The Wrath of Grapes

NAPA VALLEY - DAY THREE

Happy Birthday to me... We called this one the unbirthday.

We started with a drive up the 128 to Mumm Napa. What better way to start an unbirthday than with champagne? (And yes, I know this is really sparkling wine, real champagne only comes from the French champagne region.) We took a seat on the Oak Terrace, Mumm’s gorgeous new outdoor tasting deck, settling into the comfy red wicker, and were served our tasting flutes. Though since we were on the Oak Terrace, we were tasting from the Library Collection, and the flutes were full : )

We started with the 2001 Blanc De Blanc. It was a classic brut sparkling wine, crisp and jasminy, with a lemon finish. I moved on to the 2000 DVX Rosé, which was redolent of red apples, and Randy tried the 2005 Pinot Noir. In order to make rosé, you need red grapes as well as white, so the pinots add just the right amount of pink to the glass. But I never knew Mumm’s bottles a pinot out of each season’s growth. That was the second excellent pinot of the trip – smooth and clean with strawberry, peach and tobacco notes.

Me being a complete lightweight, I was a wee bit happy at this point, (nothing like catching a buzz before noon – sheesh) so we had a small plate of crudités that included a divine chocolate covered strawberry and fresh strawberries. Outstanding.

We headed off toward Cakebread then, but accidentally stumbled upon the Rubicon Estate. We’d been planning to hit Rubicon last, but since it appeared on our right, we decided to hit it first. Rubicon is the former Inglenook Estate and is owned by Francis Ford Coppola. You’ve seen me suggest the Coppola wines before, but this is the special place, the vineyard that houses the estate wines. Estate wines are generally older, more established vines that produce less fruit and subsequently, fewer bottles, which means they are more expensive.

This was by far the most expensive stop, $25 per person for the tasting. They give you a passport, with the history of the estate and fun facts about the vineyard, and plenty of space for tasting notes. And the tasting – oh, my, the tasting.

We started with the 2007 Captain’s Reserve Chardonnay. Though neither of us are big white wine fans, this was very good, tropical and fruity. Then we moved to the 2006 Captain’s Reserve Pinot Noir. That was not what I’d call a very challenging wine. It was good, smooth, actually almost too smooth, and perfectly balanced, and tasted of raspberries and rose petals. The next was the 2005 Captain’s Reserve Shiraz. Now this got our attention. It was deeply purple, with boysenberry, black licorice, blueberries and sandalwood. It had a lovely nose and had fun tidbits – the grapes are only hand-harvested in the early morning hours, then cold-soaked for 48 hours to ensure the rich, ripe color.

Next was the 2005 Cask Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a monumental vintage for the Cask, and the wine was rich with blueberries, cherries, plum, vanilla and cocoa, and was very bold and spicy. Really excellent wine (we bought some to take home!) We tried the 2005 Rubicon too, a heavy cabernet with loads of pepper, raspberry and smoky wood notes. Just fantastic.

The last wine at the Rubicon was an add-on from our server, who was a delight – knowledgeable, pleasant and willing to share some insider secrets. We talked of the Nardi estate in Italy (my family name is Nardi, remember) and that Mr. Coppola had visited their wine-making operation. She suggested we write Mr. Coppola a note, which we did. (The funny thing was, I’m writing a note to one of the greatest filmmakers of all time and all I’m thinking about is how to express my deep gratitude for his endeavors into wine making. Should’ve slipped a card in, but I really didn’t think of it until we left. Oh well.) The wine is a homage to his grandmother’s side of the family and is called Edizione Pennino. We tried the 2006. This is an organically farmed wine, a Zinfandel varietal, soft and full, with white pepper, smoke, blackberries, blueberries and raspberry notes. We took some of this home too, it was lovely. And it was nice to have the opportunity to taste such a special wine, a wine that’s dear to the winemaker’s heart. Made us feel right at home.

And then we went to Cakebread. I know the white fans are drooling right now, but the two whites we tasted, 2007 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2007 Chardonnay, while good, didn’t make a lasting impression. I just don’t have a white wine palate, though I was assured by our tasting tour partners that it was a good wine. The tour itself was a bit uninspired too, with this being more focused on just getting some wine in the glass and into your mouth than any real education. I think the group was a bit too big, and a little unsophisticated, so things were kept on the top layer, so to speak. The 2006 North Coast Rubáiyat was very good, a pinot heavy blend. The 2007 Rubáiyat will be a Merlot blend, which I found interesting. The 2005 Red Hills, Lake County Zinfandel was great, lots of dark chocolate and purple fruits, and the 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon had all the elements of a great cab. It’s typical of the cooler parts of Napa, and was our favorite of the lot.

We had just enough time to hit one more, and let me tell you – choosing which vineyards to go to can be a bit daunting. There are hundreds to choose from. But the wonderful Preiser Key was a Godsend. It breaks the vineyards into appellations, so we could look for vineyards that did our kind of wine. We wanted to taste a California Sangiovesi (the grape that’s used in Chianti,) so we headed to Castello di Amorosa.

And boy, did we get a fun surprise! What no one mentioned was the name of this vineyard was quite literal – the estate is a castle. A 101,000 square foot medieval castle. Cue enchantment!

We scoured the castle, then went to the tasting. This was one of the estates with a wine club. We wanted to join a couple of clubs, but didn’t want anything that we could buy in stores. Castello di Amorosa is exclusive to their wine club members. Intrigued, we asked for a special tasting that would allow us to determine if this vineyard could be a contender. They didn’t disappoint. The 2005 Diamond Mountain Sangiovese was great – black fruits, supple oak, and vanilla notes. The 2005 Merlot was good too, but needed to breath to let out the spicy, peppery finish. We loved “Il Brigante”, a 2002 Cabernet Merlot blend, cherries, light oak, spices. It’s very dry, which we love. And the name means Little Thief – how can you not love it? The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon was lovely – rich and fruity, then we moved off the regular tasting list and into the big dogs. “Il Barone”, a reserve cab, was excellent, but what sold us was the 2005 "La Castellana" Reserve. This is a beautiful Super Tuscan wine, absolutely outstanding. We signed up for the club and took bottles of Il Brigante and La Castanella home with us.

And now it was time for the dinner. We had reservations at a restaurant in Napa, so we hurried home, changed and set out for our fine meal. We were sorely disappointed: despite our 8:00 reservation, we weren’t seated until 8:30, and then it took another fifteen minutes for the waitress to take our drink order. It was noisy and crowded, not at all what we were looking for in an intimate birthday celebration. I won’t name the restaurant because I’m sure it’s normally great, they just looked incredibly understaffed, and that never speaks to a good experience.

So we walked. We knew UVA was right around the corner, and we headed there. It was a chilly walk, but well worth it. The meal we had goes down in my top five best meals I’ve ever eaten. It was simple, rustic Italian fare made from fresh, local ingrediants – meatballs smothered in tomato sauce and mozzarella as an appetizer (it was their special, and it was fabulous,) chicken and mushroom carbonara, and a phenomenal tiramisu, accompanied by a bottle of L'Uvvagio Barbera, 2005 and homemade limoncello. They even threw in a candle and wrote Happy Birthday on the plate, and comped the desserts. Classy, and guaranteed that we will recommend them highly. Top it all off with another fire and one of my all time favorite movies, FRENCH KISS, and I call that a successful day.

DAY FOUR

We were at a bit of a loss in the morning. Truth be told, we didn't want to leave. We needed to head to San Francisco later in the day, the forecast called for rain, and we hadn’t gotten ourselves into the heart of the Sonoma Valley yet. So we decided to Trust in Tara – our theme of the week – and put in an address we knew was on the north end of the Sonoma Valley. That way, we could drive, and anything we stumbled upon was fair game.

The drive was beautiful, though we got caught in the downtown district of Sonoma, which I thought was much more “city” than Napa. But when we cleared out of that, we were able to drive for about thirty minutes, gazing at the vineyards, feeling the slow seep of time. We spied a huge mansion in the distance, and the closer we got, the more interesting it looked. They had a sign that said Sangiovese in the front, so we stopped. (We really need a bumper sticker that says "I Brake for Sangiovese".)

