By JT Ellison

For a limited time, A DEEPER DARKNESS, the first novel in the Dr. Samantha Owens series, is featured in the First in a Series program for free on iBooks. Check it out here: tw.apple.com/fiasmysteriesthrillers

More about A DEEPER DARKNESS:

As a medical examiner, Samantha Owens knows her job is to make a certain sense of death with crisp methodology and precision instruments. But the day the Tennessee floods took her husband and children, the light vanished from Sam’s life. She’s pulled into a suffocating grief no amount of workaholic ardor can penetrate—until she receives a peculiar call from Washington, D.C.

On the other end of line is an old boyfriend’s mother, asking Sam to do a second autopsy on her son. Eddie Donovan is officially the victim of a vicious carjacking, but under Sam’s sharp eye the forensics tell a darker story. The ex-Ranger was murdered, though not for his car.

Forced to confront the burning memories and feelings about yet another loved one killed brutally, Sam loses herself in the mystery contained within Donovan’s old notes. Leading her to the untouchable Xander Whitfield, a soldier off-grid since his return from Afghanistan, and then to a series of brutal crimes stretching from that harsh mountainous war zone to this nation’s capital, the tale told between the lines makes it clear that nobody’s hands are clean, and that making sense of murder sometimes means putting yourself in the crosshairs of death.

• Nominated for an Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Suspense/Thriller
• May 2012 Indie Next Pick
• Publisher’s Weekly Pick of the Week (April 16, 2012)
• Romantic Times Top Pick
• Reviews
• Excerpt

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Via: JT Ellison

By JT Ellison

I am thrilled to introduce you to my dear friend Paige Crutcher. She is a gifted woman in so many respects – both as a writer, a journalist (she works for Publishers Weekly) and a yoga teacher. When you hear me mention my guru, this is who I’m speaking of. She’s given me so much, and I’m so excited to be able to pay back just a bit by sharing her HUGE news – her debut novel, THE ODYSSEY OF FALLING, came out on Tuesday! This book is so fantastic, a really meaty, important, beautifully written YA novel about the journey of a young girl named Odd. I can’t recommend it highly enough. And Paige’s journey to publication is a study in perseverance and strength. I admire her so much. Without further ado…

_________

Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up?

Pale Blue Eyes by The Velvet Underground.

It’s haunting, comforting, and somehow seductive. It sets the stage nicely for writing about the magical and complicated (and sometimes horrible) world of being a teen – and tapping into that time in your life when all the firsts are experienced and everything feels huge. Because it really kind of is.

Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today?

Well, my book released today, so I’m working on not wigging out. Because it’s a pretty surreal feeling to acknowledge that something I made is now out there in the world, for anyone to read. I feel rather naked, and vulnerable, so I’d say today I am working on channeling my brave.

Then I’ll be revising my new contemporary YA novel about a group of misfits in the 90s who reinvent themselves as renegade Merry Pranksters.

What’s your latest book about?

The Odyssey of Falling is about a girl named Odd who finds her recently deceased best friend’s journal, and decides to do the bucket list tucked inside the pages. It’s about loss, hope, getting into trouble, and falling in love. It’s about growing up and growing into who you are meant to be.

Where do you write, and what tools do you use?

My laptop, my hands, and occasionally a really awkweird grimace. I write at my desk, at the kitchen table, in bed, on the couch, on a box, by a fox, wearing socks. I am horrible at routine, and prefer to have alternate views of the world as I slip into a story one.

What was your favorite book as a child?

Anne Rice’s Memnoch the Devil. I read it when I was thirteen or fourteen and it has stayed with me. The language and imagery are gorgeous, and the book made me think. It gave me an escape, and mesmerized me, but it also made me really think about the world, God, and how I viewed it.

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

Trust your characters. It can be really hard to trust yourself if you look at writing from the perspective that you’re in control, or the puppet master pulling the strings. If, instead, you trust your characters and acknowledge that the story is their own – and that they know what to do — I find it’s immensely freeing and a heck of a lot of fun.

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing?

Watch Buffy? Usually I go for a walk, talk plot hiccups with my critique partners or husband, and come back to the page. I put on really angsty indie tunes and get the hell out of my own way. Once I stop fighting myself (or listening to the mean little inner critic), I find story is right where I left it.

What would you like to be remembered for?

For being a damn fine writer, and one hell of a friend. As someone who loved well, made a difference in the lives she encountered, and had a passionate and wonderful love story. And if it’s not too much to ask, I wouldn’t mind being remembered as a super hero. Peaceful Paige—the girl who spread hope.

