The Power of 15 Minutes

Welcome to the last Friday of 2021, and the last day of this odd, squirrelly year. I hope your holidays have been enjoyable. I know too many of you have gotten sick—I do hope you’re healthy and hale now and have a bunch of new books to read! I received a number of titles that I can’t wait to dive into. 2022 is going to be a wonderful reading year, I can already tell.

And since this is the last day of the year, it’s resolution time! If you’re anything like me, you’re starting to think about what changes you want to make going forward. Last week, I saw this lovely nugget on Instagram, and it’s a perfect way to approach the new year. 

Fifteen minutes of anything won’t necessarily change your life.  

Fifteen minutes a day of [[insert your goal here]], day after day, will.

Want to write a book? Read more books? Start a yoga practice? Learn a language, an instrument, a skill? Fifteen minutes. That’s all you need. If you do it regularly, the accretion of that small effort will show results. 

I’m working on my annual review, and I’m focusing on the idea of slow productivity. What you do during your workday matters, without question. But in my particular field—writing novels—day-to-day doesn’t always look that impressive. But if you put in the time, you end up with a substantial finished project, so when you look back over the year you’ve just had, you can see how those 15-minute increments can add up. 

This year, I’m committing to this practice, if only out of curiosity about what 15 minutes a day accrues for me in 2022. Join me!

📚Friday Reads

I just finished the last of my holiday reads—THE HOLIDAY SWAP by Maggie Knox. I loved it. Elevated romance; intelligent, capable, appealing leads in identical twins Cass and Charlie; adorable, swoon-worthy love interests; and a setting straight out of a holiday movie. Plus, baked goods. I’m about to start making my own sourdough, and I learned some excellent lessons throughout. IE: do NOT use iced sugar instead of flour to feed your starter. 😂

Now I’m to a reread of Cal Newport’s DEEP WORK to gear up for 2022. What are you reading this exciting weekend?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HER DARK LIES Media Roundup and End of the Year Sale

What a wondeful way to wrap up the release year! Only for this week, HER DARK LIES is $2.99.

Fast-paced and brilliantly unpredictable, HER DARK LIES invites you to a wedding none will forget—and some won’t survive.

Pick up the ebook before the deal ends. And read on for the media round up. It was a wonderful year for this little book, and I can’t thank you enough for all your support!

Get your copy!

Kindle | Nook | Apple Books | Google Play | Kobo

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Recognition

•   PW Picks: Books of the Week, March 8, 2021

•   New York Post: The best new books to read, week of March 6: Top releases, updated weekly

•   Apple Books March Must Listen

•   The Big Thrill feature

•   Mystery Scene feature

•   Goodreads: 36 of the Most Anticipated Mysteries and Thrillers of 2021

•   CNN: 20 of the most anticipated new books to read this March

•   Crime Reads: The Best New Books Out in Paperback This March

•   The Real Book Spy’s March 2021 Reading Guide

•   Smart Bitches, Trashy Books: March 2021 New Releases, Part One

•   Frolic: Ten Hot Reads for March 2021

Featured Reviews

•   Publishers Weekly, starred review

•   Shelf Awareness

•   Bookreporter

•   Criminal Element

•   Booktrib

•   Providence Journal

•   Nashville Scene/Chapter 16

Featured Essays

•   Rogue Women Writers: J.T. Ellison Goes Rogue

•   Crime Reads: Eight Dark Novels of Love and Obsession, Against A Mediterranean Backdrop

Interviews to Watch

•   Parnassus Books: In Conversation with Allison Brennan

•   Writer’s Block Bookstore: In Conversation with Lisa Gardner

•   Murder By The Book: In Conversation with Helen Ellis

•   Mysterious Galaxy: In Conversation with Lisa Unger

•   Page 158 Books: In Conversation with store owner Sue Lucey

•   Woolfer Author Series: In Conversation with Carmen Tanner Slaughter

•   First Chapter Fun with Hannah & Hank

•   ScaredStraightReads Instagram Live

•   Write for Success with Leslie Zemeckis

•   Murder By The Book: Adele Parks and Lisa Jewell In Conversation with J.T. Ellison

