Sunday Smatterings

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Greetings from the Southern Command. It’s my mom’s 83rd birthday weekend, so we’ve all gathered to pay homage and celebrate, with plenty of presents, cakes, and laughter. And movies. We are a movie family—it’s the favorite lunchtime discussion—what movie are we watching tonight? 

Last night, we watched Contagion, which was wildly prescient considering the current novel coronavirus pandemic. I follow a number of epidemiologists and virologists, have done since I did all the research for WHAT LIES BEHIND, the most recent Samantha Owens novel, that centers around a bioterrorism attack.

Trust me when I say this current outbreak event is worth paying attention to. I fear the narrative doesn’t match the reality, and that’s terrifying. Wash your hands, a lot. Avoid crowds, and if you are sick, STAY HOME! ( I mean, that’s basic common sense for any flu season, but as this virus has the “novel” designation, that means they don’t know how it works yet.) My heart hurts for the people affected.

In better news, I got to see a sneak peek of the cover for the next year’s standalone novel, and trust me, it is SO COOL! I love everything about it - I can’t wait to see the final version, and share it with you!

On to the links…

THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

George R.R. Martin Will Give 'Game of Thrones' Fans a New Ending to the Series. Well, this is very interesting news...

Writing in the Dark: Spotlight on Meg Gardiner. She’s a supremely awesome human being, who also just got a new Amazon TV deal. Three cheers for Meg!

Control. “Some research has shown that people who feel they have more control over what happens in their lives have higher levels of work and lifestyle satisfaction than their peers who feel less in control. And there’s evidence that feelings of ineffectiveness often correlate with neuroticism, self-efficacy, and issues with self-esteem.” So interesting…

Everything You Wanted to Know about Book Sales (But Were Afraid to Ask). This is a great behind-the-scenes on the publishing world, from how books are sold to how they are accounted for.

Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village. Hilarious. I’m taking notes…

Is Jane Austen the Antidote to Social Media Overload? Maybe… Maybe not…

Toss a Coin to Your Author: PW Talks with Andrzej Sapkowski. I've got Witcher fever, apparently. I’m hoping I can talk my folks into watching it so I can see it yet again…

28 Little Free Libraries That Are So Adorable It Hurts. Incredible! Have you started a LFL in your area?

Transform your Mac’s trackpad with the 3-finger drag. Very cool! I love this hack and have found it VERY useful.

Peek inside the fantastical world of book nooks. People are so creative!

WHAT I’M READING:

BEHIND EVERY LIE by Christina McDonald

I absolutely loved this book. Following the great The Night Olivia Fell, Christina McDonald has crafted a wild story with all the great suspense elements—murder; intrigue; amnesia; deep, dark secrets—and a blistering pace to boot. I snarfed it down in two sittings, and find it highly recommendable. It’s hard to talk too much about the story without ruining it so y’all just trust me okay?

What are you reading?

That’s it from me. Wash your hands (yes, again) put out some dryer lint for the birds who are nesting, buy yourself some pretty flowers, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.

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J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

Sunday Smatterings

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Smatterings - February 2.png

Happy Sunday, y’all!

I read something this week that gave me pause. An indie author wrote—and I’m paraphrasing—that readers just don’t care about the authors’ writing process. They don’t care about the authors’ day-to-day existence, how we write, how we think. That the finished product is all that matters, and even that is transient and will only stay in the readers’ consciousness for a hot minute unless it’s something truly unique. 

Now parts of this I’m sure are totally true—no one wants to hear writers whining about how hard their work is. But I am a reader, and I’m always interested in how the writer mind works, especially how a writer built a story. 

So I’m curious, and if you’d take a moment and record a response, I’d appreciate it. Sometimes it does feel like I’m writing into the void, and since I’m getting ready for my annual sabbatical, I’m deciding what I’m going to be doing over the break—and that includes blogging. This is totally unscientific and totally anonymous, so don’t worry. I’m just curious.

Or click here to answer the poll.


And since nevertheless, she persisted, here’s what happening in my world.

