11.27.16 - Sunday Smatterings

Hello, gentle readers! Have you had a nice holiday? Eat lots of yummy things? I hope you have, and that you got to make some memories with the people you love, to celebrate traditions and make new ones. We had a low-key celebration here, followed by a shift at my lovely indie, Parnassus Books, on Small Business Saturday.

Do me a favor and show some love to your local indie, would you? There's nothing like walking into a bookstore, browsing a shelf and finding something new to devour. Lots of work goes into putting that book into your hands, and indie booksellers inject a big dose of love into the mix that you don't get from the click of a mouse.

That's my two cents, anyway.
 

Here's what happened on the Internets this week:

My friend Ariel Lawhon is one of the wisest people (and one of the most brilliant writers) I know. Her blog post this week is a must-read for anyone, regardless of age or profession. Simply wonderful advice.

Do you know where wine's from? We at The Wine Vixen didn't guess correctly... and we hadn't heard of the varietals that call the region home. See, chickens—learning lasts a lifetime!

Utterly captivating: "How Jack Reacher Was Built."

Quirk Books imagined a few Twitter rants from literary characters, and they are kind of spot on.

Y'all. Now's the time to sign up for Fresh Fiction's Limited-Edition Christmas box! They're chockfull of goodies every month, fellow bookworm. But there might be a special surprise from yours truly in the Christmas box... just sayin'.

The Oxford English Dictionary named its 2016 Word of the Year. Have you heard of it?

 

And closer to home:

Have you been pinching your pennies waiting for the FIELD OF GRAVES paperback? Your patience is about to be rewarded: it's finally coming out this Tuesday! Go here to snag your FIELD OF GRAVES paperback.

I had the best time with the ladies of XOXO After Dark, chatting about why we can't put down thrillers, road trip snacks, NO ONE KNOWS, and more. It doesn't get much more fun than this. Tune into our conversation while you run, while you laundry, while you're online shopping... whenever!

One of my favorite things to do is to peek behind the curtain, to see how other writers make the magic. In the spirit of the giving season, I've put all my tools on display, the things that make my business chug along. Whether you're a writer, a stay-at-home-mom, or a student looking for some productivity hacks, I've got you covered. My writing software, my research workflow, my favorite notebooks, pens, and pencils—I went full-nerd here. 🤓

That's it from me! Enjoy the post-Turkey lull, welcome December with open arms, buy a copy of FIELD OF GRAVES paperback for you and a friend, and we'll talk again soon!

xo,
J.T.

10.30.16 - Sunday Smatterings

Hello, friends, and welcome to All Hallows' Eve Eve! Do you have your candy ready for the trick-or-treaters? Have a big party planned? What's your costume going to be?? I think it'll be a quiet night for the Ellison house, though I should probably get last-minute costumes for the Thrillerkittens... after all, All Souls is our 3 year cataversary. How cute would that be?

I went to Canada this week, and met with my publisher. It was awesome. More on that later in the week, when I can do it justice. I am beavering away on the last pass on THE DEVIL'S TRIANGLE, so no more fun for me until that's complete. 

Anywho...

 

Here's what happened on the Internets this week:
 

I adore my A Word on Words co-host, Mary Laura Philpott. A brilliant mind with a wit to match, she wrote this piece in The Washington Post this week. Y'all. Read it to your kids today—it's so important to teach our girls they can save themselves, no matter who and where they are.

Need a last-minute Halloween costume idea? I've got 10 creepy costumes from books, ready and waiting for you to recreate them! 👻

Speaking of books, here are 11 of the greatest parties in literature! Which one would you like to go to the most? Hmm...

Y'all know I'm a sucker for office supplies. Which is why I love these desk accessories for book lovers! Be still, my heart.

Heads up: 50+ paranormal romance novels, PLUS a Kindle Fire (!) are up for grabs! Click here to enter.

"I can’t stress enough the importance of getting away. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive, but changing your location, taking some time off, and unplugging does wonders in the long run." YES!!! I couldn't agree more. A change of scenery is a good thing when you're stuck in a rut, and this is why it's good to get away every once in a while.

And closer to home:

The Wine Vixen found 12 spooky wines for Halloween!

If you've been waiting for the NO ONE KNOWS paperback, now's your chance—it comes out on Tuesday! Paperbacks make a great stocking stuffer, I'm just sayin'.

Deal Alert: What Lies Behind is .99 on Kindle today only! What a bargain!

That's it from me! Have SO MUCH FUN tomorrow, be nice to your trick-or-treaters, and we'll talk again soon!

xoxo,
J.T.

10.9.16 - Sunday Smatterings

Y'all, it has been a crazy couple of weeks. We've known for months that the second half of the year was going to be busy, what with the regularly scheduled deadlines and book tours and conferences supplemented by parental joint replacement surgery and multiple tapings for Season 2 (!) of A Word on Words. And then Mother Nature decides to send a hurricane right at our beloved beach? It's the perfect metaphor, isn't it? Happily, the joint-replacee is doing great, the show is great, the deadlines were met, the hurricane did superficial damage, and I'm home of the foreseeable future (at least until November, LOL). Half of me is so sad we're heading into the second week of October, and the other half keeps saying "only 8 more weeks and things calm down!"

These are the blessings of my life, and trust me, blessings they are. Though I am looking forward to a quieter 2017. 💤

So. Here's what happened on the Internets this week:

First things first: if you'd like to help those who were devastated by Hurricane Matthew, here are some organizations you can look into for spreading the relief effort. Your help is so greatly appreciated!

Ever dreamed at working at a bookstore, or at least being Kathleen Kelly in You've Got Mail? Then you're gonna love these 17 behind-the-scenes secrets of working at a bookstore. I worked at a mall Waldenbooks for a while, and it was a blast.

A headline I know you didn't think you'd see today: Charles Dickens was a real-life Ghostbuster. Yes, we're getting into that time of year, people! 👻
 

If you're not reading the Bliss House series by Laura Benedict, you are missing OUT! Laura's prequel to the series, THE ABANDONED HEART, comes out Tuesday, and you need to go get it!!!! It's perfect reading for the Halloween season.

Looking to update your fall wine fridge? Here are 6 varietals to stock as the weather gets cooler.

 

And closer to home:

Would you look at this beauty!!!! Last week, the cover for Nick & Mike #4, THE DEVIL'S TRIANGLE, made its debut and I don't think Catherine and I could be more thrilled with how it turned out! Mark your calendars for 3/14/2017, y'all, and pre-order it here.

The final episode of A WORD ON WORDS Season 1 just aired, and my guest couldn't have been a lovelier person: the wonderful Ariel Lawhon!!! If you're into historical fiction, you've got to check out Ariel's newest book, a masterful work on the Hindenburg's final flight—appropriately titled FLIGHT OF DREAMS.

That's it from me! Y'all be good, deck your porch with the trapping of fall (send pics, I'd love to see your decorations!) and I'll talk to you again soon!

xoxo,
J.T.