The estate was called Ledson. We’d never heard of it, and soon discovered that this was another wine club-only vineyard. Intrigued, we started the tasting. It was so nice to be inside looking out on the rainy day, to see the mist rolling through the valley, to be warm and dry on such a dreary day. We were in the capable hands of Austin Smith, wine consultant extraordinaire, who entertain as well as educated.

We chose an array of reds for our tasting, and got to work. I say work because it is, in a sense. Anyone can go into a tasting and drink wine. It takes some practice to be able to tell one wine from another, to ferret out your individual tastebuds, to be able to tell French oak from American. And trust me, with a little bit of training, anyone can do this. And to the folks in these vineyards, when they get a true oenophile at the bar, it’s like a light goes on inside them. They want to educate. They’ve got the finer details down, and are willing to share. I have to tell you, the most fun of the whole trip was being surrounded by fellow wine junkies.

We started with the 2005 Diamond Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon – lots of rose petals, blackberry and cherry, vanilla, with cranberries, cloves and toasted oak. YUM! Then were tried the 2005 Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Another excellent wine, with lots of leather, anise and lilac which tasted of chocolate and black berries. The 2005 Mes Trois Amour is the California version of an Australian GSM – that’s a blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre grapes – with cocoa and smoke, rich cherry and smoked molasses. The 2007 Russian River Pinot Noir had the characteristic rose petal, strawberries and cherry nose that we’d come to expect from the pinots, but with a surprising caramel and pepper finish.

The 2006 Knights Valley Sangiovese was dry and spicy, and the 2005 Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel was incredibly jammy, with white pepper and plum and a touch of cinnamon. We had some of the 2005 Kinghts Valley Bellisimo, the gold medal winner in the World Wine Championships, that is a 57% Merlot 43% cab blend – luscious, fruity and spicy, and the 2005 Sonoma County Cèpage, which was smoky, leathery, with toasted oak and plums. Truly an excellent wine. The last one we tried was the 2006 California La Montagne, a 75% cabernet 25% sangiovese with raspberry, pepper, rose and lilac notes. It’s a Super Tuscan wine, and absolutely divine. We were sold. We joined the wine club, and Austin comped our tasting, a very nice touch.

And then we ate. Thankfully, there was the great little Café Citti right down the street, and we munched a pizza and cleansed our palates with salad and lots of water.

Declaring our trip a success, we headed into rainy San Francisco. It was too cool to drive the Golden Gate Bridge into town, but the shock of being in a city was a sharp contrast to the lazy, indolent days we’d spent in the country. We decided on the spot that we are definitely country mice, with the exception of New York.

We drove around San Fran and dined in the rain at Capurro’s on the wharf. I had clam chowder and crab cakes, and a lovely glass of 2005 Clos la Chance Zinfandel. Randy was dabbling in the pesto gnocchi again – I just can’t keep that man away from the gnocchi.

We did a minimum amount of strolling, got lost (Tara wasn’t happy with the heavy fog and kept sending us to the wrong street) so we accidentally ended up on Lombard Street. It was dark, but you can still see the crookedness. We did a run through the red light district (when I visited San Fran last, when I was 8, my dad got lost and ended up on that street. Twice. My mom was having kittens.)

Back at the Grand Hyatt, we had a cappuccino and birra in the lounge, then went back to our room. Looking down into Union Square, we saw a group of people, all dressed in black, looking like they were doing a protest. We found out a few minutes later that we were watching anarchists who’d just cracked windows all over the shopping district, causing thousands of dollars in damage. Um, yeah. Way to make a statement, guys – cracking a window at Neiman Marcus while wearing a ski mask is sure to change the world.

DAY FIVE

We had very special plans today. At noon, we were meeting our dear friend Louise and her sweet hubby Bruce for lunch at the Washington Square Bar and Grill. After we packed and managed to get the multiple bottles of wine we bought along the way shipped home, we headed to Washington Square.

Our dear Louise looked lovely, and kindly gifted me with a San Francisco compass, which I desperately needed. We had a brilliant meal (try the fish and chips, they are croquettes and really yummy) and a plain old fashioned cellar merlot. I was actually a bit wined out, if you can believe it.

After a couple of scintillating hours in our dear friends' company, it was time to go home. We drove across the Bay Bridge into Oakland, and the fairy tale ended. Alas. But out luck held – even though we were an hour late turning the car in, they didn’t charge us an extra day. Southwest was on time, as always, and we got home safe and sound to a very, very happy kitty.

Bottles of wine have been rolling in, with almost daily visits from UPS. Our cellar restocked, now we're planning our next outing. Italy? Oregon? Wherever we go, we're sure to find good food, good wine, and make new friends.

More pics of the trip can be found here and here. Thanks for taking the journey with us. A new decade has begun, and I hope it brings great joy and success to us all.

In Vino Veritas

Ahhh, vino. Anyone who’s been reading this column for more than a few Fridays knows I am a complete and utter wine junkie. An amateur oenophile. A lover of the dark juice, a disciple of Dionysus, a proponent for good wines and vineyards. When we first started Murderati, and I had nothing to say (odd that we’ve come full circle) I thought I’d give a wine tip every week, just as a sort of value-added incentive to read the columns. I’ve given hundreds of wine tips over those three years, so many that I’m considering hiring someone to go through and list them all out for me so I have a record. Because I don’t have a list of all the wines I’ve recommended.

Does that surprise you? I know you know I’m a complete control freak, borderline OCD about so many things, but keeping track of my wine consumption? I’m terrible at it. I’ve started too many notebooks to count – separating them into varietals, countries, years. I put them into lists and then forget to add to it. I’m a bit hopeless, and that’s not the way a real wine connoisseur acts.

Well, I’m not a real connoisseur. I’m just a thriller chick who likes her grape juice.

So when hubby told me he was taking me to the Napa Valley for my birthday, you can imagine how excited I was. We’ve been to Italy a couple of times, strolled through pour favorite vineyard, Tenute Silvio Nardi – learned about tastings and fermentations and the benefits of French oak from our friend Jeorge, the estate manager. We know Francis Ford Coppola has been there, his wine team spent a few weeks learning from the Nardis. (More on that later) And my family name, for those who are interested, is Nardi. Winemaking, apparently, is in my blood.

We touched base with friends we know have travelled in the area for recommendations. We quickly discovered that this can be a pricey trip, because most of the vineyards charge for the tastings, anywhere from $10 a person to $25. That can add up quickly. It was recommended to us that we stay in Sonoma, the less trafficked and less commercial part of the wine country. But Sonoma’s expensive, so we decided to go the economical route of a bed and breakfast in Napa proper, taking advantage of the great travel deals (many, many hotels are doing specials now, three nights for the price of two, that kind of thing.) Turns out that was our smartest move. Napa proper? Not so commercial after all. And the B&B was perfectly located at the mouth of Highway 29 and Highway 128, two of the most beautiful stretches of road in the world. Breakfast in bed daily, a spacious, clean and quiet room with a fireplace and DVD player, a comfy bed and oodles of hot water – it was heaven.

The first day we’d arrived at about 3:00 pm local time after a full day of traveling. We were tired and hungry, and poor hubby had a cold (we were hoping it wasn’t hamthrax, we’d stopped at a local store for a jug of hand sanitizer and there were people in masks.) The B&B manager pulled out a map and a slew of tasting coupons (despite the prices, the coupons were along the lines of two for one tastings, etc.)We decided to forego the tastings in favor of a cheeseburger, which we found at the Napa Valley Grille in Yountville. Napa and Sonoma are made up of a multitude of small contiguous charming towns, with vast tracts of vineyards stretched between them. Most picturesque.

Food served, along with buttery focaccia dipped in rosemary, pepper, garlic and sea salt infused olive oil, we ventured into our first wines. Hubby had a Tangley Oaks Merlot, and I tried the Napa Cellars Merlot. Both were excellent, and we had a first moment of fortune – they’d emptied the very last bottle of Tangley Oaks and didn’t have enough for a full glass, so that one was on the house. Just the right way to get the trip started.

