. Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield:  16 servings. 

It’s been a long, strange trip to this point, the release of my tenth novel. I do so appreciate each and every one of you. Sharpen those pencils and get out those new notebooks, and have a beautiful, productive start to your fall. 

xoxo, 

JT