Romance Reader at Heart Loves JUDAS KISS!

Whew! JUDAS KISS vibrates with such energy, it maybe could single handedly fuel electricity to New York City for a day. The third in the Taylor Jackson series provides such an adrenaline rush, readers may feel drained by the last page as well. JUDAS KISS takes readers on a spectacular twisty, unrelenting chilling ride full of unexpected surprises.

J.T. Ellison definitely has a keen sense of suspense. The mega talented Ms. Ellison not only gives readers an incredible thriller, she has created a truly fantastic female character in Taylor Jackson. In JUDAS KISS, Taylor's mettle is put to the extreme test as she deals with a puzzling murder, an unsavory surprise from her past, a sanctioned assassin turned serial killer who is after her as well as another serial, The Pretender—part of a deadly duo from 14—who keeps lurking in the background. Instead of cluttering JUDAS KISS with too much baggage, Ms. Ellison smoothly dovetails these four seemingly unrelated elements into non-stop excitement.

JUDAS KISS also delves deeper into the normally unflappable Taylor Jackson, showing a more vulnerable side. Likewise, more insight is given to Taylor's fiancee, super FBI agent John Baldwin. These two characters balance each other so well, are so attuned, so connected, their relationship adds another intriguing layer to the Jackson series.

J.T. Ellison is terrific. This relative newcomer is on her way to becoming a major star in the suspense genre. Her timing is flawless, her characters are full-bodied, her storylines are wonderfully convoluted. And creepy. If you haven't read Ms. Ellison, I strongly recommend her Jackson series. JUDAS KISS continues the brilliance.

Debbie Jett

J.T. ELLISON TO RELEASE NEW NOVEL, JUDAS KISS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Crime Thriller Shows That Sometimes the Camera Does Lie
Nashville Author Kicks Off Book Tour in Local Area

NASHVILLE, TN—December 15, 2008—MIRA Books announced today that J.T. Ellison, Nashville resident and acclaimed author, will release 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 due out in September 2009.

Ellison will kick off her book tour with a personal reading and book-signing at two Nashville area book stores. On Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at 11:30 a.m., Ellison will be at Sherlock Books, located at 200 Maddox-Simpson Parkway, Lebanon, TN 37090. On Thursday, January 10, 2009 at 7:00 p.m., she will be at Davis-Kidd Bookstore located at 2121 Green Hills Village Drive, Nashville, TN. 37205. Ellison will be joined at both events by fellow author Laura Benedict, author of CALLING MR. LONELYHEARTS.

All of the books are available at all bookstores as well as internet sites such as Amazon.com. In addition, ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS has been translated into French and 14 is in the process of translation. Both books have been released in Australia.

JUDAS KISS-A Taylor Jackson Novel

As the details of a gruesome murder emerge, the city of Nashville is shaken by the grisly images—a bludgeoned victim, a crying child and tiny bloody footprints scattered throughout the house. Homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson discovers, however, that this victim’s seemingly perfect suburban lifestyle has a dark underbelly, one full of dark desires and fetishistic deeds—which connect all the way to the lieutenant herself, threatening to destroy her personal and professional life forever. JUDAS KISS (MIRA Books, January 2009, $6.99 U.S./$6.99 CAN.) is the third book in the Taylor Jackson series, following All the Pretty Girls and 14.


ABOUT J.T. ELLISON

J.T. ELLISON is the 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.

J.T. Ellison is a graduate of Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and received her master’s degree from George Washington University. She was a presidential appointee and worked in the White House and the Department of Commerce before moving into the private sector. As a financial analyst and marketing director, she worked for several defense and aerospace contractors.

After moving to Nashville, Tennessee, Ellison began research on a passion: forensics and crime. She worked extensively with the Metro Nashville Police, the FBI and various other law enforcement organizations to research her novels. Ellison was mentored by one of her literary heroes, best-selling author Lee Child. She lists Child, John Sanford, John Connolly, Erica Spindler, Tess Gerritsen, Alex Kava, Jeff Abbott, Tasha Alexander and Michael Connelly among her favorite authors.

Ellison’s short stories have been widely published, including "Prodigal Me", featured in the anthology KILLER YEAR: Stories to Die For, edited by Lee Child, from St. Martin's Minotaur. Currently, she is the Friday columnist at the Anthony Award nominated writer's blog Murderati and is a founding member of Killer Year, an organization promoting the debut novelists of 2007.

