9.18.16 - Sunday Smatterings

Hello, chickens! I write to you this week from steamy New Orleans, after a week of panels by day and smoky bars by night. Some of my favorite people, writers whose work I admire, are here. It's always a cool feeling when you get to rub elbows with the greats. I've never lost that wonder, and I hope I never do.

Since Amy and I are mobile this week, this Smatterings will be a little shorter than most. But without further ado...
 

Here's the skinny on what happened this week:

Nerd alert: there were lots of great linguist-type articles floating around...

If you've lived for any length of time, you'll have noticed  the way you used certain words as a kid is different from the way society uses them now. You know what? That's ok. Language is supposed to evolve and adapt—it's how English has transformed over a thousand years to become what we speak today, and it'll change after we're gone. Linguist John McWhorter talks more about this, about how our langugage has "interesting little wrinkles.

You're cleverer than you actually are. Why? Because there are unspoken rules to the English language that we all know—we've just forgotten that we know them. The writer of this article had a post about adjective order that went viral last week (yep, you read that right), and he reveals a few more secrets about our complicated langugage...

Let's get a profound lesson on productivity from a classic arcade game, shall we? (this brilliance is brought to you by Cal Newport, the author of Deep Work). Attention residue is real, y'all—and a real problem. 

For the writers: this post from Lisa Alber is spot on—"What to do when your characters need therapy." Have you ever found yourself in this position?

For the writers 2.0: Mr. Pressfield has a few words about Inciting Incidents and "The Call." 

For a quick dose of inspiration, here are 27 literary prints to hang in your home library. 💕

And closer to home:

Don't forget: if you sign up for my email list, I'll send you a FREE ebook! And I won't spam your inbox either, because we all have enough email to read. I'll just give you some news and fun goodies from time to time!

That's it from me, y'all. Enjoy autumn's official arrival, be good to your people, go apple picking, and I'll talk to you again soon!

xoxo,
J.T.

9.11.16 - Sunday Smatterings

Morning, loves. It's a hard day. It's hard to believe it's been fifteen years since the horrible attacks against our country, our way of life, our people and cities. I think that we continue on, living, loving, and learning, is the very best revenge. We lost so much that day, and I want to take a moment to acknowledge the brave men and women who continue to give their lives to keep us safe. Thank you for your service.

This is a good place for me to mention a book I read last week. Daniel Silva, who is truly the finest thriller writer we have, released his tour de force thriller THE BLACK WIDOW. It is a thrill ride, yes, but it is also an education in what's happened in the world since 9/11, and what's happening (and not happening) to combat the threats we face from those who want to kill us. Read it. Trust me. It's brilliant, probably Silva's best ever. 
 

Now onto the links:

Oh, you brilliant Italians: "The Italian government is giving €500 on every 18-year-old's birthday." This is an initiative I can get behind. 

Ann Patchett has a habit of speaking truth, but this article hits really close to home: "if writers are to survive, we must take responsibility for ourselves and our industry." It's very true letting your career happen to you is a recipe for disaster. More about her latest book, COMMONWEALTH, writing about family, and tending an indie bookstore here.

"Dear Colleague, I hope you're well!" Face it—we've all been guilty of writing this. Instead of opening with nondescript pleasantries, let's write better, more sincere greetings in our emails. But let's not give up all the niceties, okay?

Budding writers, artisans, and people of the world: this article on hiring a lawyer for contract negotiations is business gold from Kris Rusch. Read it, bookmark it, live it. 

 

And closer to home:

If you love reading paperbacks, then perk up, buttercup: THE END GAME paperback went on sale this week!!!! 

Whether you're writing a novel or writing a song, it really all comes down to telling a good story. Author Ed Tarkington talks to host Mary Laura Philpott about his debut novel, ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK YOUR HEART, along with his good friend, singer/songwriter Will Hoge.

Season 2 (!) of A WORD ON WORDS begins with my lovely co-host, Mary Laura Philpott, and Nashville author Ed Tarkington. Check out their interview (complete with original songs written for the book by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Will Hoge!).

That's it from me, loves. Here's to cooler weather, cinnamon-scented treats, and lots of love. And one last thought:

"The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one."
—Elbert Hubbard

xoxo,
J.T.

