Hello, my dears. Welcome to our new normal. Take a breath. This is a hard time, for sure. You’re allowed to be scared and allowed to be upset. Honor those feelings. We’re in an unprecedented situation, but we’re in it together.

I hate to say this, but this is a pretty normal Sunday for me. I’ve had the great blessing of working from home for a long time now, and I’m a natural hermit, so things haven’t changed too much. Yes, I’m paying attention, yes, I’m worried. But I’m also trying to keep to my schedule and let the work sweep away my anxiety. It’s the ultimate self-care.

In my social networking, I’ve always tried to provide a safe place, one that doesn’t stream a regular dose of current events. I’ve managed to keep things focused on the literary side of life through thick and thin for many years. I’ve obviously been sharing my COVID concerns for the past several weeks. But now that everyone is on board, and all the news and social media outlets are going to have wall-to-wall coverage, I’ve decided to return to normal business. My role in this is over. I’m not an expert, and there are plenty of those out here. My job is to write fiction, to tell stories. That’s my job.

Going forward, I’m going to do my best to make this a fear-free zone. I want you to know you can come to the blog and my socials for a respite from the scary news of the world. I’m here for you. I’m not being an ostrich, quite the opposite. I’m making a decision to be mindful about the things that frighten me and derail me, and in so doing, hope that will help you, too. Obviously my social media sabbatical has been blown, but perhaps now I’ll be able to focus.

Books have saved me many times. In happiness and despair, reading has always been my lodestone. Story is my balm, my past time, my lifeblood, and obviously, my life’s work. And so, in these strange times, to books I shall return.

The March newsletter went out a few days ago and I revealed the title of my next standalone: HER DARK LIES. One keen-eyed reader alerted me you can now add it to your Want To Read shelf on Goodreads!

I had a chat with the leader of a favorite book club Friday - Meg Tucker Talks - about GOOD GIRLS LIE. Meg asked what was next for me and we talked a bit about HER DARK LIES. I admitted I broke one of my own drafting rules, and I’m paying the price for it. I started revising before the story was finished. Bad, J.T. Bad.

I always tell people to finish the story before you try to edit the story. I am learning firsthand why that advice is so vital. You can’t edit a blank page, everyone knows that. But you also can’t edit an unfinished story. I don’t mean the kind of topical edits that I do daily as I’m writing, I’m talking about structural changes and story conceits and premises. That way lies madness. (Feel free to insert we always knew you were mad, J.T. here… I don’t mind.🤪)

This week, as I’m still trying to get to the end of the book, I’ve had to go back and unwind a few big mistakes I made early on that are impeding my ability to finish. That includes combining four characters into one. This character has always been an impediment, but I think streamlining her story will help. I might be trying to keep her from stealing the show. That happens sometimes, a secondary character becomes a point of view and boom - the story is suddenly about them. I will keep you updated...

Onward!

THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

The 20 Books You Need To Read This March. It's a good time to fill up your TBR with some awesome reads! What are you looking forward to?

14 Book-Nook Shelf Inserts That Are The Dopest Thing You'll See All Day. Very cool! I want to get rid of some books to make room…

On the Cover: Jason Pinter by Adam Meyer. So proud of my Killer Year writing brother Jason Pinter!

Covers Got Me in Stitches: Embroidered Book Covers. These cover designs are so creative!

Good Girls Lie: The Boarding School Mystery You Need in Your Life. Very exciting to see this review at Frolic!

My Boyfriend, his Best Friend, and Me: A Love Story. Beautiful and so bittersweet. I’ve bought the book and can’t wait to read it.

Lincoln Book Tower. Very impressive: "A 34-foot-tall stack of books all dedicated to the life and times of the storied 16th president standing in the middle of a spiral staircase. It consists of 6,800 books and stretches three floors high."

Why I Was a People-Pleaser and How I Stopped. Some good insights here... I’m working on it, I promise.

Enter to win 25+ thrillers, including THE LAST SECOND, and a new e-reader. This contest runs through March 18, so enter now.

This Company Helps Luxury Hotels Go Analog to Get Guests to Unplug. Something I would love to pieces whilst on deadline…

My Tireless Quest for the Tubeless Wipe. From the earthier side of life...

That’s it from me. Take a walk, smell the roses, pet a puppy, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.