1.27.14 - Starred PW Review for WHEN SHADOWS FALL

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Thank you, PW! 

WHEN SHADOWS FALL (Starred Review)

Exceptional character development distinguishes Thriller Award–winner Ellison’s third Samantha Owens novel (after 2012’s Edge of Black), the best yet in the series. When Sam, now head of Georgetown University Medical School’s forensic pathology department in Washington, D.C., receives a letter from a stranger named Timothy Savage asking her to solve his murder, she gets drawn back into her former career in law enforcement. Sam performs an autopsy on Savage, who recently died in Lynchburg, Va., and the examination shows he did not commit suicide, as the police ruled, but was indeed murdered. Meanwhile, Sam and her boyfriend, former Army Ranger Xander Whitfield, become embroiled in a search for a missing child whose disappearance may be related to Savage’s death. The suspense builds as Sam and Xander, aided by D.C. homicide detective Darren Fletcher, chase down a host of surprising leads. The author’s ability to neatly tie together the mysterious clues helps make this a standout in the romantic thriller subgenre. Agent: Scott Miller, Trident Media Group. (Mar.)

Reviewed on: 01/27/2014 
Release date: 02/25/2014

 

As you can imagine, a good day. Getting close on THE LOST KEY, too, so back to the grindstone....

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J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

1.21.14

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Breaking radio silence to say - it's been a happy day. Had news this morning that WHEN SHADOWS FALL is a Romantic Times Top Pick for March! I am giddy! Thank you, Romantic Times!

Here's the takeaway... 

Ellison excels at imaginative and terrifying plots, and this thriller is a fine example that sucks readers in at the beginning and spits them out at the end, emotionally drained. The latest Samantha Owens installment is a complex story with interwoven mysteries and a frightening conspiracy. Villains range from just greedy to truly evil.

Just a reminder, there's a Goodreads Giveaway for an ARC of this book that ends January 31. Enter, and don't forget to add WHEN SHADOWS FALL to your To Read list. 

Back to the real world for me. 3000 today, 3000 yesterday. THE LOST KEY is rolling, rolling, rolling...

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J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

1.17.14

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1800 today, and it's time to take a break and see what's what in terms of what's done and what still need to happen in the story. Having this great outline we developed is a true blessing, but now I need to compare what's on the page to what's in my head and match the two together. And then I've have a clear path to the end, and I think - think! - I will be there at this time next week. I can see the end, but so much still needs to happen, so we'll see. 

Off to Manchester in the morning for their annual Writer's Day - will be signing from 10-1, then it's back home to dive in again. I normally would never agree to do events during deadline, but someone (ahem) thought she'd be all done by Christmas and only editing at this stage, so said someone blew it is.

It is time to disappear into the story, though, so if I'm largely absent for the next few weeks, that's why.

Sweet dreams!

/ / /Source

J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

1.16.14

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Well, despite my best attempts, I seem to be toying with the idea of catching Randy's flu. After a quick run out this morning, I settled in with orange juice and tea and tissues, and found my brain was all full of cotton. I managed a few hundred words, edited everything I wrote yesterday, fought for an hour with a recalcitrant scene, then gave it up as a bad job and switched over to business stuff for SHADOWS, because there wasn't any creative juice in the brain. No Nyquil for me tonight; it makes me quite stupid the next day.

Off to do some book research in the form of Casino Royale and to down some Jewish penicillin of my own. I refuse to get sick. Positive thinking, right?

Sweet dreams.

/ / /Source

J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

1.15.14 - On Patience

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I read an interesting piece today by author Jill Jepson on the importance of cultivating patience in your writing life. Patience isn't something we discuss very often when we talk about writing, because it so often seems frenetic, and deadline driven. I know I'm one of the worst at this, too, I feel like I'm almost always writing with my back against the proverbial wall, careening headlong into deadlines. It's one of the reasons I post my daily word counts, to help keep my pedal to the metal.

But I do approach my work with a great deal of patience. As Jill discusses, there are many uncontrollable aspects to your writing life: the editors who don't get back to agents, the agents who don't get back to queries, the reviewers and magazines who don't respond to publicist. One must learn great patience, and strength, to deal with these issues.

There is also the traditional publishing phenomenon of completing a book, then having to wait three to six months to a year for it to arrive on bookshelves, which trust me, takes a LOT of patience, and has helped turn indie publishing into very viable alternative, especially for those writers who write fast and don't want to move at the traditional world steamship pace.

But there is also the space you must create for your brain when you are in creation mode. When you are pushing hard, writing daily, pouring words like honey all over the page, you must allow it time to recover, time to power up again after you deplete its stores. This is cultivating patience.

The creative's brain is very much like a battery, one that will run for a very long time, but also needs breaks to recharge. It's hard to be patient in those times, when you're rushing toward a goal, and all you want is to finish, but the words won't come properly. Your brain needs to be shut down and plugged in to build up the power stores again.

But on deadline, patience is the last thing on your mind. And yet, by taking a breath, giving yourself some space, some time away -- even if it's only a day, or a few hours -- you help the creative process tremendously. So don't be so hard on yourself, fellow writer. Cultivate patience with yourself. 

2100 today, and now I'll shut down for a bit to give my own brain some time to recharge. But not for long -- I have a chat tonight at Writerspace.com to talk about the new Sam book, WHEN SHADOWS FALL. So much for cultivating my own patience, right? I hope I'll see you there. 

Sweet dreams.

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J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.