_________

Paige Crutcher is a journalist for Publishers Weekly, a yoga instructor, and a voracious reader. She lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, two small dogs, her overactive imagination, and a houseful of books. The Odyssey of Falling is her first book. You can learn more about Paige at: paigecrutcher.com

More About THE ODYSSEY OF FALLING

Meet Odd. Audrey “Odd” Ashworth is an exceptionally bright girl with a sympathetic heart. She’s in the top 4% of her class. She’s obsessed with getting into Manhattan School of Music, committed to following the “signs” the universe delivers, and infatuated with the boyfriend of her recently deceased best friend.

Until she finds her best friend’s diary in her crush’s car, and decides to do the bucket list tucked inside the pages. As Odd seeks closure and a way to honor her friend, she discovers there’s nothing wrong with a little strange, especially if it helps you discover who you were meant to be. Along the way, Odd falls into trouble, adventure, and finally love.

Via: JT Ellison

By JT Ellison

Last week I asked a hard question – why do you write? Now that you’ve had time to think about it, I have another question for you.

How do you use your writing to attain your goals?

• Do you lose yourself in story?
• Do you spend your time deep inside your characters heads?
• Do you talk about your work on social media?
• Do you keep plugging away on the same book, year after year?
• Do you write when the spirit moves you?
• Do you wait for lightning to strike and the perfect story to land in your lap?
• Do you write every day, with a schedule and attainable goals?
• Do you honor your writing time, and expect those around you to honor it too?
• Do you take yourself seriously?
• Do you learn about publishing, enough to understand which path you want to take?
• Do you procrastinate, then complain to friends how hard writing is?

You already know the answer to the question, don’t you? The only way to succeed at your writing goals, no matter what they are, is to show up to do your work. Yes, lightning strikes. How many writers can you name who’ve had that one idea that propelled their career and allowed them to never write another book again? Harper Lee comes to mind. J.D. Salinger.

Ergo, it doesn’t happen all that often. You have to write. You can’t succeed in your career if you don’t write the book of your heart, right now. Write the book that you’ve always wanted to write. Life is too damn short to wait. What if, God forbid, something happened to you tomorrow, and you hadn’t worked on it?

Yes, yes, we have to maintain our careers. We have to feed the family and make the deadlines. But I challenge each and every one of you to spend five minutes each and every day writing the book of your heart.

Because guess what? That’s the book that will break you out. Break you free. Your passion for the story, the characters, the setting, will translate.

And it might break you entirely. You may feel like you’ve already written that book, and no one responded. Or it didn’t achieve the acclaim you wanted. Revisit it. You’re a better writer now. You’ve learned so much. You’ve achieved so much. You can rebuild it. Make it stronger. You know it’s not perfect. Nothing ever is.

Five minutes a day. Only five. Two hundred words. That’s a solid, single, solitary paragraph. That’s all it takes. You do that everyday, starting tomorrow, and the book of your heart will be there waiting for you in a year.

And when you’re ready, you can love your perfect story into being. Sell it, sit on it, whatever.

But isn’t THAT why we’re writers? To tap into our very souls and create something that makes our hearts sing?

Via: JT Ellison

By JT Ellison

It’s 6:00 p.m., and I haven’t gotten a thing done on the WIP, because the edits came in for WHAT LIES BEHIND! I haven’t seen this book in two months, so I’m excited to dig in and reacquaint myself with the story. And of course, I had a fun conversation with my editor about the eerie timeliness of the book — at it’s heart, it’s about an attack on the U.S. using an Ebola-esque hemorrhagic virus. Yeah. Topical much?

I had a heck of a time writing it, too because the concept was developed last year and I was more than halfway through the story well before the outbreak, and as the outbreak continued to spread, I kept having to change the book so it didn’t look like I’d stolen the story from the headlines. Because I, apparently, am simply too prescient when it comes to writing about current events. I remember months ago, telling my agent about my struggles, and he asked if it was at all possible for Ebola to spread in the US. And I assured him it was. To New York, he asked? Oh, yeah, I answered. Hard to spread, because of the nature of transmission, but we’ll have a few cases here and there. Trust me, I know way too much about everything that’s happening right now.

This isn’t the first time I’ve had a coincidence like this in my writing. As a matter of fact, it seems to happen with alarming frequency. Perhaps I need to start writing books about people winning the lottery and cancer being cured and the alleviation of grief and suffering. It’s a thought.