9.4.16 - Sunday Smatterings

"It's not who you think you are that holds you back,
it's who you think you're not."
~Anonymous

I open today with a quote that feels very apropos, considering. I finished my 18th novel this week. TEAR ME APART is my second standalone novel. I started it entirely by accident, sitting in a Parisian café, and went back to Paris to write parts of it. All the while I was writing it, a voice in the back of my head kept telling me I couldn't do it. I second-guessed character decisions, plot devices, threads. It wasn't until I went back and reread some of my heroes that I remembered the golden rule, and I was able to truly settle in:

"There are no rules except those you create, page by page."
~Stuart Woods

I was holding myself back because I'd convinced myself I wasn't a standalone writer. Consider that particular block crushed. : )

Now, on to the links!

The Guardian has this gem of a headline: Antlers Hunter S Thompson stole from Hemingway's home returned to family. It's about time.

Speaking of Hemingway, I bought this book this week. He wrote large parts of it in Venice, at a small table in the corner of Harry's Bar. When I did my Hemingway footsteps trip last year, I spent a lot of time at Harry's.

Ever wonder what a chef reads? Wonder no more!

David Berry has been cast as 'Lord John Grey' in OUTLANDER!!!  To which I reply... A: AWESOME! B: What a polite character description of LJG! I can't wait to meet him on screen.

Lifehacker is doing a great series called "Will it Sous Vide?"

Once again, Facebook shows its algorithms are invasive and frightening.

But to cheer you up from that, I give you, Quilted Northern: Rustic Weave, which made us giggle all week long.

Closer to home:

It's been a relatively quiet week. Randy and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary, we're in a hurricane as I write this. It happened on our first honeymoon, our 11th, and now out 21st. It's an every decade thing for us. 

The newsletter went out, so if you didn't get it, check your spam folder! And if you want to sign up, you'll get a free ebook! What a deal...

Blessed week ahead to you, chickens. May your lives be hurricane free.

XO,
JT

8.28.16 - Sunday Smatterings

Hello, lovelies!

How did your week go? I'm back in Florida, enjoying the beach and taking a wee break to celebrate my 21/24 anniversary with my love. Man, how time flies!

I am this close to finishing TEAR ME APART. Amy is about to tear me apart because she wants to read it so badly (see what I did there?), and I'm hoping her enthusiasm passes on to you. I'll keep you posted on my progress! You'll probably see some champagne emojis 🍾🍾🍾 flying around when I'm done. Shouldn't be too much longer now, I hope I finish before Bouchercon!

Anyway, enough rambling...
 

Here's what happened on the Internets this week:

It's the beginning of a brand-new school year. I know you've got ambition and grand plans. Here are some tools from Freedom to help make this the best school year ever. 

Speaking of productivity, did you know that for each interruption you incur, it takes 24 minutes to get you back on track? Yup. Get the scoop on when interruption is helpful, when it's not, and how you can do your best work.

Frosé (frozen rosé) is a delicious and refreshing summer cocktail that's easy to make ahead of time Recipe and equipment: http://www.cocktailchemistrylab.com/home/frose Videography: John Gamble https://www.instagram.com/johnaddison/ I love getting feedback and ideas.

But! With all that said, summer isn't over yet, y'all. For your Labor Day libations, consider making Frosé. The video above shows you how!

And closer to home:

We've gone international! 🌎 How fun is this. Over the summer, my team worked with a business incubator in Nashville and met the brilliant Anuradha Bajpai. Woodpie is an organization she started, and I did an interview with them. So much fun!

Giveaway alert: you can win a copy of THE END GAME paperback—or a $35 gift card to Tattered Cover Book Store! 

That's it from me! Enjoy this last "official week" of summer, eat some popsicles, and we'll talk again soon.

xoxo,
J.T.

8.22.16 - Get ready for THE END GAME paperback's arrival 9.6.16 with a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

THE END GAME paperback's arrival is just around the corner, which means we need to celebrate!

Three lucky winners will each receive one copy of the book, and one grand prize winner will receive a $35 gift card to Tattered Cover bookstore. 

Enter using the Rafflecopter form above. This contest is open to entrants ages 18+ living in the U.S. and Canada. Good luck!

Want to pre-order the book (it's a fab price, y'all)? Click here.