December 2015 Newsletter
Vol. CLXVIII

Gentle Readers:

Happy December!!! I hope you're enjoying all the lovely parts of the holiday season and, most importantly, are spending time with your loved ones. Because really, that's what this season is all about, isn't it? Not the cards, not the bows, not the miles and miles of wrapping paper and growing to-do lists. Sure, we all want to show the people we love how much we care about them, but I posit to say that this is a better Christmas list for us to follow this year.

But let's be honest: we do want to give tokens of our affection to others. And what's more enduring token of affection than the written word? Thus, I have a few humble suggestions for your stocking stuffers, and your gifts under the tree, or on post-it notes attached to e-reader gift cards (pro tip: if you are a frequent book gifter *ahem*, you should always wrap books in a ginormous box, as to not tip off your very suspecting loved ones).

I'm thrilled to announce that WHAT LIES BEHIND has just been nominated for RT Book Review's Reviewers' Choice Awards!! It's Sam's second nomination in a row, and I'm so excited that the discerning people of RT Book Reviews deemed her story worthy of recognition. The mass market paperback just came out, so now it's easier (and cheaper!) than ever to enjoy this story. And can you believe THE END GAME, my third co-written book with Catherine Coulter, was nominated for Best Suspense? I'm in love with RT right now...

I'm also happy to report that the second installment of the Taylor Jackson digital box set is now available! Featuring THE IMMORTALS, SO CLOSE TO THE HAND OF DEATH, and WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE packaged together for the first time (and with gorgeous new covers, I might add), this is a perfect gift . . . for yourself!

And more news from book world, my pretties: my new standalone, NO ONE KNOWS, has an updated cover—which I love because I think it reflects the creepy thrill factor of the book. What do you guys think?

I mentioned last month that I was recently named a host of Nashville Public Television's premier literary program, A WORD ON WORDS, and my first episodes are now available! The lovely and brilliant Patti Callahan Henry was a godsend—she kept me laughing so I wouldn't throw up on her (I can't tell you now nervous I was!). We discuss her newest book, THE IDEA OF LOVE, at a Sawtooth Print Shop here in Nashville. Check it out, and leave me a Facebook comment to tell me what you think! An extended cut of the interview will be available soon, so stalk the A Word on Words website to get that scoop. My episode with David Bell is available now, too, and trust me, it is a hoot.

Are you looking for some delicious wines for your holiday parties? We've got some beauties for any budget on The Wine Vixen, so come check those out! (quick suggestion: this zinfandel has lots of zing for only $15.99—perfect on flavor and budget for a holiday party)

And if you're running low on reading time during this holiday season, why not whet your reading appetite with a short story or two? We've got some choice offerings at Two Tales Press (side note: our girl Taylor Jackson has a couple of stories on there . . . )

We're going to have a special Christmas surprise up there for you too, so check back . . .

And, as always, you can get my latest news from my blog, The Tao of JT, which you can get delivered right into your inbox!

Events

I'm all done for 2015 and plan on being a hermit until March (hey, I've got books to write for you people). I'll be at the Tucson Festival of Books then, so stay tuned!

Get Thee to a Bookstore

I will admit, it was a meager reading month for me. With unexpected travel, snatches of writing time, and the holiday prep, I just didn't get enough time to read. But what I did read was fantastic.

THE BOOK OF LIFE ‐ Deborah Harkness
THE IRON WARRIOR ‐ Julie Kagawa
A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC ‐ Victoria Schwab

If you’re on Goodreads, friend me, and follow along. I’m always interested in what you’re reading, too!

December Contest

The December contest is live now: enter to win a copy of Julie Ann Walker's REV IT UP, a keychain, a J.T. Ellison pen and a $10 online book store gift card to Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million OR iBooks (winner's choice).

Enter here to win.

December Recipe — Five-Minute Peanut Butter Fudge

Christmas always signals a time for special treats. I don't normally run my kitchen on bake-heavy tidbits during the year, so in the weeks leading up to the holiday, it's nice to get out the giant mixer, the old, dog-eared, handed-down cookie recipes, and get up to my elbows in dough. Since I'm rarely able to indulge in these treats, it's nice to discover new, easy recipes, like the one below, for divine, rich, peanut butter fudge. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. (two sticks) of butter, unsalted
• 1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky—depends on if you want munchies in your fudge!)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 lb. powdered sugar

Directions:

• In a 4-quart microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and peanut butter, and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for two minutes on high.
• Stir the mixture, and microwave for another two minutes on high.
• Add the vanilla and powdered sugar, and carefully stir to combine (this is molten hot) with a wooden or metal spoon.
• Spread into an 8x8 dish (preferably lined with parchment and greased, so it's easier to remove).
• Refrigerate until cool, about two hours. Then cut into one-inch pieces, and devour!

If you're interested in printing out the recipes I have in this newsletter, I'm happy to tell you that they are all available in PDF form, in bright, shiny new packaging.

That's it from me. During this blessed, holy season, I wish you all the best for a joyous month of love and celebration with all of your loved ones. Merry Everything and all the best wishes for a fantastic start to 2016!

xoxo,

*You can see all of my previous recipes and download them here.