Authors Interviewing Characters: J.T. Ellison

We’re delighted to feature this character interview by 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 a number of 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?

Welcome, Columbia Jones! 

Lovely to be here. 

So Columbia, I’m just going to jump right on. Who killed you? 

Wouldn’t you like to know? What do you think this is, THE LOVELY BONES? Fabulous book, that. You should read it if you haven’t already. If you don’t get the reference, well, this will all be lost on you. 

You’re being awfully aggressive. We’re just getting started.

Precious, I’ve just been killed. You try dying and feeling chipper and forthcoming.

Fair point. Why don’t we go back in time, then? You’re from Bromley, England. What was it like growing up so close to London?


Have you been?

To London? Yes, many times.

So you know how lovely it is, especially in springtime. That was always my favorite. All the blooms on the trees, all the heaths greening up. My father kept falcons, and we would go to the hedges near Hampstead and let them hunt. 

I didn’t know your father was a falconer. 

Oh yes. His whole life. He had a full rookery. 

That must have been fun. What about your mother?

She was in antiques. But they died when I was very young, and I made my way to New York to pursue my dream of being an author. And then I was blessed with a marriage, and a child, but sadly, my husband died before my precious girl was born. It was a challenge, absolutely. But I wrote my way out of it. We had nothing for so long that this seemed impossible to imagine. My success has surprised everyone. 

[Editor’s note: this interview is taking place in a plane representing Columbia’s lavish Upper East Side brownstone. It’s remarkable.] 

What was it like, writing that first book?

Transcendent. There’s something remarkably satisfying about creating a story and putting words on paper. It’s like conjuring magic. No matter how many times I finish, it feels like a minor miracle. 

Do you celebrate when you finish? Or is it on to the next? You are quite prolific. 

Darian and I have a tradition, of course. Pizza and champagne. But after that, yes, it’s on to the next. My books take a lot of research, so when I’m done with one, I need to start research for the next immediately. 

Do you have any secret talents? Things your readers would be surprised to learn about you or you life?

A lady never reveals her secrets. 

Okay, fair enough. How about this? If you weren’t a writer, what would you do for a living?

I’ve thought about that a lot as I’ve grown older. Obviously, the books bring in enough that I could retire now and never write again. But I don’t think that’s fair to my readers. So I’ll never stop writing. But if I wasn’t given that specific talent? I would have liked to be a designer. I have an eye for putting a room together, and it would be great fun to do that for others. 

You sound a bit wistful. Is that a regret?

Oh no. I could never regret this life. I have a wonderful daughter, friends, a fulfilling career. It is a full life. And you can see, I’ve certainly put my own spin on this place.

Speaking of, the Rothko hanging on the wall behind you…I don’t mean to be rude, but is that real?

It is. There’s something about his work that speaks to me on an elemental level. I was able to pick that one up for a song many years ago after the success of my third novel. I know you’re supposed to save all the money from your advance, but I couldn’t resist. There’s such melancholy but such hope in his work. You know, he said something that has always resonated with me: “I’m interested only in expressing basic human emotions—tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on.” That’s what I’m trying to do with all of my novels. I want you to experience the full spectrum of emotion. I want you to laugh, and cry, and think. I never wanted to put fluff out there. I always want to make you feel. 

And you do. I can attest to that. I think, to wrap up, I should ask this: Do you have any advice for writers who are looking to break in? Emulate your career?

Such a simple but loaded question. There’s obviously no way to emulate a career, you must find your own path up the creative mountain. You cannot compare or compete, as Lao Tzu says. You must grow a thick skin, obviously, because this is such a subjective industry. The reader is both king and executioner. Everything I do, I do for them. If you want to be a better writer, though, you must read. Everything. Across all genres. Expose yourself to the world, to new cultures, to different ideas. These will make you a much more well-rounded artist. And you need to take yourself and your art seriously. Do the work. There’s no career without finishing as many projects as you can. 

That’s sage advice. Thank you for sitting down with me. I am very sorry about what happened to you.

Well, if you figure it out, you let everyone know, will you? I am rather miffed to have had this wonderful life cut short. 

BUY HERE

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J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of the literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes contemporary fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker. A VERY BAD THING is her latest novel.

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: Interviews, On Writing