As we left, we noticed a tasting room for Verismo Wines. We stopped in for the heck of it and discovered three excellent wines: Stretta (aged in American Oak), Stella (aged in French Oak), and a surprisingly good Malbec, also aged in French Oak. I’ve never been much for the Malbecs, but this was rich and deep, just great.

Back at the B&B, 5-7 is cocktail hour – with lovely crudités, several wines to taste and some elevator Muzak. We retired early with a bottle of Stretta in our room, lit the fire, doped up the hubster and got a great night’s sleep.

DAY TWO

This was the last day of the decade for me. We wanted to see some redwoods, so we rose late, programmed Tara Stella Gypsy (our Garmin Nuvi, named such because Tara is the Buddhist goddess of navigation, Stella for stars, and Gypsie for... yes, GPS) and off we went. Tara has a plethora of cool features, and we trusted her implicitly to get us around.

The Armstrong Redwood Forest was about an hour north and west of Napa, and we weren’t disappointed. HUGE trees. HUGE. Towering to the sky, thousands of years old. Having grown up in a forest, it was especially peaceful and perfect. We shared some cocktail peanuts (thanks, Southwest!) and just spent some time being, astounded at the silence in these woods.

Glancing at the map, we knew we were close to the coast, so we figured what the hell. Tara happily obliged us with a point of interest entry called Goat Rock State Beach. That sounded promising. Driving through the forest, knowing that just around the curve, something glorious awaited us, we were breathless in anticipation. An eagle soared down and got in front of the car as if he were leading us to the rocky cliffs. I couldn’t help myself, I mentally recited some Tennyson.

The forest quickly gave way to flatter land, yellows instead of greens, and suddenly, there it was, this gigantic cliff with the Pacific gleaming beneath us.

We drove down, taking a million pictures, then parked and walked along the soft sand. Goat Rock is one of the most dangerous beaches in California – the water sneaks up on you and there’s a twenty foot drop shelf right at the water’s edge – we nearly got creamed by a wave trying to dip our fingers in the pacific.

That beach was one of the speechless moments. I don’t have them often, but they burn themselves into my memory banks to stay on forever.

We finally dragged ourselves away and headed to Seghesio Vineyards in Healdsburg. There’s definitely a warming process with some of these wine folks – they assume you know nothing, and treat you a bit disdainfully until you say something in the magic code language of Dionysus (something about oak barrels usually suffices.) Then they open to you and treat you well. That irritated my populist heart a bit, but whatever. There’s also a bit of competition between Sonoma and Napa, with the Sonoma folks looking down their noses at the Napa folks, which I had absolutely no time for. All that aside, we tasted several really good wines at Seghesio: the 2006 Cortina Zinfandel, made in the Dry Creek Valley, 2007 Costeria Pinot Noir, which was a bit too new for me, the 2005 Auradou Zinfandel, also from Dry Creek Valley and the stuff the Old Vine Zin I recommended last week is made of. The 2005 Home Ranch Zinfandel had some Sirah in it, making it fruity, and the 2005 Home Ranch Petit Sirah was excellent, very peppery and laced with black fruit. But the standout was the 2005 Venom. Grown on Rattlesnake Hill, it’s their baby Brunello, and it was rich, spicy and very full-bodied, the kind of wine you want to let breathe for at least thirty minutes, then consume with a superior steak.

The purveyor at Seghesio suggested a fine Italian restaurant in Healdsburg, and since it was past 5:00, we decided to break for food. We ate at a great place right in the Healdsburg Square called Scopa. Scopa is run by a young couple who take their food seriously but keep the atmosphere light and friendly. It was also local vintner’s night, where they have local growers and bottlers wait tables and introduce their wines.

This night, the vineyard was Ceritas. Grown on a rocky slope at the Escarpa Vineyard in the Burgundy tradition, their 2007 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir was outstanding, probably one of the best Pinots I’ve ever tasted. They only get about 70 cases off the land, and they’ve sunk their life savings into this vineyard, but I bet it will pay off for them in spades. The wine will be available in August, 2009.

The lovely waitress at Scopa suggested we drive the 128 back to Napa. It’s a windy road, but the sun was just getting ready to set and the vineyards were sheathed in the gloaming’s glow – it’s always my favorite time of day, but this was especially gorgeous. The drive took nearly an hour, but it was so worth it.

We rolled into Napa wanting to taste one more wine for the day. We found ourselves at UVA, a lovely Italian restaurant (are you seeing a pattern here???) We had glasses of Monticello Sangiovese and desert – a strawberry tiramisu for me, flourless chocolate for Randy. Throw in a decaf cappuccino and it was time to call it a day. We popped KISS THE GIRLS into the DVD player, lit the fire, and crashed.

Just think. On the last day of my third decade, I was in a forest, on a beach, in a vineyard, ate in two Italian restaurants, drank several gorgeous glasses of wine, watched a movie, had a fire, and did all of the above with the man I love. Every favorite thing in my world. It was one of those perfect, special days that couldn’t be planned if you tried. Sometimes, the road less travelled does pay dividends.

Next Week: DAY THREE, the Rubicon Estate, and how I managed to slip Francis Ford Coppola a note.

There are plenty more photos of the trip here and here.

My Book, The Movie

J.T. Ellison is the bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Taylor Jackson series, including All the Pretty Girls, 14, Judas Kiss and the forthcoming Edge of Black. She was recently named “Best Mystery/Thriller Writer of 2008” by the Nashville Scene.

Here she shares some casting options, provided by friends and fans, for the two main characters should the series be adapted for the big screen:

Contrarian that I am, I don’t like to tell people who I see in the roles of my protagonists, homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson and FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin. So I reached out to my friends and fans, asked their opinion. The responses I received were fascinating. No one saw the characters the same way. I love that. My goal as a writer is to create a world for you, the reader, to escape into. I’ll give enough detail to get you going, but it’s YOUR imagination that fills in the blanks. That’s how I like to read, and that method has colored my writing.

Here are the nominees to play Taylor Jackson – my tall, honey-haired, gray-eyed, tough as nails cop:

Sonya Walger – I liked this suggestion; she played a federal agent in Sleeper Cell and did a marvelous job. Brings gravitas to the role.

Blake Lively – An interesting choice to be sure. My extent of experience with her is playing the role of Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl. She’s definitely tall enough, and that hair works too. A good choice, all in all. She’s young enough to grow into the role, too.

Amanda Righetti – Nearly tall enough, and that imperfect, broken nose is exactly what I’ve pictured on Taylor, so that’s a wonderful choice.

Charlize Theron – Anytime you’re dealing with beautiful blondes, of course.

Nicole Kidman – An interesting choice, because she does live in Nashville now, and she might like to take on a meaty role set in her adopted hometown. And she’s tall enough, too.

Jennifer Garner – She’s got that kick-ass physicality that would make her just right for the role.

Now, for Baldwin. He’s big (6’4”) black hair and clear green eyes. He’s incredibly handsome, lean and well-dressed, and brilliant. Hard shoes to fill…

Jason O’Mara – I’ve never seen him in anything but I’m assured that he would work, and work well. He is European, so his background would be useful when we’re delving into Baldwin’s polyglot nature.

Alex O'Loughlin – I think he’s too small for Baldwin, but what do I know? He can smolder, and does have a nice intensity on the screen.

Thomas Gibson – I’m a Criminal Minds fan, so I can completely understand this choice. He’s deep and serious and can act his pants off. I wouldn’t quibble.

Ben Affleck – Not a bad choice at all. He’s the right size, has the ability to capture the attention of the women around him, and the subtlety to handle the role.

Hugh Jackman – An excellent choice. He’s fun to watch, and I can see him embodying this role well.

So that’s it, we’ve got a load of excellent suggestions to play Taylor and Baldwin. Now we just need to get the books optioned and get them on the silver screen! Many, many thanks to all the folks who participated in this for me, and a special thanks to Marshal for letting me go my own way with this post.


