Sunday Smatterings

Morning, gentle readers, welcome to Sunday! Did you have a good week? I'm a bit under the weather (more on that here) and have lost my voice. Which is going to be fun., considering all the talking upcoming this week. Regardless, I'm looking forward to a fun-filled week in NYC with Catherine as we start Brit #5, hang out with publishers, eat delicious food, and cause all kinds of tomfoolery.

Lots of links this week, so without further ado...

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Here's what happened on the internets this week:
 

9 Real Life Places That Inspired Classic Novels. Summer's almost here! Time for a literary road trip, yes?
 

[VIDEO] Shades of Writing. Great advice (and a superb new video series) from one seriously smart author, V.E. Schwab. V's the one who saved my latest manuscript by suggesting a tense change was in order. If I listen to her, shouldn't you?
 

Why Lady Gaga Is Our Mental Health Hero. An incredible artist who uses her platform to share her struggle, help others feel accepted, and spread kindness. What's not to love about Lady Gaga? This is too important a subject to be silent on.
 

How Jane Austen Continues to Inspire Romance Authors. Lady Jane is Queen of Everything forever and ever, amen. She inspires thriller writers, too. Just saying...
 

What I've Learned After 5 Years and 20 Books: 25 Lessons. Chuck Wendig may have a salty tongue (very salty, so be warned), but the lessons in this essay are good ones. I've preached many of these things on the Tao, especially #3 and #4. 
 

Three Powerful Questions that Lift the Weight of “Too Much” and Anchor Us in Peace. Because learning to say no is so vital. Its a word I despise using, but the more I do, the easier my life is. 

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And Closer to Home:

A WORD ON WORDS with Adam Haslett. A fascinating discussion of writing the interior life, writing about hard things, and Adam's unconventional journey to the craft. Adam Haslett is a down-to-earth genius. Seriously.
 

Author Assistant 101: The Best Tool I Use To Collaborate With My Author. Amy's latest in her series for Author Assistants—or anyone looking to organize and communicate with others more effectively. This week she talks about the godsend of a program we use more than any other.
 

Daily Writing Tao 5.4.17. I missed writing my little daily vignettes, and according to a very nonscientific Facebook poll, you guys did too. So to keep me accountable as I get started on Novel #20, off we go again! Think of these as a logbook, a way to get my day and lingering thought beasties onto the page. I started up again on Thursday and haven't looked back. Weekends off, natch, to accommodate this blog (and really, who wants to hear that I took a nap on the porch?)

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Bonus Section: Contests!

Book Giveaway For Lie to Me. You have 200 chances to win an ARC of my new book, LIE TO ME. With odds like that, how could you not enter?
 

Enter to Win 50+ Crime Fiction & Thrillers PLUS a New Kindle Fire! Including ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS!
 

Enter to Win 50 Paranormal, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy Romances, 1 of 4 $25 Bookstore Gift Cards, PLUS a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet! Including WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE!

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That's it from me! Y'all be good this week, go pick some flowers for your neighbor, take a long walk with a friend or the dog, and we'll talk again soon.

xo,
J.T.

Sunday Smatterings

Hi, chickens! How's it going? Are you ready for April showers to give way to May flowers? 

This week, I'm getting ready to meet up with the brilliant Catherine Coulter to plot Nicholas & Mike's 5th (5th!!?!?) Brit adventure! Hanging out with CC is always a blast. We eat good things, we shop, we watch Harry Potter. Oh yeah, and we write. 😜 I couldn't ask for a better creative mind to partner with, let along hang out with. I always look forward to these weeks!

Anyway, without further ado...

Here's what happened on the Internets this week:

What are your mornings like? Are you running around, chasing kids who've transformed into banshees overnight, taking out the dog with a bursting bladder while burning the toast and praying, for the love of everything holy, that by some miracle you actually chose to put your keys in your purse instead of flinging them who knows where when you got home last night? Sounds like your morning routine may need a minimalist makeover. Here are 6 minimalist routines that will help you calm the morning chaos.

In the same vein: this woman has worn the same outfit every day for a year. Capsule wardrobe, uniform, whatever you want to call it: she's brilliant.

Book-to-TV lovers, this one's for you [spoiler police says to proceed with caution]: 4 things about HBO's BIG LITTLE LIES that need to be addressed.

If this isn't click bait, I don't know what is: this 75-year-old Harvard study found one secret to living a fulfilling life. Curiosity abounds...

I'm in the middle of remodeling/redecorating my house, and I'm on the hunt for a new way to arrange my bookshelves. There are tons of beautiful bookshelving ideas in this article from British Vogue (those classy Brits!).

Important: you can now purchase your very own Hobbit hole! (jury is out on whether second breakfast is included)

How good are you with synonyms? After this quiz, you might realize you're not as good as you think. (it's a tricky one!)

