Greetings from the Southern Command. It’s my mom’s 83rd birthday weekend, so we’ve all gathered to pay homage and celebrate, with plenty of presents, cakes, and laughter. And movies. We are a movie family—it’s the favorite lunchtime discussion—what movie are we watching tonight? 

Last night, we watched Contagion, which was wildly prescient considering the current novel coronavirus pandemic. I follow a number of epidemiologists and virologists, have done since I did all the research for WHAT LIES BEHIND, the most recent Samantha Owens novel, that centers around a bioterrorism attack.

Trust me when I say this current outbreak event is worth paying attention to. I fear the narrative doesn’t match the reality, and that’s terrifying. Wash your hands, a lot. Avoid crowds, and if you are sick, STAY HOME! ( I mean, that’s basic common sense for any flu season, but as this virus has the “novel” designation, that means they don’t know how it works yet.) My heart hurts for the people affected.

In better news, I got to see a sneak peek of the cover for the next year’s standalone novel, and trust me, it is SO COOL! I love everything about it - I can’t wait to see the final version, and share it with you!

On to the links…

THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

George R.R. Martin Will Give 'Game of Thrones' Fans a New Ending to the Series. Well, this is very interesting news...

Writing in the Dark: Spotlight on Meg Gardiner. She’s a supremely awesome human being, who also just got a new Amazon TV deal. Three cheers for Meg!

Control. “Some research has shown that people who feel they have more control over what happens in their lives have higher levels of work and lifestyle satisfaction than their peers who feel less in control. And there’s evidence that feelings of ineffectiveness often correlate with neuroticism, self-efficacy, and issues with self-esteem.” So interesting…

Everything You Wanted to Know about Book Sales (But Were Afraid to Ask). This is a great behind-the-scenes on the publishing world, from how books are sold to how they are accounted for.

Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village. Hilarious. I’m taking notes…

Is Jane Austen the Antidote to Social Media Overload? Maybe… Maybe not…

Toss a Coin to Your Author: PW Talks with Andrzej Sapkowski. I've got Witcher fever, apparently. I’m hoping I can talk my folks into watching it so I can see it yet again…

28 Little Free Libraries That Are So Adorable It Hurts. Incredible! Have you started a LFL in your area?

Transform your Mac’s trackpad with the 3-finger drag. Very cool! I love this hack and have found it VERY useful.

Peek inside the fantastical world of book nooks. People are so creative!

WHAT I’M READING:

BEHIND EVERY LIE by Christina McDonald

I absolutely loved this book. Following the great The Night Olivia Fell, Christina McDonald has crafted a wild story with all the great suspense elements—murder; intrigue; amnesia; deep, dark secrets—and a blistering pace to boot. I snarfed it down in two sittings, and find it highly recommendable. It’s hard to talk too much about the story without ruining it so y’all just trust me okay?

What are you reading?

That’s it from me. Wash your hands (yes, again) put out some dryer lint for the birds who are nesting, buy yourself some pretty flowers, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.