Daniel Weizmann & The Last Songbird

Daniel Weizmann and his debut mystery novel, The Last Songbird, were recently the subject of an interview in http://Bookreporter.com. You can order copies of The Last Songbird through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/43XgFZF In fact, Weizmann will be appearing for The Poisoned Pen for a virtual event hosted by Patrick Millikin on Tuesday, June 6 at 5 PM.

Daniel Weizmann is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles TimesBillboard, the GuardianAP Newswire, and more. Under the nom de plume, Shredder, Weizmann also wrote for the long running Flipside fanzine, as well as LA Weekly, which once called him “an incomparable punk stylist.” Most recently, Weizmann co-authored Game Changer by Michael Solomon and Rishon Blumberg (Harper Leadership, 2020). He lives in Los Angeles, California.

Here’s the summary of The Last Songbird.

“Weizmann’s music bona fides inform the novel’s tone and purpose, but it’s equally clear how steeped he is in the styles of detective fiction past and present…This is a story of murder, but also of vivid life.” — The New York Times

“A confident, polished storyteller who honors his influences and while weaving his amateur detective through a complex mystery that will keep you turning the pages until you’ve reached the haunting finale. A sharp, memorable debut.” — Alex Segura, bestselling author of Secret Identity

A gritty, fast-paced neo-noir that explores the consumptive nature of fame, celebrity, and motherhood through the lens of a driver lost in the gig economy.

A struggling songwriter and Lyft driver, Adam Zantz’s life changes when he accepts a ride request in Malibu and 1970s music icon Annie Linden enters his dented VW Jetta. Bonding during that initial ride, the two quickly go off app— over the next three years, Adam becomes her exclusive driver and Annie listens to his music, encouraging Adam even as he finds himself driving more often than songwriting.

Then, Annie disappears, and her body washes up under a pier. Left with a final, cryptic text— ‘come to my arms’— a grieving Adam plays amateur detective, only to be charged as accomplice-after-the-fact. Desperate to clear his name and discover who killed the one person who believed in his music when no one else in his life did, Adam digs deep into Annie’s past, turning up an old guitar teacher, sworn enemies and lovers, and a long-held secret that spills into the dark world of a shocking underground Men’s Rights movement. As he drives the outskirts of Los Angeles in California, Adam comes to question how well he, or anyone else, knew Annie— if at all. 

The Last Songbird is a poignant novel about love, obsession, the price of fame and the burden of broken dreams, with a shifting, twisting plot that’s full of unexpected turns.


I’m reprinting the interview from http://Bookreporter.com, with permission.

Interview: May 25, 2023

THE LAST SONGBIRD is a gritty, fast-paced neo-noir that explores the consumptive nature of fame, celebrity and motherhood through the lens of a driver lost in the gig economy. In this interview conducted by Michael Barson, Senior Publicity Executive at Melville House, Daniel Weizmann talks about his inspiration for his debut mystery novel, which is the opening installment in his Pacific Coast Highway series, and what he learned during the writing process that will help him as he begins working on the second book. He also pays tribute to some of his favorite writers from the classic age of LA mystery fiction and reveals which musical artists from the past he would like to incorporate into a future story.

Question: What was the first LA crime novel you ever read? And what was the book that made you decide to try your hand at writing one yourself?

Daniel Weizmann: I first got into crime tales at 9 or 10 as a SPERDVAC member, trading old-time radio shows on little reel-to-reels and 8-tracks by the U.S. mail — “Dragnet” and Vincent Price as “The Saint.” Then at 13 or 14, I discovered the Raymond Chandler paperbacks, and it was all over. I must have read FAREWELL, MY LOVELY a half-dozen times in a row. By 15, I was already doing bad Marlowe imitations on a Sears, Roebuck electric typewriter. I reckon my Marlowe imitations were worse than most — and that’s saying something!

Q: As a journalist, you had written many thousands of words over the past few decades about music. But what new techniques did you have to learn to write a full-length novel?