J.T. ELLISON currently lives in Nashville with her husband and a poorly trained cat. For more information, please visit, www.jtellison.com

About Mira Books

MIRA Books™ is Harlequin Enterprises’ mainstream women’s fiction imprint. Featuring a lineup of some of the bestselling authors across North America, MIRA Books is committed to publishing the very best in commercial fiction, from historical and contemporary romance to suspense and psychological thrillers. In 2007, 36 of our titles placed on bestseller lists (New York Times, USA TODAY and Publishers Weekly). MIRA Books currently publishes over 100 books per year in hardcover, mass-market and trade paperback formats. Please see the MIRA Books Web site—www.MIRABooks.com—for more information.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Kim Dettwiller, Team Strategies, 615-330-5656, kimdet@comcast.net

Don Lucey, MIRA Books, 416-445-5860, don_lucey@harlequin.com


Team Strategies | 1803 Broadway #519 | Nashville, TN 37203 | phone: 615.321.4073

Mystery Scene Loves 14

JT Ellison's 14 (Mira, $6.99) holds up against any top drawer suspense novel. The title refers to the number of people slain in the serial killings. Troubling, though, is the fact that 10 of the murders were committed in the 1980s by an unidentified serial slayer designated as "The Snow White Killer." When an additional four bodies, replete with the serial killer's signature, appear now, the question is whether the long dormant Snow White killer has returned or whether the recent murders are the handiwork of a similarly depraved copycat. Nashville Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson lands and solves the case, but not without chilling challenges along the way. You won't want to read this when you're home alone at night, but you will want to read it.

(Thanks to Mary Alice Gorman and friends at the Mystery Lovers Bookshop!)

Bonjour! All the Pretty Girls becomes Elles étaient si jolies

Merci beaucoup to Philippe Mortimer for translating my work.

JUDAS KISS gets 4 1/2 Stars from Romantic Times

Ellison has a flair for the macabre shared by few writers, and her latest is heartily recommended to anyone who enjoys a scary-good mystery and/or a strong female protagonist.

The murder of Corinne Wolff is horrifying on many levels. A well-off, happily married mother who was expecting a second child, she seemed to be living the American dream. Suddenly, she's the victim of a violent assault, and her daughter's left alone with her corpse for at least 36 hours. Who'd do such a thing? Homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson and her team have to find out.

Their attention turns to Corinne's husband, Todd, who claims he was out of town on business. Certain elements of his story don't add up, but the evidence suggests his crimes are of a different nature. Taylor's stymied and distracted by a number of things: the absence of her fiancé, FBI profiler John Baldwin, and the distinct feeling that she's being watched. The two are connected in a way that she can't imagine - and that's not the only peril she's facing.

-Catherine Witmer

Chicago Tribune Loves 14

by Paul Goat Allen, Chicago Tribune 11/15/08

Fans of intelligently written, intricately crafted thrillers should definitely check out J.T. Ellison's latest Taylor Jackson novel, "14." This sequel to 2007's "All the Pretty Girls" pits Nashville homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson and her soon-to-be husband, FBI profiler John Baldwin, against a plethora of adversaries, including an apparently returned, infamous serial killer who vanished 20 years earlier. Plot twists include the disappearance and likely death of Taylor's morally bankrupt father, the discovery of a sexual slavery ring, and—perhaps most terrifying of all—a looming wedding ceremony.

Fusing gritty cop drama with dark psychological thriller, Ellison distinguishes herself with exceptional character development, consistently breakneck pacing and a sense of authenticity throughout "14."

JUDAS KISS gets Starred Publishers Weekly Review!!!!

Judas Kiss J.T. Ellison. Mira, $6.99 (416p) ISBN 978-0-7783-2629-8

Carefully orchestrated plot twists and engrossing characters combine in Ellison’s explosive third Lt. Taylor Jackson investigation (after 2008’s 14). Nashville homicide investigator Taylor is called to the scene of a disturbing murder: beautiful, pregnant Corrine Wolff, brutally beaten in front of her young daughter. Signs point to Corinne’s husband, Todd, but Taylor has her doubts. When she learns that the Wolffs were making and distributing amateur pornography, other investigators in her office turn up old X-rated footage of Taylor that could destroy her career and her engagement to FBI agent John Baldwin. Meanwhile, an old enemy of John’s has resurfaced and is intent on revenge. The story moves at breakneck speed, seamlessly flowing from Taylor’s world into John’s until they intersect for electrifying results. Flawed yet identifiable characters and genuinely terrifying villains populate this impressive and arresting thriller. (Jan.)

