GOOD GIRLS LIE is on sale!

Happy day after Thanksgiving! I have great news: GOOD GIRLS LIE is on sale for $2.99. Treat yourself or gift a copy to your loved one!

Download your copy!

KINDLE
NOOK
APPLE BOOKS
KOBO
GOOGLE PLAY

About the book:

Goode girls don’t lie…

Perched atop a hill in the tiny town of Marchburg, Virginia, The Goode School is a prestigious prep school known as a Silent Ivy. The boarding school of choice for daughters of the rich and influential, it accepts only the best and the brightest. Its elite status, long-held traditions and honor code are ideal for preparing exceptional young women for brilliant futures at Ivy League universities and beyond. But a stranger has come to Goode, and this ivy has turned poisonous.

In a world where appearances are everything, as long as students pretend to follow the rules, no one questions the cruelties of the secret societies or the dubious behavior of the privileged young women who expect to get away with murder. But when a popular student is found dead, the truth cannot be ignored. Rumors suggest she was struggling with a secret that drove her to suicide.

But look closely…because there are truths and there are lies, and then there is everything that really happened.

J.T. Ellison’s pulse-pounding new novel examines the tenuous bonds of friendship, the power of lies and the desperate lengths people will go to to protect their secrets.

Sunday Smatterings

Happy Sunday, friends!

A quick(ish) smatterings today, as the weather is fine and the To Do list is overflowing. 

It was a heavy on the work and house side of things week. Four Zooms in two days, which, for me, is a lot, and takes a huge outpouring of creative energy.

The bookcases and ladder are installed in my office at last, the kitchen table arrived, and that’s the end of renovations. Now we just need to hang the curtains, hang the rest of the art, and unpack about 20,000 boxes, and we’ll be done. It’s so easy to let the minor things slide, especially since we’re just plain exhausted with the whole process. With luck, I’ll get the books unpacked this week. They are really taking up too much space in the dining room.

It’s funny, I was so discombobulated when we first moved in. My kitchen seemed alien and difficult; I couldn’t find the right path from office to teapot. Changes in the nighttime routine meant I was forever remembering things I’d forgotten to do (change the cat’s water, arm the alarm) and a new gas fireplace meant I was constantly checking that I’d turned it off. Not being able to use the master bath for a month was a pain, but it too is complete.

Now, a month in, there’s a groove again. A rhythm forming. I moved the silverware and that solved the weird feeling in the kitchen. I swapped my desk direction to face the office doors instead of the window, and now the rug isn’t bunching up and the flow feels better. The cats certainly seem to love this place. They travel through the house on sunbeams, finding warm spots to curl up and snuggle. I think we’re all feeling more settled, and that’s a very good thing. 

Now to turn back to a quieter creative life. The new book is percolating. I have a short story to finish. I have time to read again. Christmas cards are ordered, the turkey is in the freezer for our lone Thanksgiving. We are hunkering down, hoping to ride out the storm until the vaccines come. It’s all we can do.

Change is not easy. Change that we choose is tough enough — moving and renovating is high on the list of life’s major stressors. That we’ve all been forced to change our lives, our lifestyles, at once is remarkable. Any time I start feeling frustrated or sad that we can’t do something that in our past life we’d do without a second thought, I remind myself that you, too, are feeling exactly the same, and it truly helps.

And with what turned from a quick note to a blather, onward!

---

THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

I had a blast with Friends & Fiction! You can catch the full replay if you weren’t able to join us live.

Best Books 2020 — Goodreads Choice Awards. The final round is up! It's hard to pick favorites among all these amazing titles but I sure am rooting for V.E. Schwab’s THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE.

As the Shannara Saga Ends, Terry Brooks Looks Back...and Forward. A fascinating look into how an author approaches a long-running series.

