Happy Sunday, everyone! I busted out of the writing cave for a weekend getaway to celebrate my darling husband's birthday. As I am *this* close to finishing a draft of the new book, it was wonderful to take off for a couple of days, take in a baseball game (Go Dodgers!), have a stellar meal and a nice bottle of wine, and for once, not be staring at my screen. With all the date changes and deadline shifting that's gone on the past 18 months, I've been running with my hair on fire. But there was no way I was going to miss spending a couple of quiet days with my sweetie. Happy birthday, Randy! 🎂 🎁 🎉

The thrillerkittens have been giving me fits, too. Jordan had a scratch or bite that got infected and wouldn't heal, and after a few tries, we had to put her in a onesie so she'd leave it alone. If you are ever blue, or having a bad day, a cat in a onesie will solve all your ills. She's like a little beat poet in her turtleneck; I want to put black glasses on her and hand her a cigarette. (I'm laughing as I write this and she knew it, so now the beat poet is purring in my lap.) Jameson, not to be outdone, has been doing everything she can to draw attention away from her sister. Trust me when I say Feliway Multicat is a good thing.

I'm actually enjoying these last couple of writing weeks as the deadline looms. All the craziness aside, the research for this book has been really fun, and now that the words are on the page, I'm not nearly as stressed. Keep sending me good juju; we're only a couple of weeks out!

So with that, I will leave you to the links! On to the latest and greatest book world buzz!

Here's what happened on the Internets this week: 

‘A Discovery Of Witches’: Sundance Now & Shudder To Stream Sky’s Drama Series. AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! And American release! I can't wait! 🧛‍♂️ 

Sugar, Spice, and Ruthlessness: What Unconventional YA Heroines Are Made Of. “Giving anger its rightful place in girls' lives is long overdue. Screw likable. I want my heroines determined, relentless, even vicious.” This is a fabulous piece. It's not the female rage we've been hearing so much of...its female complexity, which is so much fun. I've always tried to write complex, exceptional women. Do they get angry, spout off? Sure. They wouldn't be real otherwise. This is how you make a your female characters intense without toppling over into caricature.

Turns out you can't hack everything. "Because real living isn’t about a shortcut. You have to experience things and get through them, and enjoy the process and the added hands on learning that you’ll pick up along the way." A superb article on why we shouldn't be taking so many shortcuts. I'm in!

Obsession, Identity, and the New Thriller - A New Wave of Thrillers Redefines Women's Roles and Desires. Another fascinating, insightful piece. I love that we're having these conversations again.

The 7 Things Everyone Needs to Get Rid Of to Be Instantly Happier. This is not your average decluttering list and we would be wise to heed its wisdom. 

A Mad Woman on Fire: On Sylvia Plath and Female Rage. I do love seeing Plath get credit for her work instead of her demise. Nicely done, Megan Abbott. Also, don't be offset by the female rage moniker, that's not really what this is. It's complexity again, just with a darker bent.

John Williams' early life: How a NoHo kid and UCLA Bruin became the movie music man. I am a huge John Williams fan. I write to so many of his original scores it's wild. I loved reading how he started, and his incredible work ethic.

And closer to home:

I'm so excited that my new release date means I get to go to Bouchercon! This is one of my favorite conferences and I'm thrilled to be going again. And my panel is going to be a blast. What a lineup! A.C. Frieden made this fantastic graphic for our panel at Bouchercon 2018. Put it on your calendars!

Those of you who have been keeping an eye on the Events page may have seen some additions this week. I'm so excited to share I'll be heading to Murder By The Book in Houston August 30. And I'm excited to launch TEAR ME APART with my fellow Nashvillians at Parnassus Books August 29. Please let me know if you'll be stopping by!

That's all for now! Summer is almost over. Go buy some pencils, luxuriate in the heat, do something today just for you–a book, a sweet treat, a bath–something to help you decompress, and I'll see you next week!

peace and hugs,
J.T.