Jess Lourey's Blog, page 4

Tell Me Who I Am

I recently watched a powerful, disturbing, healing Netflix documentary called Tell Me Who I Am. (trigger warning: sexual abuse). It's about a pair of identical twins, one of whom had a motorcycle accident at age 18, wiping out his memory of anything but his twin brother. He didn't remember his…

Don't Do This

As a Midwestern gal, I'm allergic to bragging. It's so bad that I even get contact hives if I hear someone else talking positively about themselves (I'm working on this). That's why it pains me to tell you that today, I woke up content. I looked around in terror, trying to figure out what was…

Anthony Award!

Thank you to the wonderful mystery community and to readers for awarding Unspeakable Things with the Anthony for Best Paperback Original! I was overwhelmed when I heard my name called and am gonna have to buy heavier shoes because I keep floating when I think about it. If you haven't yet had a…

The Pretender

Just sent the finished manuscript of my next book, tentatively titled The Pretender, to my publisher. Woot! Teaser below, popcorn and champagne for EVERYONE! The Pretender Teaser That summer, the summer of ’77, everything had edges. Our laughter, the sideways glances we gave and got. E…

Freewalking

I started writing a new book in March. I also started writing a new book in April. Yesterday, May(!!!) I started writing a new book. It's the same book. I’ve had twenty false starts on my next novel, tentatively titled The Pretender and due to my writing group mid-June and my publisher end of J…

The Joy of Digging

As a child, I became convinced that I was going to find buried treasure. I'd walk around the 13-acre hobby farm I grew up on carrying a hand spade until I felt the exact right spot to dig. I'd drop to the ground and spend hours in the hot sun moving dirt. Sometimes I'd hear a scrape, and my…

Welcome Back to Lilydale

BLOODLINE officially releases tomorrow. Woot! Ferguson Books in Grand Forks has signed copies available, and Once Upon a Crime in Minneapolis has signed copies plus free Perfect Housewife kits available (while they last; contact Once Upon a Crime for more info). I’m proud of this book. (Well, e…

BLOODLINE Is an AFR!

BLOODLINE OUT NOW! “Based on a true story, this is a sinister, suspenseful thriller full of creeping horror.” —Kirkus Reviews Bloodline has been chosen as an Amazon First Reads and is releasing a month early! I am over-the-moon thrilled. What this means is that if you have Amazon Prime, you can read …

Book in a Bag

After years of trial and error and tweaking, market research, and a successful Kickstarter campaign, my novel- and memoir-writing technique is finally available to the public. Woot! Meet the Book in a Bag kit. In honor of its release, I've dropped the price of my online plotting class from $99…

"Perfect Housewife" Kit

I have a thing about sending mail. I love it. I know where this quirk comes from. I grew up on a lonely stretch of road in a house that was equal parts terrifying and nurturing. My mom was a great cook, both parents encouraged my love of reading and my brain, my sister was the best companion, and…