Welcome to the Thrillerfest V Blog!

We hope you'll bookmark us, just as you bookmark so many of the hundreds of the International Thriller Writers that participate in our annual conference, held in New York City in July.

ITW is a youthful organization, always ready for a new way of looking at things. You'll find that dynamism here, in blog posts from authors, agents, editors and Thrillerfest attendees, past and present.

And that same excitement you feel from your favorite reads is evident in everything ITW does, and no wonder--the organization, staffing and publicity for ThrillerFest--including this new blog--is undertaken by volunteers, most of whom are ITW authors themselves.

So pull up a chair and stay awhile ... discover the latest news on what Thrillerfest V--the fifth anniversary of the conference--has to offer. Visit old friends, make new ones, ask questions, and hear about the remarkable things in store for the conference.

Whether or not you can come see us in New York--and we hope that you can!--please join us here. It's gonna be ... a thriller!

Kelli Stanley, Thrillerfest Publicity Committee Chair

Thrillerfest Publicity Committee:
Jeannie Holmes
CJ Lyons
Carla Buckley
Grant McKenzie

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going

A ThrillerFest Blog by Jillian Abbott

If a successful thriller author were a character in a book, what words would you use to describe him or her? Is there a common thread in thriller authors’ journey to success? Is good writing enough?
Name the thriller/mystery/espionage/crime conference – Bouchercon, Malice Domestic, Crime Bake – and one thing is sure: I haven’t been to any of them. However, with one novel accepted for publication, but never published; a second falling though the gap when I changed agents; and another closing in on completion, now seemed like the time to answers those pressing questions, and ThrillerFest, with its all-star lineup, presented a likely source.

At the opening reception ThrillerFest revealed its character: young, dynamic, open to new faces and ideas, and rising. But I hadn’t come to analyze the conference, so I pressed on with my quest, stopping to chat to new and old friends, famous and not, readers, writers, and publishers.

On the way out I stumbled on Ken Follett, an entourage at his side, and a microphone in his face. He was hanging out with us, laughing, chatting and apparently delighted to make the acquaintance, and the day, of gushing fans like me. Charming. Generous.

The next day, trailblazing espionage writer and friend, Gayle Lynds, confirmed my suspicions about Follet, citing “sugar lips” as a key ingredient to success. For years Lynds published thrillers under male synonyms, work under her own name put on hold because, as the female president of a major publishing house put, “No woman could have written this book.” But Lynds persisted; Masquerade came out and quickly hit the best-seller list. Her tenacity paid off, and since then the awards and accolades have only grown. This piece is too short to list all Lynd’s acts of kindness and generosity, to me and other aspiring writers.

But back in 2005, Lynds had a run of luck that was all bad. Her step daughter fell into a coma following a serious accident and her husband died suddenly. Just one of these events might stop an ordinary mortal in their tracks, but Lynds keep up her stride, finishing The Book of Spies a month after Dennis’s death. Was that tenacity? Necessity? It was both, and it was more: larger-than-life heroism. The kind of quiet heroism that’s humbling.

Like looking up Allen Wyler, who I’d be working for on the ITW awards, and finding out about his staggering achievements. Orphaned as he approached college age, Wyler supported himself and went on to become an internationally renowned neurosurgeon, a best-selling thriller author and now he’s giving up his spare time to help foster other writers’ careers though the ITW awards. Tenacity, overcoming adversity, generosity, and larger-than-life heroism.

On the subway after day one my mind transformed the Hyatt into Mount Olympus and the authors, publishers, and agents stalking its halls, and meeting rooms became its Gods and Goddesses. ThrillerFest was a gathering of players, authors who were the best in the world at what has to be one of the toughest professions on the planet.

David Morrell won’t have heard of my hometown, Bendigo, situated a hundred miles inland from Melbourne, Australia, itself one of the most isolated western cities in the world. Although I read in the local paper that a boy who grew up 150 miles still further inland become a make-up artist for the movies and got to live in New York for a year, no one from Bendigo is famous.

But the people of Bendigo know David Morrell. Growing up, I can remember discussing what Rambo meant to America and to masculinity with my brother, a T.V./radio journalist and news anchor. The very idea that I would one day meet Morrell in person was about as likely to my teenage mind as abduction by aliens. And yet here I was, in the audience, having already met him, listening to his life story.

Describing himself as a mild mannered professor on the surface, a seething gangster underneath, Morrell’s journey to Mount Olympus was mind-boggling. As a child he had to sleep under his bed, his pillow over him to protect him from his step-father’s violence. Heart wrenching. To still be standing after such a childhood takes larger-than-life heroism.

