On the RITA® Nominations

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I am floored. Speechless. Flabbergasted. Tickled pink. 

All I can say is thank you. From the bottom of my heart! And many kudos to my fellow nominees - I am honored to be in such august company. Just LOOK at this list, will you? 

2012 RITA® Finalists for Romantic Suspense

Hidden Away by Maya Banks (Berkley Publishing Group Sensation; Cindy Hwang, editor)

Hot Zone by Catherine Mann (Sourcebooks Casablanca; Deb Werksman, editor)

Hush by Cherry Adair (Pocket Star; Lauren McKenna, editor)

New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb (Penguin Putnam; Leslie Gelbman, editor)

Secrets of Bella Terra by Christina Dodd (New American Library; Kerry Donovan, editor)

True Colors by Joyce Lamb (Berkley Publishing Group Sensation; Wendy McCurdy, editor)

True Shot by Joyce Lamb (Berkley Publishing Group Sensation; Wendy McCurdy, editor)

Where All the Dead Lie by J.T. Ellison (Harlequin MIRA; Adam Wilson and Miranda Indrigo, editors)

 

Anaheim, here we come! : )

Publishers Weekly calls A DEEPER DARKNESS Scintillating!

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Thanks for the awesome review, PW! I am now officially overwhelmed. What a day!
A Deeper Darkness
J.T. Ellison. Mira, $14.95 trade paper (384p) ISBN 978-0-7783-1320-5

 

Thriller Award–winner Ellison (Where All the Dead Lie) introduces Dr. Samantha Owens, Tennessee’s head medical examiner, in this scintillating first in a new forensic series. Sam, still reeling from the loss of her husband and young children in a flood two years earlier, receives a desperate phone call from Eleanor Donovan, the mother of a boy she dated at medical school in Georgetown, security consultant Eddie Donovan. Eddie, a former Army Ranger who served in Afghanistan, was shot dead in an apparent carjacking, but Eleanor, convinced her son wasn’t a random victim, implores Sam to come to Washington, D.C., to conduct a second autopsy. Once in D.C., obsessive-compulsive Sam must face the demons of Eddie’s memory and his widow’s resentment. Meanwhile, other former members of Eddie’s Ranger unit start turning up dead. The suspenseful plot takes many a twist and turn before reaching its startling conclusion. Agent: Scott Miller, Trident Media. (May)

Introducing a new literary magazine: 2nd and Church

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Dear writers:

2nd and Church went live on the Web today!

From the website:

“Welcome to 2nd & Church, a literary journal by, for, and about writers and readers throughout Tennessee. Our goal is to be inclusive of many different types of writers and writing: creative nonfiction, technical writing, literary fiction, poetry, translation, commercial fiction.”

You can buy paper copies from the website.

Once on the site, click on the MagCloud link. If you buy a paper copy, you get a free digital copy as a PDF. 

And even if you don't buy a paper copy, you can download a free digital version!

2nd and Church will be launching tonight at Literary Libations at Union Station Hotel. We're meeting in the bar under the portrait of Jack Nicholson from 5:30-7:30 - Literacy Libations (#litlib) is free, casual and congenial, and there is valet parking at the hotel for $3.

On a more personal note, I am honored to be a cover feature along with my dear friend and fellow author River Jordan. Paige Crutcher interviewed me and I interviewed River, so this first issue is a wee bit incestuous, but in a good way. Plus there are tons of features and stories, so it is well worth checking out.

I am so excited about 2nd and Church, and not just because we're featured, but because it is a testament to the literary renaissance Nashville is undergoing. Roy Burkhead, editor of 2nd and Church, has worked tirelessly for months to put this together. His vision is astounding, and all Tennessee writers will benefit from his hard work. 

So thank you, Roy. From all of us to you - Bravo!

A little about Roy Burkhead, editor of 2nd and Church and founder of The Writer's Loft, here.

A DEEPER DARKNESS gets a Top Pick from Romantic Times!

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Oh, my goodness. The good news keeps on coming. Just got this wonderful review from Romantic Times - 4 1/2 Stars and a Top Pick! Thank you, RT!

"Ellison's latest focuses on medical examiner Samantha Owens, and readers will quickly realize they don't miss Taylor Jackson at all. A gut-wrenching tale that rings with emotional resonance and heart amidst the thrills, A DEEPER DARKNESS ranks as Ellison's best book yet. Her amazing streak of great thrillers continues."

Summary: Samantha Owens receives a phone call from the mother of an ex-boyfriend, Eddie Donovan. It appears the he was the victim of a carjacking, but his mom has her doubts. So Samantha flies to Washington, D.C., to run a second forensic examination of Eddie's body. His distrustful widow and a detective attracted to Samantha add to the intrigue. Can she overcome her demons to solve the case while managing to stay out of the killer's crosshairs?

To celebrate all of today's wonderful news, here's a sneak peek inside A DEEPER DARKNESS:

Click here for an exclusive excerpt!