--Marshal Zeringue

World Building

I was at the bank the other day, which is always a trip, because our bank branch is staffed with characters. There’s the comedian chick, the brooding manager, the upbeat and chipper trainee, and the artist. The artist and I get on well, because he’s a writer. He’s done songs, he’s done poems. But lately, he’s been working on a movie script.

You don’t expect to get enlightened at the bank. If anything, that’s about the last place I’d ever go. But the artist dropped a bomb on me, just a simple term that he used to describe what he was responsible for with the script he’s co-writing.

He’s the world builder.

Now I’m sure all you screenwriters just rolled your eyes and said DUH! but I’ve never done any screenwriting, nor worked in Hollywood, and this termed concept of world building was a new one to me.

Of course, I understand that I already have an intrinsic grasp of world building. I do it every time I sit down, open my laptop and create. Each story, each character, each setting, all goes into the world I’m building. I’m the God of my own land, the High Priestess of the Page.

I make the rules.

Oh, heady day!

Science fiction and fantasy writers do a bang up job of world building. Hobbits become heroes, dragons befriend young slayers, vampires turn vegetarian. Trees can speak and witches float around in soap bubbles. Lions rise from the dead and the labyrinth of our subconscious fears are realized. Good and evil have Janus faces, and nothing is as it seems.

In these alternate realities, there are fairy godmothers, guardian angels, and every possible incarnation of death. In Stephanie Meyer’s TWILIGHT series, the books work not because of the vampires, but because of the underlying story – a teenage girl who is uprooted and ends up in a faraway land where normal rules don’t apply. This transportation into a new world allows for a willing suspension of disbelief – that’s the trick. That’s the key.

It’s the driving force behind our culture’s creativity.

If you build it, they will come.

Historical romances sweep us into a land unknown. As a little girl, I remember getting lost in Karleen Koen’s THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY, only to emerge on the other end with a fascination for all things historical. Diana Gabaldon’s OUTLANDER series is completely transcendent. I am there. I am present. I am so entranced that I can see and smell everything the characters do. I’m not reading a book, or a story, I’m plowing through an alternate universe.

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books did that for me also. I still lament that I wasn’t able to attend Hogwarts, with all its bizarre idiosyncrasies and history.

Imagination in the hands of a competent world builder is something to be treasured, read and watched over and over again, striking a resonate chord with all who fall under its spell. It's just plain bliss.

The mythology behind these grandiose otherworlds are evident. They all have one thing in common: A hero, called to a journey. I’ve been reading Joseph Campbell and Christopher Vogler, (I’ve got a post coming on why I’m mad at Vogler...) and the whole concept of mythos and world building are foremost in my mind as I sit down to write a new Taylor Jackson novel. How am I going to bring Taylor’s world alive for you? What parts of Nashville have I missed in past novels that will give a real flavor to her world? It’s more than character, it’s using setting to define your story. I’ve always said Nashville is a character in my books. I want to show the essence of the city, the piquancy that comprises its hodgepodge cosmopolitan nature.

But I run smack into a brick wall rather quickly. My world? Already built. I’m using real places, real people, real streets and sights and smells. I can’t deviate from what we know this town to be without causing a fervor – and that’s rather limiting.

I started a standalone a few years ago, between my non-published novel and All the Pretty Girls. It’s about a female assassin named Cassiopeia with a chip implanted in her head that can be turned off and on, activating and deactivating her for duty. Sound familiar? Yes, Joss Whedon just released a television show, DOLLHOUSE, with a similar premise. I haven’t watched it because I don’t want to be influenced, because I’m still writing this book. From what I’ve heard, the brain chip is the extent of our similarities, so I’m not worried about finding a market for it once it’s done.

But it’s fun to write, because it expands reality a bit. I’m hoping this book allows me a chance to build a world outside of the careful construct of Nashville. It will take place all over the world, and I have the opportunity to make that world whatever I want it to be. Look at Michael Chabon’s THE YIDDISH POLICEMAN’S UNION. Sitka, Alaska becomes a world unto itself, with its own rules, its own idiosyncrasies. The characters live inside the construct Michael has laid out, and it works because we’re in the hands of a master manipulator, a writer who knows exactly how to twist the world to his own image.

But even the most humble story, if done well, can transport us into another’s life, into their world. We see through the characters eyes, feel their disappointments and frustrations. Whether the setting is as massive as Narnia or as small as a trailer park, if the author has done their job, we can lose ourselves in another world, at least for a time.

Wine of the Week: Sebecka Cabernet Pinotage An absolutely luscious South African wine with the cutest cork (yes, I said cutest cork) It's cheetah print!

Genesis

A few months ago, my friend Tim Hallinan asked me to participate in a series he was doing on creativity. I loved the concept, and though a bit terrorized to be included in the company of Emmy and Oscar winners, I gamely tried my hand. The basic question he asked us to contemplate: What Is Creativity?

I thought it might be interesting to have that debate here at Murderati, so today's blog is an adaptation of the one I wrote for Tim. I'd love to hear what YOU think.

Defining creativity to me is akin to the government’s views on obscenity – it’s something you recognize when you see it, but no one knows exactly the moment art crosses the line into obscenity. How do you define creativity? What does it mean? Is there a good definition?

I went back to the basics, and looked at what the word creativity means to the official folks who write the dictionary. They’re smart, they’ll have a good sense of it, right?

I loved the definition I found:

Creativity is “the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination.”

Transcendence. Now we’re talking.

But it’s still not perfect.

There is a difference, I think, between creativity and the creation of art. Creativity is simply a new way of doing things, a solution addressing a need. Creativity is problem solving. Anyone, given the right tools and motivation, can be creative. Art, on the other hand, is problem solving in its most esoteric form. Art gives solutions to problems that no one knew existed. Art creates problems to solve.

Look at it this way. You’re lost in a strange city. You approach a friendly looking fellow and ask, “How do I get from point A to point B?”

A normal person will tell you.

A creative person will give you a few routes and look at you quizzically, as if to say, “why couldn’t you think of that yourself?”

An artist, though, will argue about why you have to go from point A to point B. What about trying Point A to C instead, or, better yet, how about forgoing the path altogether and seeking a route to X?

When faced with a problem, a creative person will find a new, different way to solve it. An artist will find multiple solutions, different paths that are laden with color, sound, scent, characters and plot, try them all, figure out which ones work, then discard all of the solutions in favor of the most treacherous, difficult path, the one where no one has traveled before.

Ah, the road less travelled. That’s what separates the creative among us from the artists.

But you can’t get to the point of being an artist without being creative. So we’re back to the same old conundrum: What is creativity?

Creativity, obviously, is creation. It’s as simple, and as complex, as that.

Art, on the other hand, is something creative that transcends conventional ideology to develop something new and original that speaks to the audience. It is a contract between your mind and the rest of the world. Stephen King calls it a psychic connection between the writer and reader; the same could be said of a painter, or a musician, or an architect. Where there once was nothing, now there is something, and the audience sees that. They experience your thoughts through your medium. It’s overwhelming, if you think about it. All of this psychic communication, there for the taking.

That said, you don’t need to have any kind of approval, or recognition, to be creative. But it is the simple act of creating something new, something no one else has before, that makes you an artist – be it a novel, a poem, a screenplay, a painting, a ballet, a composition, a guitar lick, a new angle on an architectural drawing – anything that is creative in its nature can be art.

I realized that I was tightrope-walking the thin line between creativity and art early on, but had that budding insouciance nipped by a decidedly non-creative teacher who told me I’d never be published. There is nothing, nothing worse than fettering an artist. Some rise above the criticism, become because of it. I, unfortunately, did not. I walked away and spent fifteen soulless years looking for something. I knew what I was doing wasn’t right, I knew I wasn’t happy, I knew I was being stifled, but it never occurred to me to sit down and create my way through it.

I found that voice again through reading. I was recovering from a surgery, had oodles of time on my hands, and I lost myself in books. I read a lot during that year, everything I could get my hands on – historical, mysteries, thrillers, literary fiction. The words on the page were my lifeline back to a creative life.