And then there was Ken Follet. He wrote his first novel because his car broke down and he couldn’t afford to fix it. He needed 200 pounds, and his friend had just earned 200 pounds from writing a thriller. Full of generous, practical advice (If you have to tell your reader something that takes away from the drama and action keep it to a paragraph. If the story requires a conference between several characters, to keep your reader on board, you must make sure each character present has already been introduced in their own chapter.) And self depreciating, I had to constantly refer to the line of books arranged on the stage to remind myself that this quiet man was one of a handful. He attributed most of his success to luck, timing and necessity, although another glance at his works and I added hard work, persistence and genius.

When encapsulating these authors one phase came back time and again: larger-than-life heroism. Hearing these authors’ stories convinced me they’re able to create such larger-than-life heroes because they are themselves larger-than-life heroes. They pick themselves up from adversity, and through some mysterious combination of tenacity, hard work, generosity, persistence, sugar-lipped charm, necessity, luck, timing and genius they go on succeeding on a scale ordinary people can only dream of. It’s because of what they are that their leading men and women never give failure a second thought.

And so, dizzy from breathing the rarefied air on Mount Olympus, I headed home with a deeper understanding of what separated them up there from us down here, and hoped beyond hope that proximity to these Gods meant some, even if just a little bit of magic would rub off on me.

Jillian Abbott is a former Vice President of MWA/ New York chapter. She is the 2010 Hammett Award Reading Committee Chair and a Thriller Awards judge. She is working on an historical novel set in the 1850s gold rush in Bendigo, Australia.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

The 2010 Thriller Awards

During a gala banquet and celebration held on Saturday, July 10 at the Grand Hyatt in New York City, the International Thriller Writers announced the winners of the 2010 Thriller Awards.


They are:

Best Hard Cover Novel:
THE NEIGHBOR, Lisa Gardner

Best Paperback Original Novel:
THE COLDEST MILE, Tom Piccirilli

Best First Novel:
RUNNING FROM THE DEVIL, Jamie Freveletti

Best Short Story:
A STAB IN THE HEART, Twist Phelan


Also receiving special recognition during the ThrillerFest V Awards Banquet:

Ken Follett, ThrillerMaster
in recognition of his legendary career and outstanding contributions to the thriller genre

Mark Bowden, True Thriller Award

Linda Fairstein, Silver Bullet Award

US Airways, Silver Bullet Award (Corporate)


The board of directors and members of the International Thriller Writers wish to congratulates all the winners and nominees of the 2010 Thriller Awards.

Thrillerfest Saturday July 10th Schedule!!

THRILLERFEST SATURDAY, JULY 10, 2010 Registration 7:30 am - 11:00 am Awards Banquet Ticket Sales 5 pm - 6:45 pm, Ballroom Foyer Barnes & Noble Bookstore, open 9 am- 6 pm, Booth-Plymouth Room


ROOM : URIS/JILLIARD

8:00 am - 9:20 am BREAKFAST WITH 2009 SILVER BULLET AWARD WINNER BRAD MELTZER, THE DEBUT AUTHOR CLASS OF 2010: Introductions by Andrew Gross (Ballroom III),Graham Brown, Ryan Brown, Carla Buckley, Teresa Burrell, Pamela Callow, JJ Cooper, Reece Hirsch, Jeannie Holmes, Brett King, Sophie Littlefield, Boyd Morrison, Alan Orloff, Brad Parks, Sharon Potts, James Rubart, Stephen Jaw Schwartz, Norb Vonnegut

9:30 am - 10:20 am WILL YOU SIGN BRA?: Funny stories from the road - Doug M. Cummings, Panel Master, Linwood Barclay, Robert Dugoni, Heather Graham, Alan Jacobson, Jon Land, William Lashner

10:30 am- 11:50 am THRILLERMASTER PRESENTATION (Ballroom I)
2010 Thrillermaster Ken Follett, Interviewed by STeve Berry
2009 Thrillermaster David Morrell, Interviewed by Douglas Preston

11:50 pm - 12:20 pm ThrillerMasters Ken Follett, David Morrell, Sandra Brown, Clive Cussler; Debut Authors, and morning panelists will sign in the bookstore

12:45 pm - 2:15 pm AFTERNOON SOFT DRINKS Hosted by KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP. (Ballroom I Foyer)

12:15 pm - 1:00 pm BONUS SESSION 2 True Thriller Award Recipient Mark Bowden interviews by Peter James

