Page 67 - Beauty Prime Magazine

In this exclusive interview
for Reader’s House Magazine,
J.T. Ellison opens up about her
transition from politics to writing,
the allure of dark themes, the
dynamics of co-authoring, and
the creative freedoms of fantasy.
She also shares insights into her
literary television show and the
diverse settings that color her
novels. Join us as we delve into
the mind of one of today’s most
versatile and prolific authors.
Your journey to becoming
a bestselling author is both
fascinating and unconven-
tional, involving a significant
career change from politics to
writing. What was the most
challenging part of making
that transition, and how did
your previous experiences
shape your writing?
It was one of necessity—
we’d moved to Nashville and I
couldn’t find a job! A librarian
turned me on to John Sandford,
and it was like a lightning bolt–I
decided to write an incredibly
heroic female lead who was
a half cop, half rockstar, the
J.T. Ellison’s masterful
storytelling and versatile
writing make her a standout
author in both thriller
and fantasy genres.
guardian angel of Nashville—my
very own Athena. Taylor Jackson
was born.
The political world taught me
one very important trait: discipline.
Congress (and your boss) don’t take
kindly to missing your white paper
deadlines. I learned how to budget
my time and take the work seriously,
and I applied that to the creative side.
Your novels often explore dark
and thrilling themes. What
draws you to write about
crime, suspense, and psycho-
logical tension, and how do
you balance these elements
with character development to
keep readers engaged?
I am fascinated by how terrible
people can be to one another,
and I like to see justice served in
some way. Too often, cases go
unsolved and families are torn
apart. When I write thrillers,
I’m always imagining what’s
happening on the other side of
the door. If it’s a procedural, my
character knocks on the doors. If
it’s suspense, the character’s door
is knocked upon. It gives me a
deeper perspective on the emo-
tional frailty of the characters.
In addition to your standalone
thrillers, you’ve co-authored a
successful series with Cath-
erine Coulter. How does the
collaboration process work for
you, and what are the unique
challenges and rewards of
co-writing compared to work-
ing solo?
Cowriting is a lot of fun and
can also be hugely challenging.
You know the saying “two heads
are better than one.” If I ever got
stuck, help was a phone call or a
plane ride away. Catherine and
I worked well together because
we had the same work ethic,
which is absolutely vital to the
co-writing process. You can’t
put two writers together who
don’t see the process of writing
the same way. But it was
the brainstorming, the wild
twists we came up with, that
was the most fun—creativity
blossoms when there are two
minds on a story.
Your alter ego, Joss
Walker, writes contem-
porary fantasy. How do
you switch between wri-
ting in the thriller genre
and fantasy, and what
creative freedoms does the
fantasy genre offer you that
thrillers might not?
Fantasy is my one true love
right now, mostly because if you
get into a bind…magic! The bril-
liant Raymond Chandler has a
straightforward solution: “When
in doubt, have a man come
through a door with a gun in his
hand.” In fantasy, the ability to
conjure a solution is a blast. I
also love worldbuilding with no
fetters on the imagination. You
are only limited by how big of a
canvas you can conceive. It helps
me breathe fresh air into my
crime fiction.
You’re an Emmy®
award-winning co-host
of the literary TV show A
Word on Words. How has
hosting this show influenced
your own writing
and perspective
on literature, and
what has been
your most memo-
rable moment on
the show?
I’ve gotten to read
more broadly, which
never hurts. Experi-
encing new genres,
cultures, diverse voic-
es, and other authors’
life experiences is as
beneficial as traveling
for me. Meeting these
incredible artists,
seeing their creative
process, and discov-
ering the spark of
their ideas has been
incredibly fun.
There have been
many special moments over the
past ten seasons, but I have to
say, going to jail with Margaret
Atwood has to be number one.
The producers literally put us in
a jail cell and locked the door for
the taping. She was such a good
sport.
Your personal background,
from growing up in rural Colo-
rado to working in high-stakes
political environments, is quite
diverse. How do these con-
trasting experiences influence
the settings and characters in
your novels, and do you have
a particular favorite setting
you’ve written about?
At heart, I am a country mouse,
though I enjoy the bustling big
city, and my settings reflect
that. Nashville is the connective
tissue through all of my work,
but I’ve also written books set in
Colorado and DC because they
are so easily accessible to me. I
travel quite a bit to broaden my
horizons, too. The UK, France,
and Italy are favorites; all have
featured heavily in my stories. I
have a research trip to Scotland
this fall, and I can’t wait. There’s
something special about the
UK; stories tug at my legs as I
walk the paths. Its own source of
magic.
Thank you for having me! This
was fun!
A Very Bad Thing
is a masterful
thriller, brimming
with suspense,
intricate plot twists,
and unforgettable
characters.
An absolute
must-read!
BEAUTY PRIME II 67