It’s funny how the mind works. I wish I could say that I planned to become a novelist, that I wanted to play with the form, to create a literary thriller series that showcased my characters, my setting and my words. But I wasn’t that prescient. I had an idea, a spark. A creative moment, if you will, and my main character leapt into my head fully formed. She was tall, like me, blond-haired, gray-eyed, spoke with a slow, smoky southern accent. She was righteous, and good, and would be the protector of Nashville. Her name, of course, was Taylor Jackson. My very own Athena.

And with the name came a storyline from a dream – twin girls leading separate lives, one who would do anything to further her career, one who was dissatisfied with the life she’d been striving to build. And suddenly there was an antagonist, a man who was killing young girls. A backstory.

Before I knew it, I’d written an opening paragraph. In a move so utterly subconscious that I can only look back on it and laugh, I wrote about a murder on the steps of the Parthenon. The skies were sapphire blue, and a squirrel toyed with an acorn.

I actually was moved to tears by that paragraph, not because it was any good – it wasn’t – but because it was the first creative thing I’d written in so very long. Suddenly, I had a story to tell, and I buckled down to tell it. While I did, a strange thing happened. I began to feel lighter, and freer. I became so incredibly happy. I didn’t really think about being published, that came later. Instead, I reveled in the moment, the realization that I needed to do research to make the story come alive, that I was building, slowly, a rather large file of pages that moved me.

It was then that I started to wonder. If this story moved me, might it move someone else?

And there it was. My moment of transcendent creativity. It was a simple thought that broke me free, that allowed me to make the leap from just being creative to becoming an artist. That moment, about halfway through the manuscript, when I realized I wasn’t writing just for me.

I was writing for you.

Wine of the Week: Morellino Di Scansano Rinaldone dell'Osa

Media Release: JT To Be Featured on A Word on Words

J.T. ELLISON, BESTSELLING AUTHOR, TO BE FEATURED ON NPT’S “A WORD ON WORDS” WITH JOHN SEIGENTHALER

The Show Will Air on Sunday, April 5, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. on WNPT-TV 8

JUDAS KISS Spends 4 Weeks on DAVIS–KIDD Bookstores’ Bestseller List


NASHVILLE, TN—March 31, 2009—J.T. Ellison, Nashville resident and Bestselling, Acclaimed Author, will be the featured author on NPT’s A Word On Words, on Sunday, April 5, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. CST on local TV channel 8, WNPT. A Word on Words is hosted by Nashville's renowned editor and First Amendment advocate, John Seigenthaler who interviews the authors on their writing styles, ideas, philosophies as well as their published works.

Seigenthaler on the NPT website, states that "Through A Word on Words, I hope to be able to 'get to' authors and to afford them a larger opportunity to 'get to' us." A Word on Words, one of NPT's signature programs, has been celebrating authors, literature and ideas for close to three decades.

After the airing, the interview will be available for download and/or podcast on www.wnpt.org/productions/wow/

In a recent review of JUDAS KISS, The Strand Magazine’s Steven Steinbock states “With a heartbreaking opening and a heart-stopping conclusion, J.T. Ellison's third novel is at times disturbing, at times titillating, and from start to finish a fast-paced pleasure to read.”

In addition, as of Sunday, March 29, 2009, JUDAS KISS has spent four (4) weeks on the Davis-Kidd Bookstores’ Bestseller list. JUDAS KISS is the third novel in the critically acclaimed Taylor Jackson series that includes ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS, 14, and the forthcoming EDGE OF BLACK.

For book tour dates and locations, please visit www.jtellison.com/tour

All of the books are also available for download at http://www.ebooks.eharlequin.com/. In addition, ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS and 14 have been translated and released in France as well as released in Australia and New Zealand.

MEDIA CONTACT: Kim Dettwiller, Team Strategies, 615-321-4073, kimdet@comcast.net

The Strand Magazine Review of JUDAS KISS

by Steven Steinbock

With a heartbreaking opening and a heart-stopping conclusion, J.T. Ellison's third novel is at times disturbing, at times titillating, and from start to finish a fast-paced pleasure to read. Like her previous two novels-All the Pretty Girls (2007) and 14 (2008)-Judas Kiss features Nashville homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson and her lover, FBI profiler John Baldwin.

The main plot of the novel centers around the murder of Corinne Wolff, a pretty young housewife with an eighteen-month old daughter and another child on the way. Corinne's sister arrives at the suburban home to pick up her sister for a tennis date and finds her beaten to death with her toddler crawling through the blood. The victim's husband is the first suspect. Despite claims of being out of town at the time, his story doesn't seem to hold up. Soon an intricate web of deceit, distrust, and pornography rises to the surface.

The novel is as much about the heroine, Taylor Jackson, as it is about her case. In fact, there are almost too many sub-plots to keep track of. Taylor's lover, agent Baldwin, is involved in an operation that brings sadistic revenge home to Nashville; someone is stalking and threatening Taylor; a video of Taylor with a prior lover appears on the Internet; someone is making sex-videos using hidden cameras; and, possibly unrelated, the dead Corinne Wolff and /or her husband have a pornography studio in their basement.

Specializing in contemporary new voices like Alex Kava, Debbie Macomber, Michelle Gagnon, Heather Graham, and Kate Wilhelm, Mira Books promotes itself as the publisher of "the brightest stars in women's fiction." And Ellison's writing does have the qualities that will appeal to lovers of romantic suspense. She is effective at dimming the lights to create plenty of steamy romance between Taylor and Baldwin, yet her writing is never tawdry and will appeal to thriller-readers of either gender.

The multiple subplots don't stop Ellison from weaving a tight and powerful story. Judas Kiss moves at a rapid-fire rate, its four hundred pages rushing like adrenalin through the bloodstream. As the novel comes to a close, nearly all the subplots are neatly tied up. Ellison leaves a few elements unresolved, giving readers something to look forward to in Edge of Black, the fourth book in the series, due out in September 2009.

Reading and Watching

Hi there!

Just home from a mini-vacation that afforded me some time to read some excellent debut novels that I must recommend and watch a couple of great movies. It was a lovely week, though scattered with work that I just couldn't get away from. Alas and alack.

Books

WEIGHT OF SILENCE - Heather Gudenkauf

A brilliant, nuanced examination of a small town - Jodi Picoult, eat your heart out. Gudenkauf has a lyrical voice, shifting effortlessly through first person narrative from a variety of characters, including the focus of the novel, a little girl named Callie who is a selective mute. I met Heather a couple of months ago, and she described the book to me thusly: "Two girls go into the woods, and only one comes out. And she can't talk." I can't rave enough about this book - it's just fantastic. It will be published August 1, 2009. I recommend pre-ordering right now!

EVEN - Andrew Grant

Another incredibly well done debut, Grant's main character, David Trevellyan, has been billed as the James Bond of our time. Those are big shoes to fill, and Trevellyan pulls it off - sharp, smart-ass, devious and honorable, he's a new hero for us all. Fans of Lee Child (Grant is his younger brother) will LOVE this book.

THE MASQUE OF THE BLACK TULIP - Lauren Willig

Willig has a delightful series of books that starts with THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE PINK CARNATION. This is the second in the series, and Willig has such a comfortable style that it's easy to fall right in. Here's the jacket description:

"Harvard grad student Eloise Kelly achieved the academic coup of the century when she unmasked the spy who saved England from Napoleon. But now she has a million questions about the Pink Carnation's deadly French nemesis, the Black Tulip. And she's pretty sure that her handsome onagain, off-again crush, Colin Selwick, has the answers somewhere in his archives. But what she discovers in an old codebook is something juicier than she ever imagined."

Movies

Bangkok Dangerous
I'm a big Nicholas Cage fan, and he doesn't disappoint in this wild thriller. I was a bit put off by the ending, it seemed much too convenient, but some great fight scenes.

Charlie Bartlett
Very silly, cute movie about a kid doing anything he can to fit in. Teen angst at it's capitalist best.

Watchmen
Definitely worth the price of admission. I've never read the graphic novel, but loved the character development.

Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes....

