Happy Sunday!

Y’all. Baseball is back, and this makes me obscenely happy. Any little bit of normalcy is welcome, of course, but I am a baseball fan, always have been, and there is something undeniably soothing about listening to a game whilst writing or reading. Granted, it’s surreal seeing cut out faces and empty stands, but it’s baseball, and I’ll take it. 

How are you holding up, friends? What’s keeping you sane and focused right now? Baseball? Books? Gardening? Cooking? The knowledge that you aren’t alone? There is something very comforting in the knowledge that we are all in this bizarre moment together. It would be one thing if it was just happening to us alone, or even to our city, or country, but that the whole world is buckled in and is trying to ride this out gives me great peace.

What are you doing to keep yourself happy and safe?

For me, in addition to watching baseball… I’m just working. I’ve been plowing through the  final revision of HER DARK LIES, and will be sending it to my editor this week. I’m in that strange moment in creative time when my mind has already shifted into what’s coming next, but I need to stay focused on the current title while it goes through the editorial process. It’s weird holding multiple stories and characters in my head at once, though. The next book is fighting to get out onto the page, but I must finish this one fully before I allow the next one any air space. That is what keeps me sane and focused, this transitory moment when one story leaves and another steps into its place. My process is intact. For this, I am so, so grateful.

And with that… onward!

THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

“Hope cannot exist in and of itself. I can't just be hopeful for the sake of it.” In the latest episode of A WORD ON WORDS, cohost with the most Mary Laura Philpott interviewed Jenny Offill about her latest novel, Weather.

And in some throwback AWOW, John Seigenthaler interviewed John Lewis for A WORD ON WORDS when his book WALKING WITH THE WIND came out. It’s well worth watching. #keepreading

Clueless Is a Great Teen Movie. It’s Also a Satire. It is also one of my favorite movies…. which will surprise no one. (As if.) Please tell me how much you love it…

The delightfully brilliant Susan Orlean had a true COVID moment, and I haven’t laughed so hard in months.

Book Riot has 19 of the Most Unbelievably Realistic Book Cakes, which are quite incredible!

Hello, good movies as old books. People are so creative! I loved Gattaca… one of my faves.

Cozy Mysteries by Black Authors. A great list!

Harlequin Introduces Larger Mass Market Paperback… And oh, hey, GOOD GIRLS LIE is releasing in Mass Market Paperback Max on August 18! This article explains this exciting new size for paperback books. I can’t wait to hear what you think! I’ve read a book in the new format and really love it.

This was a very colorful month of books on my To Be Read List. I’ve got a huge backlog of books building up — I can’t read any fiction while I’m finishing this edit, so my list is growing and growing and growing…

Which one should I read first?

And what are you reading?

That’s it from me. Watch a few innings (Go Dodgers!), pluck a title from your backlist to read, send me some major editing mojo, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.