3.31.16 - NO ONE KNOWS Roundup

NO ONE KNOWS cover

Whew!

For me, the past few weeks have been a whirlwind—but in the best kind of way. My beloved five-year project NO ONE KNOWS is finally out into the world, and I'm so tickled/thankful/relieved that you guys are enjoying it. 

You just never know what'll happen when you switch gears, ya know?

At any rate, for your entertainment, I've gathered up the articles, interviews, endorsements, and some of my favorite reviews of the book. After collecting all of this in one place, I can see how I actually wrote 1/4 of a novel in nonfiction about this book (20,000 words, folks). 

Enjoy!

_______

Recognition

SIBA 2016 Winter Okra Pick

Book of the Month Club – April 2016 Selection

She Reads Spring 2016 Book Club Selection

 

Written Interviews & Features

InD'Tale Magazine

Southern Writers Magazine

Chapter 16

SIBA's Lady Banks newsletter

Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything)

CAFTAR: What I'm Reading, Page 69 Test, and My Book, the Movie

Working Mother

Parnassus Books' Musing Blog

BookReporter

The Fresno Bee's Library column

My Book, the Movie

The Page 69 Test

Writers Read

She Reads

Off the Shelf

CBS Local

When I met with TN Ledger journalist Zack Barnes, I had no idea he was going to do three articles about me: three. But he did. And I'm so honored to be young journalist's first cover story. Here are articles onetwo, and three.

BookBub has been giving the book all sorts of love, naming it one of Ten New Thrillers to Read this Spring and one of 16 Books Compared to 'Gone Girl'

Fresh Fiction included NO ONE KNOWS in their quarterly mystery box

A nice feature on 2nd & Church online

XOXO After Dark featured the first chapter of the book

On Criminal Element, I talked about the dream that inspired NO ONE KNOWS. It may have included my husband, Opryland Hotel, and Harlan Coben.

For Southern Writers Magazine's Suite T blog, I wrote about my fears and journey to writing a standalone novel.

I also had a delightful conversation with Lori's Reading Corner!

It's always an honor to be part of The Big Thrill. I appreciate all the love ITW has thrown me over the years!

*We still have a couple more things in the works... I'll let you know as they pop up!

 

Audio Interviews

It's been a while since I've been on Suspense Magazine Radiobut it was such a blast!

It's always lovely to talk to my friend, Libby Hellemann. On Second Sunday Crime, we chatted about NO ONE KNOWS, writing, and the best wine out there.

I loved the premise of the Creative Push Podcast. Host Youngman Brown was a delight to talk to. Creatives, this is a podcast for you.


Reviews

Some of my favorites were:
 

Dream by Day Book Reviews (she knows how to style a photo—so elegant!)

Two Fangs About It

Book Splot Reviews

Project Fandom

All About Romance

Judith D. Collins Must Reads

The Reading Chick

Fallen Over Book Reviews

Red Carpet Crash

Page One

Murfreesboro Daily Journal

Fresh Fiction

Suspense Magazine

And here are the trade reviews you've seen:
 

“Riveting . . . a skillfully plotted story that's equal parts mystery, psychological thriller, and cautionary tale. Ellison's twists are fresh . . . and the novel's action-packed conclusion will shock.”
Publishers Weekly

“The unreliable female narrator is all the rage, and Aubrey Hamilton is up there with the slipperiest of them all.”
Kirkus Reviews

“The reader becomes enthralled with Aubrey and her life while also desperate to learn answers. The payoff succeeds in surprising.”
Booklist

 

Endorsements

“You think GONE GIRL couldn't be topped, try Ellison's web of betrayal, lies and deceit. And wonder --”
Catherine Coulter, #1 New York Times bestselling author of NEMESIS
 

“Enthralling! Ellison's twisty, turny thriller is my kind of novel; interesting characters, complex plotting, and an ending you'll never see coming. Suspense at its finest!”
Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of FIND HER
 

"J.T. Ellison's stand-alone thriller is a slow burn suspense that heats up, page-by-page, until the shocking end. NO ONE KNOWS is unputdownable, a gripping story that begs to be read in one sitting."
Allison BrennanNew York Times bestselling author of NO GOOD DEED
 