Nashville Scene Names JT Ellison Best Mystery/Thriller Writer

Best Mystery/Thriller Writer

J.T. Ellison

A former White House staffer, Ellison moved to Nashville and began writing stories about serial killers. As it turns out, that beats the hell out of moving here for a career in country music. She's set two wildly successful books in Music City (All the Pretty Girls and 14) and credits the Metro Police Department as her collaborators. Their expertise helps give Ellison's hero, sexy homicide detective Taylor Jackson, her street-level realism. Minus the serial-killer part, Ellison's work reads like a Nashville travelogue in which local haunts like Radius10 and Cheekwood glow with a big-city sheen. —PAUL V. GRIFFITH

Killer Year Goes International - Cheers, UK!

Stories to die for…from the hottest new crime writers.

The Killer Year are a group of new and up-coming thriller writers who have turned their talents to this compelling new collection. Each author has been mentored along the way by some of the biggest names in thriller fiction and there are special introductions to all the stories from authors, including:

LEE CHILD
JEFFERY DEAVER
TESS GERRITSEN
JAMES ROLLINS
DAVID MORRELL

With a special afterword from Laura Lippman included, this pulse pounding anthology is sure to keep you coming back for more.

ISBN: 9780778302759
Price: £12.99

JT Talks to John Seigenthaler about 14

Click here to listen to the podcast of John Seigenthaler's A WORD ON WORDS interview with JT about her latest Taylor Jackson novel, 14

JT Talks to John Seigenthaler about ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS

Click here to listen to the podcast of John Seigenthaler's A WORD ON WORDS interview with JT about ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS.

XM Radio's Kim Alexander talks to JT about 14

I'm Kim Alexander and this is Fiction Nation. The book is 14, the new thriller by J.T. Ellison.

J.T. Ellison's new book featuring Nashville deb-turned-cop Taylor Jackson is out; it's called '14'. This time Taylor is tracking a serial killer who has seemingly returned from the dead, and she's also planning her wedding — guess which one is scarier? As usual, J.T. works on a realistic canvas — her hometown — which makes the cavalcade of lunatics who crop up to ruin Taylor's special day even more menacing. (Although if you can find anything more terrifying than a caterer please do let me know about it.) There are a couple of plot twists that I certainly didn't see coming (I love that) and one 'ripped from the headlines' event that J.T. swears she wrote long before the news story broke. (Hint, it involves a pervy attorney general.)

I have talked to J.T. a couple of times over the last year and it's been a pleasure to see her continue to explore the world of her tough minded heroine, Nashville cop Taylor Jackson. I don't recall reading a lot of serialized fiction as a kid — there was the obvious Lord of the Rings and a few others, but somewhere along the line it became the done thing to create a character and a universe and keep talking about them. If you're lucky and good, your main characters and the world they live in are interesting enough to warrant return visits. If you're not, the reader realizes you're telling the same story over and over.

I think some fantasy fiction falls prey to this — how many elves can defeat the evil sorcerer and return the sword to its rightful king? J.T. Ellison is good and isn't afraid to take Taylor Jackson to places she probably wouldn't want to go. I can almost picture Taylor getting the script for the book and saying, "Oh no, I am not doing this. It's scary and weird and out of my comfort zone. I am not getting married!"

Because while serial killers, press conferences and trips to the morgue are all in a day's work for Taylor, getting an up-do and a big white dress? That is a whole different thing. True, she's been with her hot FBI fiancé John Baldwin for a while and the time was right, but Taylor is clearly more comfortable drinking cold coffee on an all night stakeout than wearing white satin pumps and getting in front of her family. Speaking of which, Taylor's mother and father figure pretty prominently in this book, and the disconnect between the resolutely, no, defiantly blue collar woman she's become and the deb princess her parents raised her to be is coming more and more into focus. As the series continues I'll be keeping an eye on her slowly unfolding past. Oh, and there's a family of serial killers, a creepy old house, the young victims are piling up and the wedding is at the end of the week. Guess which one makes our girl Taylor quake in her boots?