Podcasts and Interviews

•   Crime By The Book

•   Author Stories with Hank Garner

•   Thoughts From A Page Podcast 

•   Howe's Things

•   Thriller Talk with K.J. Howe and Ryan Steck

•   Vox Vomitus

•   Book Brag with Lynne Constantine and Wendy Walker

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My Favorites of 2021

My goodness, it has been a year for entertainment. Authors—both debut and established—came up with new worlds, new visions for their storytelling. Television shows and movies were spellbinding. Podcasts were illuminating. Every year, I am astounded by the sheer amount of talent and ingenuity we are gifted with. This year was no different, but in many ways, the depth and breadth of the stories I enjoyed changed me as a writer and as a person. I continue to be humbled by the genius I see, and move into 2022 inspired. I’ve read almost 90 books so far this year, and watched an awful lot of TV. Picking the best of was incredibly hard. But here are my favorites!

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My Favorite Books

SCORPICA by G.R. Macallister

Sophisticated, complicated, elevated epic fantasy. Brutal magic, warrior queens, political drama, a matriarchal society suffering from the "Drought of Girls"... this story stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the major titles in the genre and as a "feminist Game of Thrones." Still, it succeeds in not being interpretive or derivative, a true triumph. The world-building is top-notch, the characters are fierce, vicious, and compelling, and the build to the explosive ending is incredibly satisfying. It’s going to be a fantastic TV show. It’s going to win all the awards. A total win from start to finish. I can’t wait to experience the next book in the series.

LAST GIRL GHOSTED by Lisa Unger

Staggering. Unsettling. Vivid and intense. Lisa Unger is our most inventive suspense author, and she's created another fascinating, timely, and searingly good story with LAST GIRL GHOSTED. Wren Greenwood is one of Unger's most nuanced characters, and her story, her life, her secrets, explode off the page. Clear your calendar and lock the doors. You will not be able to stop reading. Insanely good.

HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD by Robert Kolker

This was a tough but fascinating read about the Galvin family. Of their 12 children, six were diagnosed with schizophrenia. Kolker’s compassionate storytelling and scientific accuracy make this a must read, and the studies about Choline during pregnancy being a possible barrier to subsequent schizophrenia diagnoses is one I’m watching closely. It’s a twenty-year plus study, and the doctors who posited the theory will be gone before they can prove their hypothesis completely—but the initial data looks incredibly promising. Very cool stuff.

THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. Schwab

This book. This glorious, amazing book. A young girl makes a deal with the devil and ends up cursed to be forever forgotten by the ones she loves. I read the first chapter, set the book gentle in my lap, and tried to wrap my head around the perfection of it. Then I texted a friend who was also reading it and said I might as well quit writing. It's one of THOSE... Many congratulations to my friend V.E. Schwab on the triumph that is Addie LaRue. Brava, lady.

THE PUSH by Ashley Audrain

An absolute stunner—I went into this story somewhat blind, and it took me a moment to get my bearings, but once I did, I couldn't stop reading. Blythe's journey to motherhood, the sense of dread that permeates the pages, the exquisite storytelling and descriptive prose, kept me hooked. Second person narratives rarely work for me, but THE PUSH was perfect. I went into a reading slump for weeks after this one — that’s seriously high praise.

THE OTHER BLACK GIRL by Zakiya Delila Harris

I talked to Zakiya for A Word on Words and it was one of the most incredible interviews I’ve done. This book is a sly, smart, satire with an important message. It’s a fun, albeit sobering, look inside the publishing industry as well. I had to read the end a few times to believe what I was seeing, and couldn’t WAIT to talk to friends about the story, as well as Zakiya herself. Well worth your time.

ONCE UPON A WARDROBE by Patti Callahan

Oh, this beautiful little book. I guarantee you will get choked up, and if you don't, you are doing something wrong. This is a glorious story—magnificent, quiet and lovely, full of fascinating research about C.S. Lewis and his epic tale The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, and a wonderful, hopeful story, all imagined by one of the dearest people in the world, Patti Callahan Henry. It could not be a better companion as these days grow shorter, and will make the ultimate holiday or hostess gift...⠀⠀⠀

BEYOND THE POINT by Claire Gibson

I've held onto this amazing book by Nashville treasure Claire Gibson for so long, waiting for the right moment to read it. As it happens, I started it just as we began the draw down out of Afghanistan. Talk about a full-circle tale. I can't recommend this enough: a beautifully written story of the family we choose, the power of female friendships, and the unassailable courage of our West Point cadets and all our troops. Just spectacular.