My parents are coming for a visit tomorrow. I have all kinds of things planned, and went shopping tonight and bought all their favorite foods. Made a nice big pot of chicken soup for dinner, too, so the house smells like salt and warmth and happiness.

The larder is full, the edits await, the minions have been gifted with a new catnip trout, and the soup is bubbling away. I call it a day well spent, even though I wrote not a single word.

Wait. Does the blog count?

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Via: JT Ellison

By JT Ellison

I find the following question to be one of worth to all writers, at every stage of the game, from aspiring to NYT bestseller:

Why do you write?

I admit to a deep interest in the question. I have a number of author friends whose opinions matter to me a great deal, and I’m curious to see if any of them will stop by and share their answer.*

I ask also because I recently had the pleasure of attending a writing retreat with a number of brilliant, talented writers, and we touched on this, albeit briefly. I came out of the discussion with this — I think it’s one of the hardest questions a writer can ask themselves, and truthfully answer.

Because there are a million answers to the question of why create art. Especially when there’s quite a precedent that shows creating our unique “art” does not guarantee fame, fortune, or self-actualization, as so many of us are hoping. On the contrary, it often leads to rack and ruin, unhappiness and divorce, even, at its worst, death.

So why do we keep at it? What is it that drives us?

Here’s a top of mind list of why we write (and by write, I mean create, in any form):

• To be read
• To make a living
• To win awards
• To become famous
• To get a job
• To tell stories that need to be told
• To entertain
• To affect change
• To give people something to think about
• To alter the course of humanity
• To show someone you can
• To get rich
• To win over a love interest
• To get revenge
• To chase away demons
• To satisfy some indefinable inner urge to write
• To heal thyself

There are many more reasons. What do you think, fellow scribblers? Are you willing to share why you do it? I’ll go first.

I write to entertain, to affect change, to make a living, to chase away demons, to heal my soul, and because I can’t imagine doing anything else.

What about you?

*The comments section of the blog is back open! All previous issues with SPAM have been fixed, and I’ve discovered I like having the conversation here. So feel free to join in, writer and reader alike!

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Via: JT Ellison

By JT Ellison

Welcome Pam Jenoff to the Tao! I’m absolutely fascinated by her books, and jealous of her covers, because the meaty stories within give the art department so much to work with! Pam and I share a publisher, so I’ve been lucky enough to get my hands on her books before others, and I’m telling you, if you haven’t read her before, you’re going to love them.

We are also fellow alums from George Washington University, and she followed a path into the foreign service which I’d originally been aiming for, so I’m doubly fascinated by her life and writing. Which, of course, influences her books. Maybe she’ll pop into the comments and give us an extra answer – does life imitate art, or vice versa? Regardless, Pam’s the whole package, people, and then some. So here we go!

_______

Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up?

Return to Innocence by Enigma. But the truth is, I don’t work to music. Sadder truth is I have the worst musical taste on the planet – think Mandy Patinkin meets Counting Crows.

Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today?

I just turned in my next book, called Summer Boys. It’s the story of Adelia, a 16 year old Italian Jewish refugee who makes her way to America in 1941 and meets an Irish family with four sons. She falls in love with the eldest just as America enters the war and when tragedy strikes, she flees her pain to wartorn London.

While my editor is reading that manuscript, I’m starting No Man’s Land, which is the story of a single mom trying to protect her homosexual son in Nazi Germany.

What’s your latest book about?

The Winter Guest is the story of twin Polish sisters, Helena and Ruth Nowak, who are struggling to raise their younger siblings in Poland during the Second World War. Things get complicated when Helena finds a wounded Jewish American paratrooper in the woods and hides him.

Where do you write, and what tools do you use?

I can write anywhere. I have written in castles and mountaintop retreats, but also in my doctor’s waiting room and in my car. I can tell you which Starbucks in my town open at 6 versus 6:30 on the weekends. But I’m most comfortable in my office where I teach. In the early stages of a book when I’m just throwing down words, I can use a notebook computer, but in later stages I need the big screen of a desktop. I take notes and brainstorm long hand.

What was your favorite book as a child?

I was a huge reader. Mary Poppins stands out, because it was so formative in my dream to go to England, which was fulfilled when I went to Cambridge. I was also big on the Betsy Tacy series, about young girls in turn of the century Minnesota.

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

Anne Lamott has a quote and I’m going to paraphrase here, that before kids she couldn’t write if there were dirty dishes in the sink, and after kids she could write if there was a corpse in the sink. So true. You have to let the house be messy and things go undone if you are going to preserve your precious writing time.

