By J.T. Ellison

YOU GUYS!!!!!!!! I just got a phone call. A very happy-making phone call. FIELD OF GRAVES has been nominated for a RITA award for Best Romantic Suspense from the Romance Writers of America!!!

To say I am over the moon is an understatement. My little book, the very first I ever wrote, the one that got me an agent (THANK YOU, SCOTT) but didn’t sell in New York, the one that put me on the path to series writing, to expanding Taylor Jackson’s world with the book that did sell (aka ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS), to catapulting the career I have — this book, that languished in a virtual filing cabinet for a decade before my awesome publishers at MIRA said, Hey lady, let’s do this — this Little Book That Could has now gotten the highest recognition in its field.

Ahem. FIELD! Hee!

Yes, I am utterly delighted. This book is a classic romantic suspense, the beginning of Taylor and Baldwin’s epic love story set against the backdrop of a murderous villain accosting Nashville co-eds, and I can not tell you how excited I am to see it get this wonderful recognition from RWA.

The honor is always in the nomination, and I’m thrilled to be nominated alongside the best names in RS writing today. Good luck to all of us!

Orlando, here we come!

***

PS: One of the really fun things that goes along with the RITA Awards is the RITA Reader Challenge put on annually by Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. You might want to go check it out!

PPS: If you haven’t read FIELD OF GRAVES yet, check it out here!

Via: JT Ellison

By J.T. Ellison

Happy Sunday, one and all! It’s me, your friendly, neighborhood Kerr.

Did you have a good week? Have you gulped down THE DEVIL’S TRIANGLE yet?

How was your week, Amy? Oh my week was fine, thanks for asking. When J.T. is in the zone, working hard on a new book, I get into a groove of my own. It helps to have a boss who believes in Deep Work, and allows me to turn off anything with notifications so I can concentrate for large chunks of time. It’s a wonderful way to work, people. Silence is golden, in more ways than one.

I hope all of our Northeastern friends survived Snowpocalypse 2017! I have a friend in Pennsylvania who showed me a photo of his Jeep buried under a snow bank, and I almost cried for him—out of jealousy, because he couldn’t go anywhere for days, and wouldn’t that be glorious?! (if you’re giving me the Stink Eye right now, I don’t take it back—I’m an introvert for life).

ANYWAY.

What I’m Eating

Remember how I’m ridiculously lazy when it comes to food? Yeah, that didn’t magically change this week.

The past few years, I’ve made an effort to replace refined sugars and starches with vegetables. Don’t get me wrong, I love refined sugars and starches . . . vegetables just make me feel better.

One of my easiest veggie swaps is spaghetti squash for traditional spaghetti noodles, because (a) it’s nice to pretend I’m eating noodles and (b) I actually like the way spaghetti squash tastes (it’s a bit sweet, which I don’t mind in savory dishes).

For a quick meal, I’ll preheat my oven to 375, grab a spaghetti squash, poke a bunch of holes in it, then stick it on a sheet pan to bake for 75 minutes. Then I let it cool, take the seeds out, and take the “spaghetti” strands out of the squash. While the squash is cooking, I brown some ground beef or Italian sausage, add a jar of pasta sauce (I like this Tuscan Pepper sauce for a bit of a kick). Combine spaghetti squash and meat sauce, and boom: lazy, healthy dinner.

Lazy healthy eater pro tip: I put down a bed of spinach, then scoop my “pasta” onto it to it because I, like Popeye, feel better when I eat spinach.

What I’m Playing

This week, what I’m “playing” is on my iPhone: the Alabama Shakes’ album, Sound & Color. The title track especially is . . . wow. Talk about a song with texture. I played on loop for hours as I worked this week, and I didn’t get tired of it. Not even once.

What I’m Reading

I went on a tear and added a bunch of stuff to my Kindle this week, but I’ve been too busy to start any of them (thanks, taxes 🙄).

