eBook and Audio, July 23,2024
A couple of years ago, when it was time for me to write the next Beaumont book, Nothing to Lose, I ended up sending my fictional pal of some forty-years standing off to Alaska in the dead of winter. Beau is a Seattle native. Trust me, Seattle natives have NO idea how to drive in snow. Not only that, he’s a guy of a certain age (My age, actually!) who happens to have two titanium knees. Naturally, Mel Soames, his wife, was deeply concerned about his driving around on his own in a rental car in the midst of really dodgy winter weather. Eventually she prevails upon him to hire a driver—for the day. Make that, supposedly for the day.
When I’m writing a book and a new character shows up, it’s my job to give that person a name. So as I was sitting here in my writing chair (which I happen to be doing right now.) I put on my thinking cap. Pretty soon a name popped into my head—Twinkle Winkleman, aka Twink for short. Just the thought of her name made me smile because I knew that someone stuck with a handle like that was bound to be every bit as tough as Johnny Cash’s boy named Sue.
If Twink was living in Anchorage and running a car service, what kind of vehicle would she have? Let’s see. Bill, my husband, has always been a car guy. We follow the Formula 1 races on TV and have actually managed to attend three in person—in Monaco, Austin, and Indianapolis. We watch some Indy car races and a few NASCAR ones, too, but we also follow things like Chasing Classic Cars, Roadworthy Rescues, and Wheeler Dealers.
In the last Wheeler Dealer season filmed in the US, the vehicle that was brought back from the brink of death was a 1973 International Harvester Travelall. They removed the shag carpet, cleaned up the engine, and reinstalled the luggage rack. I knew International Harvester made tractors. (My father actually gave my mother one of those for her birthday one year, and she loved it!) However, I had no idea International Harvester made automobiles. It turns out that the Travelall is the great, great grandaddy of every SUV you see on the road today.
And that’s when I decided that’s exactly what Twinkle Winkelman needed—a 1973 International Harvester Travelall complete with a snowplow attachment and a luggage rack loaded with crates of spare parts. (When you’re driving around in the wilds of Alaska in an antique vehicle, you can’t expect to find an AutoZone carrying the parts you need on every street corner.)
As a character, Twinkle Winkleman turned out to be a tough nut to crack. She was supposed to be in the book for one day only, but when it came time for her to exit stage left, she refused to go quietly. She ended up hanging in there until the bitter end of the book, including the literal crashing climax. And do you know what happened? As far as Nothing to Lose is concerned, Twink ended up stealing the show. My readers loved her, and they begged me to bring her back.
But there was a big problem with that. Twink is someone who’s Alaska personified—tough minded, independent, and capable as all get out. I’ve been to Alaska exactly three times in my life—twice on cruises and once for Left Coast Crime. I don’t know nearly enough about Alaska to be able to set an entire novel there, but I decided I could see my way clear to write a novella—and that’s where Girls’ Night Out enters the picture.
Girls’ Night Out is Twinkle Winkleman in all her feisty glory. It will be published as an eBook and audio only on July 23, 2024, and is available for pre-order. I’m sure my some of DTR’s, my Dead Tree Readers, will accuse me of “going over to the dark side”, but that’s the situation on the ground in publishing today. The time when publishers did little stand-alone paperbacks of novellas has, unfortunately, come and gone, and Girls’ Night Out is too long to be printed in the upcoming hardback edition of the next Beau book, Den of Iniquity, due out September 10. Readers of the novella will, however, get a short preview of DOI.
So for those of you who pleaded with me to revisit Twinkle Winkleman? As they used to say in that old Toyota commercial: You asked for it? You got it.
Well, I may have to go to the dark side TEMPORARILY! I’m sure I can borrow a device just for one reading – but that’s it!
And thank you for my birthday gift on September 10! I’ll be 81 and all set to read the latest Beau Book!
Please write forever!
If you have a smart phone, you can get a Kindle app and get the book on your phone. Maybe you will convert!
As a kid in north Seattle, we lived in Travelalls so it’s nice to have them play a role in your book. My parents used them to pull our little trailer on camping trips. They were huge beasts at least to a little kids…a lot of friends fit in before the seatbelt rules. One was an old pale green but our main one, also old, was a pale yellow cream color. Thanks for bringing back a great memory from my childhood!
I read all your books,but when is Joann Brady coming back. My mother in law had a International Travel all seems like that thing ran forever. Have a Blessed day.
I’ve just written the prologue to the next Joanna book.
