J.T. Ellison
J.T. Ellison | |
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Born | Orlando, Florida, USA |
Occupation | Author |
Nationality | American |
Education | Randolph-Macon Woman's College, George Washington University |
Genre | Mystery, Thriller, Suspense |
Spouse | Married |
Website | |
www |
J.T. Ellison is the New York Times bestselling author of twelve critically acclaimed novels, including When Shadows Fall, Edge of Black, and A Deeper Darkness, and is the co-author of the Nicholas Drummond series with #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter. Her work has been published in over twenty countries. Her novel The Cold Room won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Paperback Original and Where All The Dead Lie was a RITA Nominee for Best Romantic Suspense. Ellison currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband.
Background
Ellison was born outside of Orlando, Florida and moved to rural Colorado when she was two, then to Washington, D.C. at the age of fourteen. She graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman's College with a double major in Politics and English Creative Writing and a minor in Economics, then received her Master's degree from George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management. Ellison was a presidential appointee and worked in The White House and the Department of Commerce before moving into the private sector to work as a financial analyst and marketing director for several defense and aerospace contractors.[1]
Writing career
When Ellison's college advisor told her that her writing wasn't good enough to be published, Ellison changed her plan to get a Master's of Fine Arts and, instead, went into politics. Eight years later, while living in Nashville, Ellison was recuperating from a back injury when she first read the PREY series by John Sandford and rediscovered her love of storytelling.[2]
Ellison began to research her hidden passions: forensics and crime, and was compelled to begin writing down her stories. To research her books, she has worked with the Metro Nashville Police Department and the FBI, as well as performing autopsies and studying survivalists.[3]
She also writes under the name Andréa Ellison overseas (France and Holland/Belgium)[4]
Ellison is an active member of several professional writing organizations, including International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America and Romance Writers of America.
Ellison is a co-founder of Killer Year, an interactive society composed of 13 debut crime/mystery/suspense authors whose books were first published in 2007, creating an active online community and teaming authors with mentors from among the most established authors within the genre. The group was dedicated to furthering the writing, publishing and marketing goals of its members and the highly popular community involved readers, reviewers, and publishing professionals. A collection of short stories by the graduating class, including comments and contributions from seasoned vets such as Lee Child and Allison Brennan, was published to acclaim as Killer Year: Stories to Die For...From the Hottest New Crime Writers. Killer Year became the model for the International Thriller Writers debut author program, which Ellison helped develop.
Ellison also was one of the original members of, and a contributor to, the Anthony Award-nominated crime fiction blog, Murderati, which ran from 2006-2012 and is now an archive. She also contributed essays in volumes published by Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers and regularly blogs about the writing business on The Tao of JT.
Ellison also has an active following on Twitter under the name @Thrillerchick as well as a robust Facebook community.
Personal life
Ellison is married and lives in Nashville with her husband of many years, and two kittens.[5]
Reception
- Ellison is a New York Times bestselling American thriller author with eleven critically acclaimed novels.
- The Lost Key named one of the Best Thrillers of 2014 by Library Journal
- When Shadows Fall nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice award as Best Suspense/Thriller of 2014
- Ellison's current novel, The Lost Key with Catherine Coulter, reached #3 on the New York Times Bestsellers List.
- The Final Cut with Catherine Coulter, received a Library Journal Starred Review, was #3 on the list of USA TODAY Best-selling Books,[6] and is a Romantic Times Top Pick.
Awards
- The Lost Key named one of the best thrillers of 2014 by Library Journal.
- When Shadows Fall nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice award as Best Suspense/Thriller of 2014.
- Where all the Dead Lie was a RITA® Nominee for Best Romantic Suspense of 2012.
- The Cold Room won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Paperback Original of 2010.
- Ellison was named Best Mystery/Thriller Writer by Nashville Scene's "Best of Nashville 2008" [7]
Reviews
- New York Times. Review: 'The Lost Key' Is Compelling Thriller. newyorktimes.com September 29, 2014.
- Kirkus Reviews. Review of "The Lost Key". kirkusreviews.com July 30, 2014.
- Publishers Weekly. PW Picks: Books of the Week, February 24, 2014. publishersweekly.com February 24, 2014.
- Publishers Weekly. Starred review of When Shadows Fall. publishersweekly.com January 27, 2014.
- Publishers Weekly. Starred review of "The Immortals". publishersweekly.com August 23, 2010.