I thought it might be time for a few changes, so I'm going to start using this space to add in some of my own thoughts, what I'm reading, contest announcements, and the like. I'll post my blogs from Murderati, but I'll also fill in with thoughts and musings as they come. I'm looking into a discussion board so you can have a place to go chat about the books, and will be redesigning the website accordingly. Besides, it's almost time to debut the cover art for EDGE OF BLACK, which means a new look is needed.

What I'm Reading...

I've been devouring the Diana Gabaldon OUTLANDER series as I put the finishing touches on THE IMMORTALS, book five in the Taylor Jackson series. I'm nearly finished with THE FIERY CROSS - full disclosure, I've read these books numerous times, so many that my copy of DRUMS OF AUTUMN completely disintegrated on me, and hubby had to run to the store for a new copy before I completely disintegrated. They are my comfort reads, along with the Harry Potter books and my favorite writer of all time, John Connolly.

What I'm Watching...

The Wire (Season Three) I've been entranced with this show from the beginning, but it lost me a bit during Season Two when they moved to the docks. I was happy to see them get back to Stringer Bell. If you haven't seen THE WIRE, you're missing out.

An Interview with PopSyndicate

Here's a new interview with JT, conducted by Angela Wilson at the very cool website PopSyndicate. Take a look here.

Transcendence, or What Is Creativity?

JT has done a guest blog for Timothy Hallinan's Creative Living Series at The Blog Cabin. Click here to read...

Romance Reviews Today Loves JUDAS KISS!

JUDAS KISS - J. T. Ellison
MIRA Books
ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-2629-8
January 2009
Suspense Thriller

Nashville, Tennessee - Present Day

A young, pregnant woman lies dead on the floor of her bedroom, and her eighteen-month-old daughter wanders the empty house covered in her blood. Two days later, Corinne Wolff’s sister, Michelle Harris, arrives for their tennis date. They’ve been practicing for the upcoming tournament at their country club, something they’ve been doing for years with Michelle always playing the lackey to Corinne’s talented expertise. When she arrives at Corinne’s home, Michelle walks in through the unlocked door (no one in this quiet neighborhood locks their doors). The house is unnaturally quiet, and a horrific stench hangs like a cloak on the inside. Michelle finds Corinne’s bludgeoned body and calls 911.

Homicide Detective Lieutenant Taylor Jackson has just returned from a wonderfully relaxing three week vacation to Italy. This trip was supposed to be her honeymoon, but thanks to a criminal who thwarted her special day by kidnapping her (see 14, Sept. 2008), the wedding didn’t happen, and the honeymoon trip just turned into a lovely extended vacation for Taylor and her fiancé, FBI Profiler John Baldwin. Today, John is leaving for Virginia to follow up on an urgent case of his own when Taylor gets the call about the Wolff murder. A pregnant wife, a missing husband, and a disgruntled family are all fodder for rampant speculation and tabloid news. What kind of psychopath would murder a pregnant woman and leave her baby daughter wandering alone in the house? It’s Taylor’s job to find the answers.

A Taylor Jackson Mystery is always something special we can dig into and know that we will enjoy every single word of the ride. In this third episode, JUDAS KISS, Taylor is after Corinne Wolff’s killer, while another unseen killer is stalking Taylor. The love of her life, John Baldwin, is off to Quantico, but he's hiding the real facts of his case from Taylor in a lie that he has neglected to tell her about, never having found the right moment. Although it is something she should know so that she can protect herself from an unseen stalker, Taylor is oblivious to John's deception. They truly love each other, and Taylor trusts John implicitly, but their upcoming wedding just never seems to get off the ground. John even proposed a second time and presented her with a new ring while they were in Italy, but even so, Taylor is still l little bit commitment-shy.

Taylor's team of detectives are back in this third novel. Pete Fitzgerald, Lincoln Ross, and Marcus Wade are busy helping her fight some new personal battles that loom while they all are searching for Corinne Wolff’s killer. Someone is trying to smear Taylor’s name and her reputation, and her team won’t let that happen, not on their watch. Taylor’s best friend, Dr. Sam (Samantha) Loughley, is also on board. Sam will lend a friendly ear, if only Taylor would share her troubles, which she doesn’t.

JUDAS KISS is the third Taylor Jackson Mystery and follows ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS, (November 2007); and 14, (September, 2008). And get ready for the fourth book in this series, EDGE OF BLACK, due out in September 2009. JUDAS KISS stands totally alone, and although the focus this time is only on just one murder and a single killer, there's another danger queuing up in the shadows, and the final spine-tingling chapter ends with a cliffhanger. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into in the next installment of Taylor’s adventures! JUDAS KISS is a wonderful edge-of-your-seat novel. It is a guarantee that you will not put it down until the very last page!

-Diana Risso

J.T. ELLISON’S JUDAS KISS REACHES #1 ON DAVIS–KIDD BOOKSTORE’S BESTSELLER LIST

NASHVILLE, TN—January 20, 2009—J.T. Ellison, Nashville resident and Acclaimed Author, recently released the mystery/thriller, JUDAS KISS in January 2009. JUDAS KISS is the third novel in the critically acclaimed Taylor Jackson series, which includes ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS, 14, and the forthcoming EDGE OF BLACK.

After only two weeks on the shelves, Ellison placed #3 the first week, and then #1 the second week on the Davis-Kidd Bookstore Best Seller lists.

Local events on Ellison’s book tour include: Evening With An Author at Martha's at the Belle Meade Plantation, 5025 Harding Road, Nashville, TN: Thursday, January 22, 6:00 PM
and Smyrna Public Library Winter Reading Program at 400 Enon Springs Road W. Smyrna, Tennessee 37167: Saturday, January 24, 1:00 PM

For additional book tour dates and locations, please visit http://booktour.com/author/j_t_ellison

All of the books are also available for download at www.eBooks.eHarlequin.com. In addition, ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS and 14 have been translated into French.

For more information, please visit, www.jtellison.com

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Kim Dettwiller, Team Strategies, 615-321-4073 or 615-330-5656, kimdet@comcast.net

Fresh Fiction - Fictionalizing Reality

(From Fresh Fiction - January 14, 2009)

Twisted as I am, my imagination usually guides my stories. I dream up horrific endings by villainous creations (who end up giving me nightmares,) and terrorize my adopted hometown of Nashville with crazed killers. But up to now, every story I’ve written has been pure, straight out of my head, fiction.

I made an exception for JUDAS KISS. The fictional murder of my victim, Corinne Wolff, was based on a real case.

In 2006, I saw an article from a North Carolina newspaper about a young pregnant mother named Michelle Young who was found murdered by her sister. Her death was unspeakably violent, and her child had been alone in the house for days with her mother’s corpse. The media reported a number of salient details, including the bloody footprints the child had left through the house. I watched the case, hoping there would be a resolution. Unfortunately, Michelle Young’s murder still isn’t solved. Her husband is the prime suspect.

Her story became the opening of JUDAS KISS.

The crime stories that seem to capture our interest as a society are the ones that take place where we feel the safest, which is inside our own homes. That’s where the majority of homicides take place. And we all know how much the media loves a good suburban murder, especially in my fictional Nashville. In the novel, there’s a sense of the fantastic surrounding this case, an “it could have happened to me” mentality couple with the media frenzy – satellite trucks parks on quiet streets, reporters camped on the lawns, every moment chronicled. It doesn’t happen that way in the Section 8 housing. The drug and vendetta killings don’t make the news very much. So in a sense, I’m capitalizing on what does capture our attention.

But JUDAS KISS wasn’t the easiest book to write. Any time an author is faced with a child at a crime scene, a tightrope appears from your laptop, and gets thinner every moment you spend looking at it. It’s a difficult balancing act. Bad things do happen to children. Bad things do happen to animals. I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of reading about either. Reality can stay out of my fiction, thank you very much.

So when I wrote the opening of JUDAS KISS, I didn’t give it much thought, simply because I wasn’t killing Corinne Wolff’s child. I was in safe territory. But one of my independent readers was very unhappy with the opening. She was terribly upset with me for leaving Hayden Wolff alone with her mother’s dead body. “If the husband did it, there’s no way he would leave the child alone like that. No one would. You’re going to alienate mothers all across the country.” I was struck by that statement, obviously. That’s not the goal behind these stories.

