9.24.11

I'm celebrating this afternoon's launch party a bit early, after receiving this insightful and lovely review from one of my favorite booksellers, Fran Fuller, from the Seattle Mystery Bookshop. This was sent out to their mailing list yesterday - and I couldn't appreciate it more! 

I wanted to share because it addresses exactly the same issues I was worried about with this book. She's alleviated my fears. From Fran:

I have got to start trusting my authors. I really do, even when they step outside my usual expectations for them.

The new J.T. Ellison, Where All The Dead Lie (Mira, $14.95) takes Taylor Jackson away from Nashville and drops her in the middle of a gothic story. I love J.T. Ellison’s writing, I love Taylor Jackson, and I admittedly love gothics, so you’d think this would have been something I would have looked forward to, but darn it, I’m used to Taylor being a Nashville police officer! I was skeptical, I admit it.

I was also wrong.

If you’ve been following this series, you know that with The Immortals (Mira, $7.99), Taylor’s had some bad things happen, and has made some dangerous choices. It makes perfect sense for Taylor to get away from Nashville to try to figure out what’s going on in her head, which is what is going on in Where All The Dead Lie. And J T. Ellison has blended together her police elements into a gothic atmosphere that really works brilliantly.  

The other concern I had (and didn’t realize I had until it was alleviated) was that I was afraid I wouldn’t enjoy a book without all of Taylor’s support characters, especially Baldwin and Sam. Fortunately, Ellison has woven them into the story so I am content.

If you haven’t read the Taylor Jackson series, let me recommend that you begin with All The Pretty Girls (Mira, $7.99). If you have read the series, I promise you’re really going to enjoy Where All The Dead Lie. And J.T. has hinted that she might make it out to the shop next year, which would be a total blast!

Seattle Mystery Bookshop
 117 Cherry St., Seattle, WA  98104
206-587-5737  staff@seattlemystery.com www.seattlemystery.com
21 Years of Mayhem: 1990 - 2011

Thank you, Fran, for both "getting" my intentions, and for being such an amazing support over the past four years. 

9.19.11

So here we are - one day before launch. Though truth be told, many of you have received your books already because Amazon started shipping last Friday. I hope you enjoy them, the story, the style, and all that jazz.

I've also just returned from Bouchercon. I will tell you, St. Louis has some seriously kick ass food. We ate at Herbie's (fresh greens with goat cheese, strawberries and blueberry poppyseed dressing followed by steak frites in a red wine mushroom sauce), Charlie Gitto's On The Hill (toasted ravioli, calamari, Caesar salad and a lemon shrimp pasta that was actually quite spicy, plus tiramisu and an incredible bottle or two of 2007 Paitin "Ca Veja Nebbiolo D'Alba"), Anthony's two nights in a row (Tony's salad, a delicate appetizer of lobster and nectarine, angel hair pasta with lobster and shrimp accompanied by a great wine called La Massa.) Yes, I waddled home. But I'm full of lobster, so that's always a good thing. Mucho protein, don'tcha know.

The beautiful thing about Bouchercon, and all conferences, really, is the chance to see friends, and make new ones. I got to spend time with all my peeps, and it was amazing. My panels were great, resulting in what I know will be long and happy friendships with some fascinating people, the con itself was smooth and well-organized, and the bar - well, it didn't disappoint. If you ever want to see writers in their natural state, set a group of 300 loose in a hotel bar for a few hours. Some watch, some preen, some get drunk and fall down. And some swan about, trying desperately to catch up with everyone they know, and failing miserably. That last would be me.

I also had a lovely time at the Middendorf-Kredell Branch Library in O'Fallon. Met one of my online buddies, Debbie Haupt, who moderated Hank Phillipi Ryan, Julie Compton and myself in front of a packed room. It was a lot of fun, so big thanks to Sara and Deb and everyone from Main Street Books - it was great to be with you all.

Came home to a happy, lonely, and apparently chilly cat who won't stay out of my lap, a final quick revision of the May '12 book, a bunch of ideas for the sandwich book, a brand new Facebook Fan Page to launch, a newsletter to mail, some fun mail from NYC, and about a billion emails, including a line edit for my short story in Thriller 3. Fabulous husband is going to the store so I can keep working tonight. What a doll! (FH just came home with pretzel bread. He shoots, and he scores!)

And of course, we are all having issues with the new Firefox 6.0.2 update. I'm so glad to find out it isn't just me, and apologize for any discrepancies in the newsletter, of which I have already seen two. I stopped looking. You wonder why I have an editor.

Ooh - UPS is here - hang on a sec....

YAY! Books and a dress for the launch party. Hot Dog!