1. BEFORE THE FALL by Noah Hawley (J.T. freaked out about this book—this is usually a good sign)
2. YOU’LL GROW OUT OF IT by Jessi Klein (supposed to be funny—we’ll see)
3. TEXTBOOK AMY KROUSE ROSENTHAL by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (RIP, wonderful lady)

I’ll keep you apprised on my progress.

What I’m Watching

You guys. I tore through Season 3 of HALT AND CATCH FIRE. Tore. Through. It. As in, the last time we talked, I didn’t even know Season 3 was on Netflix yet.

AMC hardly goes wrong in their original scripted television (except for TURN, which is kind of a snoozefest). Armed with fresh, innovative story ideas, this beautiful network has given us MAD MEN, BREAKING BAD, and television’s most-watched show when GAME OF THRONES isn’t on (and for good reason), THE WALKING DEAD. All this from a network that, ten years ago, showed old movies and had just started airing a show about an ugly (hahahaha NOT) man named Don Draper.

Back to HACF: if you’re nostalgic for the 80s, if you had a Commodore 64, if you remember what it was like to dream a world of technological possibility before such mind-blowing things like the website you’re reading right now could have ever existed, if you want to see strong women in the tech world, if you want to see the different kinds of people and personalities that make up a microcosm of the corporate world, if you’re a human with a pulse—you want to watch this show.

Simply put, the story follows four people—a Steve Jobs-like visionary, a brilliant young coder, and two slightly beaten-and-broken-but-still-talented product engineers—as they navigate the burgeoning tech scene in the Silicon Prairie (yes, prairie) of Texas. The set designer and costumers did a brilliant job capturing the 80s details (oh the kitchens—they could be the backdrop of my own childhood memories). The show is fun and poignant and riveting, and begs viewers to ask themselves what the world could look like thirty years from today. Because the world we live in right now is so different than the world of HACF—but also much the same.

Well, folks, that’s all I’ve got for you. I hope your week is warmer, the flowers brighter, and your spirits higher. I’ll talk to you soon.

xoxo,
The Kerr

Via: JT Ellison

By J.T. Ellison

I love to blog. I love the examination of thoughts and words. I do it for myself in many ways, knowing that the days I’m struggling with writing, that if I at least put a blog in place, I’ll feel like I’ve accomplished something. My longstanding rule—When you can’t write, write about writing. It helps.

I started blogging many, many years ago, and have been relatively consistent with it. I used to blog every Friday at Murderati, then bi-monthly, then when it shut down, I kept it up on my website, albeit to a smaller audience.

And then the socials happened, and blogging supposedly went the way of the dodo, or so we were meant to believe. Some of us kept at it—and many, many bloggers saw their audiences grow and bloom. Mine hasn’t really changed upwards or downwards, though I have seen that the more I blog, the more people who read them.

But, oddly, the blog commenting seems to have migrated to Facebook, where I am very active on my business page. It’s no real skin off my nose, though it means I need to pay attention to make sure everyone is getting what they need. And then we started scheduling, so there’d be regular programming, which becomes it’s own issue. We’ve settled into a Sunday blog, and a Thursday blog. I vacillate on whether to do more, or less.

Truth be told, I miss my daily snippet blogs, and might bring them back, if there’s interest…

Why do I bring all this up? My bestie, Laura Benedict, has starting blogging daily. It wasn’t something she necessarily set out to do, but when she realized the rhythm was pleasing, and helping with the work, she kept it up.

This makes me happy on so many levels. Laura’s a true essayist. I’ve spent years saying how I wished she blogged more, because her words are just so calming and comforting. I always feel good when I finish reading, even if its a difficult topic.

Laura’s blog—Notes From The Handbasket—is everything you want from a writer’s blog. Funny, charming, engaging, vulnerable—she has a wonderful, unique voice and a wry sense of humor that takes the ordinary around her and makes it extraordinary. I highly recommend you give it a read.

For me, there’s something very special about hearing about a writer’s day. The little accomplishments that, when taken en total, become a book, a series, a career. The blogs I gravitate to are ones of nurturing and education, that examine the world in a pleasing manner, and offer bits of enlightenment to the reader. Laura’s qualifies, on all accounts.

