Sunday Smatterings

Hello, my dears. Saturday afternoon. A warm, late spring day. Your humble correspondent is trying, and failing, to relax.

You see, I finished HER DARK LIES and turned it in. (HURRAH!) Oh, there is a great deal of work ahead—it has a major timeline issue, this I know—but I finally threw up my hands and admitted I needed an expert’s opinion on how to fix that. There’s 113k words of story to be played with. As we always say, you can’t edit a blank page. 

But instead of rejoicing and settling in for a few days of Netflix and chill, I had pizza and champagne, watched half of a Harry Potter movie, then promptly kicked it into 6th gear to catch up on all the stuff I’ve let go in the months I’ve been focused on the book. And it’s bad enough that I keep peeking at my To-Do list and suddenly find myself ... elsewhere.

How good are you at indulging yourself? How good are you at taking time off, nourishing your soul, allowing yourself to step away from your responsibilities, and just exist? 

I ask because here it is, a beautiful afternoon, and I’ve caught myself fighting the desire to sit and read a book just because I can. There are so, so many things I need to do. I’m wildly behind on all my correspondence, blurb books are piling up, May has turned into the Month of Zoom, and the house—oh, the house. 

I’m the master of the multitask. Talk on the phone whilst riding the bike. Listen to the Tolkien Lecture Series whilst scrubbing the bathrooms. Audiobook whilst folding clothes. Calendar management whilst having a Driveway Date. Reading clipped articles whilst eating lunch. Talking to my parents whilst making dinner.

You get the idea…

But you can’t read a physical book and multitask. You have to stay focused, stay present. And my focus is completely and utterly shot. I mean, we’re in the midst of a pandemic, and doing anything indulgent feels wrong. Knowing that I have the privilege of staying home means I need to make the most of it. Reading only for the fun of it doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t feel fair to those who can’t.

I just went to my Goodreads shelf and realized... I’ve only read 13 books this year.  No, I’ve only finished 13 books. I’ve started about 20 others and put them aside because they just aren’t working for me at the moment. I’ll circle back on most of them—I am good at judging whether a book isn’t right for me, or if it isn’t right for me at that moment. But when reading is part of your job and you suddenly find yourself unable to stay in a book for more than 10 minutes at a time?

It’s an interesting thing, this inability to allow myself to lie fallow. A Protestant work ethic is a good thing, to a point. But when you feel guilty for taking a day off after you’ve been working relentlessly for months and months on a single project, you know you’ve gotten a leeetle too far into workaholic standards.

Though, maybe it’s also a lot to ask of a tired brain to snap back into a non-adrenal state overnight. Maybe it will take a few weeks to settle. I’ve clearly built a habit with this new work/multitask schedule, and need to trim it back to something more normal. 

So tell me, friends, how do you relax in a pandemic?

As ever, onward...

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THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

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30 Practical Ideas To Create Your Best Morning Routine—and it’s NOT getting up at 4:30 am…

When N.Y. Needed Hospital Space, Film Location Scouts Pitched In. Very cool. I love, love, love how we’re all coming together. Our pandemic devolution has been rather civilized, hasn’t it?

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New Yorkers are posting elaborate recreations of famous book covers while stuck inside. Incredible! What cover would you recreate?

There's No Better Time to… Read a Cookbook Like a Book-Book. Great idea! I highly recommend Naturally Vegetarian by Valentina Solfrini (and check out her Instagram account, too. Incredible.)

Majority of authors 'hear' their characters speak, finds study. Well, yes. How else does it work? Do you hear voices?

A Brief Tour into the World of Cozy Mystery Authors. Great list for cozy mystery readers.

7 Spectacular Libraries You Can Explore From Your Living Room. This is super cool.

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THIS IS HOW I LIED by Heather Gudenkauf

Utterly chilling, this is a deep, twisting mystery from a writer hitting her stride. You won't see it coming, and you won't be able to turn away. Heather is such a multi-faceted author, always taking chances and elevating her craft. I admit I was disturbed by certain aspects of this book, (hence... utterly chilling) and that is the highest compliement I can give. I loved the structure and the deviousness of the characters, too. A great read.

What are you reading?

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That’s it from me. Do try to relax, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.

Sunday Smatterings

Hello, my dears, from the land of revision

Revising a book is the art of writing. It is also infuriating, frustrating, humbling, and trying. There are moments of bliss—”my God, did I write that? That’s very good.” And there are moments where you shake your head and start looking at job listings because you know in your heart that what you’ve written is utter, complete trash. 

(Which is why I’m writing this at the moment, instead of editing. Ahem.) 

Drafting a book and revising a book are such different beasts. They each have their moments of glory, but in the end, it’s the revision that I love so much. It’s hard, though, hard to take apart a story and mend it again. Sometimes it’s like sewing on buttons - straightforward and simple. There are hems to stitch, holes in the fabric, rips, tears. Sometimes you need to take it in at the waist, or let it out. Sometimes, even when you think it looks great in the mirror, someone close to you will pull you aside and say, “did you know you have a large stain on your bottom?”