And closer to home:

This week on the Tao, I wrote about why it's important to finish what you start (I honed in on writers, but it's applicable to almost any task or career, really).

Also on the Tao: my intrepid A WORD ON WORDS co-host Mary Laura Philpott takes the reins and chats with literary wonder Yaa Gyasi about her brilliant debut novel, Homegoing.

Oh. And LIE TO ME got its first review, and it's glowing, and don't worry about me, I just have something in my eye... (spoiler alert: it's a detailed review, so steer clear if you want to be COMPLETELY surprised, but if you're hungry for a few details, by all means, go read!)

That's it from me! Welcome May with open arms, stop and smell a rose or two, and we'll talk again soon.

xo,
J.T.

Sunday Smatterings

Happy Sunday, my lovely chickens! How's it going? It's exciting times here in the Ellison house. This week I had the pleasure of wearing my old, battered, torn, Harvard T-shirt— the T-shirt I wear for a particular special occasion.

Wearing Mah Finishing Shirt 

What's that, you ask? I FINISHED A NEW BOOK!!! ✨🎉🙌😎 My 19th novel. I can hardly believe it. This is the 19th time I've hauled that shirt out of the chest, and it worked again. I admit, it's tradition. This shirt is my lucky charm, seriously. If I'm not wearing it, I simply can't finish! There was much rejoicing and tears and queso post-finish. But. The very next day, I was back at it, editing my 18th novel, LIE TO ME, coming to your hot little hands September 5. 

No rest for the weary, folks. Even when you have the best job in the world.

Here's what happened on the Internets this week:

Okay, y'all, here's one of the most important things you'll read: fix the internet by writing good stuff and being nice to people. This is a wonderful, thought-provoking clarion call to get away from posts with only 140 characters, hostile trolls, and video ads that play unprovoked (WHY??) and back the days of thoughtful discourse, long blogs, and creative/independently-owned content.

Every time I read a post from Modern Mrs. Darcy (and look at her gorgeous photos), I take a deep breath and sigh. She always has a lovely thought with the pictures to match. This post is no different: 6 mini-resolutions keeping me healthy and happy and sane this spring. (ranunculus! 🌸)

Some food for thought for your money today: 7 Pieces of Financial Advice That Forever Changed My Life (the advice about the car is particularly insightful)

This is what I looked for when I hired #TheKerr: someone who knew different things from me. Together, we have a wider breadth of knowledge and skill set. Win.

If you need a good cry today, I give you 37 of the most heartbreakingly beautiful lines in literature. You're welcome. 😭

And if you need something to pick you up from the depths of sorrow from the previous post, here are a few mistitled books and pitches imagined for them (I mean, who could argue with Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Scone? I'd read that... if it were gluten-free.)

I swear to you, if you saw Jack Kerouac's house in St. Petersburg, FL, you would never believe he lived there (or maybe you would). In any case, it's up for sale—but fans are trying to turn it into a museum.
 

And closer to home:

Gardeners, I need your help! I'm doing something different in the gardening realm this year and would relish your expertise in the comments.

We debuted a new episode of A WORD ON WORDS this week! I talked to local author Robert Hicks about his poignant historical novel, THE ORPHAN MOTHER. 

Did you get the April newsletter this month? No? Sign up here, and get all whole inside scoop: fun news, exclusive contests (newsletter chickens got their own LIE TO ME ARC giveaway this month...), yummy recipes, and all kinds of tomfoolery. You even get a free ebook as a thank-you gift!

That's it from me! Y'all have a nice week, open the windows, put some flowers in a vase, and we'll talk again soon.

xo,
J.T.

Sunday Smatterings

Hello, my darlings. I am BACK from my social hiatus! Every year when Lent arrives, I take a break from social media, embrace the silence of the season as a way to re-center myself as the world wakes up and comes alive again, and me with it. When Easter comes, I feel refreshed and rejuvenated, having accomplished many things in the silence, namely the joy of having ritual in my life again, a quiet space to listen to the still, small voice inside of myself, whispering that all is okay, I am enough, go to the page and the words will come.

And they do. They always do.

I admit, I miss you when I'm on hiatus. I like chatting with you, catching up, seeing what's new and what you're into these days. Some days the silence doesn't come as naturally as others, and I feel restless when I can't pop in for a quick hello, how are you?

But. Easter is here, and spring with it, and here I come bounding back into the energy of the world. It's good to be back again.

Anyway. On to the links!

Here's what happened on the Internets this week:

This article, right here. The name alone is compelling enough: What If All I Want Is a Mediocre Life? (To be fair, I don't think "mediocre" is the word I'd use. Maybe just... normal. Quiet. Content.) There's something to be said for a life with less striving and more being. It's a wonderful, thought-provoking read.

Also this, because life is messy, and life is hard: Here's to All of You Trying to Make the Most of a Bad Situation. I agree with the idea that we should celebrate the heroes among us who are finding ways to get by, instead of ways to get glory. 

