4.27.15 - The Definition of a Win-Win

If you’ve been around the Tao for a while, you know that my first novel, a Taylor book, was shoved in a drawer long ago, never to see the light of day—let alone, a bookshelf.

But recently I’ve taken it out, dusted off the cobwebs, and remembered how proud I am of my first book. I’ll tell you, it was great fun to revisit where it all started for Taylor and Baldwin, albeit with a few more tools on my literary belt.

And now, I’d like to share it with you in one of the coolest projects I’ve ever been a part of.

The long-awaited prequel to the Taylor Jackson series, CROSSED, will be released this Friday, May 1, as part of SWEET DREAMS, a limited edition, digital-only boxed set curated by Brenda Novak for the benefit of diabetes research. It includes thirteen never-before-published novels and novellas for only $9.99 (that’s a deal, folks—less than $1/story). 

Who else is in the set, you may ask? So many awesome writers and friends! Fellow New York Times bestselling authors Allison Brennan, Alex Kava (who is contributing BEFORE EVIL, the long awaited prequel to her fantastic Maggie O’Dell series), Erica Spindler, Cynthia Eden, Heather Graham, Liliana Hart, CJ Lyons, Carla Neggers, Brenda Novak, Theresa Ragan, Tiffany Snow and Jo Robertson. 

Pre-order SWEET DREAMS now (wherever ebooks are sold—links are below!) so you’ll receive it when it’s released on May 1st.

Take note: once SWEET DREAMS goes on sale, it will only be available through June 30th. All proceeds will go to The Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami (they are doing some amazing, cure-focused work). Our goal is to raise $300,000 and, with your help, we should be able to do it. 

And with her wickedly sharp brain, Brenda has also curated a contemporary fiction box, set as well as a hot romance box set, so check those out too. You can find more information at http://brendanovakforthecure.org.

Go order your copy of SWEET DREAMS, and make a difference while you read!

Amazon | B&N | Apple | Kobo | Google

4.6.15 - NEW ANTHOLOGY ANNOUNCEMENT - BASED ON: WORDS, NOTES AND ART FROM NASHVILLE

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I have a surprise for you! I'm involved in another EPIC anthology project. This is WAY more than just stories -- it's stories from local Tennessee authors, songs based on those stories, and artwork based on them both. I've been dying to share this incredible project with you -- and here it is. If you're in Nashville, this is an absolute MUST literary/songwriting/art event. Happily, anyone interested in Nashville will have access to this one-of-a-kind anthology.

My contribution is a never-before-seen, greatly expanded version of a short story I wrote called THE NUMBER OF MAN. It's a love story, of sorts. With a twist. A very twisted twist.  

Read on for lots more information, and a great opportunity to participate in this truly unique anthology.

_______

On Monday, June 15th, 2015, East Side Story and the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville will celebrate the release of what could possibly be the most epic creative collaboration of Nashville artists ... ever. Titled BASED ON: Words, Notes, and Art from Nashville, the project is a special collection of short stories, songs, and visual art prints which are all inspired by one another and blended together into the fold of a single book (cd of the music included). The one-night release concert extravaganza at Belmont's University's McAfee Concert Hall performed by a majority of the contributing artists will commemorate the launch of this unique project.

Please find more information about the list of contributors and the release event at the end of this message.

Aside from collecting corporate sponsorships, we are running a limited chance for YOU to individually help with the production of this Nashville project.  The first 200 folks who donate $100 will receive an autographed copy of the book/cd, one ticket for admission to the release event, and a receipt for a $50 tax deductible donation. 

If you would like to be one of the first 200, please send a check addressed to Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville to: 

Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville
1900 Belmont Blvd. 
Nashville, TN 37212

Please include a memo with your check that states: For East Side Story Anthology.

More about this incredible project:

BASED ON: Words, Notes, and Art from Nashville

What: BASED ON: Words, Notes, and Art from Nashville (book/cd & event)

When: June 15th, 2015 

Where: Belmont’s McAfee Concert Hall (event), East Side Story and http://www.abcnashville.org (book/cd sales).

Artist Participants from BASED ON: 

Authors - Chuck Beard, Paige Crutcher, Tony Earley, JT Ellison, Cary Graham, River Jordan, Ariel Lawhon, Betsy Phillips,  RashadthaPoet (Rashad Rayford), Victoria Schwab, Shawn Whitsell, and Tommy Womack. (intro by- Craig Havighurst /afterword by- Robert Hicks)

Musicians - Kyle Andrews, Boom Forest, Carolina Story, Michael B. Hicks, Griffin House, Phil Madeira, David Mead, The Coal Men, The Lower Caves, The Rough and Tumble, Tristen, and Brooke Waggoner.

Visual Artists - Adam Baker, Cory Basil, Carl Carbonell, efharper (Emily Harper Beard), Michael McBride, Barry Noland, Rebecca Sloan, Julie Sola, and Ian White.

What to Expect: The Arts & Business Council is thrilled to join with East Side Story to present Nashville’s first-ever, all-local major collaboration between Nashville musicians, authors, and visual artists. This book/cd and release event will be like none other in town before. It will be hosted by Music City Roots host Craig Havighurst and include various local creative artists, leaders, and more.

How YOU can Help: In order to produce the anthology book/cd and launch a successful release concert June 15th, we are raising a pool of monetary awards for the local sponsors that fit with the project the best and we want you on board! Your generous support will take care of the release event costs and also pay a local copyeditor, printing company, music producer, and recording studio for their services to make the book/cd in Nashville from start to finish. All proceeds from this project will go directly to Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville in order to help them continue to leverage and unite the unique resources of the arts and business communities to create a thriving, sustainable creative culture in Nashville.