So I sent my reader the links to the real case. In the book, I’d actually toned down some of the “real” parts because they were so dreadful. My reader came back with a new eye – she understood now. She was horrified by the real case, understood what I was doing. She realized that I never set out to shock or offend with this story. I only wanted to give the real victim, Michelle Young, some closure. Her story affected me in ways I couldn’t imagine. I’ve found that reality can sometimes throw me for a loop.

We mystery writers are a strange lot. We write about murder and mayhem all day. We walk a fine line between victims and victimizing. I try very, very hard to make sure the violence in my books is never gratuitous. I always strive to make sure that my victims have a reason, a place, a purpose. They aren’t just dead bodies stacking up like cordwood to move the story along. That’s just not why I wanted to write crime fiction. I wanted to find ways to give some justice to those who didn’t have anyone to fight for them, to right the wrongs, and penalize the guilty. In my books, the bad guys get caught, and they are punished. Justice is served. The white hats win. That’s why I got into crime fiction.

But it doesn’t stop me from wishing I could do something for the Michelle Young’s of the world.

JUDAS KISS Hits the Bestseller List!

Fantastic news!!!

Judas Kiss has hit the bestseller lists in Nashville, coming in at #3 on this week's Davis Kidd roundup. Davis Kidd released the information to The Tennessean on Sunday.

Many, many thanks to everyone who bought JUDAS KISS. I am humbled and honored to be your reading choice.

JT Ellison

BookBitch Loves JUDAS KISS!

Lt. Taylor Jackson returns from her much needed vacation to face what could be the toughest challenge of her career. When classy housewife Corrine Wolff is discovered bludgeoned to death in her home, the suspicion naturally falls upon her husband. Then Jackson and her team make some disturbing discoveries regarding the Wolff family and their extra-curricular activities and a whole new avenue of suspects opens up. Meanwhile, a run-in with a stranger leads Taylor to a startling discovery of her own, one that threatens her professional life. Plus, a crazy hit man is gunning for Baldwin, and has recently gone missing, and the Pretender still evades capture. It will take all of Taylor's strength to make it through this one and still keep her cool.

With each new installment to this series, JT Ellison continues to prove that she is one of the best and the brightest in the genre - she should be on everyone's must read lists. 01/09

--Becky Lejeune

JUDAS KISS takes the Page 99 Test

by Marshal Zeringue

This weekend's feature at the Page 99 Test: Judas Kiss by J.T. Ellison.

Page 99 of Judas Kiss is an internal monologue from homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson as she drives to Forensic Medical for the autopsy of pregnant mother Corinne Wolff. It covers a lot of ground – her father who’s in jail, problems with her city, but most importantly, it shows a crack in Taylor’s code. This is the first time in the series that Taylor thinks about doing something that breaks the rules. Granted, it would be to save one of her team, Lincoln Ross, but it’s a seminal moment in the development of her character. This is a woman who arrested her own father, and she’s wondering what she can do to cover up Lincoln’s transgression. It’s subtle, just a fleeting thought, really, but isn’t that how the slippery slope begins for us all? I hope readers will see that this marks a shift in her core, and wonder what is going to happen. Judas Kiss is all about Taylor being pushed into gray areas, and this particular page sets that up nicely.

She’d been inside Riverbend’s death row cells, with their blue doors and creamy concrete walls. She never wanted to return. The overwhelming sense of malevolence coupled with dread was too much to take. She’d sent more than one of the men housed in that unit to death row and hadn’t lost a moment’s sleep over them, but she didn’t want to experience their last moments firsthand.

Her dad, well, his prison environs were a damn sight cushier than a state penitentiary. The feds were kind to their white collar criminals.

The Interstate 24 split came, and she passed the exit, driving a few more miles to the Dickerson Road access ramp. Off the highway now, into the run down streets. This was a sad part of town. A crack whore strolled by, arms swinging wildly as she walked, a timid black man in his forties following some fifty feet behind. Had they made the deal already? They must have, the hooker had the bright, insistent glow in her eyes of a junkie who knows she’s about to get a fix.

Taylor shook her head. There seemed to be no legal measures that could stop the pervasive sex trades on the back streets of Nashville. For the pros, a night in jail meant either safety or withdrawal, neither an inducement to break free from the life. For the johns, it was just an embarrassment.

She turned on Gass and passed the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations offices on the right. The TBI taskforce would be furious if they knew Lincoln had broken the rules. Even though he had done something that was life preserving, they would still punish him. He’d be kicked off the taskforce at the very least. She wondered if she could keep the situation quiet, then forced the thought from her mind. She was a master at keeping each aspect separate, tackling one thorny issue at a time. It was the only way she could get through the day.

Learn more about the book and author at J.T. Ellison's website and MySpace page.

The Page 69 Test: All the Pretty Girls.

The Page 99 Test: 14.

The Page 69 Test: 14.

The Page 99 Test: Judas Kiss.

Writers Read

by Marshal Zeringue

J.T. Ellison is the author of the critically acclaimed Taylor Jackson series: All the Pretty Girls, 14, and Judas Kiss.

Last week I asked her what she was reading. Her reply:

The holidays have just ended, which means I’ve done my annual revamp of my writing system and set my goals for the year. Every Christmas, I take a week off from writing and focus on the art of the craft. First up is Stephen King’s glorious On Writing, one of the best writing books out there. By the end of the year, I’ve become so bogged down with deadlines and To Do lists that I stop reading for pleasure. King’s book helps me refocus, gives me permission to read what I want, to enjoy the art of reading for its own sake instead of simply for research. It’s invaluable advice, because I find that when I’m reading, I write cleaner and more voraciously.

I added a new book to the fray this year, another that’s going on my annual recharge list, Twyla Tharp’s The Creative Habit. This is a must read for any creative person, be you writer, painter, dancer, musician…. I was so struck by her concepts, the approach she takes to harness her creativity – because honestly, as artists, we sometimes lose the forest for the trees when it comes to creating. Tharp’s insouciant attitude, honesty and work ethic barrel through the pages, making every chapter a foray into the parts of your psyche that you don’t often credit for honing your craft. She’s helped me reconnect with the joy of the creative process, not just the rush I feel from writing.


Julie Morgenstern’s Time Management from the Inside Out was a big hit with me this week, because I’m looking for efficiencies in my schedule that will allow me more creative time. I used the book to create a Time Map, one that schedules all my waking hours, and flips my writing day so I write in the morning, then deal with business in the afternoon. I’m excited to try this new method.

And finally, I rounded out the week with Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss. Just excellent, funny and accessible to everyone.

An Interview With Lit Magic

Last week, Lacey G. and I were doing some good old fashioned brainstorming. We were trying to distill what makes the Evening with an Author series unique. We came up with the below list:

1) It features local Nashville authors
2) It provides a behind-the-scene / non-scripted look at authors and their books
3) It's about promoting "smart conversation" between the attendees and authors
4) It's about building community / forging connections between book lovers in the greater Nashville area

We then took it one step farther by asking how LitMagic fit into the mix. It was clear that LitMagic was the perfect venue to do Q&As with upcoming authors. We see Q&As as teasers of sorts because they let you get into the mind of an author. As such, we sent the below questions to J.T. Ellison, author of Judas Kiss, J.T. who replied by email. J.T. will be the featured author on Thursday, January 22nd (6-7pm at Martha's at the Planation; see Swift Book Promotions for more details). I cannot wait to hear more from her in person. Look forward to seeing you there.

--Ginna F.

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Explain your path to becoming a writer. Why/how did you select mystery/thriller genre?

I started writing full-time in 2004. I’ve written all my life, the requisite awful poetry and shorts, even got my degree in creative writing. But I was wholly discouraged by a college professor and gave it up. There was a thirteen year gap in my creativity, and I’m grateful to have the muse back.