“Clever and compelling, JT Ellison’s NO ONE KNOWS is a page-turner full of unexpected twists and surprises. Pour a glass of wine, settle down in your favorite chair, and get ready for an entertaining roller coaster of a read. JT Ellison is a fast-rising star.”
Jeff AbbottNew York Times bestselling author of THE FIRST ORDER
 

“Reader beware: In NO ONE KNOWS J.T. Ellison has created a masterful game of cat-and-mouse—with Ellison being the cat and us readers her prey. My favorite kind of story—I loved it.”
Erica SpindlerNew York Times bestselling author of THE FIRST WIFE and THE FINAL SEVEN
 

“NO ONE KNOWS grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go. A compelling thriller about loss, betrayal, and buried secrets, it’s a book you’ll devour, trying to guess what’s going on and what will happen next. The twists are genuinely—and satisfyingly—shocking. J.T. Ellison has written another winner.”
Meg Gardiner, Edgar Award-winning author of PHANTOM INSTINCT
 

“J.T. Ellison has created one hell of a brain-bender. NO ONE KNOWS is a masterfully written shell game in which a grief-stricken woman is forced to reckon with her past until everything she believes about love, hope, and trust is tested. Ellison’s storytelling powers are on sharp display in this literary thriller, proving that no one is who they claim to be and everyone has secrets worth protecting. Compelling, perceptive, unsettling and with an ending so on point I wish I could read it again for the first time. I inhaled this novel.”
Ariel Lawhon, author of FLIGHT OF DREAMS
 

“Like a nerve-shredding trip through a carnival house of mirrors, NO ONE KNOWS left me breathless. Ellison's deft, seamless prose makes her devilish twists look effortless, and her sleight-of-hand with the facts of Aubrey Hamilton’s troubled life keeps the tension wire-high. NO ONE KNOWS is razor-sharp, shocking, and delicious.”
Laura Benedict, author of CHARLOTTE’S STORY

J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

3.29.16 - It really did make all the difference.

I Took the Road Less Traveled

J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

3.27.16 - Sunday Smatterings

Sunday Smatterings

Hello, Chickens!

Hope you're having a lovely Sunday, and if you're celebrating Easter that it's a happy and blessed day. Are you enjoying the advent of spring? I, for one, am so happy to see budding trees and brilliantly green grass again. Just pumps the life back into you after a long winter.

Also, before we talk links, I have to tell you something:

Thank you so much for all the kind words, reviews, and well wishes for NO ONE KNOWS!

It's truly daunting to send a book out into the world—because after I write it, it's no longer mine. It's yours (as it should be!). It amazes me to see how the words I pour onto the page affect readers in a unique way; nobody reads the same book, really. So I appreciate the feedback; I want to make sure I'm doing my job as the storyteller. 

If you took time to purchase, review (either way! I like to learn from the negative ones, too), Facebook, tweet, or sent anything surrounding the book, I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.

Speaking of which: Thunderclap supporters, listen up!

I have a special thank-you gift for you: the original ending to NO ONE KNOWS. If you'd like to read it, email Amy (amy@jtellison.com). She'll send it out in the next couple of weeks, when you've had a chance to read the book. I'll be curious to see what you think!

I'm winding down the my campaign blitz for this book. TONIGHT I'll be on Second Sunday Crime with Libby Hellmann at 6 pm CST, chatting about the book. Listen in! It'll be a fun time!

Also, I do have to share one bit of news: Bookbub named NO ONE KNOWS as one of 10 New Thrillers to Read This Spring, which always makes me so excited!

Alright, would you like some links? Here you go.

 

Here's what happened on the Internets this week:


There's a lot that goes into titling a book: more than you'd think. Here's an insider scoop on how authors and publishers (finally) land on a book title.

These are 10 foods from literature you can actually make.

And here are 5 tips to lead a happy life.

This is a library. In the shape of a book!

Creativity is not an accident: it's earned. And speaking of creativity: is solitude a key element to its success?

Whole Foods has committed to replace its chickens, bred to gain weight rapidly, with slower-growing breeds by 2024. 

These bookshelves look like Pantone color swatches. I want them. I want them.

These 12 dogs are mesmerized by books, and it is one of the cutest things ever.