But in the end, you cobble together 400 or so pages of words that tell a story, and send it into the ether, praying your people like it enough, or see enough merit in the story, to work with it. I have such faith in my editor. She is very, very good at her job, and has a doctorate in Ellison-style interpretive dance. Even when I’ve missed the mark, she seems to know what I’m attempting, and can always find a way to help me get where I’m trying to go. So fingers crossed when the book lands on her desk this week, she can see the forest for the trees. 

Trust me when I say I am ready to write about a tropical beach next. I’ve had enough of storms for now.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there, and Happy Mother’s Day to those who wanted to be moms, and Happy Mother’s Day to all those with fur babies. I know that while this is a joyous day, it’s also a difficult day for so many. So I’m sending you some love directly, in case it’s needed. 

Onward...

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THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

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Don’t forget: this Tuesday May 12 I’ll be chatting with Heather Gudenkauf, Lisa Unger, and Mary Kubica in honor of Heather’s new book THIS IS HOW I LIED. There will be prizes! Details here.

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You Must See These Perfectly Timed Photos. Truly impressive!

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I'm a little behind on Book of the Month selections. They all look so good! Which one should I read next?

What are you reading?

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That’s it from me. Send a note to a mom you know, rearrange the furniture if you’re feeling stuck, take a deep breath of gratitude, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.

Sunday Smatterings

Hello, my dears.

I hope today’s missive finds you safe and well! 

My week, in short form: birthday and deadline and quarantine. Birthday was lovely. It’s the first time I’ve been home for my birthday in years. I made my special shredded pork and shredded chicken for tacos, a spicy guacamole, and a chocolate torte cake that we’re still enjoying. DH got me a super cool perpetually heated tea mug, which is the best thing that’s happened since sliced bread, and a percussion massager for my knee that is happily taking the place of physical therapy, which I haven’t been able to do to for months. So we’re warm and loose… not a bad way to march into the second half of your life.

But the important news… I am so, so close to finishing the draft of this book that I laundered my well-worn good luck Harvard T-shirt, and it will be on my body in the next couple of days. Whoo-hoo!

I mean, finishing a draft is where the actual work begins. I made the terrible, awful, no-bueno mistake of trying to edit this book before I finished it, and I’m telling you, never again. You can’t edit a blank page, and you can’t edit an incomplete story. There’s still a ways to go on this, but revising is the fun part. I’m looking forward to it. That’s what I enjoy the most - having finished, and getting to shape the story, get input from my trusted readers (dad and besties) and sending it to my agent and editor for their input. So. Close!

And… as a reward, I get to interview one of my favorite authors on Friday for A Word on Words. Trust me when I say I’m in heaven. Will give you all the deets next weekend. I’m excited to try my new home studio that we’ve been outfitting to be Zoom TV compatible. We’ll see!

How’s everyone holding up? Are you staying home? Tennessee is opening up but I am not planning on taking advantage of that. I fear we’re going to see a big jump in cases over the next couple of weeks. I hope I‘m wrong, I really do. But I’m not convinced it’s time.

Let me know how you’re doing!

So since I’m a little preoccupied...  I give you the links. Onward...

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THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

5 tricks to help you read when reading feels hard. This is so helpful.

Mark your calendars for Tuesday May 12 as I’ll be chatting with Heather Gudenkauf, Lisa Unger, and Mary Kubica in honor of Heather’s new book THIS IS HOW I LIED. There will be prizes! Details here.

Airbnb’s Book-Inspired Experiences Include Literary Cocktails and Rescue Kitten Storytime. Very cool.

13 Fascinating Literary Adaptations You Can Stream for Free Online. So many good movies!

Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting*. This is a fabulous and important piece—read it and really think about how you want to move forward after this pause.

Baroque Library of Metten Abbey. Beautiful!

Stephen King Is Sorry You Feel Like You're Stuck In A Stephen King Novel. It is eerie though, right?

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Fun Hair Accessories to Liven Up Your Looks. Very cute options.

What Shakespeare can — and can't — teach us about Covid-19. "The playwright had left his wife in Stratford upon Avon to raise their three children. Plague quarantines are always easier for some than others.”

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THE HERD by Andrea Bartz

What a ride! THE HERD is sharp, smart, and utterly bingeable read. I had zero idea where the mystery was going, and loved sitting back and letting the story unfold, and unfold, and unfold. Complex characters, a dark secrets, topical setting - what's not to like?

What are you reading?

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That’s it from me. Deadline looms… I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.

Sunday Smatterings

Hello, my dears. A quiet week here. We continue on in our surreal suburban bubble, enjoying the moments of solitude as much as we can.

