Happy Launch Day to THE LAST SECOND Paperback!

T-Minus 5…4…3…2…1… And liftoff! The second iteration of THE LAST SECOND has cleared the tower and is hurtling toward bookstores in paperback form today! If you missed this one the first time around. now’s your chance — it has a spiffy, especially gorgeous in person cover, (the shattered glass is stunning) and is as timely a story as any we’ve written. Perfect to buy now and stash away as a gift for your holiday readers!

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From New York Times bestselling authors Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison comes a riveting thriller pitting Special Agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine against the head of a private space agency who has the power to end the world as we know it. 

It’s Bastille Day in France, and the private French space agency Galactus—France’s answer to Space X, owned by the eccentric treasure hunter Jean-Pierre Broussard—has just sent a satellite payload into orbit. Billed as a “communications” satellite, it harbors a frightening reality: a nuclear bomb capable of creating a massive electromagnetic pulse has been hidden aboard.

In days, when the satellite is in position, Galactus’s head and Broussard’s second in command, Dr. Neveah Patel, will have the power to lay waste to the world with her EMP, and create her own immortality with the Holy Grail––the stones of the heavens and the very treasure Broussard has spent his life searching for.

The countdown has begun, and Special Agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine will go down to the wire to stop this heinous attack. With their signature “nonstop action with enough realism to keep you thinking and scare the daylights out of you at the same time” (Suspense Magazine), Coulter and Ellison have created a thriller to take you on a breakneck and breathtaking journey.

Get yours TODAY!

Sunday Smatterings

Happy Sunday to you. I hope today’s missive finds you well. It’s chilly here, so I’m ensconced by the fire working hard on the new book, fleshing out my main character. She’s been quite shy thus far, which should tell you something about her personality. I’m so used to writing larger-than-life, flashy, almost show-offy leads, and Logan has been very reluctant to open up to me. She’s making me work to get to know her, and I hope that means she’ll be richer for the experience. If not, I may have to throw her off a cliff. (Never fear, you’ll get the reference when you read this book.)

I’ve been trying to keep up with my NaNoWriMo word counts. I went gangbusters for the first 4 days, then trickled off again, but the weekend has brought a bounty of words, so I’m moving the marker forward again. I’m halfway into the story, and there is so much left to happen I wonder if I’m actually only 1/4 of the way in. It will come. It always does.

I’m starting to think about the holidays, the idea of Thanksgiving in two weeks, Christmas in six, is starting to freak me out a bit. I love to have my cards done by Dec 1, love to put up my tree the day after Thanksgiving, and right now I’m just looking down the barrel of the book and wondering how will I do it all?

Isn’t that the issue we face daily, though? From dawn to dusk, living our lives, working, loving, playing, nurturing, we have to find a balance in order to do the things we love. Do I need to put up my tree so early? No. But it gives me such pleasure that I want to. Do I need to make cornbread stuffing and pumpkin pie? No, but it gives me pleasure, and so I will find the time.

This year, instead of worrying so much about what needs to be done over the holidays, I’m going to worry about what makes me happy, and do that, instead. 

Would love to hear how you balance your wants and needs lists.

Oh! A brief, exciting announcement before we hit the links:

Hundreds of Episodes of A Word on Words Now Available Online. This is the coolest news ever: the original, unsurpassable A WORD ON WORDS TV show with the late, great John Seigenthaler digitized and available for viewing. You can even watch the episodes I appeared on before I was a host. It was always such an honor to don my pearls and sit down with John for a chat. #keepreading

On to the links…

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THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

The World’s Most Beautiful Libraries: Real Gabinete Português de Leitura. This is beyond gorgeous.

How To Wrap A Book: 8 Unique Options. These are all great ideas! I insist on giving books as presents; it’s just the writerly thing to do.

The Talented Patricia Highsmith’s Private Diaries Are Going Public. As a reader and fan, this is tremendously exciting. As an author, it's kind of my worst nightmare.

How Magazine Pages Were Created Before Computers: A Veteran of the London Review of Books Demonstrates the Meticulous, Manual Process. What an incredible amount of work! I’ve seen letterpress readied and it’s so fascinating.