WHEN THE STARS GO DARK by Paula McLain

When one of your favorite authors ventures into the literary thriller world, you give her your utmost attention. This book is astoundingly good. Perfectly plotted, atmospheric, tense, a stunning page turner. What more can I say? Only this. If you’re interested in a masterclass of storytelling, this one’s for you. The juxtapositin of Anna Hart’s detective skills set against the Northern California forests and the Polly Klaas murder subplot struck a wonderful balance. Perfect literary crime fiction.

BRING YOUR BAGGAGE (AND DON’T PACK LIGHT) by Helen Ellis

What a wonderful, heartfelt, bittersweet, uproariously funny book! I laughed until I cried, and then I cried until I laughed. Helen Ellis is one of the most charming, innovative writers I know, and I am so excited to share her new book with you. Helen is a witty, tender, and sharp observer of life and friendships, and she is at her best here.

THE ORPHAN WITCH by Paige Crutcher

Mystical, magical, and wildly original, THE ORPHAN WITCH is a great story from an exciting new voice in fantasy. Persephone May is a witch for the ages, a tough, uncompromising, powerful time walker with a wicked gaze and a heart of gold. Her journey to find her family and herself and the lost witches of Wile Ilse is both rollicking adventure and intimate exploration. If Alice Hoffman and Sara Addison Allen had a witchy love child, she would be Paige Crutcher. Do not miss this beautifully realized debut!

THE PRACTICE OF GROUNDEDNESS by Brad Stulberg

Brad’s book changed the course of my year, so I must include it, if only because it might give you some power, too. I enjoyed listening to his conversation with Cal Newport and grabbed the book on release day. Sure enough, within the first twenty pages, I was sketching out ways to change my habits and work toward a more social media-free life. Feeding my soul, indeed.

PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION by Emily Henry

After Henry’s spectacular BEACH READ, I couldn’t get this book open quickly enough. I was surprised to find myself resisting its charms, and thought of doing a DNF after the first couple of chapters. But I persevered and the story blossomed into such a lovely, funny tale I couldn’t believe I had doubts at the beginning. Alex and Poppy and their annual vacation trials and triumphs ended up being a blast.

THE MATZAH BALL by Jean Meltzer

One of my last reads of 2021, and I am utterly charmed by the story of Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt, a single thirty-year-old daughter of a rabbi with a shameful secret—she loves Christmas. When Jacob, her camp archenemies, reappears on the scene, there’s no question this is going to be an enemies-to-lovers tale, one of my favorite tropes. Add in Rachel is a widely successful author of Christmas romances under a pseudonym, and I’ve been hooked from page one. Superb. And I am dying to make some rugelach!

RED, WHITE, AND ROYAL BLUE by Casey McQuiston

Talk about an enemies-to-lovers tale! How can you beat this tagline: “What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?” Alex Clairemont-Diaz is the First Son of the first female President, a brilliant, funny charmer who truly believes he can change the world. When he falls for Henry, Prince of Wales, all bets are off Their romance is truly touching, and the politcal backdrop, the DC and London setting, and the fabulous cast of characters elevate this adorable, complicated romance.

BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARED by Lisa Gardner

There’s very little Lisa can’t write that I don’t absolutely devoir, and this book is no different. But for Lisa, it is—a standalone novel that is going to be the start of a new series. Gritty and fascinating, Frankie Elkin is a special sort of investigator—she searches for the people that no one is looking for anymore. This is a great premise and creates a dynamic, intriguing backdrop to the classic PI novel.

TELL NO LIES by Allison Brennan

Allison Brennan has been a go-to for me since the beginning of my career. She’s also been a friend for nearly all that time, too. I am always thrilled when her books release, and this one was no different—a compelling, well-plotted tale of murder and intrigue set against the Arizona desert. And a quick head-up, her next book, THE SORORITY MURDER, will be out next week!