Hear my interview with J.T. Ellison on Fiction Nation, on Take Five, XM 155 on Wednesday, September 10that 7:00am, on Thursday, September 11th at midnight, on Friday September 12th at 11:00pm, on Saturday September 13th at 6pm, on Sunday September 14th at 10:00am and 8:00pm, and on Monday September 15th at 12:00 midnight. You can also hear Fiction Nation on Sonic Theater, XM 163 on Thursday September 11th at 3:00 pm in its half-hour format. All times EDT.

14 takes the Page 69 Test

JT Ellison is Murderati's Friday columnist, a short story writer, and a novelist.

Last year she applied the Page 69 Test to her debut novel, All the Pretty Girls. Now she has applied the Page 69 Test to the sequel, 14, and reported the following:

Page 69 of 14 gives the reader a chance to see the investigation of the Snow White Killer from the perspective of the Nashville police. The major clues in the investigation are laid out, theories bandied about. Without the hard DNA evidence, they don’t know if they’re dealing with a copycat or the original Snow White Killer, showing this isn’t a cut and dried case. All four detectives working the case are present in the scene as well, showing their ability to work as a team, they flesh out suppositions and compare research. I hope it does entice the reader to keep reading, and definitely think it’s indicative of the book itself.

Taylor nodded in agreement. “Well, now we have the makeup of this cream found on their temples. Arnica, frankincense and myrrh? What’s up with that?”

“I think we’re dealing with a religious nut. Look at the biblical aspects – the gifts of the three wise men were gold, frankincense and myrrh. They also used myrrh oil in Roman times to cover up the smell of dead bodies. I looked up the modern uses – perfume, anti-inflammatory, homeopathic cholesterol lowering agents ... there’s tons of uses and tons of availability. But the most common use is in churches and synagogues. It just makes more sense that this has some sort of significance to the killer. And the placement, on their temples, makes it seem like he’s anointing them.”

“Lincoln’s right, there might be a religious component to all of this. Toss that into the mix.”

Marcus played with one of his chips. “Maybe he stopped killing back then because he got called to God. You know, took the opposite road, tried to repent. Hell, he might have become a priest or something. And then he just couldn’t stand it, broke free and started killing again.”

They were all silent for a moment, thinking about those implications.

“I wish we had the DNA comparison. That would at least tell us definitively if we are dealing with the same man or a copycat,” Fitz said.

Read an excerpt from 14, and learn more about the book and author at J.T. Ellison's website and MySpace page.

Watch the video trailer for 14.

The Page 69 Test: All the Pretty Girls.

The Page 99 Test: 14.

14 and the Page 99 Test

JT Ellison is Murderati's Friday columnist, a short story writer, and a novelist.

Last year she applied the Page 69 Test to her debut novel, All the Pretty Girls. Now she has applied the “Page 99 Test” to the sequel, 14, and reported the following:

I believe page 99 of my new novel, 14, is indicative of the whole of the book. Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson and FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin are having a quiet dinner at home, talking about their day. Two major points are made that drive the story – first, Taylor tells Baldwin she’s missing a piece of vital evidence from a twenty year old murder case, and second – Baldwin reveals that a woman named Charlotte Douglas is coming to town. I love that the page ends with the revelation – seemingly innocuous – that a woman named Charlotte Douglas is coming to Nashville to participate in the Snow White Killer case. Taylor has never heard the woman’s name, but is about to meet a formidable opponent, both in the Snow White case and from Baldwin’s past. I hope the reader is driven to the next page, and the next, to find out why it’s important that Charlotte is getting involved in the Snow White case.

Without giving it all away, the missing evidence that Taylor mentions ties directly to the solution of the case, and to understanding Charlotte Douglas. Here’s an excerpt from page 99 of 14.

“Do I need a special occasion to bring flowers to my almost wife?”

“No, of course not.” She dropped the holster on the counter and buried her nose in the flowers. “Mmmm, they smell great. I better get them in some water. Where’d you find the Gerberas this time of year?”

“A man must protect his secrets.”

