Tao of J.T. is the online blog of New York Times bestselling author and EMMY-award winning television host J.T. Ellison.
Today is the day! I am so excited to finally share GOOD GIRLS LIE with you, in all formats!
Head to the Events page to learn more about each tour stop. I hope to see you there!
Happy Sunday, compadres! Here we are, the last Smatterings of the year, the decade, and I find myself at a loss for words. I’ve actually been staring at this screen for an hour (in between playing with my parents’ cat) trying to decide how I want to end the decade here. It always feels like “the last of” needs to be momentous, not oh hey, the m key decided to stop working on my laptop so I’ve had three days of no M or double M. (Trust me, that sentence took a while.)
But fall back on the banal I will. We had a lovely Christmas. I took three days off. Now I’m back to work, lap desk in place, driving a new plot through the new book. Yes, at the 11th hour, I’ve had to shift gears entirely. The book will be better for it, but the deadline... alas.
And that is how 2019 has been. It was quite a year. Major highs, major lows. New deals and new books, new friends, new paths to follow. I’ve laid the groundwork for my next few years, and that feels very good indeed. My knee is healing, getting stronger, the pain less and less. The new book isn’t as far along as I’d like, but it’s working again, which is a very good thing. Everyone around me is happy and healthy. I read many, many excellent books. These are all reasons to rejoice.
And of course, I end the year with a book release. GOOD GIRLS LIE comes out tomorrow. I’ve poured an awful lot of energy into this book this year, from the truncated period it took to write to the PR, and every high and low in between. I can’t believe it’s finally here.
It will be yours tomorrow. No longer mine. I’ve spoken before how this feels like sending a child out of the nest. I’ve always equated it to sending said child to college, but after experiencing the fear and joy of a child getting behind the wheel of a car for their first solo drive with friends this year, the tumult of emotions watching their child strapping in and driving away, I think that comparison is more apt. You’ve trained them, cautioned them, given them all the tools, and now you have to hope and pray they listen to you, keep the radio turned down, their seatbelt on, their eyes on the road and their hands upon the wheel.
Yes, that’s what this feels like. It’s gifting freedom into a machine that could hurt them if not operated properly.
In other words, sheer, unadulterated terror.
I know its just words. But the people inside the covers are alive to me. The story I’ve told is like blood from my veins.
I hope you love it.
And I hope the decade to come brings as much joy as the decade past. May the road rise up to meet you, always.
And with that, off we go…
GOOD GIRLS LIE comes out tomorrow!!!
A few of the places GGL has popped up recently:
-Crime By the Book’s Best Psychological Thrillers of 2019: “Blending drama worthy of Pretty Little Liars with layered, intricate plotting and seriously sinister secrets, GOOD GIRLS LIE is, simply put, a heck of a lot of fun to read.”
-Chatelaine: 9 New Thrillers For Chilling Fall Reading: “Who doesn’t love a prep school/secret society/inexplicable murders tale?”
-BookRiot New Release Tuesday: Rincey highlights GOOD GIRLS LIE!
-J.T. Ellison, December’s Rogue Recommendation, Goes Rogue. I love going rogue, and was so honored!
-Heather Gudenkauf: Boarding Schools, Ghost Stories & New Year’s Resolutions ~ A Pen Pal Conversation with NYT Bestselling Author, J.T. Ellison. This was such a great conversation!
Paul from Paul’s Fantasy Writings interviewed me about the book and the writing life
Don’t forget to check out the Events page to see if I’ll be in your town for book tour. I would love to see you! If I’m not coming to your area, you can preorder a personalized copy from Parnassus Books.
How reading has changed in the 2010s. Always interesting to see the trends that emerged. I was sure domestic suspense was over… thank heavens I was wrong!
Bats Are Hanging Out in the Library. What Gives? Super cool! Trust me.
Writing through fear. Such a wonderful piece, really hit me where I needed it.
Something to Chew On: Tracking Down the History of the Library Cake. This is so neat! And a good reminder to give credit where it's due.
'I thought you’d like to read this': the etiquette of gifting books. Great tips!
Neil Gaiman Talks Dreamily About Fountain Pens, Notebooks & His Writing Process in His Long Interview with Tim Ferriss. Lovely interview.
This 'Harry Potter' Christmas Pop-up Bar Is Basically the Yule Ball. I want to go!
How I Found the 4 Hardest-to-Find Bookstores in the World. Sounds like a good challenge…
I dropped my Top Books of 2019 list this week. I chose 13 out of the 85 I’ve read. It was a good reading year, for sure.