5 Comfort Book Recommendations To Escape Reality And 5 Books We're Anticipating In November. I’m all for comfort reads.

8 of the Best Mysteries and Thrillers by Black Authors. Great list! I have Alyssa Cole’s book queued up…

Goodreads is giving away 25 Advanced Reader Copies of HER DARK LIES! Big giveaway!!

The History of Dust Jackets: From Disposable to Collectible. How do you feel about dust jackets? I had a brief moment of thinking maybe I’d shelve the books without them… a brief moment.

Stephen King on how to properly adapt his books and which project went ‘entirely off the rails.’ Masterclass from Uncle Steve...

Literary Tourism: Edinburgh. I can’t wait to go back again someday…I miss Edinburgh so much.

Data Science, Psychology Reveal Why the 'Game of Thrones' Books Are So Riveting. Fascinating.

What to Write in a Book As a Gift: 40 Bookish Inscription-Ready Quotes. Do you write in books you give as gifts? I do…

The Ultimate Guide To Book Socks For Readers. So many cute options!

---

That’s it from me. Consider adopting a pet from your local shelter, buy yourself some flowers, read a great book, and I’ll see you next Sunday!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.

Tonight: Friends & Fiction with J.T. Ellison and Hank Phillippi Ryan

Join me and Hank Phillippi Ryan tonight at 7pm ET when we meet up with Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry, and Mary Alice Monroe on their weekly Facebook Live show Friends & Fiction. We’ll be talking about writing, books, and life--and offering you some special opportunities.

Friends & Fiction is seriously amazing and I’m thrilled they invited me on! You can learn more about the inspiration behind the show in this cool article.

Plus, Parnassus Books is offering 10% off of select titles, including GOOD GIRLS LIE, with the code friendsfiction10. Click here to shop!

Sunday Smatterings

Happy Sunday, friends!

What a beautiful week it’s been here in Nashville. After a blustery wind Tuesday blew away all the fallen leaves, it’s been exceedingly pleasant, sunny, low 60s—perfect driveway date weather. That things were returned to normal enough that we were able to resume said driveway dates is wonderful. Between moving and the election and the last of the renovations, there hasn’t been much downtime to soak up some vitamin D. That also means a return to a more regular writing schedule. Since I’m so early in the book, I’m not worrying about the word count but instead how much time I spend with it. Two hours nets me at least one scene a day, which sets me up well for when things start shaping into a bigger picture. 

I did lose a huge amount of time to a Facebook situation. I had to verify my page in order to keep control of it. They needed me to prove it was actually me running the page. While I admire the efforts to root out fake accounts, I’ve been blue-check verified for years, so it should have been a simple thing to show some ID and move on. It wasn’t. It took four days, multiple denials, and a load of frustrated emails. It reminded me yet again the only social channel we authors actually “own” are our websites and our newsletter lists. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram—we are beholden to the organizations that run the sites to allow us to continue posting there. If something goes south, at least I know I have the blog and the newsletter. 

I think it would behoove every author to invest significant energy in cultivating a newsletter list. I would love to hear some of your favorites—I’ll start compiling them for recommending, just like I do with books I love. Leave them in the comments and I’ll check them out. I’ll go first: Laura Benedict, Allison Brennan, Gregg Olsen, Mary Laura Philpott, Catherine Coulter are great examples, as are Patti Callahan Henry and Ariel Lawhon. 

Speaking of Patti and Ariel, November’s missive went out with some insights on both evocative thematic lines and villains talk. If you didn’t get it but are signed up, send me a note, and I’ll get it out to you.

SO many logistics go into being a modern author. I hate losing writing time to these kinds of business shenanigans. But writing is a business, and these are the things we need to do to stay connected with you, our favorite reader!

Onward!

---

THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

Every Captivating Thriller and Mystery You'll Want to Read in November. Have you read any of these yet?

Not Your Average Watering Hole. This made me so happy. I would love to put out a fountain with a camera.