She rolled her eyes at him, eliciting a laugh. It was all so comfortable, it didn’t feel right. She got the flowers into water, set them thoughtfully on the kitchen table. Baldwin watched her; she felt his eyes on the back of her neck. Jesus, what was wrong with her?

“How was your day?”

“Other than the fact that we’re missing a piece of evidence from the Snow White case? The old cases, I should say.”

“What kind of evidence?” He opened the refrigerator. “Oh good, you got dinner.”

“Like I’d let you starve.”

They bustled around the kitchen, getting their salads on plates, buttering bread, pouring wine, and Taylor told Baldwin about her afternoon. He listened with sympathy until she asked about his day. They sat on the floor in the living room, their plates on the coffee table, their backs propped with pillows, and talked while they ate.

When they were settled and Taylor was a few bites into her salad, Baldwin answered her question.

“Well, it was interesting, I’ll say that. Tomorrow might be a little crazy.”

She just raised an eyebrow. As if anything could be crazier in this case, in their lives.

“Charlotte Douglas is coming to town.”

Read an excerpt from 14, and learn more about the book and author at J.T. Ellison's website and MySpace page.

Watch the video trailer for 14.

The Page 69 Test: All the Pretty Girls.

Crimespree Loves 14!!

14 (Mira) is a twisty creepy and wonderful book from JT Ellison, her second. Nashville thought the terror of the 1980's was over when the Snow White Killer stopped and even sent a letter saying so. But now Taylor Jackson of Homicide is seeing a return of the killings. Possibly a copy cat, maybe the elusive original killer returned, either way Taylor has her work cut out for her as the murders are escalating. With pacing that makes Nascar look dull this book is a real ride on the lightning. Ellison is relentless and grabs the reader from the first page and refuses to let go until the soul tearing climax.

(J Jordan, Crimespree, September 2008)

Fresh Fiction Essay

I have an essay on crime fiction up at Fresh Fiction!

BookBitch Loves 14!

Review by Becky Lejeune

Lieutenant Taylor Jackson is just days from walking down the aisle when she’s called to the scene of a gruesome murder. Strangely, the MO resembles that of a serial killer who struck Tennessee in the early 80’s. Dubbed the Snow White Killer thanks to his dark haired, pale skinned victims, and his penchant for smearing bright red lipstick across their faces, he left behind ten victims before apparently throwing in the towel; he was never caught. Has Snow White reemerged after such a long break or are they facing a copycat. Then new evidence is found to support the copycat theory and Jackson and her team are faced with uncovering both of the killers’ identities in order to solve the case. With just two titles released, J.T. Ellison has proven herself to be one of the best new thriller authors out there. Her characters are solid and her plots are refreshingly original - and what a great ending. The third title in the series, Judas Kiss, is due out next spring.
(Note: Judas Kiss will be available January 1, 2009)

An Interview with Cathy Clamp of The Big Thrill

You'll double-lock your doors after reading 14

By Cathy Clamp

Ten victims, each with pale skin and long dark hair. All have been slashed across the throat, the same red lipstick smeared across their lips.

In the mid-1980s the Snow White Killer terrorized the streets of Nashville, Tennessee. Then suddenly the murders stopped. A letter from the killer to the police stated that his work was done.

Now four more bodies have been found, marked with his fatal signature. The residents of Nashville fear a madman has returned, decades later, to finish his sick fairy tale. Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson believes the killings are the work of a copycat killer who's even more terrifying. For this monster is meticulously honing his craft as he mimics famous serial murders...proving that the past is not to be forgotten.

Big Thrill contributing editor Cathy Clamp recently sat down with J.T. Ellison, author of the upcoming thriller, 14, and chatted about this new episode in the life of her ongoing character Taylor Jackson.

Did your heroine work on the original files in the 80's that she never solved, or is this a case of having to dig up old files to figure out what originally happened?

Taylor was actually in junior high when the original Snow White murders took place. The case sparked her interest and she always vowed that if she had a chance, she'd try to solve the mystery. When she started with the Metro Nashville Police Department, she checked the files out of storage and memorized them. The case sat in the Cold Case files for thirteen years before bodies with the Snow White's signature began showing up in Nashville. Now, being the Homicide Lieutenant, she not only has the jurisdiction, but the team to solve the case. Hardly a dream come true, but a fulfillment of a desire she's had since she was a child.