My publisher tells me GOOD GIRLS LIE is doing well out in the world. The reviews and the ratings make a HUGE difference, so if you get a chance to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads, please do. If you’re planning on reading it, but haven’t yet, please add it to your Goodreads shelf. Many thanks—these things matter tremendously, more than you know. 

For the first time in a long while, it’s been a quiet weekend. I’m at home, which is a huge bonus. I’m working on the new book again, another huge bonus. I had grand plans about writing on the road, but I think I managed 300 words on my first flight and another small chunk two days in when I had a couple of hours between events, but after that, I was in tour mode and I found it too much to try and focus for tiny increments. I finally threw up my hands and said c’est la vie! 

So now the laundry is done, the bags are unpacked, the house has settled back into a normal biorhythm. The cats are so freaking happy to have both of us home at once again (DH had travel in the middle of tour, so that meant kitty sitting) that they keep waking us in the night, chirping and purring. This too will settle down in short order. 

The daffodils are trying to bloom, which means I need to start thinking about the garden. We need to do some work on our laundry room. And oh, yeah, I need to finish the new book. It’s going to be a nice, quiet start to the year. Hurrah!

Speaking of starts—Season 5 of A WORD ON WORDS has begun! Check out my interview with investigative reporter Jeremy Finley about his amazing book THE DARK ABOVE.

On to the links…

THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

It’s a terribly sad weekend in the literary world, as we’ve lost a legend. RIP, Mary Higgins Clark.

A Veteran Screenwriter Makes Jane Austen Sexy. Have you watched Sanditon yet? What did you think?

The 11 Best Hotels for Book Lovers. Let’s go! I’ve actually stayed in several of these, including the Sheraton in Edinburgh which is as divine as they say.

Jack Reacher series author Lee Child ‘quits and lets brother step in.’ What an interesting development! I know Andrew will do Lee and Reacher justice, he’s a fantastic writer.

20 Books to Read in 2020. Amazing list—so happy to see GOOD GIRLS LIE on it!

How to Make Balanced Non-Alcoholic Cocktails, According to Bartenders. For my fellow Dry January peeps... some seriously cool combos. I’m missing several of these fun bases in my bar, but will be adding them soon.

Oh what a night! Twitter brings £1,000 worth of orders to empty bookshop. This is marvelous! Support indie bookstores however you can.

Five ways to recycle your unwanted books. Great ideas! I love donating mine.

10 Fascinating Facts About the Thesaurus for National Thesaurus Day. The more you know… I’ve always been a huge fan of the thesaurus.

How Three Bestselling Authors Boost Book Sales By Writing Collaboratively. Love seeing authors support each other. It’s more important now than any other time that we stand together and not tear each other down. Our industry is in flux, and we must, we MUST, work together.

8 Bequests By Famous Authors to Libraries. Makes you think about what you'd want to leave to your library...

WHAT I’M READING:

THE THIRD TO DIE by Allison Brennan

Look at this amazing cover! The book is riveting, terrifying, and simply fantastic. Brennan ratchets up the tension to the breaking point with her new FBI MRT team chasing a devious killer. This is classic crime fiction at its best. With deep characterizations and a truly scary villain driving the twisted plot, this is the start of a brilliant new series from the queen of the thriller. It comes out on Tuesday so be sure to get your preorder in!

What are you reading?

That’s it from me. Thanks for taking the poll! Take an afternoon and hit your favorite indie, work on a new project, be it garden or book, clean out a drawer, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.

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J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

Sunday Smatterings

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Smatterings - January 26.png

Happy Sunday! I hope you’re having a restful weekend.

When I sat down to draft Smatterings this week, I had a sudden realization.

I am out of practice living my life.

It sounds strange to say aloud, but that’s exactly what’s happening. For months now, I’ve been working toward the dual goals of book release and book deadline, doing knee rehab and managing both pain and expectations. It’s taken oodles of time, all my brain energy, and much of my physical energy, as well. 

But now the incredibly fun but taxing GOOD GIRLS LIE tour is done and the path is cleared for me to finish this book. I can go to the gym regularly without terrible pain. I’m reading a couple of great books and watching some excellent TV.

