Happy Sunday, friends.

I was up late last night, unable to sleep for unfathomable reasons, emailing with a friend who was also unable to sleep (though she’d had a cup of coffee at 9, so at least she had an excuse.) In the quiet darkness, the cats snuggled in my legs, my husband sound asleep beside me, my brain decided to kick into gear and gave me three scenes for a story I’m working on. I am nothing if not respectful of my muse, so I broke off the conversation and sent myself notes. And then I laid there, remembering the night I dreamed the entire plot of ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS. I woke from this crazy nightmare, went to my office, filled thirteen pages in a spiral topped reporter’s notebook, then went back to sleep. There’s only one difference in the final book from that initial swath of fevered, mid-night thought: a character I wrote out because things were getting too complicated. I think he came back to life in a later story, but I’d have to check.

After 14 months of pushing hard on a book that didn’t want to do what I wanted it to do, this moment of flow feels like such a blessing. Even though it came in the middle of the night, even though I lost several hours of sleep before and after and I have a headache and the yawns now, it tells me my brain is finally, finally healing from the double surgeries last year.  When I first started out, middle of the night ideas were my life’s blood. They haven’t been happening as often lately. Hell, they haven’t been happening at all. So I’ve taken as much advantage of the quarantine as humanely possible in order to give myself grace and space. I have leaned in. I have taken advantage of my natural introversion to create a cocoon of creativity and small joys.

And I have paid close attention to how people I respect are handling themselves. One friend is getting up at 5:30 am to work. Another is on a major daily yoga kick before she writes. Another is writing whilst schooling multiple teenagers, and yet another editing whilst managing both toddlers and a move out of state. Another has a full-time job and is writing and handling a family. Another hasn’t changed schedules at all, writing in the morning, exercising in the afternoon. Another committed to, and has stuck with, writing 500 words a day.

There is one thing they all have in common. They are working. They are writing through this. Nora Roberts once said to surround yourself with people you respect, who you can trust, who are aligned with your ethos and work ethic. I took that to heart. Now, when times have gotten so incredibly hard for us all, the residents of my virtual Montparnasse are plugging away. So are a lot of writers of my acquaintance. When I first started out in publishing, it wasn’t unusual for top writers to have multiple books a year. I think that time is upon us again. Being able to write in the time of COVID is going to be lucrative. 

Don’t think I’m ragging on writers who aren’t writing now. See above: I just spent 14 months on my last book; drafting a novel usually takes me 4 months. The new dynamic of having children at home, the sheer stress of the massive uncertainties about the Fall, the quicksand we’re trying to navigate — the election, the virus, schools, social upheaval — this is a terrible environment for creative thought. 

What I’m saying is, find your people. Find and surround yourself with creatives who will try to stick to habits and work times, who will email with you in the middle of the night, who will lean in with you, hold you together when you need to fall apart. Find the ones who will cheer your successes, not tear them down. 

And find your habit. If you’re struggling, set aside twenty minutes today to dedicate to your work. Twenty minutes. That’s all. Twenty minutes today. Twenty minutes tomorrow. Start slowly, and build yourself up. You’ve got this!

Onward!

Book News

Here’s some good news for your weekend: LIE TO ME is on sale for $2.99!

And for the audiobook listeners around here, Apple Books included TEAR ME APART in their Mysteries and Thrillers Audiobooks under $5 sale.

We’re still counting down to GOOD GIRLS LIE releasing in mass market paperback max August 18! Make sure you preorder your copy!

(August is going to see a LOT of sales, so be prepared…)

THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

17 New YA Thrillers And Mysteries To Die For. Great list! I love YA - do you read the genre, or share the books with your kids?

Face masks can help curb the spread of the coronavirus, the CDC says. Researchers recommend a multi-layered mask. Seriously, my darlings, wear your mask. I know they’re horribly annoying, but they are helping flatten the curve again.

This ‘Bookworm’ Tiny Cabin’s Purpose Is To Give You a Peaceful Place to Read. What a cozy retreat! I’d love to have a tiny reading house…

How to Write A Powerful, Enticing, Intriguing, Amazing Opening Line For Your Novel. I was incredibly honored to have the opening of GOOD GIRLS LIE included in this amazing piece.

When Mums Go Bad: How Fiction Became Obsessed With The Dark Side Of Motherhood. “These new mums we are getting to know are human; flawed, not unlike the ones we know in our own lives. Barring – hopefully – the murdering and the stalking.” What do you think of this trend?

7 Audiobooks Narrated by the Original Hamilton Cast. And I bet they’re amazing. I will never not love the hell out of Hamilton and Lin Manuel-Miranda’s brain.

Meg Cabot Had A Front Row Seat To A Real Life Pandemic Rom-Com. This is such a sweet story!

That Time I Chauffeured Jorge Luis Borges Around Scotland. Oh, I adored this story. Sometimes we don’t realize what a special moment we’re having.

More Bookish and Literary Masks for Your Pandemic Life. There are so many great options! What mask have you chosen?

Q&A With New York Times Bestselling Author J.T. Ellison on GOOD GIRLS LIE. I so enjoyed my conversation with Judith Collins!

THE FIRST TO LIE by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Intricate, complex, and devilishly clever, THE FIRST TO LIE is like reading a burning stick of dynamite. Once the fuse is lit you will not be able to look away until the explosive end. Hank Phillippi Ryan is the modern queen of the cat and mouse tale, and this is another brilliant work from a master storyteller that will keep you guessing right to the last page.

What are you reading?

That’s it from me. Give yourself twenty minutes, pick up a new mask, have some fruit, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.