The Taylor Jackson series began when I was recovering from back surgery, and had a long slog through rehab. I was reading a lot during that time, anything I could get my hands on. I came across John Sandford’s PREY series at the library, and got hooked. The unique setting – Minneapolis/St. Paul –
his main character – half cop, half rock star Lucas Davenport – sparked an idea. What about a female Lucas Davenport, set in another unique location, Nashville? If he can do it, so can I. Ahh, hubris. But his influence is definitely the reason I took the leap back into writing. Taylor Jackson was born on I-40, as I was driving downtown to rehab. She popped into my head fully formed and started talking in that low, smoky drawl. I was hooked.

Explain how Judas Kiss fits in with your other books?

Up to now, all my titles have been serial killer thrillers, with the killer as a point of view character. Which also which means the books are “how-done-its,” instead of mysteries, which are “who-done-its.” JUDAS KISS is actually a departure for me, because it has more mystery elements that the previous books. The story revolves around a single murder of a young pregnant mother in Hillwood. But it’s all the same characters, and it’s still a thrill ride.

Did you know you were writing a series when you started?

Yes. I knew Taylor was a franchise character from the beginning. She fascinates me. I strive not to reveal too much about her in each book, letting her grow over the course of the series rather than over the course of the book. I also set the books seasonally instead of yearly, so that inhibits her growth even more. I wanted to be sure that she remains iconic.

When you sit down to work on a new book, do you have the ending already figured out like John Irving? Or, do you have a general idea of plot and its drivers and then see where it goes?

I’m a pantser, which means I write by the seat of my pants. I don’t want to know all the details of a story, because if I’m surprised, the reader is surprised too. I have a general idea of what’s happening. I always know who the villain is, and their motivation. Every story grows from there.

How did you decide to make Nashville a main "character" in your book? Why not your hometown of DC? What fun facts have you learned about Nashville as a result of your research? Why should every Nashvillian read your series and in particular Judas Kiss?

Everyone writes books set in D.C., or L.A., or New York. I wanted to do something different. So that was my first thought. But I’ve fallen in love with Nashville, its dichotomies, the culture and the class structure. We have real, big city problems, yet the rest of the world only sees us as Music City, honkytonks and southern food. We are so much more than that, and I wanted to show the rest of the world the Nashville I see.

The books are as realistic a portrayal of Nashville as I can make them. Readers will recognize the settings; the crime scenes may be someplace they drive past every day. I think it’s fun to have a series set in your backyard. I know it’s fun for me to write them, to skulk around town looking for the ideal crime scene. Nashville is chock full of nooks and crannies that are the perfect settings for murder.

What is the best/most influential book you have ever read and why did it inspire you?

I’m a big Ayn Rand fan, and a big Plato fan. I think my favorite must be Rand’s slim volume ANTHEM, which is a parable for Plato’s Allegory of the Cave – humanity is shackled in a dark room and only shown interpretations of what reality is. One man (Socrates) breaks out of the Cave and sees reality for the first time: the blue of the sky, a real chair, a real piece of grass, and returns to tell humanity that they are being lied to. Of course, they can’t handle that truth and murder him. ANTHEM takes this timeless story and creates love out of hate, beauty out of ugliness, and freedom out of horrendous captivity. It’s beautifully written and inspiring.

What piece of advice helped you out the most as a writer?

I have a sign on the door to my office that reads: There are no rules except those you create, page by page. Stuart Woods said that to me in an email, and it freed me as a writer. I’d been so constrained by the “proper” usage of words and sentence construction that my writing was stilted. Once I quit following the rules, things improved dramatically. And John Connolly, author of the Charlie Parker series, some of my all-time favorite books, once told me that all good books find a home. That kept me in the game to get published.

An Interview with CJ Lyons of The Big Thrill

Judas Kiss is the third novel featuring Nashville homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson. How has Taylor as a character changed and grown with each book?

Taylor is who she is - pragmatic, moral, compassionate, strong - some would say to the point of being intractable. In Taylor's world there are black hats and white hats, good versus evil. Simple, right? But life is full of change. Every experience alters us a little bit, opens our eyes a bit. That's the way I see Taylor, altering incrementally book to book so she doesn't achieve a sense of peace and finality each time.

I like loose ends. I like to torture the poor woman, put her in situations to see just how she's going to react. And sometimes she surprises me. In addition to the crime at hand, Judas Kiss is an exploration into her past, and I think the revelations make her a richer, deeper character. I've forced her into a gray area, which is difficult for woman who has such a strong code.

How has Taylor's relationship with her FBI profiler significant other evolved over the course of the series?

This might sound a bit paradoxical considering what I just said, but her relationship with Baldwin has evolved tremendously. She's grown as a partner, has learned to trust, to let her heart speak before her head. Loving and being loved is a challenge for Taylor, one that she'd never quite mastered before him. Baldwin is her soul mate as well as her lover, and accepting this new personal life (the engagement, moving in together) ultimately makes her a better woman.

Taylor's private life is forced into the public spotlight in Judas Kiss. How does Taylor deal with this?

Many women have something in their past that haunts them, something they'd like to do over. Taylor is no different. It's very, very difficult for her, because it's not only her personal life, it's her personal sexual life splashed across the headlines. The media seizes on her indiscretion and her most intimate details are exposed all over local and national television. If that's not bad enough, the situation is compounded by another leaked video that raises questions about her role in the death of her ex-partner and ex-lover. Her fall from grace is blood in the water for the cable news shows, and the local media feasts on her disgrace.

I believe the horror she feels will resonate with many women. But she's a tough cookie. She handles it the only way she knows how, by moving forward, finding out who's responsible and making sure they get punished. To use a terrible cliché, she doesn't waste time crying over the spilt milk.

Judas Kiss deals with sensitive topics such as pornography and the murder of a pregnant mother all in the traditionally "safe" setting of suburbia. How do you use this setting to jar your readers from their complacency?

The crime stories that seem to capture our interest as a society are the ones that take place where we feel the safest, which is inside our own homes. That's where the majority of homicides take place. And we all know how much the media loves a good suburban murder, especially in my fictional Nashville. There's a sense of the fantastic surrounding the case, an "it could have happened to me" mentality couple with the media frenzy - satellite trucks parks on quiet streets, reporters camped on the lawns, every moment chronicled.

This book was right from the heart. Twisted as I am, my imagination usually guides the stories. I made an exception for Judas Kiss. The murder of Corinne Wolf was based on a real case. In 2006, I saw an article from a North Carolina newspaper about a young pregnant mother named Michelle Young who was found murdered by her sister. Her death was violent, and her child had been alone in the house with her mother's corpse. The media reported a number of salient details, including the bloody footprints the child had left through the house. I watched the case, hoping there would be a resolution. Unfortunately, Michelle Young's murder still isn't solved. Her husband is the prime suspect. That became the opening of Judas Kiss, but the rest of the story is an utter fabrication.

Your books feature a lot of realistic details about police procedure and forensics. What's your most memorable adventure in research?

I have a fabulous team of experts who are incredibly patient with me. I devise scenarios then ask them if I have it right. I've done ride-alongs with Metro homicide and Metro patrol, have been to the Medical Examiner's office to identify a skull, delved into the mind of a serial killer with the head of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit.

The most memorable was the night I was out on midnight patrol, my first overnight run. We got called to a stabbing, and beat the first responders to the scene. It was in the projects, dark and dreary, and the cop I was with parked and told me to stay on his six, then took off into the gloom. I hightailed it out of the car and followed. The scene was a bad one; the man had been knifed in the stomach. His friends and family were crying. One was trying to help push the stomach contents back inside his body. The victim died on the scene. It didn't end there - we caught the suspect, found the murder weapon, had a chain of custody incident, then transported the man (a killer, sitting a foot behind me, openly telling us WHY he murdered his friend) to the station, where we saw him to booking.

I got home at six in the morning, overwhelmed. When I sat in my chair and looked down, I saw I had the man's blood on my cowboy boot. What I felt was beyond description, really, but the books took on a whole new meaning for me. Before, they were entertainment. Now, they're a bit darker, more serious. More a reflection of what the reality is on the streets of Nashville.

What's up next for Taylor?

Next fall, Taylor is going to have another run-in with a serial killer in Edge of Black. He's a completely twisted lothario, a necrophiliac who starves his victims to death in his basement. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to go on the road to promote that one...