Did you model the events or killings on any real cases that happened in Nashville? If so, were they ever solved?

Nashville has never had an egregious, famous serial killer, thank goodness. For the story to work, though, I needed to give us a killer on par with serial killers like the Boston Strangler, the Zodiac, the Son of Sam. A killer who has altered the culture of a city through their reign of terror. The Snow White killer became that man in Nashville's history.

You were a White House staffer in your "previous life" before beginning to write novels, which would be a really interesting job. What led you to Nashville, and what triggered the desire to write a thriller?

I went into politics after an English professor in college told me I'd never make it as a writer. I was out of the game, so to speak, for fifteen years, and just started writing again in 2004. My husband and I met, courted and married in D.C., but he wanted to come home to Nashville, and in 1998 I finally acquiesced. I had my doubts - but Nashville is an amazing city. I was intrigued by the contradictions - the class structure, the politics, the very southernness of the city. I was reading another great regional series - John Sandford's Prey books - and I thought it would be fascinating to have a Nashville version. We have the same kind of crime as the big cities, but we're perceived as a town overrun with musicians and songwriters. I wanted to give my readers a chance to see the Nashville I see, not necessarily the one they've become accustomed to.

You've mentioned you have a cat who runs roughshod over you. I've noticed that writers with pets who have "personalities" (myself included! LOL!) tend to also inflict similar animals on their protagonists. Does Taylor have a unique pet?

No, Taylor has been a loner for a long while. With her long hours and total dedication to the job, she would feel like she was abandoning any pet she left at home. But now she has Baldwin. He doesn't qualify as a furry friend in the truest sense of the word, but he is an addition to her life that makes her richer. I, on the other hand, have a very poorly trained cat who rules the roost in the Ellison household. She's got me wrapped around her little paws.

What surprised you when you were doing you research for the book?

I research heavily, spending time with law enforcement, talking to experts. But for this book, I needed a trip to New York. I hadn't been since high school, and I wanted a refresher course to see how it smelled, what it sounded like, where to place my scenes. The city quite literally blew my mind. I've been back five times now, and loved every trip. But that first visit as an adult will stay with me.

Did you originally intend any subplots or characters traits that didn't make it to the final edit?

Sure. There's always a trail that needs to be reigned in, or a character who isn't serving their purpose. My editor (Linda McFall) is fantastic, and she knows exactly what threads to pull. I'm lucky, I rarely have to cut much from the content. My stories are twisty, but still linear, and I tend to add as I revise. And add. And add...

Anything else you'd like readers to know about? Are you planning any contests or book tours to promote the book?

I'll be on tour starting September 3, and go for six weeks, wrapping up my out of town events in Baltimore, for my very first Bouchercon. I like the set up I've got for this book - for All The Pretty Girls, I covered thirteen states in six months. Fun, but exhausting. This is much more concentrated - in addition to my Tennessee stops, I'm going to Colorado, Arizona, Texas, Maryland and Nebraska, where I'm joining one of my favorite authors, Alex Kava, for a couple of stops on her tour. This schedule is more intense up front, but then it's over, and most of the rest of my dates are relatively local. I'm starting a new book as we speak that is due in March, which means I need more time at home on the computer. The tour dates are on my website, http://www.JTEllison.com.

Thanks so much for taking the time to give our readers some insight into your new book. It's due out September 1st from Mira. Right? It sounds like it's going to be a great read!

It is, and I hope everyone will love it. Thanks for having me!

Contributing editor Cathy Clamp is the co-author, with C.T. Adams, of two USA Today bestselling paranormal romantic thriller series from Tor Books. They were recently nominated for a Career Achievement Award in paranormal romance by RT BOOKreviews Magazine, which will be awarded in April, 2008. Their next thriller, TIMELESS MOON, hits the shelves in March, 2008.

Romance Reviews Today Reviews 14

Nashville, Tennessee and Quantico, Virginia - Present Day

Once upon a time a queen wished for a child as white as snow, with lips as red as blood and hair as black as ebony. Her wish was granted in little Snow White.

