On A Nashville Memory

“Nine Mile Hill, so creatively named because it was exactly nine miles from the heart of downtown Nashville, the Cumberland River, afforded Taylor a lovely panoramic view of the city. The sun was setting behind her, catching the reflection off the Lifeway warehouse. The skyscrapers and the Capitol building that made up Nashville’s skyline were bathed in a rosy copper reflective glow, shimmering like an urban mirage. Taylor had lived in Nashville her entire life, but had never seen this vision. It was gorgeous and filled her, making her feel whole and drowsy. She was tempted to pull over and watch until it disappeared, but the sun did the trick for her, shifting slightly in its evening zenith. The mirage faded, and the downtown Taylor knew reappeared.”

— Excerpt From: J.T. Ellison. “Judas Kiss.”

Today marks the end of an era for Nashville. The Lifeway complex was demolished this morning to make way for the new area of town that will be called Nashville Yards. Change is inevitable, especially in a city like ours, that’s growing faster than many of us can keep up with, but it’s always hard to see icons disappear.

Watching this piece of Nashville history implode into dust, I reminisced about a phenomenon few have had a chance to see — and now, never will again — the Lifeway henge. It happened so quickly I wasn't even able to take a photograph. It was an experience that made it into the Taylor novel I was writing at the moment. I’m so glad to have seen it, and to have recorded it for posterity in Judas Kiss. And now it fades into the fabric of our ever-changing city. 

DEAD ENDS ebook on sale for $0.99!

Just in time for your Thanksgiving plane or car ride: the DEAD ENDS ebook is only $0.99!

These are perfectly binge-able nuggets of suspense from some of the best writers around (Jeff Abbott, Helen Ellis, Laura Benedict, Patti Callahan Henry, David Bell, to name a few). If you haven't picked up your copy, now's the time—the price doesn't get better than this!

LIE TO ME Roundup

Well goodness, it's been quite a fall, hasn't it?

Like I said in the author's note, LIE TO ME was a book of first, and such a stretch for me. I was curious to see what you'd think—and it turns out you liked it, too. I'm so glad. 

I've gathered a few links as a digital scrapbook of sorts, so in the coming days we can look back and see what fun we had. Enjoy!

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Recognition

• Toronto Star Bestseller List: Original Fiction #9

• The Globe and Mail Bestseller List: Hardcover Fiction #10

• ★ Publishers Weekly starred review

• Publishers Marketplace Buzz Books – Fall 2017

 

Reviews

RT Book Reviews

The Associated Press

Book Reporter

MyShelf.com

Chapter 16

BlackFive.net

 

Features

PW Fall 2017 Announcements: Mysteries & Thrillers.

ITW’s The Big Thrill: “The Twisted Stories Behind Closed Doors”

Liza & Lisa’s Best Of Roundup

BookBub: 19 Thrillers to Read Before Summer’s End

Goodreads: 21 Big Books of Fall

Libro.FM: Books We Love – A Sampling of HarperCollins New Releases Popular in Independent Bookstores

Judith D. Collins: Top 21 Must Read Books Coming in September

Book Riot: 21 BIG BOOKS OF FALL: LIST LIST #268  

The Kill Zone Blog: Pushing Your Boundaries [guest post]

Women’s Book Reviews: Feature Book by J.T. Ellison

Buzzfeed: 21 Books Goodreads Users Are Damn Excited to Read This Fall

BookBub: 12 Psychological Thrillers Coming This Fall

 

Interviews

Crime by the Book

Book Reporter

Read with Sam

Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair

LiveSigning and Interview with Ariel Lawhon

Praise

"[An] exceptional domestic thriller from bestseller Ellison... this standalone may be Ellison's best work to date."
—★ Publishers Weekly, starred review


"This is the book that will be on everyone’s eyes --- and lips --- for weeks and months to come."
—Bookreporter.com

"A page-turner, rife with twists, turns, and surprises... an absolute must-read."
—Mystery Scene Magazine
 

"Wonderful ... a one-more-chapter, don't-eat-dinner, stay-up-late sensation."
—Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author of NO MIDDLE NAME
 

"Fans of GONE GIRL will gobble up this thriller about a marriage from hell, which moves at a blazing-fast pace and smoothly negotiates more twists and turns than the backroads of Tennessee. J.T. Ellison will keep you guessing every step of the way to the surprise ending!"
—Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author of ONE PERFECT LIE
 

"LIE TO ME twists you up, throws you into nail-biting action and unexpected revelations. Belt yourself in for this roller coaster ride."
—Catherine Coulter, #1 New York Times bestselling author of ENIGMA


"LIE TO ME brilliantly combines a domestic noir thriller with a searing portrait of two writers trapped in a web of lies, betrayals, and murder. Sharply written and masterfully plotted, full of hard truths about the creative life and modern marriage, Ellison has written her finest novel—a breakout page-turner certain to win her a wide audience."
—Jeff Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of BLAME