NANNY NEEDED by Georgina Cross

Y’all, this book was quite the mind-bender. I loved every moment, and had the great joy of meeting Georgina at Killer Nashville this year, only to find she is not a devious and twisted as her story, but a lovely, charming woman who has become a friend. You will love this creepy tale!

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My Favorite Audiobooks

GREENLIGHTS by Matthew McConnaughey

Mr. E and I listened to this gem on a roadtrip this fall, and I was…okay, not entranced, at first. But once we got through the Australia story, the whole thing became a fun deep dive intp the mind of a serious creative entity. McConnaughey is his own cat—something I greatly respect in this world. It’s rare to find people of any stripe willing to be true to themselves, and his tales of self-discovery, stepping back from fame and fortune when it became too much, when he felt like he wasn’t being his true self, genuinely resonated. Plus, he’s funny. Win win.

LOVE LIFE and STORIES I ONLY TELL MY FRIENDS by Rob Lowe

I listened to these two autobiographies from one of my favorite actors, and let me tell you, this man drops wisdom as often as he does (hysterical) impressions. There is a lot of gentle observation about striving for success in the arts, which was very meaningful for me, and loving the life you have. Lowe is also a recovering alcoholic who is searingly honest about his experiences. Plus, the inside stories about his career trajectory were fascinating. Funny, loving, impactful works.

DIGITAL MINIMALISM 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.

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My Favorite TV Shows

Ted Lasso

Yellowstone

Succession

The Queen’s Gambit

Shadow and Bone

Maid

Station Eleven

Mare of Easttown

The White Lotus

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My Favorite Podcasts

Cal Newport Deep Questions

Donor 9623

This Jungian Life

What To Read Next

The Shrink Next Door

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I would love to hear your favorites of 2021, and of course, what you’re reading this weekend!

Be safe, be well. Merry everything!

It’s gonna be a KILLER YEAR!

I am thrilled to share that Killer Year is back! This amazing collection of stories from the debut authors of 2007 and their International Thriller Writers (ITW) mentors is worth reading for itself, but here we are, lucky thirteen years later, and the careers of the authors inside this collection have blossomed. Some have even gone stratospheric.

There have been movies and television shows, multiple New York Times bestsellers, publishing houses established, ghostwriting and cowriting gigs secured, flourishing indie careers—the works. Some of us have published only a few books in the intervening years, some have published many. But what we all have in common is an abiding love for the crime fiction genre, which is on showcase in this collection. From supernatural suspense to mob stories, literary to private investigators, police procedural to true crime, plus stories, essays, and observations from the ITW mentors, KILLER YEAR truly has something for everyone. So sit back, relax, and let the finest voices in crime fiction take you away! I hope that you'll find some new to you authors in these gems, and seek out their work as well.

Meet the Killer Year debut authors of 2007

Brett Battles
J.T. Ellison
Jason Pinter
Bill Cameron
Dave White
Derek Nikitas
Gregg Olsen
Marcus Sakey
Robert Gregory Browne
Toni McGee Causey
Marc Lecard
Patry Francis
Sean Chercover

(with honorable mentions to original members who weren't in the anthology way back when, Sandra Ruttan, C.J. Lyons, and Phil Hawley.)

What’s this all about, you might ask? Here’s a little history on Killer Year, the organization and the anthology:

Debuts novelists didn't used to get a lot of attention, and in crime fiction particularly, many of us started in mass market paperback, which, at the time, had little to no chance of being reviewed in the trades. Concerned we might get lost in the shuffle of big name authors debuting, a few of us banded together to start a crime-fiction-specific marketing organization to raise the profile of ALL the debut authors in the genre. We of course missed a few, folks like Laura Benedict and Karna Bodman, among others, but a small knot of writers got involved, and we went into the very first Thrillerfest armed with T-shirts, postcards, riding a wave of media and our own enthusiasm so high that we drew the attention of the leadership of ITW. M.J. Rose, Steve Berry, and Lee Child in particular thought what we were doing was smart, and sat down with us to offer a deal—let ITW adopt the Killer Year program. Each of us got a mentor, an established ITW bestseller who helped us navigate our release year, read our books, offered personal advice and public support. It was a staggering cool situation, made all the better by actually working—our debut novels all got press. We got reviews. We got blurbs from bestsellers. We got media attention. We made a splash. (The Debutante Ball was the literary/women's fiction equivalent of our program, definitely check them out, too.)