But everything feels... strange. I am not an adrenaline junkie, far from it, but the stress of the past few months has certainly temporarily rewired my brain to crave a different kind of excitement and stimuli than normal. 

Which is why I’m debating starting my social media sabbatical a little early, so I can get back into a more quiet groove. Wake, eat, write, gym, write, cook, read/watch, sleep. That’s my perfect day. It is simple, and calm. It gives me my best chance to produce work that you will enjoy. Which, truly, is the only thing that matters in the long run. I hope stepping away from the day-to-day socials early will help me find that equilibrium again. 

Speaking of watch: I’ve been watching the Netflix show THE WITCHER, which is based on Andrzej Sapkowski's fantasy books. It is so good, so much fun, a knight-errant tale that has all the best fantasy tropes: humor; romance; monsters; moral quandaries; sword-fighting; new worlds; evil, evil villains; and of course, magic. It’s been the perfect antidote to my own adrenal overload. I find Henry Cavill strangely appealing in this role, much more so than any he’s played. And it is littered with incredible female characters. I am mad for the Mage Yennifer, played by the stunning Anya Chalotra. I have to say, she would be AMAZING as Dr. Samantha Owens… Highly recommended.

I sent out a plea on Twitter this week asking for new shows to watch, so now I have a huge long list. I’ll report back my thoughts as I plow through them. I find great TV, like great writing, refills my well very nicely.

And with that, off we go!

GOOD GIRLS IN THE WILD…

Though the bulk of the physical tour is over, more PR and media coverage continues to roll in, for which I am forever grateful! Here are a few of the places GOOD GIRLS LIE has popped up recently:

-Shelf Awareness: “An intense work of suspense, featuring a protagonist who holds her cards close to her vest…The final act's twist will send readers back to the beginning, eager to see how the pieces fit perfectly without having given anything away.”

-BookReporter: “I encourage readers to pick up what may be Ellison's most addictive novel to date. While reading, I could not help but think that this page-turner would make a great film or miniseries. Can you hear me, Netflix?”

-Game Of Books Corks and Conversation with J.T. Ellison: This was such a fun conversation. We chatted up a storm, and I know you’ll love their podcast.

THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

New York Public Library’s Top 10 Checkouts of All Time. Not what I was expecting!

Crafters create pouches, mittens for burned animals in Australia. Attention, knitters and crafty folk…what a wonderful endeavor!

12 Genius Hacks for Bookworms. Do you do any of these?

Netflix’s ‘The Witcher’ Has Turned ‘The Last Wish’ Into An NYT Best-Seller, 27 Years Later. As plugged above… but this is a wonderful lesson on IP — intellectual property — it’s never too late for a book to be optioned!

10 Facts About Jane Austen’s Sanditon. The miniseries looks pretty great, and is on my list.

What I learned from studying billions of words of online fan fiction. "The overriding reason that authors wrote fan fiction, we found, was for the love of it. They unanimously believed that it had helped them to become better writers." Have you read any great fan fiction?

‘Little Women’ was filmed entirely in Massachusetts. Here are the historic, picturesque locations from the movie. Gorgeous! Have you seen the movie yet? I am SO overdue for a trip to the theater.

7 Dream Jobs For Book-Lovers. There’s nothing better than books.

WHAT I’M READING:

DIGITAL MINIMALISM by Cal Newport

I’m sensing a theme this week, aren’t you? Cal Newport is always on my best of list when he has a book out, mostly because I admire how he stares into the digital abyss and finds a path for us mere mortals to navigate. I appreciate the thought behind this book—how can we find ways to make the internet work for us, instead of sapping our energy and creating issues? A wonderful quick read and a solid life plan for those of us who struggle with digital addictions.

What are you reading?

That’s it from me. Take a day off the socials and see how it feels, find a great new show to binge, organize your TBR pile, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.