Tune In To These Great Libby Audiobook Hacks. Are you getting your audiobooks from the library? You’ll love these great tips!

Bright Lights, Dark Shadows: Glamorous Women in Crime Fiction. “Many of my favorite mysteries combine a bit of glitz with their murders, showing us how bright lights can cast the darkest shadows.” I love me a dangerous woman.

Single Father Adopts 5 Siblings Under 5: 'They Deserve to Be Raised as Siblings.' I loved this so much. It’s a great story, and a great reminder to be the change you want to see in the world.

Want To Borrow A Library Ebook? Why It Might Become More Challenging (& How Libraries Are Fighting Back.) Macmillan’s ebook embargo went into effect November 1 and this is a good overview of how libraries will be affected. I’m not sure how I feel about this yet. I understand the desire to sell physical books, for sure. But I also hate to see library patrons unable to read our work. I fear this isn’t the end of the story.

An ode to the magic of Britain's country house libraries. Such interesting history. I don’t know about you, but a real library is on my #lifegoals list.

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WHAT I’M READING:

IF SHE WAKES by Michael Koryta

I just finished this amazing title from Michael Koryta on audio. The conceit—the main character in a coma—scared me off at first, but several people told me Koryta pulled it off, so I dove in. And holy cow. This story rocks along, and has one of the scariest villains I’ve read in a long time. Think of a rattlesnake sheathed in the skin of an assassin. His female leads are fantastic, heroic, leap off the page larger than life, and the intricate storyline is A+. There are also multiple points of view, all handled wonderfully. Just a superb book all the way around.

What are you reading?

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That’s it from me. Send me some good writing mojo, take a nice long walk in the leaf-strewn woods, cuddle up to the fire with some hot apple cider, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.

Sunday Smatterings

Happy Sunday!

Most of you who read know my love of my friend Laura Benedict, who is in turns confidant, critique partner, shopping companion, and fierce friend. When things are going south, or going north, I call. 

Earlier this week, when I was complaining, as I am wont to do, about my latest story, how it simply won’t behave, this is what she texted me. 

“Very few easy things turn out to be extraordinary.” ~Laura Benedict

Isn’t this the most inspirational quote?  It applies to every endeavor in life, creative or otherwise. Painting walls isn’t easy, but if done correctly, the results are extraordinary, just like the 100,000-word slog that is writing a novel.

But as profound as this quote is, it didn’t magically fix everything. (unfair) The story continued to give me heck from all quarters. Why? Why? What is wrong with the damn thing?

I reached out to another brilliant, dear writer friend, Ariel Lawhon, explaining the issues I was having. She reminded me that every story has a shape. “What do you see when you think of the story?” she asked.

This is what I saw:

Yep. Utter and complete chaos. 

OK. As weird as it sounds, talking it through with Ariel, that “shape” sparked something for me. As we dug deeper, what we discover in that chaos was a maelstrom — a giant whirlpool of currents fighting against one another, reversing course, and swirling into a funnel. You can almost see it if you imagine that insane scribbling in 3-D.

An actual shape emerged. And the story broke free, as happens when you figure out some intrinsic truths about it.

I share this not to complain that I’m stuck, or that I can’t figure out what’s wrong. I share this because I truly feel healthy writing doesn’t occur in a vacuum. Surrounding yourself with the kind of people who will drop everything and help you break it down is a blessing in this life, one an artist can’t live without. 

These relationships must be cultivated, carefully tended, fertilized, and given the exact right amount of sunlight to thrive. They aren’t easy to find, but when you do find them, they are worth their weight in gold. They are not always easy, but when handled with care, they are extraordinary.

Also, if your story isn’t working for you, thinking about it terms of shape can help tremendously.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, I’m doing NaNoWriMo this month. I’m a bit behind, but I’m already feeling the freeodm that comes with stowing the critical voice and just writing for the sake of telling a story. Such fun.

And with that, on to the links!

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THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

The most anticipated books of 2020. I want every single one of these — the list is only missing Ariel Lawhon's CODE NAME HÉLÈNE, but luckily I've snagged a galley, and can’t wait to read it!