So would that be published on CD’s or just online audio?
Yes, Twink might be feisty, but, as my grandmother (or someone else in my distant past) would say, “She has her heart in the right place!’
I’m looking forward to listening to it, and glad I don’t have to wait until September for the next JAJ story.
Love hearing how your characters come to you. Mine do too, and I’ve learned, always listen to what they say or how they show up.
It’s so interesting to hear the backstory of writing your stories. I’m sure I’m not alone in getting so involved with your characters that they seem like real people. I loved the book where Twink was introduced. I look forward to the novella. I recently finished the J. P. Beaumont series and have been jonesing for more. Although, in the interim, I’ve started the Brady series and am loving them too. Thank you for entertaining my brain so well.
A little bit murky about how to obtain the long-awaited. I am an old geezer and don’t know what an E-book is.
She is my favorite J A Jance character.
An e-book is an electronic book. You can purchase it from Amazon and read it on the computer or install the Kindle app on your phone or tablet and read from there.
I learned to drive on a stick shift baby blue abd white 1961 Travelall. It had 3 seats and someone had installed an AM radio attached to the roof near the windshield.
I hated that car, but it was a set of wheels and got me back and forth to town through high school.
Only a handful of kids in Willcox had “nice” cars, so in thinking back 55 years, I was lucky to have a car to drive, at all.
Twink brought back lots of memories when I read what she drove.
This DTR is not exactly happy about going to the dark side, but will try the audio when it comes out. Maybe that will start a whole new trend for me. Loved Twink in Nothing To Lose and am looking forward to meeting her again.
Like Twink, my cousin would carry almost a complete extra car of spare parts. He was a forsest service employee who was constantly in the wilds of Nevada. To make it worse, he drove a foreign car so parts and service were usually hundreds of miles away.
I love the Twink character !
Brilliant, Judy! I’m looking forward to getting a copy of GNO and DOI.
I loved the Twink character and have just preordered your novella. It’s like Christmas in this house when a new J A Jance writing appears. You’ve made my day.
I wondered how you come up with the names of your characters: Harry I. Ball, in particular. I’m also interested in your S.H.I.T. department. Is that a real organization?
Harry I. Ball was actually one of Bill’s distant relatives. As for S.H.I.T.? Made that one up though a special homicide investigator from another state said that if his boss had a sense of humor, that’s the name he would have given to their unit.
Yea! Great truly Alaskan character.
Hmm, too deaf for audio books but maybe this will drive me to borrow a kindle? Or something. I am a great Twink fan!
ceci
First of all I am so excited to know a new Beau book is coming out in Sept. I can’t hardly wait. Second of all Twink was a real kick in Alaska. I am sure I will love the Novella.
Thank you and can’t wait for more books to come out. It’s easier when you just find a writer you really enjoy and start reading all the endless list of books, but then you come to the end of that list and have to wait for new ones…. it’s so hard. 🙂
Thank you for your wonderful writing.
Love Twink. Unfortunately, I’m one of your DTR. Will have to find someone who I can borrow the ebook or audio from.
We owned a 72 International Travelall> She was called “Moose”, light brown with brown plaid interior. The places she went and adventures we had.
The mountains and sagebrush valleys of southern Idaho were no problem to her.
Our boys were young and the handles above the back doors were called the “we gon-to-die handles” .
She was loved and enjoyed till parts became a problem. AND the horn would NOT stop honking at every turn. Many happy memories at the mention of Travelall.
I really liked Tink so I am glad for her reincarnation. I went over to the dark side some time ago. When I would read a DTB, I only got rid of the ones that I didn’t like. I have always reread books that I liked. So switching to e books was self defense. I couldn’t afford to buy bigger houses to store books. Also, if I have insomnia and can’t find anything to read, I can order and download something new at 2 AM in my PJs.
Though I was not one of those fans clamoring for Twink’s return, I am thrilled at her resurrection! I left my Kindle charger in a hotel several states away, but I am ordering a replacement today. As soon as it recharges my Kindle I shall preorder the novella. Your gift for bringing characters to life has given me countless hours of pure joy, and I thank you for enriching so many of my days.
One of my childhood neighbors had a carryall! great story.
Oh, my parents had a international harvester travelall- that was our car!
Not sure of the year but we packed five kids, two adults and all the camping equipment and supplies needed to transverse the country either from Texas to California or from Texas up to Massachusetts on alternate years. It was quite a car!