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J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

Sunday Smatterings

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Smatterings - January 19.png

Happy Sunday! I’m out on the road touring GOOD GIRLS LIE, which has been incredibly fun, oftentimes moving, and laden with good friends, lots of great book discussions, some poignant moments, and many new readers. I’ll do a full wrap up later. For now, enjoy some links…

GOOD GIRLS in the wild…

I have been having a blast on book tour! Thank you to everyone who has come out to celebrate GOOD GIRLS LIE with me. From Nashville to Boston, the events have been so much fun!

A few of the places GGL has popped up recently:

-BookBub: This Thriller Is ‘Pretty Little Liars’ Meets ‘Gossip Girl.’

-The Page 69 Test. It’s always interesting to see how one of my books does with this test.

-My Book The Movie. Here’s who I’d cast!

WHAT I’M READING:

GIDEON THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir

Every review you will see about this book starts the same way—I’ve never read anything quite so unique. This is the truth. I mean, you put together space, necromancy, wars and petty grievances, a kick ass heroine (Gideon) with a smart mouth and a longing to prove herself, pair her with a nemesis named Harrow who is the daughter of the Ninth House Leaders and as such in total control of her, and watch the bones fly. I’ve never read anything quite so original in my life. The cover itself gives you a clue about the journey—all those skeletons! Absolutely wonderful, and more to come in this series next year! I can’t wait.

What are you reading?

That’s it from me. Think about a visit to our nation’s capitol, visit your local indie, watch a great new show, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.

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, ,

J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

Sunday Smatterings

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Smatterings - January 12.png

Happy Sunday! I’m en route to Raleigh as you read this. Book tour for Good Girls Lie has begun. I get to spend the night with my maid of honor/best friend from high school tonight, then tomorrow, I will put on my author clothes and author smile and break out my Marvy’s, and it all begins.

We had a fantastic launch at Parnassus Books in Nashville Tuesday night. I did what we call an “in conversation” with my dear friend and fellow author Ariel Lawhon. We talked about life and writing and the book and had so much fun! Thanks to all of you who came out, it was a wonderful way to kick off the tour. Almost all my events this tour are “in conversation” so do come out, because you’ll get to meet and hear some incredible authors. I’ll be with Barbara Claypole White (NC), Emily Carpenter and Kimberly Belle (GA), Alma Katsu (DC), and Hank Phillipi Ryan (MA) - all brilliant authors and friends.

I admit this is the moment in the process I’d like to go off-grid, build a cabin near a stream, and disappear. Once I get going, it will all be fine, but the few days leading up to a big tour is a little stressful. There are so many moving parts, so much packing and prepping. Printing of itineraries, double-checking of routes. Of course, the thriller kittens know something is afoot, and Jameson has made sure to bless every piece of black clothing I’ve planned to take with a luxurious nap. That is just a natural cat instinct, I think, to keep us close, to keep us home. I understand this instinct completely.

I hope I get to see you out of the road. That’s what this is about, after all, sharing the book that’s lived in my head and heart for over a year with you. 

Two housekeeping notes—the January newsletter went out Thursday, so if you don’t have it, check your promo/bulk mail folders. And I posted my Annual Review this week, too.

With that, on to the links!

Welcome to The Goode School

A few of the places GOOD GIRLS LIE has popped up recently:

-Fresh Fiction January 2020 Fresh Pick

-The Big Thrill: Up Close: J.T. Ellison

-Chapter 16: The Best Literary Citizen

-J.T. Ellison and Lisa Unger, In Conversation. This was a fun pen pal conversation about the writing life.

-CrimeReads: The Lure of the Board School Mystery. I really enjoyed putting this together.

WHAT I’M READING:

STRONG IS THE NEW BEAUTIFUL by Lindsey Vonn

Lindsey Vonn is one of my heroes, and I thoroughly enjoyed this glimpse into how she keeps her body running at world champion level. If you have been dieting, or exercising, and aren’t seeing results (or are starving to death) read this. It’s a wonderful, simple, straightforward way to look at our health, and how we nourish our bodies.

What are you reading?

That’s it from me. Pack an umbrella, polish your shoes, oil your leather goods, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.

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, ,

J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.