How to Choose a Writing Instrument and What It Says About You. A little humor for your day. And yes, I am a fountain pen. Bring me your epigraphs!

'A bit emotional,' Margaret Atwood receives rare honour from Queen Elizabeth. How wonderful! Congrats to Margaret Atwood. I interviewed her for AWOW season one (from a jail cell) and have always been a devotée.

Why I Always Visit Cemeteries While Traveling. I do this. It’s remarkable. There are some excellent cemeteries out there in the world to visit, too. Personal faves: Père Lachaise, Greyfriars, Saint Louis, Monmarte, Arlington.

A Piece of Advice I Wish I’d Included in My Book. Interesting technique from Cal Newport. I’m reading Digital Minimalism right now, actually.

50 Fictional Librarians, Ranked. Do you agree with their ranking?

An Imitation of Imperfection: A History of Deckle Edges. This was really interesting! In my opinion, there is nothing better than a book with deckled edges.

I had a wonderful time discussing TEAR ME APART with Brenda Novak's Book Group on Monday. Here's our conversation!

‘The Writer’s Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands’ by Huw Lewis-Jones. The perfect holiday gift for your book lover. Hint, hint.

Productivity Lagging? Here’s How To Avoid Self-Sabotage. “We must pay better attention to our attention.” Such a great observation, and great advice follows.

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WHAT I’M READING:

NINTH HOUSE by Leigh Bardugo

Sigh. The evening after I finished Leigh Bardugo’s incredible novel, I sat down to read a new book and experienced an actual moment of grief that I was done with this one. What a brilliant world Bardugo has created. Smart, intricate, fearlessly crafted, this is an intellectual fantasy/horror novel that cements Bardugo firmly in the annals of the best storytellers of this generation. Immediately shoots into my top 3 books of 2019. Just incredible. 🐍👻🖤

What are you reading?

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That’s it from me. I hope your November — the month of chill and gratitude — is off to a great start. Reach out to your best friend and thank them for being there for you, rake up some of your neighbor’s leaves when you do your own, give the leftover Halloween candy to the little library down the street, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.

Sunday Smatterings

Happy Sunday! So who else screwed up and bought the on sale Halloween candy last week? I’m telling you, I’m not much of a candy person—I normally only ever eat chocolate on the golf course when I need a boost, a frozen Milky Way on a hot day is divine—but the combination of sheer boredom and walking practice means I keep strolling past the damn bag. From Costco, ergo: it’s massive. I have it stashed away, but I guess my willpower is weakened by the months of recovery. I asked Randy to disappear it for me this morning, or else the kiddies aren’t going to have any treats!

Are you big on Halloween? I love it, but I also have weirdly mixed emotions. When I was a kid, I had a lot of bad luck on Halloween. One year I fell in a cactus, and spent the remainder of the night having spines picked from my backside. Another year, after a knock-down drag-out fight with my mom because I didn’t want to ruin my awesome Peter Pan costume by wearing snow boots, my ankle was run over by a car. Without the boots it would have surely been crushed, as it was, it was badly sprained. There were other bizarre occurrences, too. So you can understand why I tended to shy away from too much spooky celebration.

But now, Halloween is fun again. I usually carve a pumpkin, make a big pot of soup or stew or chili, we light a fire, toast marshmallows, light some candles to honor the ones we love who are no longer with us, and watch something seasonally appropriate. I don’t like super scary movies, but something psychological is always fun. 

Do you have any special Halloween traditions? Do you dress up? Go to parties? Scare the neighborhood children with a spooky house display? Have a favorite childhood costume you wish you could recreate? Sound off, I’d love to hear about it.

And then, November 1, we get to celebrate our cativersary with the minions! We brought them home six years ago—astounding to think of. They are as sweet and goofy as the day we adopted them.