Here are some other blogs I love:

1. Dani Shapiro
2. Kristine Rusch
3. Modern Mrs. Darcy
4. I Heart Words
5. Quo Vadis
6. The Well-Appointed Desk
7. Tools and Toys
8. Cal Newport

What are your favorite blogs?

Via: JT Ellison

By J.T. Ellison

Hello, book people! I come to you today to help you celebrate the Ides of March with a fun new book—THE DEVIL’S TRIANGLE, book #4 in the Brit in the FBI series I cowrite with the divine Catherine Coulter.

I swear, if we’d known the book was going to drop today, we would have put a quick tie-in to Caesar, because we have nods to practically every other historic event over the course of time, but what are you going to do? I will admit, I took to calling it Nick and Mike’s Excellent Adventure as we were writing it. There’s a LOT of history packed in.

All that to say, I am so excited to share this book with you. Catherine and I have cooked up something extra special this time.

Remember Kitsune, everyone’s favorite thief extraordinaire from THE FINAL CUT? She’s back, and in big trouble. Hired to steal the staff of Moses from the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul, her clients have turned on her, and she’s forced to ask for help from the new Covert Eyes team. Of course, things go awry, and Nicholas Drummond and Mike Caine are drawn into a much larger conspiracy. Can the villains truly control the weather? Can Covert Eyes stop the Kohath twins from destroying Washington, D.C. with a mega-storm? Is the Ark of the Covenant about to be rediscovered? And will the secrets of the Bermuda Triangle be revealed?

I did a lot of in-person, overseas research for this book. Venice, in particular. I can’t tell you how fun it was sitting in the Piazza San Marco, sipping prosecco, eating potato chips, and deciding from which balcony Nicholas would nearly fall, and where the shots were coming from. Total blast.

There’s another special place in this book—Castel Rigone, a personal favorite of mine. You see, Catherine had a dream about this book, and when she told me about it, it became the entire basis for this book. I knew I would have to find the perfect place to execute said dream. Suffice it to say, there’s a motorcycle chase… underground.

I hope you love the personal touches that made it into the story. Our fourth James Bond-esque romp was an absolute blast to write. With a Booklist Starred Review and a Romantic Times Top Pick!, I think you’ll say it’s a blast to read, too. Let me know what you think!

Get the Hardcover

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

BOOKS-A-MILLION

INDIEBOUND

INDIGO

Download the eBook

KINDLE

NOOK

iBOOKS

KOBO

GOOGLE PLAY

About the book:

He who controls the weather, will control the world. He who controls time, will never be around.
—Thomas Frey

FBI Special Agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine are the government’s Covert Eyes—leading a top-notch handpicked team of agents to tackle crimes and criminals both international and deadly. But their first case threatens their fledgling team when the Fox calls from Venice asking for help.

Kitsune has stolen an incredible artifact from the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul, and now the client wants her dead. She has a warning for Nick and Mike: she’s overheard talk that a devastating Gobi Desert sandstorm that’s killed thousands in Beijing isn’t a natural phenomenon, rather is produced by man. The Covert Eyes team heads to Venice, Italy, to find out the truth.

From New York to Venice and from Rome to the Bermuda Triangle, Nicholas and Mike and their team are in a race against time, and nature herself, to stop an obsessed family from devastating Washington, D.C.

Via: JT Ellison

By J.T. Ellison

Hi, guys! It’s me, The Kerr. Did you have a good week? Mine was pretty good since I found good Tex-Mex in Nashville!!! Finding good Tex-Mex this far north is like spotting a unicorn in the wild 🦄, so needless to say, this native Texan is super pumped she can get homemade flour tortillas and delicious beef fajitas (cooked medium-rare, because hello, flavor) anytime she wants. I cannot stress enough what a miracle find this is!

ANYWAY. I could talk about food all day. Let’s get on with the program, shall we?

What I’m Eating

Oh, look, more conversations about food!

