ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS has a new cover!

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The Taylor Jackson series is getting new covers! First up is the first book in the series, ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS, and it's out today. Do you like?

John Seigenthaler interviewed me for A Word on Words, his long-running literary television series on Nashville Public Television, when the book released in 2007. It was an incredible honor! And an even greater honor to become a co-host of the show and continue his legacy in 2015.

Get your copy!

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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.

Meet Jayne Thorne, CIA Librarian!

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Oh, how I love a good origin story. This is Jayne’s.

“Magic has long been contained in a tiny river of stars, accessible to only a very few talented magicians. But Jayne Thorne has come into her powers, and the world is about to change.”

I have a surprise for you! I’ve started a new series, and it’s urban fantasy!

Way back in March 2016, I saw a story on Twitter: The CIA is hiring a $100,000 Librarian. 

It didn’t take me reading past the headline to start cracking jokes in my head: specifically, “Jane Bond. CIA librarian.” She came alive for me in ways few characters have done since I cooked up Taylor Jackson. I saw her immediately, cracking wise and saving the world.

I sent the story to my husband and assistant.

“Hey. I have an idea. A young librarian named Jane Bond applies for a job at the CIA as a reference librarian and gets more than she bargained for. Has anyone already done this?????”

The answer, it turned out, was no. I ran the idea up the flagpole. “What if I wrote a new series with this character, something lighter, not as dark, funny, fun.” My agent pointed out we probably couldn’t use the Bond branding, but the idea was sound.

Problem was, I already had so many commitments that there was no way I could manage to add another. So the idea sat. 

But I was edgy about it. We authors are a zeitgeisty bunch. I knew if I didn’t write the story, someone else would. My fabulous assistant at the time, Amy Kerr, did yeoman’s work helping me figure out the storyline, the character, pulling together a proposal and outline. My agent wasn’t in love. I was, of course, devastated. I knew in my soul there was something about Jayne (note the spelling change, she was already morphing). I wanted to explore her character so badly.

Pre-pandemic, we used to have author get-togethers for brunch and writing days. I was hosting the day Alisha Klapheke came by. While most of us goofed off in the kitchen eating and gossiping, she greeted everyone, then set up shop in the corner of the couch, put on her headphones, and banged out 2,000 words before joining us for the fun.

That caught my attention. 

And I started to think maybe, just maybe, I needed some help. And maybe, just maybe, I was setting Jayne in the wrong world. Maybe, just maybe, Jayne needed to have magic.

I have long wanted to write in the fantasy genre. Urban fantasy, epic fantasy, whatever—something that I could build the world, the rules, the moral structure, the magic system. But like writing in any genre, you need to know the rules, the tropes, the authors. Alisha had all of that knowledge and more—a brilliant voice and sharp shooter writing skills.

I approached, she agreed. It was now 2018, two years since that first spark of an idea lit up my imagination. 

You see where this is heading. Work, work, work, meshing Jayne into the fabric of my solo books. Outlines and proposals, synopses and drafts. Meetings over lunch, and eventually, Zoom. Incredible changes in both of our lives and careers. But during it all, writing, creating, breathing life into the idea of Jayne until she was fully realized and truly leapt off the page. I decided on the pen name Joss Walker, and off to the races we went.

Jayne Thorne, CIA Librarian, was reborn in a magical world, where the CIA has a magical branch called the Torrent Control Office (TCO) that’s main division is called The Library. Magic has been throttled, stuck in the Torrent for a very long time, and a terror organization is using dark magic, necromancy, to try and raise formerly strong magicians to access their powers and control the world. When Jayne, a librarian at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, accidentally accesses a grimoire in the Vandy vault, the resounding thunderclap to the magical world draws the attention of both friend and foe. The CIA gets to her first, and her journey begins. The book is a little bit thriller, a whole lot of fantasy, and all kinds of magic, with tons of books, cool libraries, international settings, and a hot Irishman thrown in for fun.

Without Alisha, Jayne would have never come to life for me. I am in her debt, and so incredibly grateful to her for helping me start this series!

And you, my friends, finally get to sample the fabulous new world we’ve created. I can’t wait for you to get the book and meet Jayne and her team for yourselves. 

Some housekeeping: for the time being, the digital version will only be available through Amazon, but the print, both trade paperback and hardcover, are available everywhere. We got the exciting news that Target is including the paperback and hardcover in their current Buy Two Get One Free deal on select books, movies, and games through June 19. The audiobook is coming soon. So do me a favor. Call your favorite indie, send a note to your library. Jayne Thorne, CIA Librarian, is here!

Jayne Thorne, CIA Librarian #1 - TOMB OF THE QUEEN

A LIBRARIAN. A SPELL BOOK.
AND A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION SET ON ENSLAVING THE WORLD.