DW: The stories inside songs — or the stories we think they’re telling us — have always been my obsession. But when it came time to dare to try a full-length novel, I remembered what I learned in tap class — the basics. Even the Copasetics and the Hoofers Club go back to the basics, every morning, always, always. In mystery, I’ve had to learn, relearn and re-relearn the basics over and over, pulling them front and center every day: a meaningful crime, detective and perp, a victim we love, suspects, motive, means and, most of all, mood. F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “Rewrite from mood.” Best advice ever.

Q: Now that it has been decided to make THE LAST SONGBIRD the first book in a series (A Pacific Coast Highway Mystery), have you changed the way you originally envisioned your protagonist, the Lyft driver Adam Zantz? Or has writing a mystery series always been part of your plan?

DW: I always secretly dreamed it would be a series. Even before the first draft was done, I had a list of other adventures that Adam Zantz might go on. Isn’t it one of the coolest things about detective books? In what other genre do we expect characters to return and go through different troubles, more like actual people in real life? I love that.

Q: Looking at writers from the classic age of LA mystery fiction, can you reveal your Top Three pantheon — and why you rate each them at the peak?

DW: It is SO hard to choose — and every great brings something totally unique. Raymond Chandler for gallantry; Ross MacDonald for empathy; Sue Grafton for the wry, dry wisecracks; Jonathan Kellerman for family dynamics; Michael Connelly for civic infrastructure; Kem Nunn for the sense of light and space and ocean air; T. Jefferson Parker for the unraveling of community; James Ellroy for the hyper-ratiocination; Dolores Hitchens for sultry South Bay nights; and Walter Mosley for catching L.A.’s loosey-goosey uncalm calm. Is that three? And wait, what about Erle Stanley Gardner and Margaret Millar?! That’s part of what I love about the LA mystery. It’s a well you can’t get to the bottom of.

Q: As you begin to write the second novel in this series, what is one key lesson that you learned from writing THE LAST SONGBIRD that you now intend to employ?

DW: Writing THE LAST SONGBIRD, I was surprised to discover something along the way. Although one person ultimately committed the crime, many of the other characters played a role in setting the stage…or, more specifically, feeding the atmosphere, in which a crime like that could be committed. A crime, I learned, is like a vortex — the flashpoint expression of a communal pressure. So writing the second one, I’m approaching the whole cast of characters that way. Nobody’s off the hook.

Q: With your knowledge as a music journalist, it must have been fun creating the backdrop for Annie Linden’s character in the book. Which musical artist from a past era would you most like to incorporate into a story at some future point?

DW: I have a soft spot for those acts that barely surfaced — the ones with a record or two, or even just a demo. Yet they existed; you have to work harder to prove it. And sometimes their one track will be all the more moving because of that. I could rattle off a million, but how about the Tikis, Dolly Mixture, the Inflatable Boy Clams, Zyklon B, the Passions, the Boneheads, and the Romans. To quote the great Harry Bosch, “Everybody counts or nobody counts.”

Q: Finally, please describe how it felt to open the package that contained your first copies of THE LAST SONGBIRD.

DW: Oh, man. I had to tell my inner 10-year-old to stand still long enough for me to even look at the thing. Then I told him, “See?! I told you!” But he still can’t believe it.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe

I really wanted to share the video chat with Emma Torzs, author of Ink Blood Sister Scribe, but it looks like there were technical difficulties with The Poisoned Pen’s video. Torzs’ latest novel was selected by Good Morning America as their June Book Club pick. You can order a signed copy through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3ORWEz2

Here’s the description of Ink Blood Sister Scribe.

GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK!

“Astonishing and pristine, the kind of debut I love to be devastated by, already so assured and sophisticated that it’s difficult to imagine where the author can go from here. . . . It’s simply a delight from start to finish.” – AMAL EL-MOHTAR, New York Times Book Review 

“Follow where this novel leads and you will be lost in a bewitching spell, a book of magic about books of magic . . . extraordinary.” – MARLON JAMES

In this spellbinding debut novel, two estranged half-sisters tasked with guarding their family’s library of magical books must work together to unravel a deadly secret at the heart of their collection—a tale of familial loyalty and betrayal, and the pursuit of magic and power.

