Thriller author J.T. Ellison has named herself @thrillerchick on Twitter which is the perfect nickname for the New York Times bestselling author of hits like Lie to Me. Because of the success of her latest book, Tear Me Apart, selecting her as our October guest editor was a no-brainer. All month long we’ll be sharing J.T.’s favorite books and we’ll also be featuring great thrillers by women. Keep reading to learn more about J.T. Ellison, the latest addition to the She Reads editorial team.
Get your copy of Tear Me Apart now and get ready for a new month of chilling content from the scream queen herself, J.T. Ellison.
@girlwithnoselfie
What inspired you to write Tear Me Apart?
I’ve had a treatment in my files for several years about a woman who makes the ultimate sacrifice – taking her own life – to save her family. It was a challenging idea, to say the least. I started writing the story a few times, realized I wasn’t quite sure where to take it, so shelved it. Two years ago, I finally took a stab at a full draft. I knew to do the story justice I would need to find the dark edges, tear them open and crawl inside. I also knew I wanted a different narrative structure, a book in parts, with flashes back to fill in gaps in the current day story.
I had to put it aside to work on another book, and I’m so glad I did. When I came back to it, I realized the structure didn’t work. I threw it out and tried again, and this time, it stuck. I realized each character was fighting themselves, fighting their true nature. Everyone in the book is their own hero and villain.
I’ve always thought of it as Girl, Interrupted, if the girls were grown up. It’s dark and dramatic, very focused on the “why” behind the crime.
If you haven’t read Tear Me Apart, you must. I would say it’s her best book yet.