Librarian Jayne Thorne enjoys her quiet life of tea and books. That is, until she finds a spell book in the Vanderbilt archives that accidentally gives her access to a magical dimension.

Now she's hunted by a magic-wielding terrorist group called the Kingdom, and the only way for her to survive is to team up with a secret branch of the CIA. Her first mission: Go undercover at Trinity College Library in Dublin to discover the identity of a Kingdom member and determine if the Book of Leinster is actually a magical necromantic grimoire.

With the help of a handsome Irish kickboxer, Jayne uncovers the truth of her unexpected spell book: The Irish manuscript is one of five grimoires that can raise five dead, master magicians, and secure their totems of power. With these totems comes the power to control the world.

But the spell book isn't the only thing with secrets in Jayne's new life. Danger lurks in every corner and Jayne must rise to meet her fated role... or perish alongside the rest of the world.

Perfect for fans of A Discovery of Witches who love Indiana Jones and Gilmore Girls, this paranormal adventure thriller is the fantasy you’ve been waiting for.

Book One was co-written with Alisha Klapheke.

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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.

You're invited...

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Guess who's getting married today? Will Claire and Jack make it down the aisle...or not? Read HER DARK LIES to find out what will happen at the wedding of the year.

Get your copy!

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,

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.

Taylor Jackson Books 5, 6, and 7 are back in print!

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Surprise! I have very exciting news: THE IMMORTALS, SO CLOSE THE HAND OF DEATH, and WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE, books 5-7 in my Lt. Taylor Jackson series, are now available in print again. All three titles are available in both trade paperback and hardcover. (I know how frustrating it can be to not have all the titles in a series in a single format, but I hope these options will make you very happy.)

And for my librarian and indie bookstore friends, great news — these titles are available through Ingram at a 55% discount with full returns! So please spread the word to your Taylor Jackson loving readers — their girl is back in town.

Now, it’s inevitable that you may ask — but J.T., when will you give us a NEW Taylor Jackson or Samantha Owens novel? I have the frustrating but honest answer is soon, but not yet. I promise you, though, one is in the works and as quickly as I can get it finished, I will let you know.

In the meantime, enjoy these glorious beauties! And many thanks to my longtime artist, the delightful Kim Killion, who rocked these designs!

ABOUT THE SERIES

Discover the incomparable, fearless, kick ass homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson in this gripping psychological thriller series set in Nashville, Tennessee. Perfect for fans of John Sanford, Karin Slaughter, and Lisa Gardner, these books have been described as "everything great crime fiction novel[s] should be." (Allison Brennan, NYT bestseller)

Get your copies today!

 

Sunday Smatterings

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Smatterings - March 14.png

Sunday blessings, friends. What a lovely week it’s been. Bookstores with besties, podcasts galore, library talks, essays and interviews, flowers and champagne -- it’s been quite a launch getting HER DARK LIES out into the world. I’m incredibly grateful to all of you for making this release so very special.

We’ve pulled together all the links below so you don’t have to go searching, and I hope you’ll spend some time watching and reading. We’ll have all the links assembled once we wrap the whole tour, which will live on the HER DARK LIES page.

Onward!

📚HER DARK LIES IS HERE!

Get your copy of HER DARK LIES today!

You can order a signed copy from Parnassus Books, The Mysterious Bookshop, and Poisoned Pen. You may need to specify “signed copy” in the order comments or call the store directly to make sure there are signed copies left.

A few of the bookstores that hosted me for the virtual tour have signed bookplates available with your purchase as well: Writer’s Block Bookstore, Murder By The Book, Mysterious Galaxy, and Page 158.

🖥 THIS WEEK’S EVENTS

I hope you’ll join me at one of the live events this week!

📕 Tonight: March 14, 7 pm ET: Scared Suspense Book Club

HER DARK LIES is the March selection for Scared Suspense Book Club! I’ll be going on Instagram Live with Dennis of @ScaredStraightReads and Chelsea of @SuspenseThrill. Make sure you’re following both of them. It’s going to be fun!

📕 March 17, 6 pm ET: Authors on the Air Radio Show with Allison Brennan

I’m looking forward to going back on Authors on the Air Radio Show with Allison Brennan (New York Times bestselling author of TELL NO LIES)! Tune in at 5 pm CT/6 pm ET to listen to us live.

The Events page is being updated regularly, so stop by for more.

That’s it from me for now. Just a bit of housekeeping…

We have a few more weeks of Lent, and now that the book is out in the world, I will be taking my annual hiatus. For more regular updates be sure you’re a part of the newsletter—where I give away a $30 gift card every month to my readers—and I will see you on Instagram and the Literati.

Now go forth and read HER DARK LIES, and let me know what you think.

Peace and hugs,
J.T.

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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.