As you know, St. Patrick’s Day is coming up on Friday. If you want to celebrate, but don’t feel like making the same Corned Beef & Cabbage like you do every year, you should try this apple cider-braised cabbage.

Confession: I didn’t make this recipe the way it’s written here. I didn’t have any cider, but I did have cider vinegar and some fuji apples (and some celery) that needed to be used up, so I added those in there. And I used red cabbage. And I cut it into one-inch pieces, not wedges. And I sautéed everything in bacon fat first, because bacon. If you want some protein in here, I think kielbasa or polish sausage would be phenomenal.

So… basically what I’m telling you is that I didn’t follow this recipe at all. But I used it as inspiration! That should count for something, right? 😂

What I’m Playing

Think fast: can you match these three-letter words to their definitions? I did it in 2:35. I know you can beat me.

What I’m Reading

I needed a laugh this week, something a bit more lighthearted than THE GODFATHER (don’t get me wrong, I love it—just ready for fewer backroom deals and gunfights, ya know?). My friend Lisa and I text each other our books for the week, and I saw Nora’s book of essays, I FEEL BAD ABOUT MY NECK (and other thoughts on being a woman), in her stack and I shamelessly copycatted her. I’m not sorry about it, either, just like I’m also not sorry for snort-laughing alone in my house. Nobody makes me giggle quite like the dry wit of Nora Ephron.

What I’m Watching

You guys. THE AMERICANS came back this week! 🎉👏🇺🇸

I don’t know why this show gets so little buzz and critical acclaim. It is wonderfully cast and written, and definitely deserves a few EMMYs by now (especially Matthew Rhys as Phillip—he’s just so transformative in the role). Also, who couldn’t love Keri Russell? And Margo Martindale, who is up there with Kathy Bates as a wonderful supporting actor in any role.

Here’s the premise: it’s set in the 1980s and focuses on the Cold War. The show follows Phillip and Elizabeth, two KGB spies living in suburban Washington, DC, trying to gather intel and assets without raising the suspicions of their next-door-neighbor, Stan, who is (of course) an FBI agent. Phillip and Elizabeth have two children, the older of which begins to become suspicious of her parents’ erratic hours and behavior, thinking perhaps they aren’t the travel agents they claim to be. The show masterfully examines what it means to be a patriot (especially how much of your individual self you can—and should—sacrifice for the greater good), marriage, spirituality, and gender roles, to name a few.

The show is equal parts suspenseful and fascinating. Folks nostalgic for the 80s are going to love the details like music and set design. Seriously, thriller fans, you’re going to love it.

***One last thing: THE DEVIL’S TRIANGLE is coming out Tuesday! To celebrate, JT is going to host a Facebook Live on her page Tuesday night at 8 pm EDT. If you comment during the live cast, you could win one of three signed copies of THE DEVIL’S TRIANGLE. So mark your calendars, and head over to JT’s Facebook page Tuesday night!!!

That’s all I have for you this week, you guys. Have a great week, go get a copy of THE DEVIL’S TRIANGLE and devour it (and tell me what you think), and I’ll talk to you again soon!

Warmly,
The Kerr

Via: JT Ellison

By J.T. Ellison

photo credit: Nashville Public Television

These two don’t look like they had fun taping this episode at all.

My intrepid co-host, Mary Laura Philpott, hung out with author (and soon-to-be-bookstore-owner) Emma Straub and asked her about mid-life crises, Jane Austen-inspired rock songs, and why writing about teenagers is a lot more fun than being one.

Enjoy this one, y’all!

Via: JT Ellison

By J.T. Ellison

A note from The Kerr: J.T. will still be writing for The Tao on Thursdays. So these are (not surprisingly) her words, not mine!

There comes a time in every book when the story begins to coalesce and gain speed. This time has (thankfully) come for my new standalone, which I’m trying to finish by the end of April so I can turn, unencumbered, to Catherine and the next Nicholas Drummond book (which, thankfully, is already knocking at my brain with a few ideas) the second week of May.