Many years later, another wished to see that vision come to pass. His canvas was the city of Nashville, and his brush was a sharp knife. The Snow White killer terrorized the city during the mid-1980’s only to retire from the scene after committing ten murders, saying his work was finished.

But now the killing has started again, and the citizens of Nashville are wondering why the dark fairytale has come back to life. Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson has a theory; this Snow White killer may really be just another copycat, though admittedly, a far superior version to the “normal” ones. It’s almost as if his hand is being guided by the original. A monster (or monsters) is loose in Nashville, and it’s Taylor’s job to catch him. With the help of her fiancé, John Baldwin (a forensic psychiatrist who works with the FBI), her crack investigative team, and some of the men involved in the original Snow White case, she just may do it. But, how many women will die until then?

14 features a woman who exhibits many traits today’s woman can appreciate (though the ability to handle all the blood and horror may not be a trait they’d all share). Taylor is brave, stubborn, and a dedicated cop. She’s also determined to catch Snow White, a task many women would shun. However, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing she fears. For instance, her big white wedding to John that’s supposed to happen in five short days. Taylor’s thinking maybe it should be put off. Her love for John (and his for her) seems real enough, but this cop just may not be ready. And, really, who can blame her for wanting to concentrate on Snow White? After all, fourteen are already dead, and more women are certain to die. Can Snow White be brought to justice, or is this fairy tale destined to have an unhappy ending?

The list of secondary characters who help bring 14 to life is long and varied. Taylor’s fiancé, John, is certainly important, and his expertise, as well as his contacts in the FBI, is certain to come in handy during the hunt. Dr. Charlotte Douglas, a profiler for the FBI, may also be a help; then again, as John’s former lover, she may be more of a hindrance than anything else. Frank Richardson is a reporter who covered the Snow White case extensively in the ‘80’s, and his help will be invaluable. Martin Kimball, retired homicide detective, was in charge of the original case; he too is eager to assist in any way he can. Lincoln Ross (computer guru), Peter “Fitz” Fitzgerald (Taylor’s second in command), and Marcus Wade complete Taylor’s team. Dr. Samantha Loughley is a medical examiner in Nashville as well as Taylor’s best friend. Together, all of these people, along with many I can’t mention here, will help Taylor bring Nashville to living, breathing, life.

Though this is the second Taylor Jackson novel (ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS came out in November 2007), the author has created a story that stands completely on its own. Thrills and chills, unexpected twists and turns, and enough scary bits to keep you awake long into the night make 14 a sure-fire winner. Don’t miss it.

Lori Ann

Romance Reviews Today

Bookpage Review of 14

Who's the fairest killer of them all?

REVIEW BY JAMES NEAL WEBB

In 14, J. T. Ellison's nail-biting sequel to her debut novel, All the Pretty Girls, Nashville Police Lieutenant Taylor Jackson is once again trying to balance her personal and professional lives. She's planning a Christmastime wedding with her fiance, the FBI profiler-at-large John Baldwin, but it seems that a couple of killers, plus the biggest snowstorm Music City has seen in decades, are conspiring to keep that from happening.

Murder is the same all over, and for Nashville Homicide it's definitely deja vu, because a serial killer is on the loose and all indications point to the return of a maniac who terrorized the city two decades before. The Snow White Killer is back--or is he? The bodies are the same: young women, with long black hair, pale complexions and slashed throats. Still, there are enough differences between the past and present murders to make the case even more puzzling. If this isn't the Snow White Killer, how does he (or she) know so much about that killer's MO?

Working with Baldwin, Taylor must examine each gruesome clue in hopes of stopping the carnage before the killer strikes again. She's also coping with the recent loss at sea of her estranged father, whose disappearance will have surprising repercussions. At the same time, she's tracking a ruthless killer-for-hire in another case involving illegal immigrants, who doesn't seem to care who he murders in order to protect his secrets. Then there's something even deadlier: a beautiful FBI profiler with eyes on her husband-to-be. Though Taylor doesn't know it, all of these elements will come together in some unexpected ways.

All the Pretty Girls introduced us to Taylor, Baldwin and the cops of Music City; Ellison's second book fleshes out these characters and the city of Nashville even further. Be forewarned that murder isn't pretty, and Ellison doesn't pull any punches, but if you're a fan of the genre, you'll love 14.

James Neal Webb is a lifelong Nashville resident.