It's fall! Nicholas Drummond hit the NYT! And a really great excuse to eat Fritos!

JT ELLISON NYT Bestselling Author
October 2015 Newsletter
Vol. XLXII

The End Game

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Gentle Readers:

Look at us, we've made it to autumn proper! How are you coping with the changing seasons? Personally, I love this time of year: my sleep is better, I get to wear scarves, we put on the first fire of the season, there's always lots of soup and tea and snuggly, warm kittens . . . I truly breathe a sigh of relief when I settle into fall. I get so much renewed energy in reaping the harvest of what I've planted earlier in the year, and gather lots of joy working toward planting my next season of endeavors.

So as you know, I spent half of September in Europe. And I've got to say, if Italy had better wi-fi (and maybe a few more vegetables), I think I could move there in a heartbeat: gorgeous rolling hills, such lovely people, a slower pace, and the wine. Dear God, the wine. Check out my Instagram for some trip highlights.

Speaking of wine, have you checked out my newest venture, TheWineVixen.com? I'm so excited about this, y'all: I'm resurrecting my Wine of the Week segment I did for years on Murderati, and this time I've brought Assistant Amy along for the ride. She'll review whites, I'll review reds, and we'll both be posting sillies and travelogues and all sort of fun stuff. Come visit us, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Last month also included the release of A Brit in the FBI series #3, THE END GAME. And guess what? You guys took it to not only the New York Times Best Seller list—you put it on three top ten New York Times Best Seller lists at once, along with USA TODAY's and Publishers Weekly's bestseller lists! Thank you so much for everything you did to make that happen. We're so grateful to have such kind, supportive readers who love our characters as much as we do! If you haven't read this one yet, I promise it'll knock your socks off.
 [cover:Taylor Jackson box set]
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Some news on the Taylor Jackson front (I know, I know, just bear with me a little longer...)—we have a box set, people (with another coming November 1)! And brand new covers, which, I must say, are spectacular. I'm quite taken with the new direction my publisher has put together. And, I hope, if you've already read these books, you'll send a link to a friend and tell them to give Taylor a shot. Sam has gotten a refresh as well, so now everything is branded, as we marketing types like to call it. Aren't they pretty???
 [cover:All the Pretty Girls]  [cover:14]  [cover:Judas Kiss]  [cover:The Cold Room]
 [cover:The Immortals]  [cover:So Close the Hand of Death]  [cover:Where all the Dead Lie]

And since I really don't do much of anything outside of yoga, travel, wine, kitty-snuggling and writing, I also just completed a copyedit on my first standalone thriller NO ONE KNOWS, which comes out in March. This book has been a long time coming (I've been working on it for almost 6 years!), so needless to say I'm excited for you guys to get your hands on this one. You can pre-order it here.

And I'll have more exciting announcements later this month! It may or may not have to do with new endeavors from yours truly. Stay tuned.

Events

I'm all over the place this month. It's time for the annual Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, and I can't wait to talk all things books with you. Check out my Events page for more details—I'd love to say hi!

Get Thee to a Bookstore

Surprisingly, I didn't read very much whilst I was traveling, mostly because I was too busy at night drinking wine transcribing notes from my daily research reconnaissance missions. But I did toss a few fun ones into the mix:

ORYX AND CRAKE ‐ Margaret Atwood
NEGOTIATING WITH THE DEAD ‐ Margaret Atwood
TRIS'S BOOK (Circle of Magic #2) ‐ Tamora Pierce
SANDRY'S BOOK (Circle of Magic #1) ‐ Tamora Pierce
NEMESIS ‐ Catherine Coulter

And I reread the divine Laura Benedict's CHARLOTTE'S STORY, the second in her BLISS HOUSE trilogy. Seriously, folks, this is a stellar book. It's out the 15th but (shhh....) you can snap it up now, with this sneak peek recommendation.

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

October Contest

The October contest is live now: enter to win a paperback copy of Tessa Dare's A NIGHT TO SURRENDER, a Cynthia Rowley memo pad with pen and also a keychain.

Enter here to win.

October Recipe — Turkey Sweet Potato Chili
(Click here for printable PDF)*

The arrival of fall means it's soup and chili season, chickens! This recipe hits a quadfecta of awesome: it's a cinch to make; it's easily doubled; it freezes beautifully; and it's a crowd pleaser. Make it for your next tailgate, or on a Tuesday night. It's a really great excuse to eat Fritos (which are corn-based, and, as such, gluten-free.)

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil (or your cooking oil of choice)
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb. 97% lean ground turkey (if you want to do ground beef, that's perfectly fine!)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
  • 14 oz can tomato sauce
  • 14 oz can diced tomatoes
  • Water, as needed (if you like a thinner chili — I won't judge)
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp paprika (smoked paprika adds nice depth, if you have it!)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 large sweet potato (or 2 medium sweet potatoes), peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes

Directions:
  • In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.

  • Sauté the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.

  • Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  • Add the turkey, breaking it up as it cooks into smaller pieces, and seasoning with salt and pepper.

  • When the meat is browned and cooked through, drain the fat, if desired (though you won't have much if you're using 97% lean turkey!), and add the meat back to the pot.

  • Add the remainder of the ingredients to the pot, and bring the chili to a boil.

  • Once bubbly, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are soft and cooked through, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  • Once the potatoes are soft, remove bay leaf, and serve with desired garnishes (FRITOS, fresh cilantro, avocado, cheese, and/or sour cream—the world is your oyster!)

That's all I've got today, folks. Enjoy the beauty and bounty of the harvest! As Anne of Green Gables says, "I'm so glad we live in a world where there are Octobers."

xoxo,

J.T.

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

From the Desk of J.T. Ellison