Welcome back, friend! Yesterday, I shared about A Very Bad Thing, a fantastic thriller about an author who is murdered on a book tour. Today, I am excited to bring you this interview with the author, J.T. Ellison! 🙂
A Very Bad Thing
From New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison comes a taut thriller about one author at the pinnacle of her career, whose past threatens to destroy everything she has—and everyone she knows.
A great writer knows when to deliver a juicy plot twist. But for one author, the biggest twist of all is her own murder.
With twenty hit titles, and a highly anticipated movie tie-in, celebrated novelist Columbia Jones is at the top of her game. Fans around the world adore her. But on the final night of her latest book tour, one face in the crowd makes the author collapse. And by the next morning, she’s lying dead in a pool of blood.
Columbia’s death shocks the world and leaves Darian, her daughter and publicist, reeling. The police have nothing to go on—at first. But then details emerge, pointing to the author’s illicit past. Turns out many people had motive to kill Columbia. And with a hungry reporter and frustrated cop on the trail, her secrets won’t stay buried long. But how many lives will they shatter as the truth comes out?
Get to know the author: J.T. Ellison
Hi J.T.! It is a pleasure to have you on Armed with A Book. Please tell me and my readers a bit about yourself.
Hi Kriti! (et al) I’m a thriller writer who lives in Nashville, loves books, cats, golf, travel, and all thing Autumn, and my adorable husband, not necessarily in that order. I started writing when I was a child, but didn’t get serious about publishing until I was in my early 30s. I’ve written more than 30 novels now, across multiple genres, too many short stories to count, have blogged for twenty years, and (as we discuss below) have a fantasy series under the pen name Joss Walker. Oh, and I host a literary TV show on Nashville PBS called A WORD ON WORDS.
What inspired you to write the story of a famous author who is murdered during a book tour?
Well, it was her name. Columbia Jones. It came to me on a bolt of lightning, followed immediately by who killed Columbia Jones? I built the book from there. I didn’t particularly want her to die, especially when she’s reached such a high point in her career, but the plot demanded I answer the core question, so here we are. She is an amazing character and holds more secrets than you can imagine. I loved writing her, and truly struggled with the necessity of her death.
I loved the set up of a journalist following an author on their tour in A Very Bad Thing. I also enjoyed the many points of views in the story. Did you always plan to include so many perspectives? Was there one that took you by surprise?
The story generally dictates the number of POV characters I include. Sometimes it’s multiple, like this one, sometimes it’s just one or two. Totally depends on the kind of story I’m telling, and the reader’s need to know what’s happening. Also, whether I’m writing a mystery or a thriller. By its very nature, a thriller includes the reader in the story, whereas a mystery will keep the reader away from details as long as possible. So it depends!
For this book, there are so many strong POVs that I really had to think about who was the main character and lean into her story above the others. That’s Riley, the reporter, who gets to be an observational character for the majority of the story until her own life goes off the rails. Such fun!
How similar or different are you and Columbia Jones in how you write novels?
I think we’re both organized and dedicated to the craft, and we absolutely love our readers. But the similarities stop there. I am fascinated by the idea that we curate our lives for the world to see, keeping our true selves private. Columbia is the ultimate curator, with secret upon secret. I’m not nearly as opaque. And, of course, we’re writing in very different genres, and she’s light years ahead of me career-wise. Though if Spielberg is interested, I’m all ears.
Columbia’s tradition for celebrating the finale of a book was an update to her social media and pizza and champagne. How do you celebrate finishing a book?
We both celebrate finishing with pizza and champagne! But I have a good luck T-shirt, a battered old thing I got when I toured Harvard looking at graduate school. I’ve worn it every time I’ve finished a book, and now it’s tradition. If the Harvard shirt’s on, it’s finishing day!
Do you have a favourite quote or scene in A Very Bad Thing that you find yourself going back to?
Interestingly, I cut my favourite scene, which was originally the prologue, and have used parts of it as the epilogue of my next book! I think when Riley finds Columbia murdered, that is especially poignant and intense, since she’s almost immediately arrested for the crime. And I kind of love the end. ; )
If A Very Bad Thing were to be adapted into a movie, who would you cast as Columbia Jones, Riley Carrington and Knox Shepherd?
So impossibly hard to answer that, because everyone has a mind’s eye, and those details of who a character might be like are provided for them internally. I stay away from too much description of my characters for exactly that reason, because I want the reader to imagine whomever they see in that role. I don’t want to bias the possible adaptation.
What is something you would like the readers of this book to take away or ponder?
I’m very interested in the idea of us living our lives out loud, giving away our privacy for likes, and the pushback that it’s starting to get. It’s not a very bad thing.
A Very Bad Thing is my introduction to your works. For readers like me, which of your books would you recommend we pick up next?
Oh, if you like this one, head directly into LIE TO ME and then start making your way through the standalones. They are each different and unique in their own ways but LIE TO ME is also about a writer. A couple of them, actually!
You write under two names – J.T. Ellison and Joss Walker. What led you to maintain two pen names? How do you manage actively publishing in both?
Several years ago, I had a great idea for a lighter thriller series, something that would be an easier entry point for readers who don’t care for the darker suspense stories. But I couldn’t get it off the ground—and that’s when I realized it was better suited to the fantasy realm. So Jayne Thorne, CIA Librarian was born. Jayne touches a grimoire and is thrust into a magical world, where the stakes are higher than she could ever imagine. The bad guys want her, and so do the good guys, and she must make a choice. Her growth over the series is exponential, as is her power.
It’s fun to switch back and forth between reality and fantasy. The Joss books act as palate cleansers. The fifth and penultimate book in the series, The Book of Spirits, is coming out at the end of November.
Having two pen names is a challenge. I don’t recommend it. But I’ve been lucky enough to work with some co-writers on this series, which has helped tremendously. Still, maintaining two social media worlds, two newsletters, and two personae is not easy. After this last book, I’ll be back to JT only for a while.
Can you share about your experiences with book tours? I particularly want to know when was your first ever tour and whether your approach to tours has evolved over the years?
My first tour was in 2007, and because it was for a paperback original, I did much of the planning myself. I went to a total of thirteen states, much of that on my own dime, which feels incredible when I look back on it. I drove, I flew, I visited friends and family, I went to conferences and literary festivals. I spread it out and took my time. I had events with lots of people and some with very few. That stands even now—you just never know what kind of crowd might show up. But each stop cemented a relationship with a new reader, a bookseller, a librarian, a conference organizer, or an account manager, and those relationships built from book to book. A book tour is one thing. It’s a lot of fun to go out and meet readers. But careers are made of layers. Years of hard work on the craft. Relationships. Loyalty. Word-of-mouth recommendations. Small book clubs and huge fundraisers. It’s not a zero-sum game, and in-person touring isn’t the only way to build a fan base.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Just my deepest thanks for having me, and for supporting the book! Oh, and if you’re interested in the act of writing, I’ve been live-blogging the process of writing, editing, and publishing my new book on my blog, THE CREATIVE EDGE. It’s a paid series but there’s a lot of free content, too. https://jtellison.substack.com/t/22-steps
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me and share with my readers.
The pleasure was mine!
Thanks for joining us! Learn more about J.T. Ellison, visit https://www.jtellison.com/.
I hope you will check out A Very Bad Thing on Goodreads. Read my review here.
Many thanks to Over The River PR for coordinating this interview. Head to their blog to find out who else has joined the tour.
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