I also like a lot of the writing advice from Natalie Goldberg in Writing Down the Bones about silencing your inner editor and just getting the words out.

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing?

I work very hard to make sure that doesn’t happen. I don’t believe in writer’s block. When I was practicing law, I couldn’t simply say, “I can’t write that brief; I’m not inspired.” I just did it, and I take much the same approach to writing. That said, there are things that help: I read something at night, a book on craft or some research and take notes so that I have prompts to write from the next morning, even if I’m bleary eyed from not sleeping.

What would you like to be remembered for?

Being a good mom. But since I think we are talking about writing, I want to be remembered for handling the very difficult material surrounding World War II and the Holocaust with respect, and for making people think about that era in a way that challenges some stereotypes and conventional wisdom. I lived in Poland and became very close to the survivors and my assumptions about that part of the world were challenged; I want that to come across in my books. I call them my love songs to Jewish Europe and I hope they will be taken that way.

_________

Pam Jenoff is the internationally bestselling author of seven novels, including The Kommandant’s Girl and The Winter Guest, as well as a short story in the anthology Grand Central: Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion. She is a graduate of GWU, Cambridge and Penn Law. A former diplomat with the State Department, political appointee at the Pentagon and attorney, Pam lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and three small children where in addition to writing, she teaches law school.

Pam is always happy to skype with book clubs and will be touring the country extensively this year. You can find her full tour schedule at www.pamjenoff.com

More About THE WINTER GUEST

Life is a constant struggle for the eighteen-year-old Nowak twins as they raise their three younger siblings in rural Poland under the shadow of the Nazi occupation. The constant threat of arrest has made everyone in their village a spy, and turned neighbor against neighbor. Though rugged, independent Helena and pretty, gentle Ruth couldn’t be more different, they are staunch allies in protecting their family from the threats the war brings closer to their doorstep with each passing day.

Then Helena discovers an American paratrooper stranded outside their small mountain village, wounded, but alive. Risking the safety of herself and her family, she hides Sam—a Jew—but Helena’s concern for the American grows into something much deeper. Defying the perils that render a future together all but impossible, Sam and Helena make plans for the family to flee. But Helena is forced to contend with the jealousy her choices have sparked in Ruth, culminating in a singular act of betrayal that endangers them all—and setting in motion a chain of events that will reverberate across continents and decades.

Via: JT Ellison

By JT Ellison

Novel the 16th is underway. I feel like I need to start marking these moments as they happen – beginnings, and endings. So here’s a shot of my word counter at the end of today’s two writing sessions. I did 600 this morning, just spit them out, then had an interview that went longer than either of us expected, then took care of a few things (ahem… drinking tea and playing catch with the cats) before I returned to the manuscript and tossed down another 700. Perhaps not the most lightning strike of first days, but I’ll take it. Stephen King says it best:

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.”

It’s so true. I am always terrified of starting. Granted, Catherine and I have been massaging the plot for this book for a couple of weeks now, and will continue to do so, probably until the very end. And I have a 20 page synopsis done and 20 pages of notes, but the actual words, the opening line, the beginning – that’s what’s so freaking scary to me.

Oh, yes, it might do to mention this is the new Nicholas Drummond novel – the third in the series. Number two, THE LOST KEY, comes out Tuesday (“WHAT?” you say. “I hadn’t heard…”) and I refuse to be cowed by the good reviews and responses like I did when I was starting THE FINAL CUT. Oh, did I not mention that lovely bit of writerly neurosis? Yes, well. Now you know.

One of my favorite reader questions is which book is my favorite? For me, it’s the one that’s just released, because there’s no more pressure, no more worry and anticipation. It’s out in the world doing it’s thing, and officially out of the my fiddling writer’s hands.

So until Tuesday, I will fret and bite my nails and drive you mad on social media and hope that the new book is well-received, but whilst I’m worrying, I’m going to keep my head down and keep on writing the next one.

Because that’s what we do. We write, in the face of fear and anxiety, pain and illness, joy and sorrow.

We write.

And so it begins…

Via: JT Ellison

By JT Ellison

Productivity is sometimes my strong suit. I love making lists and checking things off. It gives me a perverse kind of pleasure, a little internal nanny-nanny-boo-boo to the forces of resistance that seem to hover around the edges of my world. I’ve even been known to add something to my To Do list that’s already complete simply for the pleasure of marking it off the list.

Today was banner day for getting things done. I finished a minor technical revision on WHAT LIES BEHIND – changes based on an experts input on the science of the book, and sent it to my editor. I started the research for the new Nicholas Drummond novel. I also started the synopsis/narrative/outline of the story, but there’s a bit more research to do for it to make much sense.

