Hey there, chickens, how's it going? All goes here. I am deep into a revision of September's standalone. It's a different kind of story for me, and I am working hard to make it right. This is the stage when the manuscript has left Scrivener and is in Word, and it's hella-hard for me to see the forest for the trees. It's due in a short week, and I'm a wee bit worried about that deadline.

Not so worried that I didn't take advantage of the 60º Friday afternoon to sneak out to the golf course and get in nine holes – shhh... don't tell my editor. Honestly, I've been staring at the screen for weeks, and a bit of fresh air was really helpful.

Also ran out Thursday evening to have a drink with fellow authors Kate Moretti, Emily Carpenter, Kimberley Belle before their Parnassus signing. We were joined by David Bell, too – That's a cabal of suspense writers, all under one roof. It was a fun night with some excellent writers you should be reading!

Murder on the Menu and Murder in Magic City next weekend... hope to see some of you in Birmingham and Wetumpka! The divine Laura Benedict will be visiting this week and we're driving down together. For a writer recluse, I seem to be seeing an awful lot of humanity... 

Here's what happened on the Internets this week:

Apple Has Big Plans for E-Books, Audiobooks. Big news, audiophiles and ebook lovers! Apple's site is always so gorgeous, I'm anxious to see what they curate now.
 

My Drunk Boyfriend - SNL. For you viewing pleasure – Gosh, this makes me laugh. I want to see the Drunk Girlfriend video, too.
 

13 Books Downton Abbey Fans Will Love in 2018. There are some goodies in here – including Ariel Lawhon's I WAS ANASTASIA!! 
 

Ursula K. Le Guin, the immensely popular author who brought literary depth and a tough-minded feminist sensibility to science fiction and fantasy, is dead at 88. I was so sorry to hear this. She was literally majestic. The Earthsea books are some of my favorites.
 

10 Things to Throw Away Before 2018. So I'm a little late on this, but it's still applicable in late January. We do all of this, en mass, a few times a year. It does help!

And closer to home:

Sunday Reads: LIE WITH ME by Sabine Durant. Add this one to your TBR, folks!

I present to you the cover of the next Nicholas Drummond book, THE SIXTH DAY!

Spiffy, don't you think? Here's a bit more about it:

When several major political figures die mysteriously, officials declare the deaths are from natural causes. Then the German Vice-Chancellor dies on the steps of 10 Downing Street, and a drone is spotted hovering over the scene. The truth becomes clear—these high-profile deaths are well-constructed assassinations, and the Covert Eyes team is tasked to investigate.

With the help of Dr. Isabella Marin, a young expert in the enigmatic Voynich Manuscript and cryptophasia (twin language), Nicholas and Michaela home in on Roman Ardelean, a wealthy cybersecurity genius and a descendant of fifteenth century Romanian Vlad the Impaler—often romanticized as Dracula. Ardelean believes the Voynich Manuscript will unlock the secret to curing his severely ill twin brother’s blood disorder and is willing to murder anyone who gets in his way, including Nicholas and Michaela.

Along with MI5, the Covert Eyes team must race against the clock to find Ardelean before he unleashes a devastating attack on London intended to destroy those he believes betrayed him.
 

THE SIXTH DAY releases April 10. If you'd like to pre-order, here's where you can find it. Also, Barnes & Noble has exclusive signed copies for pre-order... trust me, those took a while. Let's just say I streamed all of season 1 of Stranger Things whilst signing them...

Print

eBook

That's it from me! Y'all enjoy the first week of February, stay safe on the roads, check up on an elderly neighbor or two, and we'll talk again soon.

xo,
J.T.