12.04.16 - Sunday Smatterings

Hello, darlings, welcome to December! Did you have a good week? The holiday season has definitely arrived: front doors are bedecked with wreaths, spruces peek out of living room windows, neighborhoods twinkle after dark. It's a magical time of year, for sure. I try to savor the season as much as I can, try not to get caught in the checklists and party planning and tying the perfect ribbons. Because when you get caught up in the little things, you tend to lose sight of the big ones—like spending time with the people you love. That's what holidays are made of, right?

Remember: you can do anything, but you can't do everything.

At any rate...
 

Here's what happened on the Internets this week:

This is the stuff Internet dreams are made of: an adorable cat video. If you're having a bad day, GO WATCH THIS.

Speaking of heartwarming things, a bookstore in Michigan helps children who are timid readers by hosting a Reading with Zoey the Therapy Dog day in their shop. Be still, my heart.

In Illinois, a repo man paid off an elderly couple's car... and gave it back to them. More of this, please, and not just during the holiday season.

November is always National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo, for short), and some writers adopt fun habits or locales to soldier through those 50,000 words they agreed to write. But these writers won... because they spent NaNoWriMo in a French castle.

Hey, fellow Potterheads, check out this amazing HP Christmas tree!

 

And closer to home:

The FIELD OF GRAVES paperback came out this week! 🎉 Grab a copy for you and a friend (because stocking stuffers, am I right?).

Big news from The Wine Vixen: the Netflix of wine has arrived. You're welcome.

My December News comes out this week! Are you signed up to get it? If not, click here (and snag your free ebook).

That it from me! Go sit by a fire, grab a book and a hot beverage, and we'll talk again soon.

xoxo,
J.T.

11.27.16 - Sunday Smatterings

Hello, gentle readers! Have you had a nice holiday? Eat lots of yummy things? I hope you have, and that you got to make some memories with the people you love, to celebrate traditions and make new ones. We had a low-key celebration here, followed by a shift at my lovely indie, Parnassus Books, on Small Business Saturday.

Do me a favor and show some love to your local indie, would you? There's nothing like walking into a bookstore, browsing a shelf and finding something new to devour. Lots of work goes into putting that book into your hands, and indie booksellers inject a big dose of love into the mix that you don't get from the click of a mouse.

That's my two cents, anyway.
 

Here's what happened on the Internets this week:

My friend Ariel Lawhon is one of the wisest people (and one of the most brilliant writers) I know. Her blog post this week is a must-read for anyone, regardless of age or profession. Simply wonderful advice.

Do you know where wine's from? We at The Wine Vixen didn't guess correctly... and we hadn't heard of the varietals that call the region home. See, chickens—learning lasts a lifetime!

Utterly captivating: "How Jack Reacher Was Built."

Quirk Books imagined a few Twitter rants from literary characters, and they are kind of spot on.

Y'all. Now's the time to sign up for Fresh Fiction's Limited-Edition Christmas box! They're chockfull of goodies every month, fellow bookworm. But there might be a special surprise from yours truly in the Christmas box... just sayin'.

The Oxford English Dictionary named its 2016 Word of the Year. Have you heard of it?

 

And closer to home:

Have you been pinching your pennies waiting for the FIELD OF GRAVES paperback? Your patience is about to be rewarded: it's finally coming out this Tuesday! Go here to snag your FIELD OF GRAVES paperback.

I had the best time with the ladies of XOXO After Dark, chatting about why we can't put down thrillers, road trip snacks, NO ONE KNOWS, and more. It doesn't get much more fun than this. Tune into our conversation while you run, while you laundry, while you're online shopping... whenever!

One of my favorite things to do is to peek behind the curtain, to see how other writers make the magic. In the spirit of the giving season, I've put all my tools on display, the things that make my business chug along. Whether you're a writer, a stay-at-home-mom, or a student looking for some productivity hacks, I've got you covered. My writing software, my research workflow, my favorite notebooks, pens, and pencils—I went full-nerd here. 🤓

That's it from me! Enjoy the post-Turkey lull, welcome December with open arms, buy a copy of FIELD OF GRAVES paperback for you and a friend, and we'll talk again soon!

xo,
J.T.

11.20.16 - Sunday Smatterings

Hello, chickens. How are you today? Ready for turkey? It's been a whirlwind around here, to say the least: edits (LIE TO ME is in production!) and family and Emmy® nomination parties (more on that below!) and pie-making and early Thanksgiving. Which was delicious! 

Whew!

It's officially time for the holiday bustle. Pace yourself, dear ones. Like The Kerr says, you can do anything, but not everything. Remember that for the next six weeks. Or forever.

Here's what happened on the Internets this week:

I'm still heartbroken over the loss of longtime excellent reporter and human, Gwen Ifill. She's going to be impossible to replace.

Our newest Nobel Prize Winner in Literature, Bob Dylan, can't make it to the awards ceremony. Like so many of us during the holiday season, he had a prior commitment. Hmm....

Are you looking to join a book club? I've got one for you: Modern Mrs. Darcy's online bookclub! I spoke to them this week, and they are a fun, sharp group of bookworms. Check them out! 

My favorite productivity app turned 1 this week! Happy Birthday, Freedom! 🎉

Jane. Austen. Mugs. Need I say more?