NEVER LET ME GO by Kazuo Ishiguro
I found this slim volume when I was looking for boarding school mysteries. I saw the description of the three friends as Hailsham School and bought it without a second though. I had no idea what I was getting into. Ishiguro was awarded the Nobel for Literature in 2017, and I’ve experienced other works of his, but nothing as deeply disturbing as this. The movie of the same name is an excellent adaptation, though it’s more up front about what’s happening than the book is. The slow reveal of Hailsham’s true purpose shocked me, troubled me, and hasn’t let me go. I suppose the title couldn’t be more perfect.
What are you reading?
That’s it from me. Grab a copy of Good Girls Lie for you and a friend, think about your goals for the future, take a nice, long walk, and I’ll see you next week!
Peace and hugs,
J.T.
Wow. The reading year started off with a bang, and it never stopped. I’ve read 85 books this year, and I kept track of the books that really stood out to me as I finished them. You can find more of the books I loved this year here. This list represents the best of the best for me — and before you say “hey, J.T.” these are not necessarily published in 2019, but books I read in 2019. (Hey, I make the rules here…)
DAISY JONES AND THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid
If you like music, you will LOVE this book about a tempestuous young singer and the band who launched her to stardom. The structure and multiple POVs give it the feel of a Rolling Stone interview. Very unique, very well written, and so good I immediately went to the store and grabbed THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO. Taylor Jenkins Reid is that good.
EDUCATED by Tara Westover
This book spoke to me on a number of levels. I grew up in the mountains, well away from the nearest town, and understand the joy and pain of isolation. But… that’s where our similarities end. This is a fascinating look at the lengths some people have to go to in order to become educated. Beautifully written, Tara Westover has a lovely command of language. Heartbreaking, inspiring, and frighteningly real.
THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides
THE SILENT PATIENT is absolutely superb. And honestly, to say much more will ruin it completely. I expect great things from Alex going forward... Also, this one won the Goodreads Best Mystery/Thriller Book of the Year award, and it’s incredibly well deserved. I loved this book and I appreciate the effort that went into it.
THE STRANGER INSIDE by Laura Benedict
What if you came home to find a stranger living inside your house? An outstanding, ever-twisting, surprise-filled psychological drama (Publishers Weekly, starred review), in the tradition of Shari Lapena and Liane Moriarty, from an Edgar- and Thriller Award-nominated author.
Can you imagine the nightmare of a stranger taking over your house? The terror you would feel? Benedict turns her unique voice in suspense to this elegant scary mystery, where nothing is as it seems and one woman's truth is shattered by the hidden secrets of her past. It is so good!
THE STRANGER INSIDE by Lisa Unger
No, you aren’t seeing things — there were two books called THE STRANGER INSIDE this year, and they were both excellent! I'm a fan of Lisa Unger's work, and especially of how she builds her characters. From the most innocent to the most evil, every one of them has depth that makes them come alive on the page. THE STRANGER INSIDE is no different — a brilliant character study of victims who've survived a terrible event in their childhood and how they've found ways to cope with the aftermath. As always, this is more than a page turner, it is a complex psychological study and thrilling to boot. Her best yet.
OUT EAST by John Glynn
I’ve always been obsessed with the northeastern beach scene, being a Florida beach girl myself. I went in expecting a light read about the Hamptons and WHOA. Glynn’s style is amazingly evocative. This is a wonderful coming-of-age memoir, beautiful, lovely, heartbreaking, and inspiring. I gobbled it up in two days. While John’s day job is editing for Graydon House, I really hope he writes a lot more. He’s a true talent. This was a perfect first read of the summer.
IF SHE WAKES by Michael Koryta
I listened to this amazing title from Michael Koryta on audio. The conceit of IF SHE WAKES—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. The 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.
SAVE ME THE PLUMS by Ruth Reichl
What a lovely, fascinating book. I'm lately come to memoir, but each one I read builds on the last like layers in a cake. This slice of Reichl's life chronicles being named editor in chief of Gourmet Magazine to the magazine's eventual close a decade later made me laugh, and made me think. "Brand Ruth" is an excellent cautionary tale to us all, I think.
GIDEON THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir
Every review you will see about this book starts the same way—I’ve never read anything quite so unique. This is the truth. I mean, you put together space, necromancy, wars and petty grievances, a kick ass heroine (Gideon) with a smart mouth and a longing to prove herself, pair her with a nemesis named Harrow who is the daughter of the Ninth House Leaders and as such in total control of her, and watch the bones fly. I’ve never read anything quite so original in my life. The cover itself gives you a clue about the journey—all those skeletons! Absolutely wonderful, and more to come in this series next year! I can’t wait.