Before I send you off to the links, a quick reminder. Tomorrow night (Monday, October 28) is a huge, exciting online event—TEAR ME APART is being featured on the Brenda Novak Book Group! Brenda will be here at Chez Ellison to interview me about the book, the minions, life, and anything else that might pop up. You can watch us live on Monday, the 28th at 5:00 p.m. PST/ 8:00 p.m. EST right here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/brendanovaksbookgroup/

This also means I’ll be straightening away all the kitty pillows and toys and blanket tunnels the girls use, so my house will look like adults live in it. So exciting! I can’t wait, and I hope you’ll join us. 

On to the links!

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THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

Pitching for Bookstores. Great story about Washington Nationals star reliever Sean Doolittle and his love of independent bookstores. I mean, combining books and baseball? How can you not love him?

Harry Potter book sells for £50k after being kept in code-locked briefcase. But how can they part with it?!

The Stories We Tell Ourselves. Joshua Becker speaks some lovely truth. Our minds are so easily pushed into thinking one way or another. Really like his attitude about how to handle the messages on kid’s clothing, too.

8 Fun Facts About Mary Shelley Just in Time for the Spooky Season. Mary Shelley was pretty badass.

A Rundown of V.E./Victoria Schwab’s Books and Upcoming Adaptations. If you haven't read Victoria yet, you're in for a treat!

As a rule, I don’t read my reviews, but when I heard Abby at Crime By The Book really loved GOOD GIRL LIE, I had to read it. And I was blown away by the analysis of the story and characters. There’s nothing cooler than when a reader “gets” your book. I hope you enjoy her review, and you really need to start following her instagram and blog, She’s the real deal.

The Reason Why The Great Gatsby Isn’t In the Public Domain (Yet). Fascinating history! What do you think the first big pull qoute will be?

15 Quotes That Will Remind You of the Joy and Power of Books. I love a good quote list.

Just in time for Halloween, here’s a great podcast with bestie Laura Benedict on The Monster Professor talking about her gothic inspirations, writing supernatural stories, and her superb creepy storytelling skills.

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WHAT I’M READING:

Boxing The Octopus by Tim Maleeny

With a fascinating caper, a twisted mystery, a grizzled PI with a kick-ass Ninja chick sidekick, and a complex plot worthy of Leonard's heir, Tim Maleeny bursts back onto the crime fiction stage with a surefire winner. BOXING THE OCTOPUS features a dizzying array of well-developed characters both friend and foe—and cephalopod, of course—who catapult the story forward. Thrilling, amusing, and thought-provoking, I couldn’t stop reading! Can’t wait for Cape and Sally’s next adventure. And how cute is the octopus???

What are you reading?

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That’s it from me. Carve an elaborate pumpkin, just for fun, make a big pot of turkey chili, kick back with your favorite spooky movie, and I’ll see you next week. Happy Halloween! 👻🎃

Peace and hugs,
J.T.

PS: Please bear with me over the next few weeks — I am moving email and newsletter services and there might be a few glitches. Will do my best to keep everything in line. If you see something wonky, feel free to shoot me an email and let me know.

A DEEPER DARKNESS — on sale for $1.99

A DEEPER DARKNESS, the first book in my Sam Owens series, is on sale for $1.99!

About the book:

As a medical examiner, Samantha Owens knows her job is to make a certain sense of death with crisp methodology and precision instruments. 

But the day the Tennessee floods took her husband and children, the light vanished from Sam's life. She has been pulled into a suffocating grief no amount of workaholic ardor can penetrate—until she receives a peculiar call from Washington, D.C.

On the other end of the line is an old boyfriend's mother, asking Sam to do a second autopsy on her son. Eddie Donovan is officially the victim of a vicious carjacking, but under Sam's sharp eye the forensics tell a darker story. The ex-Ranger was murdered, though not for his car.

Forced to confront the burning memories and feelings about yet another loved one killed brutally, Sam loses herself in the mystery contained within Donovan's old notes. It leads her to the untouchable Xander, a soldier off-grid since his return from Afghanistan, and then to a series of brutal crimes stretching from that harsh mountainous war zone to this nation's capital. The tale told between the lines makes it clear that nobody's hands are clean, and that making sense of murder sometimes means putting yourself in the crosshairs of death.

Download the eBook

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