And closer to home:

I love writing. I love my job. But make no mistake: this is not a glamorous one by any means. Some days I wish I could snatch the Muse right out of the air so I could listen to her... but sometimes she has other plans. And I just have to deal. This week, I had one of those days.

I also nerded out over pencils.

Psst... the December newsletter comes out Thursday! Are you signed up? If you aren't, plug in your email, and get yourself a FREE ebook!

Best for last. Y'all. You know the literary TV show I co-host, A WORD ON WORDS? Well. WE GOT NOMINATED FOR AN EMMY® THIS WEEK!!! I am verklempt. Hats off to our brilliant crew led by our intrepid producer, Linda Wei, and of course my lovely co-host, Mary Laura Philpott. Wanna see what the fuss is all about? Go watch some episodes!

That's it from me! American chickens, have a blessed Thanksgiving, enjoy your turkey and loved ones, read a good book, drink some tea, pet a kitty, and I'll talk to you again soon.

xo,
J.T.

11.13.16 - Sunday Smatterings

Another Sunday, this one much darker and colder than the last, as fall has finally settled in and (thank heavens) daylight savings is over. I'm not a fan of DST. I must be part bear -- the longer nights and earlier sunsets means I sleep better, get up earlier, and am in general a happier camper. Isn't that odd? 

I spent the week relatively unplugged, working feverishly on the revisions of my new standalone novel. Thursday night I spoke to my alumni association (RMWC, represent!), a fun night dredging up memories of the people who told me I wouldn't ever get published (HA! I say. So there!) but I've been home the remainder of the time typing and petting the cats, so I'm in turns stir crazy and ready to sleep for a week. One fun thing, we have a new title, and a new release date. Ready?

LIE TO ME will appear on shelves September 5, 2017.  

I do have to share one great mistake: 

Typo I just found: She died of a heroine overdose.

And with that, here's what happened on the Internets this week:

 

The quite divine Parnassus Books is celebrating their 5th anniversary. I can hardly believe it's been five years, and I am so honored to call them my home store. Happy Anniversary!

I know we've all done our Meyers-Briggs tests, but I particularly like this site's in-depth analysis. Which one are you? (I'm an INTJ, btw.)

You're not dreaming: turning the clock back an hour takes a toll on your mental health. Here's how.

The answer to many of life's questions is "be more like Beyoncé." Wherever you are on the Beyoncé spectrum, I think you'll agree she does social media the way we probably all should.

Two of my favorite things combined: Harry Potter yoga!!!!!

These giant flip books in the middle of the woods in New Hampshire are mesmerizing.

 

And closer to home:

On the Tao this week, Amy and I came up with 40 things to take your mind off the election (still valid), and I talked about my recent trip to visit my publisher (spoiler alert: click for book news!).

There's still time to enter to win a copy of NO ONE KNOWS, plus 30+ more thrillers + a Kindle Fire!

And Leonard Cohen passed. Hallelujah is one of my favorite songs. So I leave you with the SNL version. That's all I have this week. I love you, I stand with you, and we'll talk again soon.

xoxo,
J.T.

11.6.16 - Sunday Smatterings

Hello, darlings. How are you? We're staving off the change-of-seasons sniffles here in the Ellison house, so I've got warm blankets, mugs of tea, and bowlfuls soup on my mind – the chicken stew I mentioned in this month's newsletter seems even more timely than ever. 

Sniffles notwithstanding, I'm in full work mode – I'm putting the final edits to my new standalone, currently titled TEAR ME APART. My editor and I are honing the edges, trying to make this a razor-sharp read for y'all, and I'm really excited with where this is headed. Come next fall, I hope you are too!

Without further ado...
 

Here's what happened on the Internets this week:
 

Nerdy Christmas gift alert: these Blackwing pencils. (longer, nerdier post about pencils to come later this week – I know, I know, something for you to look forward to!)

Y'all know I love a good work hack, and this is a good one for all of us: How to use social media and stay productive. 

Did you ever snoop in your sister's diary, or accidentally stumble upon your spouse's journal? The inner voyeur in you might enjoy reading this piece, though all of us can appreciate the beauty of writer May Sarton's insight on solitude and getting through life's darkest times.

Rejoice, English majors: the Oxford University Press has just named Christopher Marlowe as a co-author in their new edition of Shakespeare's collected works.

 

And closer to home:
 

Fellow writers, are you participating in NaNoWriMo? I almost always do. While you're blazing new trails through your story, you might find yourself stumbling on one of the more difficult subjects to write about: a steamy sex scene. I've written about this before, but this week I (along with 4 other brilliant writers) have a snippet of advice in Bustle on how to write about doing the deed, and doing it well.

As we've said time and time again on The Wine Vixen, good wine doesn't have to be expensive. And these five wines from Aldi prove that beautifully.

Also, if you've been under a rock, you might not have heard that the paperback version of NO ONE KNOWS is out!!!!! A little bird told me this would be a great stocking stuffer for a bookworm or a swap gift for a book club.

That's it from me! Y'all enjoy your week (Lord knows it'll be an eventful one), eat some soup, snuggle with a kitty, and I'll talk to you again soon.

xo,
J.T.