1:00 pm - 1:50 pm Spotlight Guest Lisa Scottoline interviews by Jon Land (Ballroom I)

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm IS SCIENCE THRILLING?: Where thrillers and the scientific frontier meet - Hans Watford, Panel Master, Steve Alten, Lori Andrews, Karen Dionne, Michael Palmer, William B. Scott

3:00 pm - 3:50 pm HOW DO YOU CROSS CONTINENTS?: Thrillers in the International Market - David Hewson, Panel Master, R.J. Ellory, Sebastian Fitzek, Maria Gustafsson, Peter James, Camilla Lackberg

4:00 pm - 4:50 pm DO YOU ENJOY WRITING YOUR VILLAIN A LITTLE TOO MUCH? Steve James, Panel Master, Jay Brandon, Meg Gardiner, Gar Haywood, C.E. Lawrence, F. Paul Wilson

5:00 pm- 5:30 pm All authors from afternoon breakout session will sign inside bookstore

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm PRE-BANQUET COCKTAIL PARTY Hosted by OCEANVIEW PUBLISHING (Ballroom III & IV Foyer)

7:00 pm ITW 5th ANNUAL THRILLER AWARDS BANQUET (Ballroom III & IV)
2010 THRILLERMASTER KEN FOLLETT, Award Presented by 2009 ThrillerMaster DAVID MORRELL
2010 SILVER BULLET AWARD RECIPIENT LINDA FAIRSTEIN, Award presented by 2009 Silver Bullet Recipient Brad Meltzer
2010 True Thriller Award Recipient MARK BOWDEN
Presentation of THE THRILLER AWARDS
Table Win Serviced hosted by Tor/Forge

THRILLERMASTER AFTERPARTY Hosted by VANGUARD PRESS - Manhattan Ballroom



ROOM : BROADWAY

8:00 am - 9:20 am BREAKFAST WITH 2009 SILVER BULLET AWARD WINNER BRAD MELTZER, THE DEBUT AUTHOR CLASS OF 2010: Introductions by Andrew Gross (Ballroom III),Graham Brown, Ryan Brown, Carla Buckley, Teresa Burrell, Pamela Callow, JJ Cooper, Reece Hirsch, Jeannie Holmes, Brett King, Sophie Littlefield, Boyd Morrison, Alan Orloff, Brad Parks, Sharon Potts, James Rubart, Stephen Jaw Schwartz, Norb Vonnegut

9:30 am - 10:20 am IS YOUR HEROINE A BITCH? IS YOUR HERO A WIMP?: Where's the line between strong women and sensitive men? - Christine Kling, Panel Master, C.J. Carver, Stephen Coonts, Brandt Dodson, J.T. Ellison, Paul Kemprecos, Terry Watkins

10:30 am- 11:50 am THRILLERMASTER PRESENTATION (Ballroom I)
2010 Thrillermaster Ken Follett, Interviewed by STeve Berry
2009 Thrillermaster David Morrell, Interviewed by Douglas Preston

11:50 pm - 12:20 pm ThrillerMasters Ken Follett, David Morrell, Sandra Brown, Clive Cussler; Debut Authors, and morning panelists will sign in the bookstore

12:45 pm - 2:15 pm AFTERNOON SOFT DRINKS Hosted by KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP. (Ballroom I Foyer)

1:00 pm - 1:50 pm Spotlight Guest Lisa Scottoline interviews by Jon Land (Ballroom I)

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm WHERE ARE THE SECRETS OF THE LOST ART? Steve Berry, Panel Master, Glenn Cooper, Brian D'Amato, David Hewson, David Hosp, Raymond Khoury, M.J. Rose

3:00 pm - 3:50 pm WHAT IN GOD'S NAME ARE YOU DOING? Religion in thrillers - Katherine Neville, Panel Master, Kathleen O'Neal Gear, W. Michael Gear, Tom Grace, Tosca Lee, Joe Moore

4:00 pm - 4:50 pm WHO'S MORE THRILLING? Cop or Con? - Harry Hunsicker, Panel Master, Lorenzo Carcaterra, Steve Forman, Mark Greany, Matt Hilton, Paul Lindsay

5:00 pm- 5:30 pm All authors from afternoon breakout session will sign inside bookstore

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm PRE-BANQUET COCKTAIL PARTY Hosted by OCEANVIEW PUBLISHING (Ballroom III & IV Foyer)