For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a collection of ancient and rare books. Books that let a person walk through walls or manipulate the elements—books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther have been raised to revere and protect.

All magic comes with a price, though, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has fled to a remote base in Antarctica to escape the fate that killed her own mother, and Joanna’s isolated herself in their family home in Vermont, devoting her life to the study of these cherished volumes. But after their father dies suddenly while reading a book Joanna has never seen before, the sisters must reunite to preserve their family legacy. In the process, they’ll uncover a world of magic far bigger and more dangerous than they ever imagined, and all the secrets their parents kept hidden; secrets that span centuries, continents, and even other libraries . . .

In the great tradition of Ninth House, The Magicians, and Practical Magic, this is a suspenseful and richly atmospheric novel that draws readers into a vast world filled with mystery and magic, romance, and intrigue—and marks the debut of an extraordinary new voice in speculative fiction.

“Ink Blood Sister Scribe is so many things at once: an adventure, a puzzle, a twisty thriller, and a tender romance. . . . I adored it.” – ALIX E. HARROW

“If, like me, you’re a fan of Holly Black and Leigh Bardugo, pick up this book at once.” — KELLY LINK 


Emma Törzs is a writer, teacher, and occasional translator based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her fiction has been honored with an NEA fellowship in prose, a World Fantasy Award for Short Fiction, and an O. Henry Prize. Her stories have been published in journals such as PloughsharesUncanny MagazineStrange Horizons, and American Short Fiction. She received her MFA from the University of Montana, Missoula, and is an enthusiastic member of the Clarion West class of 2017.

Alison Goodman’s The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies

Although Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed both authors to a virtual event for the bookstore, C.S. Harris was guest host for Alison Goodman. Goodman is kicking off a new Regency mystery series with The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies. You can order copies of this first book in the series through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3C6O4oB

Here’s the summary of The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies.

A high society amateur detective at the heart of Regency London uses her wits and invisibility as an ‘old maid’ to protect other women in a new and fiercely feminist historical mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Alison Goodman.

Lady Augusta Colebrook, “Gus,” is determinedly unmarried, bored by society life, and tired of being dismissed at the age of forty-two. She and her twin sister, Julia, who is grieving her dead betrothed, need a distraction. One soon presents itself: to rescue their friend’s goddaughter, Caroline, from her violent husband.

The sisters set out to Caroline’s country estate with a plan, but their carriage is accosted by a highwayman. In the scuffle, Gus accidentally shoots and injures the ruffian, only to discover he is Lord Evan Belford, an acquaintance from their past who was charged with murder and exiled to Australia twenty years ago. What follows is a high adventure full of danger, clever improvisation, heart-racing near misses, and a little help from a revived and rather charming Lord Evan.

Back in London, Gus can’t stop thinking about her unlikely (not to mention handsome) comrade-in-arms. She is convinced Lord Evan was falsely accused of murder, and she is going to prove it. She persuades Julia to join her in a quest to help Lord Evan, and others in need—society be damned! And so begins the beguiling secret life and adventures of the Colebrook twins.


Alison Goodman is the New York Times bestselling author of Eon and Eona and The Dark Days Club series.


Enjoy the conversation as the authors discuss the Regency period, in between the Georgian and repressive Victorian period.

T.J. Newman & Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 421

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently welcomed T.J. Newman back to the bookstore. Newman’s first novel, Falling, was a New York Times bestseller. Signed copies of her second book, Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 421, are available through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/45Cs1DT

Here’s the description of Drowning.

“The first terrific thriller of 2023.” —James Patterson * “Spectacular…Taut, gripping.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) * “Reads like Apollo 13 underwater.” —Don Winslow * “Masterful.” —Patricia Cornwell

Flight attendant turned New York Times bestselling author T. J. Newman returns with an edge-of-your-seat thriller about a commercial jetliner that crashes into the ocean and sinks to the bottom with passengers trapped inside—and the extraordinary rescue operation to save them.