3.19.15 - Mystery Writers of America Cookbook Giveaway

Look what's coming out next week! Recipes from all your favorite mystery writers! I'm telling you, this will become your favorite cookbook. It's gorgeous, illustrated, and has so many cool recipes. A great addition to any kitchen collection. And there's a Goodreads Giveaway going on - link below!

Hard-boiled breakfasts, thrilling entrees, cozy desserts, and more--this illustrated cookbook features more than 100 recipes from legendary mystery authors. Whether you're planning a sinister dinner party or whipping up some comfort food perfect for a day of writing, you'll find plenty to savor in this cunning collection. Full-color photography is featured throughout, along with mischievous sidebars revealing the links between food and foul play. Contributors include Lee Child, Mary Higgins Clark, Harlan Coben, Nelson DeMille, Gillian Flynn, Sue Grafton, Charlaine Harris, James Patterson, Louise Penny, Scott Turow, and many more.

Win a copy of The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook on Goodreads! Enter by April 3rd at http://bit.ly/1Gq7vUq

The Secret Project Is No Longer A Secret!

I have waited so long to write this blog post. I have a big surprise for you. 

I wrote a standalone, a suburban thriller. Gallery, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, bought it. It will come out in the spring of 2016.

From today's Publisher's Marketplace:

Fiction: Thriller 

NYT bestselling author JT Ellison's first standalone novel, NO ONE KNOWS, a suburban thriller pitched in the vein of Gillian Flynn and Harlan Coben, to Abby Zidle at Gallery, for publication in Spring 2016, by Scott Miller at Trident Media Group.

Wha-hooo! 

Of course, there's a story behind the news. This book was four years in the making. I pitched it in early 2011 and started writing in that June. It is based on a dream I had several years ago, in which many odd things happened, including my husband disappearing, and Harlan Coben giving me sage career advice.

It was one of those dreams you wake up from and know you have something. I pitched it to my agent as "a suburban thriller, something dark and unexpected. Think Harlan Coben meets Gillian Flynn." He loved the idea. I started writing it. I poured my heart and soul into this novel, six months of really-stretching-myself bliss. It's the story of a perfect marriage interrupted, of a young widow grappling with her new reality after her husband disappears. It opens the day she receives the letter from the State of Tennessee declaring him dead, five years after he went missing. 

My agent liked the finished novel. A lot. We were prepping it for submission, doing the requisite revision to make it perfect, when Catherine Coulter came into my life and hired me to write the Nicholas Drummond novels with her. That was May 2012.

I shelved the edits on the book for the time being, assuming I'd return the moment I finished the first Nicholas book. Of course, things happened. And then this chick named Gillian Flynn, who I so greatly admired, published a smash novel that was on everyone's lips. I read it, so excited, and while I loved (most of) it, I closed the cover with a major issue on my hands.

My novel was no longer the first of its kind. There really are no original ideas.

So I rewrote NO ONE KNOWS a couple of times (five) until it was an original story again. It took forever to get it right (two years), working nights and weekends, a week here, a week there, getting editorial input from several sources (eleventy-billion), rewriting and revising and reworking (eighteen drafts, five titles) until it became the book Abby Zidle fell in love with. A book I am incredibly proud of, which will go down in my publishing history as my first standalone. I think it's worthy of the title, because, after all, in this world, NO ONE KNOWS....

Abby publishes some of my friends, too, writers I greatly admire, so I'm doubly thrilled she was the one who loved my baby like her own. 

More news as it comes, but thanks for sticking with me through all the hints, and late nights, and time away from Taylor and Sam and Nicholas. I think it will be worth it in the end.

Announcement Time - A New Taylor Jackson Novel is Coming!

It’s time to publicly share the big news from my December newsletter. Here we go!

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I will be contributing a story to SWEET DREAMS, Brenda Novak’s thriller box set. The box set will be available for $9.99 for a limited time, starting May 1, 2015. And here’s what I will be bringing to the party: 

From New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison comes the long awaited prequel to her Taylor Jackson series. CROSSED, the story of a madman trying to create his own end-of-days apocalypse, introduces Lieutenant Taylor Jackson to the young, troubled FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin. 

A brand new, never before published TAYLOR NOVEL, y’all! Just like you’ve been begging for! And they say I don’t listen…

A little background on CROSSED. This is the very first book I ever wrote. It’s the book that landed me my agent back in 2005. I will rewrite a bit (she says, hopeful it’s not utter crapola), to improve the craft aspects and some story updating, but it’s high time y’all get to see how Taylor and Baldwin met and fell in love. 

I can’t wait to share CROSSED with you. And just look at the lineup of authors! This is going to be the box set to end all box sets.

Now, this book is not going to be in bookstores in this iteration. It will be available in the digital box set only from May 1- July 1, and then I have plans for it, which we’ll discuss in 2015. And don’t worry, if you don’t have an ereader, all the platforms have a version that allows you to read on your computer.

So … surprise! I will give you pre-order links when we’re closer to release. I’m honored to be included with all these incredible writers, and really excited to share Taylor’s first adventure with you at last.

And if you’re interested to see the places behind the books, check out Placing Literature, where all month long I’ll be geolocating scenes from my books! 

So what do you think? Does this sound like something you might be interested in????