August 2012
Volume XV

My dear readers: 

For those of you new to the newsletter, welcome! Thank you for joining, I'm thrilled to see you here! Pour that hot tea over a cup of ice, pull up a chair, and let's get to it. 

The days are getting shorter, the political landscape is heating up and if you're anything like me, escape is the only acceptable course of action. Since this is the last of my summer newsletters, I must suggest some more excellent beach reads. New this month are books from some of my favorites authors: a YA thriller by Michelle Gagnon, DON'T TURN AROUND; the latest Lucy Kincaid thriller from Allison Brennan, STALKED; a lovely romantic thriller, HERON'S COVE, byCarla Neggers, and an intense religious thriller from Sean Chercover: THE TRINITY GAME. Goodness, I see a trend. So let's buck it with one last recommendation — THE MAGICIANS, by Lev Grossman. It's Donna Tartt's THE SECRET HISTORY meets Harry Potter — intellectual thermonuclear magic for adults. I couldn't put it down.

A DEEPER DARKNESS Releases in Australia 

You've been so patient and so kind, and finally, here it is! I'm so excited to share that Sam has gone down under. There's a great contest associated with the release as well, click here to enter. Would love to hear what you think of the new book.

Contest

The July contest has closed, and the winner is Barbara Gonzales. Congratulations! Your copy of THRILLER 3: LOVE IS MURDER is on its way. And of course that means the August contest is now open. At stake this month is the audiobook of A DEEPER DARKNESS, read by Joyce Bean. You can enter here. 

News

I've just returned from RWA's national conference in Anaheim, California. I was honored to have WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE nominated for a RITA® in romantic suspense, and the awards ceremony was an extravaganza. J.D. Robb ended up winning my category, but I had an absolute blast. It was great to scrap the yoga pants in favor of a real live ball gown. Pics are up on the Facebook page, and I'll upload them to the site soon. 

The neat thing about attending a massive conference (1800 attendees and 800 writers) is the inspiration. I always come out of conferences with a sense of urgency about my writing, a need to get down to work, produce tons of words, and be a real writer. There's something about seeing people honored for their 100th, heck, 200th book that is a vital kick in the butt. If you're a writer, or want to be, I highly recommend finding your nearest writers' conference and attending. It's an eye opening experience. And if you're a reader, trust me, being in the same room as 50 or so of your favorite writers at once is so worth it.

Tours

On the plane home, I took a good hard look at the calendar and realized I am actually booking through 2014. I like to plan in advance, sure, but that's just ridiculous. 2013 is going to be a slower year for me on purpose, as I'll have three books and a short story to write, so staying home is vital. Next week I'm off to Cape Cod for the SEAK Conference for Doctors and Lawyers, then we are actually going on vacation. No internet! No working! (I delude myself into believing these declarations, but I will try to unplug.) October brings Nashville's very ownSouthern Festival of Books and in November I'll be at the Dahlonega Literary Festivalin Georgia. Looking forward to fall in the mountains! 

If you are a Nashville honey, there will be a happy hour fundraiser called BEER, BOOKS, AND BANTER to celebrate SoFest August 28, 5:30 p.m. at Yazoo Brewery. $20 at the door, RSVP to Georgia@HumanitiesTennessee.org. You really must attend, if only to celebrate like-minded people's love of the Oxford comma. 

August Recipe

I don't know about you, but it's so hot that I barely want to eat, much less cook. This is the time of year when I feel my Italian roots the most — antipasto is the only good solution. We love honeydew and cantaloupe wrapped in lean prosciutto with a drizzle of EVOO and cracked pepper, hard salami with shaved parmesan and fresh mozzarella, and the simplest bruschetta on the planet — garlic-rubbed bread toasted under the broiler for a few minutes, topped with ripe halved cherry tomatoes, freshly picked sweet basil from the garden, a little EVOO and a grind of sea salt. Quick, simple, delicious. The trick is sweet basil versus regular. Makes all the difference in the world. 

Social Butterfly

Just a reminder: Facebook wants me to pay to have my posts seen in your timeline feeds. I find that unfair, so if you aren't seeing my updates, please come to the reader page,http://www.facebook.com/jtellison14, and Un-Like me. Yes, Un-Like me. Then “Like” me again, hover your mouse over the Liked button, and check the box that says Show in my Newsfeed. As an added bonus, leave a comment on the wall. Those few steps will help assure that you see my updates. But since I understand how algorithms work, (in other words, Facebook controls everything you see, whether you want to or not) I am also going to be spending a little more time on my personal blog. So if it crosses your mind that you haven't heard from me lately, hop on over to the blog and join the conversation there. As always, I'm playing on Twitter under the handle @thrillerchick. 

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and many blessings to all of you. Happy reading! 

xoxo,