I first met JT Ellison at a writers’ lunch in downtown Nashville. This tall blonde came striding in a few minutes late, and all heads turned her way. I knew from the get-go she was someone to pay attention to, and not just because she was tall and blonde. I have since discovered JT is a wise and generous writer, meaning her success as a now best-selling “thriller chick” (her Twitter handle) hasn’t diminished her willingness to help other writers. For example, check out her website at <http://www.jtellison.com>, where she has a section devoted to aspiring and emerging authors. I read JT’s novels because I love her characters, the books are well-written and well-crafted, and—selfishly–because JT has a lot to teach me about seducing the reader to turn the page. She’s also a heck of a researcher. A former White House staffer, JT has worked extensively with the Metro Nashville Police, the FBI and other law enforcement organizations to research her novels. It’s fun to read 14, the second book in the Taylor Jackson series (Taylor’s also a tall blonde), and know I’ve been standing in almost the exact spot where the Snow White serial killer’s victim was found in the opening of that book. That will get your attention Nashville!

For a limited time, you may download JT’s first novel All the Pretty Girls from her website! You’ll have to decide if you want to start with the first Taylor Jackson thriller in this critically acclaimed series and read forward, or start with the edgy fourth book in the series that debuted this week: The Cold Room, a story where a dead body is just the beginning for JT’s latest evil doer.

Here’s what JT has to say about her list of five recommended books:

John R. Maxim wrote a series about a covert government assassin named Paul Bannerman. He has a group of misfits that he works with, all deadly, all incredibly appealing characters in their own right. I can’t recommend these books highly enough – and sadly, I think most of them are out of print. But you can buy them used! I read these and was astounded by both the character development and the fascinating way Maxim writes. Highly recommended!

1) The Bannerman Solution

2) Bannerman’s Promise

3) The Bannerman Effect

4) Bannerman’s Law

5) Bannerman’s Ghosts

Thanks, JT!