Happy Sunday, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 🥂

Smatterings is going to be short this week, because I’m deadlining and working on the Annual Review. But wow, what a week! It was a blast seeing Good Girls Lie launch into the world. Next week is the official launch party at Parnassus, and the following 2 weeks I’m out on tour. I am so, so grateful to all of you for buying the book, sharing it with your fellow readers, and spreading the word. THANK YOU!

Now that GGL has released, my focus has shifted entirely to writing the next book, getting the story rebuilt. It’s funny, how we let go of the angst and worry about a book once it’s out. It’s too late to fix anything, too late to change anything. So we let it go. 

Case in point, I wrote a friend the other day whose book I was reading and made mention of a tiny moment between the characters in her novel. She wrote back laughing—it took her a minute to place who I was talking about. 

That happens all the time. I had it happen with an edit, once. My editor called and said “We need to talk about Jane,” and I said okay, took notes, then hung up, still trying to figure out who the hell Jane was. (She was a tertiary character, a roommate of a victim.) I was already so deep into the writing of the next book that I had to search the manuscript for any mentions of a Jane.

That’s how things go. Writers are sharks. We can only move forward, look ahead. Sideways or backward and we die.

And with that, I give you the links! Annual Review coming this week!

It’s here!

GOOD GIRLS LIE is here! Did you get your copy yet?

A few of the places GGL has popped up recently:

-Secrets prove deadly in J.T. Ellison’s latest thriller: “The truth is terrifying, and while it appears to be a straightforward story with obvious thriller elements, it’s a manipulative journey that is completely unpredictable. “Good Girls Lie,” and Ellison is the best one of them all.”

-Fresh Fiction: “Unnerving surprises through out each chapter. Just when you thought you had the story figured out it, it smacks you with another twist.”

-The Big Thrill: “Ellison takes readers on a twisty-turny journey through the halls of a school that is the perfect backdrop for ghost stories, cruelty between teenage girls, and secrets and lies.”

-Paul’s Fantasy Writings: Interview With An Author: J.T. Ellison

Podcast interviews:

• The Inside Flap

• Biblio Happy Hour

THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

The 50 most anticipated books of 2020. It’s hard to believe that a new year of reading is upon us. How many of these are on your To Be Read list?

The Best Books Of The 2010s, According To 30 Of The Decade's Debut Authors. I love hearing about the books other authors love.

Megan Abbott on Her Book 'Dare Me' Becoming a TV Show. Great piece. I absolutely can’t wait - this is one of my favorite Megan Abbott books.

EduHam: The Educational Component of Hamilton: The Musical. What a remarkable program!

Why Americans Are Always Running Out of Time. Interesting piece. My husband and I came at it from completely different angles, too. Trust me, if someone did all my housework, laundry, and cooking, I’d have more time.

Emma Watson has hidden 2,000 copies of 'Little Women' around the world. This is really cool! Have you seen the movie yet? It’s on my list!

Bookish Bullet Journal Supplies for Readers. This is a great resource.

How ‘The Godfather’ Became an Unlikely Holiday Classic. Fascinating.

7 Bookish Tea Blends to Pair With Your Perfect Book. Bookish tea! What a clever notion.

WHAT I’M READING:

BAG OF BONES by Stephen King

My friend and fellow author Jeremy Finley has taken it upon himself to educate me in the ways of the King, and this was my first foray back to his world since THE SHINING scared my pants off. Since I enjoy King’s accent and inflections, I chose to listen to the book. At 18+ hours, it was a commitment, but the writing is gorgeous, and the story so intriguing—it’s a mystery, and a love story, with a ghostly backdrop. I don’t know how much scarier I can go with King, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

What are you reading?

That’s it from me. Tell me what your resolutions are, give yourself an afternoon off for a movie, see that holiday spirit intact, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.