7:00 pm ITW 5th ANNUAL THRILLER AWARDS BANQUET (Ballroom III & IV)
2010 THRILLERMASTER KEN FOLLETT, Award Presented by 2009 ThrillerMaster DAVID MORRELL
2010 SILVER BULLET AWARD RECIPIENT LINDA FAIRSTEIN, Award presented by 2009 Silver Bullet Recipient Brad Meltzer
2010 True Thriller Award Recipient MARK BOWDEN
Presentation of THE THRILLER AWARDS
Table Win Serviced hosted by Tor/Forge

THRILLERMASTER AFTERPARTY Hosted by VANGUARD PRESS - Manhattan Ballroom


ROOM : CARNEGIE/ALVIN

8:00 am - 9:20 am BREAKFAST WITH 2009 SILVER BULLET AWARD WINNER BRAD MELTZER, THE DEBUT AUTHOR CLASS OF 2010: Introductions by Andrew Gross (Ballroom III),Graham Brown, Ryan Brown, Carla Buckley, Teresa Burrell, Pamela Callow, JJ Cooper, Reece Hirsch, Jeannie Holmes, Brett King, Sophie Littlefield, Boyd Morrison, Alan Orloff, Brad Parks, Sharon Potts, James Rubart, Stephen Jaw Schwartz, Norb Vonnegut

9:30 am - 10:20 am DO JOURNALISTS THRILL? Mereditch Anthony, Panel Master, Clem Chambers, Lawrence Light, Rick Mofina, Milt Toby, Paula Tutman

10:30 am- 11:50 am THRILLERMASTER PRESENTATION (Ballroom I)
2010 Thrillermaster Ken Follett, Interviewed by STeve Berry
2009 Thrillermaster David Morrell, Interviewed by Douglas Preston

11:50 pm - 12:20 pm ThrillerMasters Ken Follett, David Morrell, Sandra Brown, Clive Cussler; Debut Authors, and morning panelists will sign in the bookstore

12:45 pm - 2:15 pm AFTERNOON SOFT DRINKS Hosted by KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP. (Ballroom I Foyer)

1:00 pm - 1:50 pm Spotlight Guest Lisa Scottoline interviews by Jon Land (Ballroom I)

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm WOULD YOU VOTE FOR THIS BOOK? Politics and thrillers - David Ellis, Panel Master, Karna Small Bodman, Don Helin, Casey Moreton, Keith Raffel, Rick Robinson

3:00 pm - 3:50 pm WAS SHAKESPEARE RIGHT? Should we kill all the lawyers? - Jamie Freveletty, Panel Master, Barry Broad, John Dobbyn, H. Terrell Griffin, Barbar Levenson, Steve Martini

4:00 pm - 4:50 pm IS HISTORY HISTORY? How vital is Subgenre? - Rebecca Cantrell, Panel Master, William Dietrich, David Liss, Laura Joh Rowland, Kelli Stanley, Charles Todd

5:00 pm- 5:30 pm All authors from afternoon breakout session will sign inside bookstore

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm PRE-BANQUET COCKTAIL PARTY Hosted by OCEANVIEW PUBLISHING (Ballroom III & IV Foyer)

7:00 pm ITW 5th ANNUAL THRILLER AWARDS BANQUET (Ballroom III & IV)
2010 THRILLERMASTER KEN FOLLETT, Award Presented by 2009 ThrillerMaster DAVID MORRELL
2010 SILVER BULLET AWARD RECIPIENT LINDA FAIRSTEIN, Award presented by 2009 Silver Bullet Recipient Brad Meltzer
2010 True Thriller Award Recipient MARK BOWDEN
Presentation of THE THRILLER AWARDS
Table Win Serviced hosted by Tor/Forge

THRILLERMASTER AFTERPARTY Hosted by VANGUARD PRESS - Manhattan Ballroom


ROOM : BALLROOM I

8:00 am - 9:20 am BREAKFAST WITH 2009 SILVER BULLET AWARD WINNER BRAD MELTZER, THE DEBUT AUTHOR CLASS OF 2010: Introductions by Andrew Gross (Ballroom III),Graham Brown, Ryan Brown, Carla Buckley, Teresa Burrell, Pamela Callow, JJ Cooper, Reece Hirsch, Jeannie Holmes, Brett King, Sophie Littlefield, Boyd Morrison, Alan Orloff, Brad Parks, Sharon Potts, James Rubart, Stephen Jaw Schwartz, Norb Vonnegut

9:30 am - 10:20 am WHAT ARE THE 100 MUST-READ THRILLERS? David Morrel Panel Master, Raymond Benson, Tess Gerritsen, Bob Gussin, John Lescroart, Michael Palmer, Hank Wagner