Bookshelf: Bestselling authors create a virtual community of writers and readers. Friends And Fiction is the bomb!!! I’ll be chatting with them next week and I can’t wait.

International Thriller Writers is putting on a Thriller MBA and y'all need to be involved.

9 of the Best Gothic Novels for Every Mood. Great list. What’s your favorite gothic?

ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS is currently free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers! Get your copy.

Tana French Talks Westerns, Folklore, and The Comfort of Crime Fiction. "There’s something strengthening about realizing that turmoil and fear and injustice have always existed, other people have struggled through them too; we’re not alone."

Print-at-Home Bookish Art For Updating Your Decor. Some great options!

These 17 Books Will Give You the Same Romantic Thriller Vibes as Rebecca. Sigh. There goes my TBR…

The Unlikely Detectives: Unlicensed, Unqualified, and Fully Invested. Do you have a favorite unlikely detective?

A Librarian Set Up a Drone Service to Drop Library Books So Kids Can Keep Reading. So inventive!

---

That’s it from me. Show some love to your favorite authors by signing up for their newsletter, indulge in a sweet treat, buy some extra hand sanitizer, and I’ll see you next Sunday!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.

Sunday Smatterings

Happy Sunday, friends! I feel like I start so many of these blogs with “What a week!” But truly, this one has been extraordinary. Obviously it’s been exceedingly hard to work without unplugging the router from the wall and putting the phone in another room. (Actually, the universe did that for me three days in a row in the form of rolling power outages which rebooted my iMac multiple times a day. This baby isn’t young and takes AGES to turn on and run properly, so it’s been an exercise in frustration trying to accomplish anything.) Election days are hard ones for us to do anything but stay glued to the statistics. When day turn into days with the possibilities of weeks, well, I’ve forced myself to look away and ask those I know who are still glued to the moment by moment coverage to text me when something happens. 

Finding flow during a time of great distraction is nigh on impossible without some sort of external accountability. I have several layers of this in place naturally, deadlines and the like, and I’m a self-motivated person in general, but 2020, with the pandemic and the chaos and the constant background noise, has tested me.

The only way to conquer this, of course, is to work through it. I have become an expert at creating places and scenarios that shut out distractions so I can work.

I took this week to start getting a handle on what’s to come for the rest of the year creatively.  I started the new book. I worked on the short story. I had a nightly check in with some of my writer besties to share what I’d done and what I planned to do the next day, and they shared their accomplishments and plans as well. There is comfort in accountability, yes, but even more in community. Knowing everyone is sharing the same set of uncertainties and is finding their paths through it keep me on track.

If you ever need to get through something, recruit some like-minded friends and hold each others’ feet to the fire. It really works.

And so, that’s it from me, because if I can’t share that I’ve touched the book today, I’ll be in all sorts of trouble this evening!

Onward!

---

THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

10 Books to Read After You've Finished REBECCA. REBECCA is one of my all-time favorite novels so this list was made for me!

How to use Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter less. A thoughtful piece that's well worth the read. I think using social media in the ways that serve you best is very important.

11 Thoughtful Gifts For Word Lovers. The gift guides are coming early this year.

A Continuous Shape. This short documentary about stone carver Anna Rubincam blew me away. The best example of creative focus I've seen lately.

See Every Detail of Your Favorite First-Edition Book Cover With These High-Quality Art Prints. If you love classics, you are going to want to click through. Such gorgeous designs!

All the Famous Writers Who Have Reportedly Come Back as Ghosts. "Ghost writers, not ghostwriters."

Check 'Em Out: Find The Perfect Library Tote Bags To Haul Your Goods. So many great options!

Clifton House to open as sanctuary for artists to grow their craft. Very cool. One day I want to have someplace special for artists to come create.

How Lolita Author Vladimir Nabokov Helped Ruth Bader Ginsburg Find Her Voice. I had no idea.

---

That’s it from me. Find some accountability this week, and let me know how you do! I’ll see you next Sunday!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.