Happy Sunday, compadres! Here we are, the last Smatterings of the year, the decade, and I find myself at a loss for words. I’ve actually been staring at this screen for an hour (in between playing with my parents’ cat) trying to decide how I want to end the decade here. It always feels like “the last of” needs to be momentous, not oh hey, the m key decided to stop working on my laptop so I’ve had three days of no M or double M. (Trust me, that sentence took a while.)

But fall back on the banal I will. We had a lovely Christmas. I took three days off. Now I’m back to work, lap desk in place, driving a new plot through the new book. Yes, at the 11th hour, I’ve had to shift gears entirely. The book will be better for it, but the deadline... alas. 

And that is how 2019 has been. It was quite a year. Major highs, major lows. New deals and new books, new friends, new paths to follow. I’ve laid the groundwork for my next few years, and that feels very good indeed. My knee is healing, getting stronger, the pain less and less. The new book isn’t as far along as I’d like, but it’s working again, which is a very good thing. Everyone around me is happy and healthy. I read many, many excellent books. These are all reasons to rejoice. 

And of course, I end the year with a book release. GOOD GIRLS LIE comes out tomorrow. I’ve poured an awful lot of energy into this book this year, from the truncated period it took to write to the PR, and every high and low in between. I can’t believe it’s finally here. 

It will be yours tomorrow. No longer mine. I’ve spoken before how this feels like sending a child out of the nest. I’ve always equated it to sending said child to college, but after experiencing the fear and joy of a child getting behind the wheel of a car for their first solo drive with friends this year, the tumult of emotions watching their child strapping in and driving away, I think that comparison is more apt. You’ve trained them, cautioned them, given them all the tools, and now you have to hope and pray they listen to you, keep the radio turned down, their seatbelt on, their eyes on the road and their hands upon the wheel. 

Yes, that’s what this feels like. It’s gifting freedom into a machine that could hurt them if not operated properly. 

In other words, sheer, unadulterated terror.

I know its just words. But the people inside the covers are alive to me. The story I’ve told is like blood from my veins.

I hope you love it. 

And I hope the decade to come brings as much joy as the decade past. May the road rise up to meet you, always.

And with that, off we go…

It’s time!

GOOD GIRLS LIE comes out tomorrow!!!

A few of the places GGL has popped up recently:

-Crime By the Book’s Best Psychological Thrillers of 2019: “Blending drama worthy of Pretty Little Liars with layered, intricate plotting and seriously sinister secrets, GOOD GIRLS LIE is, simply put, a heck of a lot of fun to read.”

-Chatelaine: 9 New Thrillers For Chilling Fall Reading: “Who doesn’t love a prep school/secret society/inexplicable murders tale?”

-BookRiot New Release Tuesday: Rincey highlights GOOD GIRLS LIE!

-J.T. Ellison, December’s Rogue Recommendation, Goes Rogue. I love going rogue, and was so honored!

-Heather Gudenkauf: Boarding Schools, Ghost Stories & New Year’s Resolutions ~ A Pen Pal Conversation with NYT Bestselling Author, J.T. Ellison. This was such a great conversation!

Paul from Paul’s Fantasy Writings interviewed me about the book and the writing life

Don’t forget to check out the Events page to see if I’ll be in your town for book tour. I would love to see you! If I’m not coming to your area, you can preorder a personalized copy from Parnassus Books.

THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

How reading has changed in the 2010s. Always interesting to see the trends that emerged. I was sure domestic suspense was over… thank heavens I was wrong!

Bats Are Hanging Out in the Library. What Gives? Super cool! Trust me.

Writing through fear. Such a wonderful piece, really hit me where I needed it.

Something to Chew On: Tracking Down the History of the Library Cake. This is so neat! And a good reminder to give credit where it's due.

'I thought you’d like to read this': the etiquette of gifting books. Great tips!

Neil Gaiman Talks Dreamily About Fountain Pens, Notebooks & His Writing Process in His Long Interview with Tim Ferriss. Lovely interview.

This 'Harry Potter' Christmas Pop-up Bar Is Basically the Yule Ball. I want to go!

How I Found the 4 Hardest-to-Find Bookstores in the World. Sounds like a good challenge…

I dropped my Top Books of 2019 list this week. I chose 13 out of the 85 I’ve read. It was a good reading year, for sure.

WHAT I’M READING:

NEVER LET ME GO by Kazuo Ishiguro

I found this slim volume when I was looking for boarding school mysteries. I saw the description of the three friends as Hailsham School and bought it without a second though. I had no idea what I was getting into. Ishiguro was awarded the Nobel for Literature in 2017, and I’ve experienced other works of his, but nothing as deeply disturbing as this. The movie of the same name is an excellent adaptation, though it’s more up front about what’s happening than the book is. The slow reveal of Hailsham’s true purpose shocked me, troubled me, and hasn’t let me go. I suppose the title couldn’t be more perfect.

What are you reading?

That’s it from me. Grab a copy of Good Girls Lie for you and a friend, think about your goals for the future, take a nice, long walk, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.