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 shot into my top 3 books of 2019. Just incredible. 🐍👻🖤
THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS by Lisa Jewell
I don’t often close a book and say “brilliant”, but that’s exactly what I did when I set down Lisa Jewell's latest. What a story! I read this in one gloriously long evening, captured from page one, and now I’d like to get it on audio and experience it again. A superb, insidious, compelling, compulsive read.
NEVER LET ME GO by Kazuo Ishiguro
I found this slim volume when I was looking for boarding school mysteries. I saw the description of the three friends as Hailsham School and bought it without a second though. I had no idea what I was getting into. Ishiguro was awarded the Nobel for Literature in 2017, and I’ve experienced other works of his, but nothing as deeply disturbing as this. The movie of the same name is an excellent adaptation, though it’s more up front about what’s happening than the book is. The slow reveal of Hailsham’s true purpose shocked me, troubled me, and hasn’t let me go. I suppose the title couldn’t be more perfect.
DIGITAL MIMIMALISM by Cal Newport
Cal Newport is always on my best of list when he has a book out, mostly because I admire how he stares into the digital abyss and finds a path for us mere mortals to navigate. I appreciate the thought behind this book—how can we find ways to make the internet work for us, instead of sapping our energy and creating issues? A wonderful quick read and a solid life plan for those of us who struggle with digital addictions.
STRONG IS THE NEW BEAUTIFUL by Lindsey Vonn
Lindsey Vonn is one of my heroes, and I thoroughly enjoyed this glimpse into how she keeps her body running at world champion level. If you have been dieting, or exercising, and aren’t seeing results (or are starving to death) read this. It’s a wonderful, simple, straightforward way to look at our health, and how we nourish our bodies.
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas...
Which ain’t going to happen, no matter how much I dream, because I don’t get to spend Christmas in Colorado anymore. But I remember how much I used to love getting up on Christmas morning to find out Santa had brought a lovely storm. It was so magical. Christmas Eve, we always watched the classics—Charlie Brown, The Grinch, and Rudolph. If you recall...the final plot twist in Rudolph is a terrible winter storm that’s going to cancel Christmas. Because of his big, beautiful red nose, Santa realizes he’ll be able to deliver all the gifts after all—and of course, the stop to the Island of Misfit Toys never failed to leave me sobbing into my pillow at the injustice of the very concept of unwanted toys, with every toy I owned on the bed so none of them—NONE—would feel left out. (Even as an adult, I can’t watch that scene without crying. It’s so wonderful, the message of inclusion, of gratitude, of little joys, and not taking love for granted.)
And then, spent, I’d fall asleep and wake to a winter wonderland, evergreens bowing under the weight of the snow, the gentle susurring of branches shaking themselves free of their white blankets, the deep silence only a snowfall can bring, and I’d know Santa had come. It was glorious.
So now you know what I’ll be doing Tuesday night...
We have some other family traditions, one in particular that’s very important to our Christmas Eve. We light bayberry candles at sunset and let them burn down all night in remembrance of those loved ones who are no longer with us. As the youngest in the family, I always have the honor of lighting the candles. I keep promising myself I will loop some people in my world into this tradition, but always end up with the usual seasonal overwhelm. It will happen, eventually. 2020, The Year of Enough, is going to see some major changes in how I approach the whole commercial side of my life in addition to my perfectionism, so this seems like a great time to get started.
Do you have any holiday traditions—new or old—that you just will not miss?
And with that, off we go…
GOOD GIRLS LIE comes out one week from tomorrow!!!
You can imagine my delight at seeing this wonderful snippet in ELLE Canada this week: “If the Succession prequel series of our dreams actually existed, we imagine it would find Shiv Roy at a private school similar to the one where J.T. Ellison’s latest novel, Good Girls Lie (out on December 30), is set. The twisty psychological thriller follows Ash, who quickly makes friends with the popular crowd at her elite new prep school. But when Ash falls out of favour and a student ends up dead, she becomes the clear suspect. Enter secrets, betrayal and general mistrust—all of our favourite things (to read about).”
I am obsessed with Succession, and Shiv Roy, and I admit to absolute delight at this comparison. Also, when I first started writing, I was reviewing for the Elle Book Club, and Elle Magazine was my very first byline. This has a bit of a full-circle feel to me. 🥰
A few of the places GGL has popped up recently:
-Providence Journal: “A bracingly original thriller set inside the ironically named Goode School that reads like a female-centric A Separate Peace spiced with murder.”