It’s the coolest feeling, this momentum. I can pinpoint the moment it started, too.

The week before last, I was doing a set of three deep-work days in a row, and something simply clicked on the last day, at around four in the afternoon. I caught a wave, and rode it all the way to the shore. I was still writing when hubby arrived home, and simply held up a finger and accepted a quick buss on the cheek. He knows me well enough not to interrupt a moment of true flow, and that’s where I was.

The book had come alive under my fingertips.

Interestingly, it was something off script that caused this wave, too. A character who wasn’t in the proposal or outline, who appeared a few weeks ago as a throwaway line, a convenience person, and has suddenly become a lynchpin.

It happens that way sometimes. It’s really the fun of writing, when the character who is the least important suddenly raises their hand and says, “HEY! Pay attention to me. I’m here for a reason, you silly writer.”

I’m a baseball fan, and I respect a streak. The thing with these kinds of flows is to not let them die. I made sure to touch the book every day whilst I was in Florida, and now I’m back and my fingers are itching to rediscover the story and see where it takes me. I’m over the halfway mark, which means I’ve got two of my “turns” in place, with two more to planned. This book seems to be twisting itself like a braid, though, so there may be more than I first thought.

And so… back to it. I will report in on how it goes.

Via: JT Ellison

By J.T. Ellison

Happy Sunday, one and all! Assistant Amy/The Kerr here (J.T. and the rest of the world call me The Kerr, so that’s what I’ll go by here).

How’d your week go? I don’t know what happened, but mind kind of flew by. All of our Bradford pears are blooming now (!), which means spring isn’t too far away! I’m excited. But not for humidity. Though I’m not going to focus on that for now.

If you’ve been under a rock and wondering Where is J.T.?!?!? don’t worry, she’s okay! She’s just taking her annual social media sabbatical for Lent. And she’s finishing up a book, which means she’s super in the zone, which means you’re stuck with me for the next six weeks. But if you’ve got an important message, let me know and I’ll pass it along!

Alright—you’re here for links, and I’m here to give you some. My format’s a wee bit different than my boss’s, so I hope you’ll indulge me as I talk about my favorite things.

What I’m Eating

I am a lazy eater. I don’t care. If I like something, I like it, and I don’t mind eating the same thing over and over again. It’s served me well throughout my life (especially as a broke college student—I miss you, college burritos . . . and college metabolism 🌯).

Since I’m lazy, I usually make a big pot of something at the beginning of the week that becomes my work day lunches. This week, I’m all about this curry from Nom Nom Paleo (but I actually make it with this green curry paste—I like the heat!). I even double the amount of frozen veggies it calls for. It’s an easy way to get tons of veggies quickly and easily. And as we know, I do like easy.

What I’m Playing

I love a good quiz. I also love sitcoms. Ergo, I give you the “Can You Name These 25 Leading Ladies in Comedy since 1975?” quiz.

Sidenote: The Golden Girls is streaming on Hulu now, and I’m going back through the series. It’s even funnier than I remembered as a kid . . . probably because I understand all the innuendos that whizzed over my head. 😂

What I’m Reading

Right now, I’m in the middle of Mario Puzo’s The Godfather (yes—that Godfather).

Confession: I have a thing for mafia stories. I don’t know why. Doesn’t matter who they’re about or where they’re set—if there’s some sort of “alternative economy” going on, I am all about it. The Sopranos, The Wire, Narcos: I love them all. I’m trying to savor my time between mafia TV shows, actually, so they last longer—I still have Boardwalk Empire and Ray Donovan on my lists.

I think what fascinates me the most about mafia groups is that the rules of engagement in these stories are super clear—there’s a black-and-white world filled with loyalty and lines that you don’t cross. Because when you cross them, you (or, at least, the viewer/reader) know exactly what’s going to happen, and it’s not going to end well.

ANYWAY. The book is wonderfully written, shock, shock. I’m enjoying myself immensely.

