Hi there, chickens! How was your 4th of July? Or your Canada Day? Ours was wonderful, though ridiculously hot. I felt like I was standing inside a wet washcloth the whole night. But the fireworks were great, as was the company. 

It's been an excellent writing week as well. So many words, so many fun scenes written. Plus my hydrangea put out its first bloom, and my garden is about to give over about a hundred Romas, and my basil is knee-high, so it's nearing time to start making fresh marinara sauce. Here's the recipe, it's dead simple and delicious. Any suggestions for the best way to freeze sauce, I'm open. I normally use plastic, but want to can some, too...

On to the latest news and bookish goodness!

Here's what happened on the Internets this week: 

8 Literary Gardens to Escape to This Summer. Yes, please. There is nothing better than a beautiful garden.
 

Bill Clinton and James Patterson on Crime Fiction. Super cool interview from Abby at Crime By The Book with two guys you might have heard of... As a co-writer, I found their process fascinating.
 

How a Bottle Makes Its Way Onto a Wine List. Fascinating process! I'm always excited when the wine lists change at my favorite restaurants, always interesting in how they choose their wines. This gave a lot of insight into the other end of the process. 
 

Library tourism. What a wonderful idea! If you're ever in Nashville, be sure to stop by the downtown library. It's breathtaking and the Civil Rights Room is a must-see.
 

Contemplating suicide, Marine turns to yoga. A wonderful story. I've read about Justin before, and if I'm ever not in the mood to get on my mat, I try to remember just how much it helps. 
 

Jonathan Franzen Is Fine With All of It. There is some very fine writing advice in this piece from both interviewer and interviewee. Keep your head down and do your work. You alone control your words.
 

Responding to Messages Immediately Is Hurting You in the Long Run. "Your cell phone number doesn't guarantee immediate access to you. Remember that." I am the worst about responding quickly–mostly because if I'm in front of my computer and an email or text comes in that I can deal with right away, I like to do it. But it's not necessary... and that's something I keep reminding myself, especially on the weekend.
 

Introvert or Extrovert? Here's How to Boost Your Productivity. I love this. I'm adapting a few of these practices to my work day, and it's working really well. Mostly, slowing down. I'm an anxious introvert, always worried I've said the wrong thing, and I'm finding if I just take a breath, I can forge ahead and not worry so much.
 

In a slightly related vein, if you're on Twitter, may I suggest you follow @tinycarebot? It's always perfectly timed with lovely self-care tidbits, and as we all know, self-care is vital to a happy, healthy life.

And closer to home:

If you’ve been waiting for a price reduction to grab LIE TO ME, now’s your chance! My latest standalone is on sale for $3.99.

And...Goodreads has another giveaway for Advanced Reader Copies of TEAR ME APART! While you're over there, be sure to add the book to your Want To Read shelf.

And one last thing... the July newsletter is going out next week with something very special inside. If you're not on the list and want to be, click here to join the fun!

That's all for now! Talk a long walk around a lake, pick some flowers, give your best friend a call, and I'll see you next week!

xo,
J.T.