And I achieved the gold standard of productivity – Inbox Zero. [direct link]

I’m beside myself with excitement. I’ve had 50 or so emails tagging around with me for the past month, and another 50 starred, which is my way of saying they’re too important to be out of my line of sight for one reason or another, and I haven’t had the time to sit down, go through them systematically, answering or archiving or deleting. But it’s all clean now.

I’m going to give credit where credit is due – I use Gmail, and have for years. For a very long time I’ve been looking for a way to seamlessly incorporate my Gmail into my Mac. I’ve used Sparrow for years, but it’s getting long in the tooth. Apple mail is hideous, and doesn’t work at all with my archival system, which, I will admit, is rather extensive. (I blame it on all those years interning – they LOVED to have me file things. OCD much?) I tried a couple of ways to get directly into my Gmail from my dock, to limited success.

Then today, in a fit of despair, I hit the right terms on google and up popped Mailplane [direct link].

It’s expensive. And I balk at the idea of paying for what’s essentially a webmail link. But I downloaded the free trial, and oh, my. It’s perfect. Immediate access, and I don’t have to go online to get into my mail, which lets me focus on what I’m doing instead of trolling around.

I know this is going to help me rock my new productivity plans. And I proved myself right by getting to Inbox Zero.

Got some more good news today on the Nicholas Drummond front – THE LOST KEY got a brilliant starred review from Library Journal, and THE FINAL CUT paperback will be #7 on this week’s New York Times and #30 on USA Today. It’s also #9 on the iBooks list.

Now I’m going to go make chicken soup and bask in the glory of emptiness. I have a lovely weekend of research ahead, plus more cleaning of the house, hanging pictures and gardening and mulching. (I’ll be watching Randy do that, probably.)

I hope you have something fun planned too!

*Also knows as GTD – Get Things Done – the brilliant task management system I try to employ.

Via: JT Ellison

By JT Ellison

Well, hello there! Long time no chat. Trust me when I say I’ve been up to my ears in work – and a bit of play, as well.

So, to catch you up if you aren’t on FB – WHAT LIES BEHIND is D.O.N.E. – and has been accepted by my editor, who really liked it. Will wonders never cease? And I mean that truthfully – I don’t think I’ve ever had such a difficult time with a book, and it took me literally until the 11th hour to get the story to come together properly, but the 5 months (5 MONTHS!) of work paid off. That book comes out in June (5.26.15 to be specific) and I’m incredibly proud of how it finally came together. Huge props to my husband and my BFF Laura Benedict for shepherding me through the process. And of course, all of you.

I did things differently this time, too. Usually my beta readers see the book before my editor, but this time, they’re going to see the last version prior to copyedit. I like shaking things up!

And so now it’s on to Nicholas Drummond #3. I had a week off between finishing WLB and flying to Cali to start ND#3 ( we have some titles, but none have been finalized yet.) I got back home Friday, spent the weekend putting my poorly neglected house and yard back to rights, spent yesterday cleaning my office, which, I must say, looks quite divine now, with everything put away and organized, and downloading research articles and books. I have a steep learning curve on this new book, so I actually have to do research prior to starting to write.

After a few weeks away from the craziness that was August, with the travel and the deadline, my schedule got all sorts of shook up. So I’m taking advantage of that to make some changes to how I work.

Sunday was my first SIS – Sunday Internet Sabbatical. It wasn’t as difficult as I expected. Since I’ve been on the road, I’ve been online in snatches, so I didn’t really miss it. I’m looking forward to the unplugged day, and I’m also not going to write on the weekends anymore. I feel like all I’m doing is working, as my house’s sad demeanor can attest to. I didn’t even play golf this summer, which is a travesty. So, let’s change that. Check.

I’m also trying to turn my laptop into my creative workstation, and do all my business on my desktop. And… doing an hour of business, then walking away. I am the worst about trying to sandwich in every single little thing that needs to be done to clear my plate for the writing, which oftentimes leaves me at 4 or 5 in the evening having accomplished a great deal, but none of it fiction. Which is my real job.

So the plan is, I will limit the online business time to 3 times a day – 9am, lunchtime, and early evening – and then it goes off. No more answering email at 11 p.m. Check.

And, since I’m finding so much inspiration these days, I’m going to start sharing some with you. My buddy Anna Benjamin sent me a box full, and they are lovely and profound. I will be using them as inspiration, and I hope you like them too. Ergo: see above.