- The Cold Room was named a Romantic Times Top Pick.
- A Deeper Darkness was named an Indie Next Pick and Publishers Weekly Pick of the Week
- Judas Kiss and The Immortals received Starred Reviews from Publishers Weekly
- So Close, Dead Lie, Deeper Darkness and Edge of Black were named as Romantic Times Top Picks.
Interviews
- Petit, Zachary. "The Power of Pairs". Writer's Digest January 2014. Print.
- Petit, Zachary. "The Power of Pairs Roundtable: Exclusive Outtakes". www.writersdigest.com. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
- Lamb, Joyce. HAPPY EVER AFTER. Interview: Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison, 'The Final Cut.' USA TODAY September 17, 2013. www.USAToday.com. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
- Crutcher, Paige. "Spotlighting: author J.T. Ellison". Nashville Examiner. JTEllison.com. January 21, 2011.
- "LIFE IS NOT A STRAIGHT LINE". Oprah Winfrey Network. September 17, 2010. www.Oprah.com
Selected bibliography
Nicholas Drummond Novels with Catherine Coulter
- The Final Cut (2013) introduces Scotland Yard Detective Chief Inspector Nicholas Drummond. Features Special Agents Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich from Coulter’s bestselling FBI series
- The Lost Key (2014) [8]
Dr. Samantha Owens Series
- A Deeper Darkness (2012) medical examiner Dr. Samantha Owens was a secondary character in Ellison's Lieutenant Taylor Jackson series
- Edge of Black (2012)
- When Shadows Fall (2014)
- What Lies Behind (2015)
Lieutenant Taylor Jackson Series
- All The Pretty Girls (2007) introduces Nashville homicide detective Taylor Jackson
- 14 (2008)
- Judas Kiss (2009)
- The Cold Room (2010)
- The Immortals (2010)
- So Close the Hand of Death (2011)
- Where All the Dead Lie (2011)
Short Stories Featuring Lieutenant Taylor Jackson
- "Blood Sugar Baby" in Slices of Night-a 3 part novella (2011) (with Erica Spindler and Alex Kava)
- "Whiteout" in Storm Season-One Sensational Storm, 3 Terrifying Killers (2012) (with Erica Spindler and Alex Kava)
Short Stories
- "Prodigal Me" in Killer Year: Stories to Die For (January 2008), Lee Child, ed. (Minotaur Press)
- "X" Demolition Magazine (2007) and Nashville Lifestyles (February 2009)
- "Chimera" in Surreal South '09 (2009), Laura Benedict and Pinckney Benedict, ed. (Press 53)
- "Killing Carol Ann" in First Thrills (2010), Lee Child, ed. (Tor)
- Sweet Little Lies (2010), an anthology of short stories by J.T. Ellison
- "Gray Lady, Lady Gray" in Surreal South '11 (October 2011), Laura Benedict and Pinckney Benedict, ed. (Press 53)
- "Where’d You Get That Red Dress?" in Flashing in the Gutters (2007), (inspired by James McMurtry)
- "The Number of Man" in Thriller 3: Love is Murder (2012), Sandra Brown, ed. (Mira Books)
Non-Fiction
- The Charm School: An Appreciation of Nelson DeMille's Groundbreaking Novel
- THRILLERS: 100 Must Reads (July 2010), David Morrell and Hank Wagner, ed.
- What is Evil? in WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE: Vampire Hunters and Other Kick-Ass Enemies of Evil (August 2010), Jonathan Maberry and Janice Gable Bashman, ed.
International Publishing
JT's books have been published in: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Phillipines, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom
Representation
- JT's literary agent is Scott Miller of Trident Media Group
- JT's film agent is Tiffany Ward of Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
References
- ↑ J.T. Ellison Official Biography
- ↑ "DA Confidential Interview with J.T. Ellison", February 2011
- ↑ J.T. Ellison official web site
- ↑ "www.jtellison.com/france"
- ↑ "The Tao of JT", December 18, 2013
- ↑ USA TODAY Best-selling Books, September 23, 2013
- ↑ The Tao of JT, October 15, 2008
- ↑ The Tao of JT, December 21, 2013
External links
- Official website
- www
.facebook .com /jtellison14 - Petit, Zachary. "The Power of Pairs Roundtable: Exclusive Outtakes". www.writersdigest.com