Six minutes after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. During the evacuation, an engine explodes and the plane is flooded. Those still alive are forced to close the doors—but it’s too late. The plane sinks to the bottom with twelve passengers trapped inside.

More than two hundred feet below the surface, engineer Will Kent and his eleven-year-old daughter Shannon are waist-deep in water and fighting for their lives.

Their only chance at survival is an elite rescue team on the surface led by professional diver Chris Kent—Shannon’s mother and Will’s soon-to-be ex-wife—who must work together with Will to find a way to save their daughter and rescue the passengers from the sealed airplane, which is now teetering on the edge of an undersea cliff.

There’s not much time.

There’s even less air.

With devastating emotional power and heart-stopping suspense, Drowning is an unforgettable thriller about a family’s desperate fight to save themselves and the people trapped with them—against impossible odds.


T. J. Newman is a former bookseller and flight attendant whose first novel Falling became a publishing sensation and debuted at number two on the New York Times bestseller list. The book was named a best book of the year by USA TODAY and Esquire, among many others, and has been published in over thirty countries. The book will soon be a major motion picture from Universal Pictures. T. J. lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Drowning is her second novel.


Both of T.J. Newman’s books have been optioned for film. Are you sure you want to talk about flying before you read these books?

Claudia Gray discusses The Late Mrs. Willoughby

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently welcomed Claudia Gray, a big Jane Austen fan. Gray is the author of The Late Mrs. Willoughby. Gray is also the author of The Murder of Mr. Wickham, and this is a sequel. There are signed copies of the novel in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/43v2Ilg

Here’s the description of The Late Mrs. Willoughby.

The suspenseful sequel to The Murder of Mr. Wickham, which sees Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney reunited, and with another mystery to solve: the dreadful poisoning of the scoundrel Willoughby’s new wife.

“An absolute page-turner full of well-plotted mystery and hints of simmering romance…. More of the Jane Austen characters we love (as well as those we love to hate).” —Mia P. Manansala, author of Arsenic and Adobo

Catherine and Henry Tilney of Northanger Abbey are not entirely pleased to be sending their eligible young daughter Juliet out into the world again: the last house party she attended, at the home of the Knightleys, involved a murder—which Juliet helped solve. Particularly concerning is that she intends to visit her new friend Marianne Brandon, who’s returned home to Devonshire shrouded in fresh scandal—made more potent by the news that her former suitor, the rakish Mr. Willoughby, intends to take up residence at his local estate with his new bride.

Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley are thrilled that their eldest son, Jonathan—who, like his father, has not always been the most socially adept—has been invited to stay with his former schoolmate, John Willoughby. Jonathan himself is decidedly less taken with the notion of having to spend extended time under the roof of his old bully, but that all changes when he finds himself reunited with his fellow amateur sleuth, the radiant Miss Tilney. And when shortly thereafter, Willoughby’s new wife—whom he married for her fortune—dies horribly at the party meant to welcome her to town.

With rumors flying and Marianne—known to be both unstable and previously jilted by the dead woman’s newly made widower—under increased suspicion, Jonathan and Juliet must team up once more to uncover the murderer. But as they collect clues and close in on suspects, eerie incidents suggest that the killer may strike again, and that the pair are in far graver danger than they or their families could imagine.


CLAUDIA GRAY is the pseudonym of Amy Vincent. She is the writer of multiple young adult novels, including the Evernight series, the Firebird trilogy, and the Constellation trilogy. In addition, she’s written several Star Wars novels, such as Lost Stars and Bloodline, and is one of the story architects of the High Republic series. She makes her home in New Orleans with her husband Paul and assorted small dogs.


Gray discusses Jane Austen and fan fiction, as well as other topics. Enjoy!

Jaclyn Goldis with Guest Host Megan Collins

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Jaclyn Goldis and Megan Collins for a virtual event. Collins was guest host for Goldis, whose debut thriller is The Chateau, set in Provence. You can order copies of the book through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3qfnnLW

Here’s the description of The Chateau.