"A wickedly good thriller about a picture-perfect marriage that is anything but, LIE TO ME has it all: murder, lies and betrayal. J.T. Ellison will have readers hanging onto the edge of their seats with her latest cunning tale."
—Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of EVERY LAST LIE

"Secrets, secrets, who has more secrets? Writers or wives? With more surprises than a kitchen sink casserole, in LIE TO ME, J.T. Ellison lets us in on what goes on behind the closed doors of both."
—Helen Ellis, New York Times bestselling author of AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE

"Ellison knows how to deliver gripping psychological suspense... Appearances can be deceiving, but Ellison's writing is not."
—Library Journal
 

"...An astonishing and satisfying ending that makes for a fantastic reading experience."
—RT Book Reviews
 

"[An] immensely readable domestic thriller... lush prose."
—Booklist

FIELD OF GRAVES Is $1.99 Today on Kindle!

Heads up, Taylor fans! If you haven't learned how Taylor and Baldwin met, or how Taylor got her infamous scar, now's your chance to do it on the mega cheap.

About the book:

With FIELD OF GRAVES, New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison goes back to where it all began… 

All of Nashville is on edge with a serial killer on the loose. A madman is trying to create his own end-of-days apocalypse and the cops trying to catch him are almost as damaged as the killer. Field of Graves reveals the origins of some of J.T. Ellison's most famous creations: the haunted Lieutenant Taylor Jackson; her blunt, exceptional best friend, medical examiner Dr. Samantha Owens; and troubled FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin. Together, they race the clock and their own demons to find the killer before he claims yet another victim.

This dark, thrilling and utterly compelling novel will have readers on the edge of their seats, and Ellison's fans will be delighted with the revelations about their favorite characters.

DEAD ENDS: Stories from the Gothic South is on sale today!

For years, I’ve been telling people (new writers, especially) that while everything is derivative—there are only seven plots, after all—what makes their story distinctive is voice. The treatment a writer gives their novel or short story will always be unique unto them: their voice, their experiences, their vocabulary, their writing style, all will converge to make even the most tried-and-true plot trope unique.

Said more simply, if you give thirteen writers a photo and ask them to write a story, you’ll get thirteen completely different stories.

I’ve seen this happen when I teach. I like to use visual aids to help the writers in my classes, to give them a jumping-off point. A kick start. I think it’s a fun, stress-free way of starting a story. I show them a man, a woman, a setting. Something, anything, so they don’t have to conjure up a tale from total scratch.

I’ve been using this example for so long, and so often, that when I came across this photo in an article I was reading, I knew I had the perfect opportunity. 

I immediately wondered: What was his story? What was this place he stood before? What was the house to him?

With this evocative photo in hand, I approached my publisher and posited an idea: Let’s create an anthology of stories based on the house in the photo. I mean, why not put my money where my mouth is, right? I handpicked a group of writers whom I thought would do a great job at showcasing (and proving) my theory—that no two writers will approach the page the same way. We had only two requirements for them: that the house appear in the story in some way, and the theme of the story was Southern Gothic.

These talented writers did exactly what I thought they’d do—they created wildly diverse stories about, in, and mentioning the house that are in turns chilling, haunting, and downright scary. From writers going mad to demons inhabiting young girls; ancient caves to ancestral feuds; gardens of stone angels to evils seen and unseen—the stories you’re about to read cover the gamut of the best themes of Southern Gothic fiction.

They clearly had so much fun with it that I had to join in.

And so, I give you DEAD ENDS. My brilliant friends and I have cooked up thirteen original, never-before-published spooky tales for you to enjoy this Halloween season. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did writing them. But be sure to lock the doors and windows first... you never know what the road ahead might bring.

Get the ebook: $3.99

Get the Paperback: $13.99

Get the Hardcover: $24.99

Look at this picture. Tell me what you see…

The American South is rife with stories of a haunted past—especially its houses. In this eclectic and impressive collection, thirteen novelists were asked to build their tales around the photo of a dilapidated mansion. They were given two requirements—the house must appear in the story, and it should be a Southern Gothic tale. And they delivered.

From childish demons to a mad novelist, from the Mississippi delta to the Appalachians, this collection from emerging voices and New York Timesbestselling authors explores what happens when secrets that lie beneath the dust are disturbed—and our worst nightmares begin. 

Darkness lurks behind every corner, especially dead ends.

Contributors Include:

1. Jeff Abbott
2. David Bell
3. Laura Benedict
4. Patti Callahan Henry
5. Dana Chamblee Carpenter
6. Paige Crutcher
7. Helen Ellis
8. J.T. Ellison
9. Ariel Lawhon
10. Lisa Morton
11. Bryon Quertermous
12. Amanda Stevens
13. Dave White