So how about you? What have you been up to?

Via: JT Ellison

By JT Ellison

I was at RWA this year, at the literacy signing, when this knockout girl approached me and started asking questions about publishing. Her debut novel was coming out in a month, and she was hoping to glean some tips. Turns out said girl writes for my publisher, writes wicked thrillers, and within minutes, I knew she was something special. I meet a lot of people, a lot of writers, and sometimes, you just click with people, and we clicked. Plus – Nicolello? Come on, how can you not love a girl from the Old Country. I read DEAD DON’T LIE, which totally freaked me out, and knew I wanted to share L.R. and her writing with you. Beauty, brains, talent – she’s going to go far, very far, and you heard it here first! So here we go!

_______________

Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up?

‘Empty Words’ by Christina Aguilera.

Okay, first, that’s hilarious. But, this song—oh, my heart—this song. I love how music releases just the right tsunami of emotions. I had this on repeat while writing a particular twist for my latest villain and walked away from the pages actually hurting for him and a little bit in love. (I blame Allison Brennan for that. : ) )

Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today?

Today I’m on the beach but like every day, I’m multitasking, which I love. I’m prepping for the release of my debut book, DEAD DON’T LIE, while I finish up edits due back to my editor tomorrow for my second book in the series, DEAD NO MORE.

What’s your latest book about?

DEAD DON’T LIE is a romantic suspense featuring Detective Evelyn Davis, the best psychological profiler in the Seattle P.D., whose talent comes from heartbreaking experience. After two local families are wiped out, Evelyn believes a serial killer is at work. With each new discovery, the case becomes more personal and Evelyn starts to suspect the families aren’t the killer’s ultimate target—she is.

I love writing kickass women who can hold their own, yet know how to let people into their hearts and lives, even if it takes them awhile to get there. Evelyn is one such woman, and I hope my readers love her as much as I do.

Where do you write, and what tools do you use?

My husband and I travel a lot for work, so I tend to write on my Macbook Pro wherever I can park myself in a chair and put in my earphones. If I’m not near my laptop, I’ll pull out my iPhone or iPad and write in Evernote.

What was your favorite book as a child?

Funny story. I actually couldn’t read until well into first grade. Once I started, I never stopped, so the list is long and distinguished. Off the top of my head—probably Nancy Drew.

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

Two things come to mind: 1) Don’t edit until you’re done with the first draft. Sit down, and just write. 2) If you’re not disciplined enough to write every day, then hang it up now.

Okay, I know the second bit of advice may sound a bit harsh, but when Catherine Coulter said those words to me, it was as if a pendulum swung in my mind. Total. Game. Changer.

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing?

Head to the gym, go to a movie, read, jump in the car and just drive—anything to give my mind some space to just be. Then I refer to the first bit of writing advice: Sit down, and just write.

What would you like to be remembered for?

Being a gracious, steadfast, and kind woman, wife, and friend who never gave up on her dreams or the dreams of others.

_____________

L. R. Nicolello has been obsessed with all things suspense and justice related for as long she can remember. When other girls her age were watching the latest chick flick, she was watching Top Gun, dreaming of flying fast. She thinks a man in uniform is swoon-worthy and her husband likes to tease her about it, especially whenever they are near a military base. Growing up, her parents instilled in her and her sister that women can be strong without losing their femininity, and she takes that to heart with every character that comes to life.

She lives in blue-sky Texas with her husband and their ninety-pound “dog child”, but travels—a lot. When she’s not writing, she watches and re-watches her favorite television shows, exercises or reads anything she can get her hands on. www.LRNicolello.com Twitter: @LRNicolello

More about DEAD DON’T LIE

You can run from the past…but you can never truly hide...

Detective Evelyn Davis delves deep into the minds of monsters for a living. She’s the best psychological profiler in the Seattle P.D., with a talent that comes from heartbreaking experience. When Evelyn was just eighteen, she received word of her family’s murder in the form of a horrifying video. Fifteen years later, tracking down other psychopaths is the only thing that brings her some peace.

But now two local families have been wiped out. Though the chilling crime scenes suggest murder-suicides, Evelyn believes a serial killer is at work. So does Special Agent Marcus Moretti, whose easy charm and fiercely protective instincts are breaking down all her defenses. Evelyn needs to put aside her emotional attachment to find the madman stalking her city—but with each discovery, this case becomes more personal. She’s starting to suspect the killer wants her—and he is edging closer with every step, ready to make Evelyn pay a devastating price.

Via: JT Ellison