A dream girls trip to a luxurious French chateau devolves into a deadly nightmare of secrets and murder in this stylish, twisty thriller for fans of Lucy Foley, Ruth Ware, and Lisa Jewell.

Welcome to picturesque Provence, where the Lady of the Chateau, Séraphine Demargelasse, has opened its elegant doors to her granddaughter Darcy and three friends. Twenty years earlier, the four girlfriends studied abroad together in France and visited the old woman on the weekends, creating the group’s deep bond. But why this sudden invitation?

Amid winery tours, market visits, and fancy dinners overlooking olive groves and lavender fields, it becomes clear that each woman has a hidden reason for returning to the estate after all these years. Then, following a wild evening’s celebration, Séraphine is found brutally murdered.

In the midst of this shocking crime, a sinister Instagram account pops up, exposing snapshots from the friends’ intimate moments at the chateau, while threatening to reveal more.

As they race to uncover who murdered Séraphine—and is now stalking them—the friends begin to suspect each other. Because the chateau houses many secrets…several worth killing for.


Jaclyn Goldis is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and NYU Law. She practiced estate planning law at a large Chicago firm for seven years before leaving her job to travel the world and write novels. After culling her possessions into only what would fit in a backpack, she traveled for over a year until settling near the beach, where she can often be found writing from cafés.


Enjoy the conversation!

J.T. Ellison’s The Wolves Come at Night

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently welcomed J.T. Ellison back for a virtual event. Ellison talks about The Wolves Come at Night, her latest Taylor Jackson novel. It’s been ten years since the last one in the series. Ellison is with a new publisher, and Peters and Ellison talk about the book, and the publisher. You can pre-order a signed copy through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3q4XoXg

A detective on the brink.
An assassin out for revenge.
A desperate mother racing against the clock.

While the high-profile murder of a young country singer turns Nashville inside out, danger lurks in the woods beyond the city’s border. There was a witness to the terrible crime, a college student who stumbled onto the scene. When the girl goes missing, the police don’t know if she’s run for cover or been taken…or if something more sinister is happening.

The truth will shatter Taylor’s career and bring her face to face with a deadly assassin who wants nothing more than to finish what they started.

Taylor Jackson is back. And you’ve never seen her quite like this.

“Powered by unexpected twists, intriguing characters, a high-stakes plot, and the ultimate enemies-to-friends story, THE WOLVES COME AT NIGHT is a true thrill ride. I loved it.”

—Jayne Ann Krentz, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author


J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of the literary show A WORD ON WORDS. With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim, prestigious awards, and has been published in 28 countries. She lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens.


“Taylor Jackson is back.” Enjoy the conversation.

Chris Hauty’s Latest Thriller, The Devil You Know

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently welcomed Chris Hauty to talk about his latest thriller, The Devil You Know. There are signed copies of Hauty’s book available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3CgOBEN

Here’s the description of The Devil You Know.

A Supreme Court justice is murdered and a conspiracy with potentially cataclysmic effects is uncovered in the latest of the nationally bestselling “edge-of-your-seat” (Book Riot) Hayley Chill series.

When a justice of the Supreme Court is killed by the police officer assigned to protect him, the country is shocked. Hayley Chill’s superiors suspect the assassination is part of a major conspiracy.

In Maui, where one member of the Supreme Court owns a vacation home, a busload of children is taken hostage with the justice’s death as ransom. Together with a deputy US marshal, Hayley embarks on the monumental task of rescuing the children while also protecting the justice. But with danger around every corner and no one to trust, has Hayley finally bitten off more than she can chew?


Chris Hauty’s debut, Deep State, was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, and Barry Award nominee. Other novels include the CALIBA Award–nominated Savage Road, and Storm Rising, as well as the acclaimed novella Insurrection Day. He currently lives in Glendale, California.


Enjoy the conversation!

Katherine Hall Page & The Body in the Web

When Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Katherine Hall Page to the bookstore, she said that Page’s The Body in the Web is one of the best books she’d read about day-to-day life during a pandemic. The Body of the Web is the bookstore’s Cozy Crimes Pick for June. There are signed copies of the book available to order through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/43xyWMR

Here’s the summary of The Body in the Web.

