Under the Whispering Door is Out!
I’ve been looking forward to today for a long time, but I’m a little (read: really) nervous too. Under the Whispering Door is deeply personal to me, and while I’m relieved it’s finally out in the world, I know it’s not going to be for everyone.
And that’s okay.
For those who do read it, the book can be whatever you want it to be. It can be just a story about a man who thought he had everything when in reality he had nothing at all, only to find life after death. It can be a window for you to peer through to catch a glimpse of the unknown. Or it could be a mirror, allowing you to study your reflection and ask yourself a very important question.
What will you do with the time you have left?
I think about that a lot. No one—at least no one living—knows what comes next after we depart this life. We have beliefs of what that might be, but we can’t know for sure until it’s our time to know. And that’s scary, right? The unknown often is.
Here is what I know:
I know it’s not too late to try and become a better person.
I know that grief—like love—is part of life, whether or not we want it.
I know that no two people experience grief the same way, even though we’ve all felt it at one point or another.
I know that no two people experience love the same way, even though we’ve all felt it at one point or another.
I also know I’m not trying to change what you believe in. Your faith is just that: yours. But here, in this tea shop, there are people who want to help, who want to prepare you for what comes next. They are good people, strong, wonderful, messy people who believe in humanity even when we don’t always deserve it. And they won’t give up, no matter what odds they may face.
Welcome to Charon’s Crossing. Stay for a cup of tea (or three!) and perhaps a scone. Listen to Hugo as he tells you what he’s seen, and what it means to him. Watch Mei as she fiercely protects those she loves. Smile with Nelson as he holds your hand and reminds you of what’s important. Give Apollo a belly scratch—he really loves those.
And witness a man named Wallace Price find a home. Not in the life he once led, and not even in the tea house he was taken to. No, it’s in the people who live there who will offer him the tools to find redemption, and a place to belong.
And last: listen for the whispers of the door. It’s calling for you.
Are you ready?
tj
Catch me on tour for Under the Whispering Door!
Under the Whispering Door is now available wherever books are sold! Buy links below, or support your local indie! Also, if you’re so inclined, pick up the audiobook performed by the incredible Kirt Graves.
Comments from the old website:
Elisa Stefaniak
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I finished the audiobook a few days ago (it only took me 3 days because I could not press pause...) and I am absolutely in love! The reading was spectacular but I am also looking forward to rereading the print version soon too.
It's the sort of book that I don't realise I've been yearning for until I find it.
The characters, relationships and character developments are simply beautiful and the light humour elements were delightful! And the dialogues... Like the moment when Mei scolds Wallace for not thinking about what he says in advance and even the silences between the characters, they build such beautiful bridges and links between all the lovely characters. This book is just so good! And I don't mean well written or enjoyable (although those are true too) but just emanating this heart-warming pleasant glow of goodness that I think everyone needs these days... <3 Thank you <3
Richard Jasper
I just finished reading "Under the Whispering Door," which you appear to have completed (submitted? signed off?) on my 63rd birthday, April 11, 2021. This year has been an important one for me. Twenty years ago, on July 4, 2001, not long after returning to Houston from a fabulous four day weekend with my kids, who were visiting from Atlanta, my husband collapsed by the pool of friends whose house we were checking on. A subarachnoid hemorrhage brought on by a ruptured aneurysm of the inner carotid artery. He died two days later, never having regained consciousness. He was 30 years old and we had been together 7 years. Thanks for writing this one.
Jean Bakula
I bought the book right after midnight, and never went to sleep until I finished! TJ, you are one of the best young writers out there. But you are an old soul. After I read one of your books, I went back and read them all. You are so talented. You create such great characters, and have an emotional depth many people much older than you will never find. As the Mom of a queer son, I love how you are showing queer people they CAN have loving and committed relationships.
Under the Whispering Door was very thought provoking. I understand it must have been very difficult for you to write. As an older woman who has lost many loved ones, I can tell you love never truly dies when it's real. You'll find him again one day. But he would want you to be happy, and you are certainly making your readers ecstatic!
Sandra Graves
Have had it on my calendar for months. Purchased at 5:00 am this morning. Can hardly wait to read this one, know I'll be re-reading it many times. ,❤️Hugs❤️
Anon
Hey. You're not supposed to make us cry. You're supposed to make us laugh. You're not supposed to be so good with emotions. I love you. You gem, gem of a person in the world.
Megan Engela
I absolutely loved this book. You are one of the best writers and I sobbed my heart out reading this. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy ❤️ This is honestly one of the greatest books I’ve ever read (and I’ve read a lot)! Wishing you all the best for the release, you deserve it.
Sofía Núñez
Wow, you just..make me have goosebumps. I have already bought it, it will arrive at October or November and I can't wait to read it, I can already feel the love in this book. I lost two of my grandparents this year, my grandad on January, and my grandma on April. It was and is hard, I often think about them and I'm exited and kind of afraid of what this book is going to make me feel, but I'm here for it.
Thank you so much Tj, you make my life better 💜