Finally, finally got reading again. I’ve been fine listening to audiobooks, something to pass the time while cleaning or working out, but as for actual sit down with a book reading... I’ve had a harder time. Part of this is the natural state of things when I’m about to finish a book—I’ve spent all day staring at words, dissecting thoughts and decisions, wondering about placement of punctuation and subplot through-lines and the final showdown, that spending an extended amount of time marveling at another author’s work product tends to be both frustrating and overwhelming. And part of it is, of course, that my normal reading time has been subsumed with news and research and reaching out to friends and family to make sure they’re happy and healthy, like everyone else.

So to escape, TV has been my go-to, movies and shows that allow my brain to rest. Schitt’s Creek is a newfound favorite, and the ever-brilliant Killing Eve is back. Did you ever watch Pushing Daisies? Also brilliant, and Lee Pace is so cute. We liked The Nice Guys with Ryan Gosling and Russell Crow and adored The Gentlemen, Guy Ritchie’s latest offering. Have you watched anything great lately?

But I finally felt settled enough to try a physical book, so I picked up Emily St. John Mandel’s THE GLASS HOTEL, and I was so immediately swept into the story that the technical aspects disappeared. As always, when I find a book that transports me, it’s like letting out the breath I haven’t realized I’ve been holding. Mandel is a truly gifted writer, and I’m a big fan. Genuinely enjoying this one.

I’m slowly but surely working through a massive list of questions from the Literati—we’ve had a lot of new folks join in the past few weeks, so I thought an Ask Me Anything was in order. If you aren’t on the Literati, you might consider joining us—it’s been a fun series for us all. Plus, that’s where the giveaways live now…

And of course, I’m plugging away on HER DARK LIES. I’m in the final 1/6th of the book, and I’m itching to get done so my editor and I can start taking it apart and putting it back together again. 

Thanks to all who bought GOOD GIRLS LIE on sale last week--in the midst of a crisis, y’all truly came through, so thank you, and enjoy the read!

With that, I give you the links. Ever onward...

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THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

7 favorite independent bookstores that are doing great things. This is a great list! I’m so grateful for indie bookstores.

20 Must-Read Novels From the 1990s. I admit to weeping a bit at the idea of a novel from the 1990s as "historical"...

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This spring's hottest authors reveal their most anticipated quarantine reads. There’s something for everyone! Is it just me, or are there even more great books out there for the reading lately?

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Wizarding World Introduces Harry Potter at Home. Very cool.

Thoreau on Hard Work. I’ve got Walden Pond on the brain, but since we’ve all been forced into our own variations of it of late…

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THE LOOK-ALIKE by Erica Spindler

A stellar mystery from one of my all-time favorite authors, THE LOOK-ALIKE is classic Spindler, murderous twists and turns and a hot romance. What's not to love! I've been reading Erica since well before I was first published. Her work influenced my writing tremendously. And as happens so often in our industry, our heroes become our dear friends. She's been a mentor, a shoulder to cry on, a sounding board, and a co-author. I adore her and her work. You'll love her latest! What are you reading?

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That’s it from me. Don’t forget to wipe down your groceries, check out the adorable masks being sold inexpensively on Etsy, work on a puzzle, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.

Sunday Smatterings

Hello, my dears. A quick Smatterings from me today, as I’m rolling hard on the book and don’t want to take too much time away from it. It’s been a busy week. The April Newsletter went out, with an incredible au gratin potato recipe and a list of the things that are making me happy right now. If you didn’t get it in your inbox, please check your promotions folder, or even, (EGADS) the junk folder.

The big upshot of the quarantine for me has been improved communication with some of my favorite writer friends. I had an amazing chat with my friend Victoria Schwab yesterday, and I will link to it as soon as the link is live, so come back and look for it. And I get to chat with another amazing friend tomorrow, Lisa Unger. Will also swing back here with links when it’s ready.

One conversation I’m having with my friends and family is this. As we start talking about reopening the world, I admit to some genuine worry about leaving home. I’ve decided I’m going to stay in isolation for an extra few weeks. Just in case. Because the minute I finish this book, we’ll be doing edits, and I have a secret project, and a short story due, and I have to start fleshing out the 2022 book, so I don’t have time to get sick. No one ever has time to get sick, obviously. But I’m not sold that the danger is past, so you won’t see me out in the world any time soon. Let me know what you've decided!

As always, onward…

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LAST DAY: GOOD GIRLS LIE IS ON SALE!

Today is the last day to take advantage of this deal! Get the GOOD GIRLS LIE ebook for only $4.99.

Get your copy!

KINDLE
NOOK
APPLE BOOKS
KOBO
GOOGLE PLAY

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THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

I interviewed Mary Kubica in the latest episode of A WORD ON WORDS. #KeepReading

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Movies About Writers: 20 You Can Watch At Home Right Now. Great list! Which are your favorites?

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How amazing is this book stack?! An embarrassment of riches: THIS IS HOW I LIED by Heather Gudenkauf, THE LOOK-ALIKE by Erica Spindler, THE FIRST TO LIE by Hank Phillippi Ryan, and WHEN YOU SEE ME by Lisa Gardner. What are you reading?

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That’s it from me. Keep close to home, read a great book, do some jumping jacks, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.