Sorry - back to it - here are some good links:

To the contest

To the Exclusive Extras on the Fan Page

To a fabulous review from Fresh Fiction - "...a mind-bending, frightening story."

To another goodie from Words I Write Crazy - "loved...loved....loved..."

To Harriet Klausner's review - "Where All the Dead Lie is a super entry in one of the best police procedural series on the market today."

Alas and alack, there was also a disappointing but fair review that came in, but it feels much too enlightened to link to it as well. Suffice it to say I mention this because if you believe the good, you must believe the bad.

So. Tomorrow's the big day. I have a few things planned - one is to finally answer Rachel's question about the impetus for the style of the book - but mostly, I'll be parked here at the house, working on the revision. So goes the glamorous life of the author.

I am tickled to pieces with the entries we've received so far for the haunted ghost story contest. I'm trying to stay out of the comments so I don't confuse things, so let me say - I am reading, and loving, your entries!

Til tomorrow, then!

8.24.11 addendum (the OMG Edition)

OMG! Fantastic review from Romantic Times! And a Top Pick to boot!

WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE by J.T. Ellison Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Paranormal RT Rating   Ellison deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Lisa Gardner and Tess Gerritsen. Her latest novel examines life after experiencing a traumatic event while also ripping raw the feelings of grief, fear and loneliness. Ellison is a genius and should be mandatory reading for any thriller aficionado. After suffering head injuries in her encounter with a killer, Taylor struggles to move on with her life. She’s lost the ability to speak and feels herself slipping away from the man she loves. Realizing she needs a change to jump-start her recovery, she agrees to visit Memphis Highsmythe in Scotland. Highsmythe has strong feelings for Taylor and tries not to interfere while she recuperates. He promises to leave her alone, but he forgets to mention that the castle is haunted. Taylor is haunted herself, but can she handle all the pressure amidst strange surroundings and survive? (MIRA, Oct., 368 pp., $14.95) Reviewed By: Jeff Ayers Publisher: MIRA Published: October 2011

Okay. This has turned into a BRILLIANT day! First I finish and send the book, then I get this unbelievable review from my darling editor - it's time for some bubbly, my friends. Cheers!

Thanks, PW!

Where All the Dead Lie

J.T. Ellison. Mira, $14.95 trade paper (368p) ISBN 978-0-7783-1268-0

September 20, 2011 Ellison's seventh Taylor Jackson thriller (after So Close the Hand of Death) reduces the body count from previous installments but maintains the tension as the Nashville homicide officer, mute after being traumatized by a serial killer who nearly did her in, seeks shelter in a Scottish manor house. The Manderley-like estate is the home of Taylor's detective inspector colleague and would-be romantic interest, James Highsmythe, who was widowed when his pregnant wife, Evanelle, drove off a bridge. A family friend of James's tries to help Taylor regain her lost voice. Back in the States, Taylor's fiancé, Dr. John Baldwin, and her best friend, Dr. Samantha Loughley, work through their own recovery and cases while worrying about Taylor long distance. Are the phantoms haunting Taylor the result of her PTSD, her guilt, or something more menacing? The growing suspense will keep readers glued. The Cold Room, the fourth in the series, won the 2011 ITW Thriller Award for best paperback original. (Oct.)

Reviewed in Publishers Weekly 8.1.11

Some Wonderful Advance Praise for WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE

I am so honored to have received the following endorsements for WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE from these three amazing authors, all of whom are incredible writers, and among my all time favorites! If you aren't reading them, you must, must, must!

"JT Ellison gets her Hitchcock on, expertly ratcheting up the tension, twisting her finely honed plot, and just plain messing with her characters' heads until the superbly explosive end. Not to be missed!"

- Lisa Gardner, #1 NYT bestselling author of LOVE YOU MORE

"WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE is riveting! J.T. Ellison is in top form with this stunning novel of psychological suspense. WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE is atmospheric, emotional, eerie and impossible to put down."

 – Carla Neggers, NYT bestselling author of SAINT'S GATE

"This is one of those novels that grips you from the very first page. Excellent and intriguing with full blown characters that come alive. It's a novel not to be missed."

- Heather Graham, NYT bestselling author of GHOST WALK

Taylor Jackson #7 A Gothic Suspense Coming 9.20.11

WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE will be in stores September 20. I am so excited to start sharing all the fun stuff for this book - but let's kick things off with the soundtrack, shall we?

Also, if you aren't signed up for my newsletter - please do, because there will be exclusive specials--contests, offers and other goodies--that will only be available to my newsletter readers.

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Hope this hot summer is treating you well!

xo,
JT