In the 26th book in the award-winning Faith Fairchild Mysteries series, Katherine Hall Page’s beloved amateur detective is hunkered down with her family during the pandemic when a Zoom-bombing scandal sends the community into a tailspin … and a dead body is discovered.

Faith Fairchild joins the rest of the world in lockdown mode when reality flips in March 2020. As the pandemic spreads, Faith and her family readjust to life together in Aleford, Massachusetts. Her husband, Tom, continues his sermons from Zoom; their children, Ben, who’s in college, and Amy, a high school senior, are doing remote learning at home .

Faith is happy to have her family under the same roof and grateful for her resilient community, friends, and neighbors in Aleford. Town halls remain lively and well-attended, despite residents joining from their living rooms. It is at one of these town halls that scandal breaks out. In the midst of a Zoom meeting, damaging images suddenly flash upon everyone’s screens. Claudia, local art teacher and Faith’s dear friend, is immediately recognized as the woman who has been targeted.

When Claudia is later discovered dead, Faith, with the help of her friends, journeys deep into the dark web to unravel the threads of Claudia’s mysterious history and shocking passing.  


Katherine Hall Page is the author of twenty-three previous Faith Fairchild mysteries, the first of which received the Agatha Award for best first mystery. The Body in the Snowdrift was honored with the Agatha Award for best novel of 2006. Page also won an Agatha for her short story “The Would-Be Widower.” The recipient of the Malice Domestic Award for Lifetime Achievement, she has been nominated for the Edgar, the Mary Higgins Clark, the Maine Literary, and the Macavity Awards. She lives in Massachusetts and Maine with her husband.


If you’re willing to read about the pandemic, Peters is right. This was a fascinating reminder of what we all went through. Enjoy the conversation.

T.J. Newman, A Teaser

T. J. Newman, author of last year’s debut bestseller, Falling, is back this year with her latest novel, Drowning. She’ll be at The Poisoned Pen on Tuesday, May 30 from 7 to 8 PM. Signed copies of Drowning are available through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/424OKWb

While you’re waiting for the event, you can check out Olivia Fierro’s podcast interview with Newman for “Arizona’s Family”. The podcast is part of “Olivia’s Book Club”. https://bit.ly/3q77dUI

Here’s the summary of Drowning.

“The first terrific thriller of 2023.” —James Patterson * “Spectacular…Taut, gripping.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) * “Reads like Apollo 13 underwater.” —Don Winslow * “Masterful.” —Patricia Cornwell

Flight attendant turned New York Times bestselling author T. J. Newman returns with an edge-of-your-seat thriller about a commercial jetliner that crashes into the ocean and sinks to the bottom with passengers trapped inside—and the extraordinary rescue operation to save them.

Six minutes after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. During the evacuation, an engine explodes and the plane is flooded. Those still alive are forced to close the doors—but it’s too late. The plane sinks to the bottom with twelve passengers trapped inside.

More than two hundred feet below the surface, engineer Will Kent and his eleven-year-old daughter Shannon are waist-deep in water and fighting for their lives.

Their only chance at survival is an elite rescue team on the surface led by professional diver Chris Kent—Shannon’s mother and Will’s soon-to-be ex-wife—who must work together with Will to find a way to save their daughter and rescue the passengers from the sealed airplane, which is now teetering on the edge of an undersea cliff.

There’s not much time.

There’s even less air.

With devastating emotional power and heart-stopping suspense, Drowning is an unforgettable thriller about a family’s desperate fight to save themselves and the people trapped with them—against impossible odds.


T. J. Newman is a former bookseller and flight attendant whose first novel Falling became a publishing sensation and debuted at number two on the New York Times bestseller list. The book was named a best book of the year by USA TODAY and Esquire, among many others, and has been published in over thirty countries. The book will soon be a major motion picture from Universal Pictures. T. J. lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Drowning is her second novel.