In that vein, here are 50 Ways to Live Life on Your Own Terms. Because self-empowerment is a beautiful thing. This read has really realigned the way I'm approaching most everything in my life.
 

Something lighter, all told in Gilmore Girls gifs, because Gilmore Girls: 15 Things All Book Lovers Fight About. (I guarantee you'll find a couple that make you go 😡)

Oh, and Peggy Noonan won the Pulitzer, which I just love, because I love her (and have for decades). I don't always agree with her, but she was the most powerful female voice in D.C. when I Iived there, (she's a writer, remember. The pen is mightier than the sword... 1,000 points of light... shining cities on hills, you know, the idealistic view of life and politics, the one I fled from with great sadness?) and she stuck with me.

Aspiring thriller writers, are you stuck? Don't worry—this is the best way to start a book. Even Neil Gaiman says so.

And a last little lovely for your brain: these are the writing retreats from some of our favorite authors. (LOVE.)

And closer to home:

Gymnasts start at age three or four. So how do they really know what they really want, and how do the parents know when their [own] desires have taken over? –says the wise and über talented thriller writer Megan Abbott in this week's A WORD ON WORDS episode.

We touched on her latest book, YOU WILL KNOW ME, and why genre distinction doesn't really matter (a good story is a good story, y'all).

Are you looking for more good things to fill your ears? I found a few podcasts I really, really enjoy... and invent errands to drive around town for so I can listen.

Big news: my 2017 standalone, LIE TO ME? It has a cover—and it is GORGEOUS!!! You can learn more about the book here. (FYI: I think it's the best one I've ever written. Dead serious.)

Guess what? Three of you won't have to wait until the book comes in September to read it. Oh, no. Because three of you can win an ARC!!!!!! Click here to learn how to enter to win.

That's it from me, y'all! Enjoy your Easter Sunday (maybe you found the prize egg??), or your Passover, should you celebrate one or the other, pick a few flowers and put them in a vase, bring cookies to your elderly neighbors. We'll talk again soon.

xo,
J.T.

Sunday Smatterings (The Kerr Edition)

Hi, guys! It's me, The Kerr. Did you have a good week? Everything is getting so green again, I wake up to a brilliant blue sky every morning, and the evening sun hangs out much longer after work than it used to.

I love spring. I love feeling the warm breezes, working by an open window, seeing the joggers and stroller-pushing mamas out again. I feel a bit brighter, too, full of energy and possibility. I hope you're feeling it too!

Here's what I've been up to this week.

What I'm Eating

Confession: this is kind of like guacamole. But not really.

I had this avocado salad at a little brunch place near my house, and I order it every time I go—it's so simple, yet so delicious. Diced avocado, shallots, grape tomatoes, lime juice, olive oil, salt & pepper. That's it! Gentle tossed together, it's a perfect little salad to serve for Easter brunch, or placed on spinach with some chicken on top. 

Alas, I have no photos of said salad, because...

Another Confession: I am not a professional food blogger. This is evident by the way I consume everything I eat without taking photos of it. What can I say? When it comes to food, I have trouble with the word no. 🤷‍♀️

What I'm Playing (on my headphones)

I'm a sucker for a good podcast. This week I blazed through S-Town, from the producers of Serial and This American Life.

Murder, mayhem, a treasure hunt, a clock maker, small town Southern politics, a backyard maze with 64 permutations of escape, Kant and Plato. This seven-part series is all over the place—I mean that in the best way possible. Every spare bit of downtime I had—cooking, cleaning, dog walking—I was listening to this riveting show. It has the intrigue of Serial Season 1 without having to wait weeks for the next episode. I highly recommend it.

If that didn't convince you, here's a lil' preview.

Um, yeah. Go listen to it.

What I'm Reading

Remember last week, when I talked about my favorite, must-pre-order-book-as-soon-as-I-see-it-and-wait-in-breathless-anticipation-for-release-day authors?

Anne Lamott is one of those authors.

This week, her new book HALLELUJAH ANYWAY showed up on my Kindle. I have gleefully been reading a chapter every morning over coffee—it's my motivator to get out of bed and get through a workout, actually. The sooner you get this over with, I think, the sooner you can go read Anne.

I always need a kick in the pants, and Anne is always there to give me one—and a laugh or two along the way. Filled with thoughts on mercy, why we all need it, and how to spread it around, it's a lovely way to start each day, a goal to aspire to. I fail miserably, but I'm still practicing.
 

What I'm Watching

This. This video from Harlequin is hysterical. The 75 seconds are worth your time, I promise. 

Dog of the Week

This week's winner is my greyhound, Crockett, for being this week's #1 office distraction. He can't understand why anyone would ever stop snuggling with him. 

I know, buttercup. But Mommy's gotta bring home the rawhide somehow.