There were other positive downstream effect of Killer Year that continue to this day. ITW was able to design a debut author program that brought up each new "class" of writers, year after year. Publishing in general paid attention as well, and lo these many years later, being a debut is a special, incredible, managed "event" rather than a spaghetti against the wall attempt to start a career.

Pretty heady stuff.

The anthology was a natural extension of this endeavor. My own mentor, the indomitable Lee Child, stepped in as editor. M.J. wrote us an introduction that perfectly explained the adage we all now know to be true: a rising tide lifts all boats. Laura Lippman gave us a coda. Mentors Allison Brennan, Ken Bruen, and Duane Swierczynski wrote original stories. And all the Killer Year members wrote a tale, which is introduced by their individual mentors. St. Martins did us proud with the release, and now, Two Tales is trying to do the same.

This is a special, special collection, in too many ways to count. I hope you love it—especially this stunning new cover! It's gonna be a Killer Year, again!

What are you reading this weekend?

Stop Trying To Make "Fetch" Happen

I must admit, this is one of the best lines in a movie ever (and a great movie, to boot.) And I employed it against myself this week—in a much more loving way, of course. 

I was telling Randy I wanted to start a movement with the “Fridays-only social media for creatives” and laughed at myself for the sheer hubris of such an endeavor. Do I think there’s a need for creatives to step away from social media? Yes. Yes I do. I think we could ALL use a sabbatical, whether we realize it or not. Do I think people will listen to me and jump on the bandwagon? Nope. Not a chance. But that isn’t going to stop me from trying to gather up at least a few creatives to join the cause.

Remember how fun it was to go to a party and see all your friends? The evening began with such anticipation--curling irons and miniskirts, phone calls back and forth, a perpetual stream of questions lobbed from group to group--Who will come? Who will they bring? Who might you meet? Who’s sneaking in the booze? Who wasn’t invited, and who is going to crash?

The party itself is cool for a couple of hours, then people inevitably have too much to drink and things begin to devolve. All the best parties had about a max four-hour window. After that, someone was always puking over a railing, the cops showed up, and your significant other was in the bathroom making out with someone decidedly not you. 

Social media has hit hour five of a rager. It’s inevitable that the party grows stale if it never ends. It’s exhausting, really, to be in that mode of expectation and anticipation 24/7. I am so much happier after three weeks of just checking in, saying hi, and then shuffling off. Highly recommended. 

Anyway, if you’re an author or reader interested in going to a one-day-only social schedule, sound off here, and I will help promote the hell out of your decision and drive as many folks to your weekly socials as I can. There is power in knowledge, and there is power in the collective. My God, think about how many more books and stories will be written!

Speaking of, I have the deadline in my sights on Taylor #9, and my next standalone has a title! I can’t share until we are 100% locked in but I dig it. I also wrote a kooky little short story this week about a grim reaper who falls in love…if only for a moment. It needs some work but it feels good to have it down on paper.

📚 Friday Reads

I just finished a great book by a lovely author named Alicia Bessette, SMILE BEACH MURDER. I’m a temperamental cozy fan, because some are too cute for their own good, but this one was fabulous. Out next May, you can pre-order now. 

I also watched A Castle for Christmas on Netflix, and it is everything you’d expect from a cheery little holiday movie, but set against a GORGEOUS Scottish castle. I wish there’s been a bit more chemistry between the leads, who seemed to be going through the motions at times, but the story itself was charming, and Cary Elwes in jeans instead of a black mask and an over-the-top Scottish brogue worked on lots of levels. Brook Shields plays a writer who’s just pissed off her fans with a shock death of a beloved character, and “that” rang true. Lots of fun.

What are you reading/watching this weekend?