These are the best umbrellas for bookworms

 

And closer to home:


On the Tao this week, I shared some of the nonfiction pieces I wrote for the release of NO ONE KNOWS. I wrote 1/4 of a novel just about the book itself!

Are you on Instagram? I've been picking up my Instagram game lately, and I really like it as a social medium (pretty pictures! shiny!). If you're on Instagram, you can follow me here. I post both pictures and words (because... I don't know if you know this, but I love words).

 

That's it from me! Thank you again for all your support, enjoy your Easter, and hopefully some springlike weather, and we'll chat again soon.

Xoxo,
J.T.

J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

3.24.16 - In Which I Talk NO ONE KNOWS with Lots of Fine People

Every author knows that with the birth of a book comes marketing. After all, we have to tell you the book exists so you can read it!

But y'all. I wrote a lot of things for NO ONE KNOWS. Like, a lot

Like 20,000 words worth. Like 1/4 of a novel's worth.

And I wrote about all kinds of things! How I wrote a new kind of book. How happy I am we Nashville writers have a "room of our own," so to speak. What my superpower of choice would be and what my favorite TV shows are. The crazy dream that featured both my husband and Harlan Coben that gave me the idea to write NO ONE KNOWS.

I've included snippets from some of the pieces that have run. You can follow the links to read the pieces in their entirety. I hope you enjoy them!

________

From SIBA's Lady Banks newsletter: "The Southern Bookstore"

A few nights ago, I attended a signing at the wonderful Parnassus Books in Nashville. The signing author was Ariel Lawhon, who was launching her brilliant story chronicling the doomed flight of the Hindenburg, Flight of Dreams. As Ariel and I hugged and kissed hello, bookseller extraordinaire Bill Long-Innes smiled benevolently and asked, “Do you guys have a writer tribe? It seems like Nashville authors really make an effort to support one another. I wonder if any other cities have such a tight knit group?”
Ariel and I nodded, because we do have a tribe here in Nashville.


From my Reddit AMA:

If you could have any super power, what would it be and why?

Hardest question ever. You have to decide between wanting ultimate knowledge or ultimate power. I think I'd like to be able to control time. It's the one resource I don't seem to ever have enough of.


From Parnassus Books' Musing blog:

And I’m fascinated by choices. I’d like to think I have a pretty steady moral compass, so when someone does something unethical, or criminal, I’m always aghast. And then I want to sit them down and find out why. What drove you to that decision? Was it easier to cheat? Weren’t you worried about how it would look? You weren’t afraid of going to jail? The idea that our society is split in two — law-abiders and criminals — makes novels like mine come to life. I love Nashville as the palette for this kind of story, too. The juxtapositions in this town are fabulous.


From Criminal Element:

Way back in 2010, I had a dream. My husband and I were attending a wedding weekend at the Opryland Hotel. He was with the guys, I was with the girls, and, as such, hopelessly bored—because when I’m not with him, I’m always unsettled. So, I went to find him.

I texted him and said, “Come meet me for a drink.” He didn’t reply, but a waiter came into the bar with a gin and tonic. Knowing it was from him, I smiled and sent another text. He still didn’t reply. When I finished the drink, I got directions to where the boys were meeting. I was worried.

As I stepped outside, Harlan Coben was there.


From Southern Writers Magazine's Suite T blog:

This week sees the release of my very first standalone novel.
When a writer changes gears and moves into new territory, it’s scary, both for the author and for the readers. Will the story hold up? Will it make sense? Will I, the author, get drummed out on my ear when people start to read it? Will the twists work?
All kinds of terrible scenarios come to mind, made worse by this book’s (very) long journey to publication.

And speaking of Southern Writers...

In honor of NO ONE KNOWS, I'm giving away a signed copy of WHAT LIES BEHIND. (so you'll have something to read after you finish NO ONE KNOWS!)

Click here to enter!

J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

3.22.16 - NO ONE KNOWS is on sale today!

Five years to make. ZERO more days to wait!!!

After five years, five titles, and eighteen drafts, I couldn't be more thrilled that NO ONE KNOWS finally gets into your hands today. I hope y'all enjoy it!


Here's where you can get it:
 

Buy the Print Book

AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
BOOKS-A-MILLION
INDIEBOUND
SIMON & SCHUSTER

Download the eBook

Listen to the Audiobook

J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.