J.T. Ellison, New York Times Bestselling Author

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Sunday Smatterings

Happy Sunday! I hope your first week of April was wonderful! It was a fun one here—one of my besties had a baby girl Tuesday, and she is the cutest thing ever. Auntie J is over the moon. Cohost with the most Mary Laura Philpott had a book launch Monday, and Thursday I got to interview the one and only Harlan Coben. Wednesday was a small celebration to honor THE LAST SECOND hitting the NYT, and the fun TV deal announcement (see below). Plus, there was a styling session, an office move, secret project progress, taxes, office inbox zero, email inbox zero, and a deep dive into the copyedit of GGL. Phew! Talk about jam-packed. Thank heavens I have a vacation coming up.

The week ahead is a special one, too, because A THOUSAND DOORS releases in audiobook Tuesday. It’s read by the brilliant Cassandra Campbell, and I know you’re going to love it!

And in case you’ve been under a rock…THE LAST SECOND is out there just waiting for you to grab it! Nicholas and Mike’s latest adventure is fun and frantic and unique.

An exciting development… 📺

As announced in Publisher’s Marketplace this week, LIE TO ME is (fingers crossed) making its way to La-La-Land! I’m excited to partner with Dynamic to bring Ethan and Sutton to life in the screen. More news as I have it….

We’re not done yet… On to the links!


Here's what happened on the Internets this week:

Thrilled to be joined by the lovely Lisa Patton and her dynamic novel RUSH in the loveliest kitchen in Nashville in this week’s episode of A WORD ON WORDS. #KeepReading

The 25 Most Beautiful Libraries in America. Have you visited any of these? 

2019 Spring Okra Picks. So many congrats to the brilliant Helen Ellis and Mary Laura Philpott on their Okra Picks. I am so excited for you to read their books - both brilliant, funny, honest, and raw.

The house in England that inspired Wuthering Heights is for sale. Dibs.

The Top 40 Thrillers Hitting Bookstores this Spring. What a list from The Real Book Spy. I’m honored THE LAST SECOND was included.

Here’s How I Work. Nora Roberts gives a breakdown of her writing process, her writing day, her writing life, her writing sleep… you get the idea. You want to be a writer? This is how it’s done. Preach, Nora.

The Best Facts I Learned from Books in 2018. I do love me some learning.

NASA pulls all-female spacewalk due to sizing issues. I've now lost all hope. If NASA can't figure out how to dress their astronauts, how are we mere mortals supposed to ever pick the right outfit?

What Lynne Tillman Thinks About While Making Tea in the Morning. “A cup of tea made me feel better. Tea is the English placebo.”  I am indulged by a wonderful husband who makes tea for me, but there’s nothing so meditative as putting together a proper pot of tea.

Midlife Minimalists. Superb advice on living a little smaller so you can live bigger. I have been taking all this advice to heart lately, and trying to minimize my footprints.

"Go With What's Alive" and Other Writing Advice from Philip Roth. Ignore the last one... it’s a bit bleak. But the rest are pretty good.


What I’m Reading:

SHADOW OF THE LIONS by Christopher Swann

Suspense is the hot genre right now, and this entry more than holds its own. If you like boarding school mysteries, definitely read this awesome debut. What are you reading?


That’s more than enough from me. Declutter a drawer, send a friend a quick, encouraging note, start planning your summer vacay, and I’ll see you next week.

peace and hugs,
J.T.