What I’m Watching

You guys. Can we talk about This Is Us? 😭

This show. I haven’t seen anything so wonderful on network television since Friday Night Lights. NBC really knows how to make a wonderfully written, emotionally complex drama, and This Is Us doesn’t disappoint. There are so many different stories here, so many journeys represented onscreen. Ultimately, they all show us the importance of connection, how beautiful it is to know someone, how we can never really know another person fully, but what a gift it is to see in side their worlds. It shows what happens when we communicate well—and what happens when we don’t.

The details. This show is masterful at evoking emotion from the tiniest details, ones that seem mundane at first, like a split-second shot at cracker-jack-box toys. But in five minutes those toys have a story behind them that’ll reduce you to a puddle of tears. Guaranteed.

AND! Perhaps the best thing about the show, perhaps the thing that demonstrates how wonderfully written and moving it is? Everybody is watching this show—and I do mean everybody. College kids. Young moms. PR executives. Hedge fund managers well into their seventies. And these are all people I’ve met personally. Old, young, male, female—this show resonates with all of them. And right now, I am thankful that there’s something that crosses the gulf and unites us. It doesn’t matter that it’s “just a TV show”—this is the power of art at work, y’all.

Okay, okay, I’ll stop. It’s clear I’m head over heels for this show. Give it a chance, just the first episode (the whole thing, mind you), and tell me what you think.

Dog of the Week

When it feels too good.. lol 😂

A post shared by Leo Greyhound (@leo.the.greyhound) on Feb 20, 2017 at 10:42am PST

I am a dog person through and though, and I have an especially soft heart for greyhounds. They’re the sweetest, goofiest dogs, and I just think they’re the bees knees. So this week I bring you one of my favorite InstaGreys, Leo! Someday, I wish I could be as relaxed as he is. 😂

Alright, kids, that’s all I’ve got for you. Enjoy your week, go great The Devil’s Triangle (which, as of this writing, is cheaper than the ebook on Amazon at $14.63!!!!), and I’ll see you soon!

Warmly,
Amy/The Kerr

Via: JT Ellison

By J.T. Ellison

photo credit: Nashville Public Television

Does money cause problems, or does it throw a spotlight on problems that were already there?

A valid question, tackled by this week’s A WORD ON WORDS guest Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, in her novel THE NEST. It’s a super fun interview conducted by my divine co-host, Mary Laura Philpott (complete with mimosas!). Keep watching ’til the end—the last few seconds are hilarious. 😂

Via: JT Ellison

By J.T. Ellison

It’s that time of year, when I give up social media for Lent. For the next six weeks, I will be turning inward, and stepping back from all things online.

I’ll still have blogs here, and since I have a release in two weeks (!) I will certainly pop up to say “Hey, buy mah book,” but otherwise, I will be silent.

Lent is just that for me, a time to reflect, to go silent. To look away from the world. It is incredibly difficult for me, which is why this is my Lenten abstinence of choice. I’ve given up Starbucks in the past, smoking, wine, chocolate, but none of those things (outside of smoking — that was a good one, it stuck) truly feel like a sacrifice.

Social media, on the other hand, does. I don’t like not having ready contact with people. I don’t like missing out on photos and news. I certainly don’t like not chatting with folks about books.

Which is why this is the right thing for me to give up. It really does affect me, puts me in a different mind space, where I can contemplate life and creativity and my spiritual nature. I was raised Episcopal, which is why I celebrate Lent in the first place, but over the years I’ve brought a number of tenets from various religions into my daily life, especially Buddhism. I’ve always felt everyone is right, and every religion and belief structure has something worth exploring.

So the weeks stretch ahead of me, unformed, open. There will be a lot of yoga, and meditation. And writing. Of course, there will be writing.

Whether you celebrate or not, may I offer this blessing for your next six weeks? That you have moments of quiet gratitude. That you are showered with kindness from strangers, and in turn have some to spare for others. We have all been put through the wringer over the past six months, and I can only hope that things calm down, that everyone feels less threatened and upset, and we can all work together to keep making our lives, and the lives of others, wonderful.

Blessed be!

Via: JT Ellison