Good move….definitely pre-ordering!!! What is your favorite book as far as a joy to write?
I would say Blessing of the Lost Girls. That one was written beginning to end in two months flat. The story just flowed.
You go with the times.
Don’t let the haters get you down.
I read that book! It was great of course! I’ve often wondered how you keep all of these characters straight. I’m proud to say I have every book you have written. And read all but a half dozen of the newest ones. I’m slowing down on reading your books because I don’t want to run out of new ones. ?
When can I anticipate being able to request this book online from my library?
July 23rd. You can probably reserve it now, unless you’re in Seattle where the library is suffering from a ransomware attack.
I love your book reports! In family, they love to hear about the book I’m reading and they get in line to read it next. The trick….Just a place, appealing person, and situation! And then stop! My Library teacher was a jewel and taught me to love books, respect the authors and enjoy the places I could go! Thanks, Miss Torrance.
Yes, hats off to Miss Torrance.
I loved Twink and am so glad there will be more of her. I’ve preordered the novella.
Incidently, my husband’s first job (fresh out of the Navy) when we first married in 1960 was with International Harvester. So I was familiar with the Travelall, and their next vehicle was the Scout.
We watch all these same shows — hubby is a car fiend (as am I) and a 40+ year master mechanic. If you are ever in California in August, you might want to include the Monterey Vintage Race. at Laguna Seca, in your schedule. We went the year Mario Andretti retired from racing — had a grand time!
You need a character like Dirty Sally from Gunsmoke
Another memory uncovered and dusted off. Haven’t thought of International Harvester for ages. Our family had always been jeep and Ford truck people untill my older brother bought a scout. He said it was real handy because he could get a couple saddles and other tack in the back and keep it out of the weather. But I always thought part of the reason was because of the nice blue and white paint job. Seems like we just called these trucks, scouts and station wagons Internationals because that’s what it said across the grill.
I’m also feeling a little bit sheepish because I can’t remember twink. Don’t really need it, but gives me a reason to go back and read “Nothing to Lose” again.
How exciting! A bonus book this summer! I do most of my reading on kindle now, like another wrote, not enough room for all the books and I can read in bed without a light. Thank you for the summer read!
We loved the Twink in Nothing To Lose. So excited to see more from her. We are anxiously awaiting the New Beau book also. I do prefer paper books but you have too roll with the times.
I love that your mom got a tractor for her birthday! Was that in South Dakota when you lived on a farm, or in Bisbee?
Due to my neck problem, I am way behind in my JaJance reading, and so have not yet met Twink- However, I am very, very curious abut her- I may have to skip ahead in the sequence to find out what makes her such a star!
A friend of mine who visited Alaska, a colleague from the NYC School System, interviewed kindergarten teachers in Alaska- She asked how they handled recess during the winter- This was the answer: “When the temperature is 50 below or above, the children play outside-” When it is below 50 below, it is too time- consuming to dress them warmly enough, and then to undress them when they come back inside- So they play indoors-”
Clearly it is no joke to drive in Alaska during the cold months! Any mishap on the road in rural areas could result in freezing to death unless you are prepared- I hear that in Alaska people ARE prepared, taking all essentials with them when traveling in sparsely populated parts of the state, which are many-
Hi, Do I need to change some settings or something to enable getting the pictures?
Just let me know.
Thanks
Yaaay!
Great news about Twink and the new Joanna Brady coming up!
Great!! I’ve missed Beau. Looking forward to Twink.
maholo aloha chuck from tacoma
Don’t know how to do either method to get the novella. Dang! too untechy! Can’t wait for the upcoming Beaumont, though! Did enjoy Twink and would love a printed copy of her Girls Night Out. Oh, well.
Although I prefer being a “dead tree reader.,” I will be receiving the Kindle version of “Girls Night Out” in a few days. I am curious about the back story of “Nothing to Lose.” I want to be prepared to dive into “Nothing to Lose” when my favorite book store has copies on its shelves.
Nothing to Lose was published two years ago, so you’ll probably need to have your bookstore order in a copy of that. While you’re waiting, you might want to reread Beaumont # 14, Breach of Duty, because that tells the back story to Nothing to Lose.
I’ve been reading some English mysteries while waiting for Beau. The authors think up the wildest names. Many are longer than normal. A lot are hyphenated, too.
When I travel home to Forks, WA, by way of Montesano and the Wynochee/Wishkah, I always am reminded of Twinkle Winkleman. There is a Winkleman Road, which turns off the road, to the right!