-BookTrib: Good Girls Lie, Cheat and Murder … Or Do They? “A whopper of a dark tale, a nail-biter bound to keep you reading beyond the midnight hour.”
-Mystery Scene Magazine: “A dark, moody, surprising, well-wrought psychological thriller that evokes the best of Agatha Christie and Patricia Highsmith.”
Don’t forget to check out the Events page to see if I’ll be in your town for book tour. I would love to see you! If I’m not coming to your area, you can preorder a personalized copy from Parnassus Books.
Cozy cabin was custom-designed for reading. What an amazing getaway!
Best mystery books of 2019. This is a fabulous list, including two of my best of 2019 reads, Laura Benedict’s THE STRANGER INSIDE and Michael Kortya’s IF SHE WAKES. My full list of top 2019 books is coming soon!
Shop Less, Give More: 4 Ways to Give Bookish Experiences as Gifts This Holiday Season. Great ideas!
How Reese Witherspoon Took Charge of Her Career and Changed Hollywood. This is so inspiring! I know I speak for all of us when I say - GOOD FOR HER!
New owners and location for Mysterious Galaxy in 2020. Wonderful news! Welcome to the family, Matt and Jenni.
Video of a Delivery Man Discovering Snacks Outside a House. This is so lovely - putting together my basket this weekend.
'The Silent Patient' Wins Best Mystery of 2019. And it’s incredibly well deserved. I loved this book and I appreciate the effort that went into it.
My favorite gifts to give and receive. A superb gathering of goodies to gift and receive this holiday season, from Anne Bogel.
(Almost) Every Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV or Movie Adaptation in the Works Right Now. Lots of good stuff ahead!
104-year-old woman celebrates birthday with a children's book drive. How remarkable!
Writing Inspiration: Turning Good Reading into Good Writing. Good tips here.
THE KILL CLUB by Wendy Heard
A chilling, clever plot combined with highly original characters makes Wendy Heard's THE KILL CLUB a surefire winner. Relentlessly paced, elegantly written, diabolically twisted, you will not be able to put it down. Heard is a true talent. And a really, really cool chick.
What are you reading?
That’s it from me. Watch a classic, listen to one of the awesome new book podcasts, take a few days off this week, and I’ll see you next week!
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Season’s Greetings, Happy Holidays, Happy Kwanzaa, heck… MERRY EVERYTHING!!!!!
Peace and hugs,
J.T.
It’s hard to believe… my new novel, GOOD GIRLS LIE, will be out in the world very soon. Because it’s releasing at a tricky time, when many of you will be gone for the holidays, I wanted to give you a precursor round-up. Here is everything you need to know about GOOD GIRLS LIE in one convenient spot! I can’t wait to get this book into your hands. Merry Everything!
GOOD GIRLS LIE will be in bookstores on Monday December 30, 2019.
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.
★ Publishers Weekly starred review
I had a lovely sit down with the folks at BookClubbish to discuss GOOD GIRLS LIE, my writing, and other tidbits. Enjoy!
Head to the Events page to learn more about each tour stop. I hope to see you there! If I’m not coming to your area, you can preorder a signed copy from Parnassus Books.
“A high-tension thriller...Alternating points of view raise the suspense, blurring the lines between what’s true and false...Ellison keeps readers guessing throughout."
—★ Publishers Weekly, starred review
"An intriguing plot, featuring a final twist, shows what can happen when hidden truths are revealed."
—Booklist
“Good Girls Lie is an entertainingly twisted coming-of-age tale, pitting the desire for privacy against the corrosiveness of secrecy and taking an often harrowing look at how wealth and power can lull recipients into believing they’re untouchable.”
—BookPage
“Sinister and atmospheric, this page-turner elevates the thriller genre with descriptive writing and well-drawn characters. Ash arrives at the Goode School with secrets of her own. Following an honor code is difficult enough (no lies allowed), but throw in secret societies and overly privileged students, and the scene is set for murder. For readers who liked The Secret History and Watching You.”
—Douglas Beatty, Baltimore County Public Library, LibraryReads
“An exploration of deception and betrayal—and the caring-and-cruelty rollercoaster of adolescent friendships—“Good Girls Lie” represents a gripping read that simultaneously mesmerizes and disturbs.”
—The Free-Lance Star
“GOOD GIRLS LIE is a superb psychological thriller…a deliciously dark, wickedly plotted suspense story…with drama, secret societies, cliques, illicit affairs, manipulation, and, of course, murder, and it’s the sort of book you never want to end.”
—Crime By The Book
"Every facet this author weaves will have you chilled to the bone. Out of all the books you choose to read, make sure this is the one you do not overlook.”
—Suspense Magazine