10:30 am- 11:50 am THRILLERMASTER PRESENTATION (Ballroom I)
2010 Thrillermaster Ken Follett, Interviewed by STeve Berry
2009 Thrillermaster David Morrell, Interviewed by Douglas Preston

11:50 pm - 12:20 pm ThrillerMasters Ken Follett, David Morrell, Sandra Brown, Clive Cussler; Debut Authors, and morning panelists will sign in the bookstore

12:45 pm - 2:15 pm AFTERNOON SOFT DRINKS Hosted by KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP. (Ballroom I Foyer)

12:15 pm - 1:00 pm BONUS SESSION 1 INSIDE THE THRILLERMASTERS MIND: A Q&A with Sandra Brown and Clive Cussler - hosted by Shane Gericke 

1:00 pm - 1:50 pm Spotlight Guest Lisa Scottoline interviews by Jon Land (Ballroom I)

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm WHATS LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? Andrew Gross, Panel Master, Anna DeStefano, Shane Gericke, Dianna Love, Jennifer St. Giles, Erica Spindler, Rebecca York

3:00 pm - 3:50 pm HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR CAREER A THRILLER? Jeff Ayers, Panel Master, Laura Caldwell, Stephen Coonts, Linda Fairstein, Joseph Finder, John Gilstrap, Chris Kuzneski

4:00 pm - 4:50 pm IS NON-FICTION MORE THRILLING? Douglas Preston, Panel Master, Sean Michael Brailey, Emily Benedek, William Bernhardt, Mark Bowden, W. Craig Reed, Kathleen Sharp

5:00 pm- 5:30 pm All authors from afternoon breakout session will sign inside bookstore

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm PRE-BANQUET COCKTAIL PARTY Hosted by OCEANVIEW PUBLISHING (Ballroom III & IV Foyer)

7:00 pm ITW 5th ANNUAL THRILLER AWARDS BANQUET (Ballroom III & IV)
2010 THRILLERMASTER KEN FOLLETT, Award Presented by 2009 ThrillerMaster DAVID MORRELL
2010 SILVER BULLET AWARD RECIPIENT LINDA FAIRSTEIN, Award presented by 2009 Silver Bullet Recipient Brad Meltzer
2010 True Thriller Award Recipient MARK BOWDEN
Presentation of THE THRILLER AWARDS
Table Win Serviced hosted by Tor/Forge

Friday, July 9, 2010

Sample the Thrill : Carnal Sin, by Allison Brennan

One of many great articles that you can find each month in The Big Thrill!

I love research.

I think this love of research stems from my tendency to procrastinate. In school, I was really good at cramming at the last minute--back then, it was hitting the library the day before a major paper was due, reading everything I could on the subject, then writing all night. The last-minute projects inevitably garnered me a B+ or A- (which, had I spent more time researching, editing, and revising would have been an A--but we work we our natural talents, right?)

Last week I finished writing one book; this week I started the next. I realized real quick that my knowledge of modern private investigators was slim, and the books on my shelf were woefully outdated. The book I have on Missing Persons was printed in 1993--before Facebook, before MySpace, and before Google. Needless to say, useless.

I emailed a P.I. friend of mine asking for two books she'd recommend on modern P.I. techniques, and wondered if there was a P.I. ride-along program . . .

We are truly blessed writers to have so many resources at our fingertips. In the past twelve months, I've participated in two SWAT training exercises, toured the FBI Academy at Quantico, visited FBI Headquarters in D.C., toured Folsom State Prison (with fellow ITW author James Rollins), and took a second trip to the Sacramento County Morgue to learn how they preserve evidence. If you really twist my arm, I'll admit being a non-ambulatory victim during SWAT training was probably the most fun I've had in a long, long time . . . which shows you what a boring life I lead!

ITW members are also invaluable resources. I have all of Dr. D.P. Lyle's books--medical books for writers; author C.J. Lyons has answered my most arcane medical questions--even questions related to my supernatural thriller series; and former cop and forensic artist Robin Burcell is always available to answer questions about being a cop. One of my favorite research books on the paranormal is THE CRYPTOPEDIA, written by ITW member Jonathan Mayberry (and David Kramer).

Some people may think that research for a paranormal book is strange, but I believe that the only way to sell a reader on the world you're creating is to base it in a world you (and they) understand. My Seven Deadly Sins series is a supernatural thriller (or urban fantasy or paranormal romance--whatever marketing wants to call it is fine with me,) based in our modern world. I have demons released from Hell by an evil occult bent on finding the key to eternal youth. This is nothing new--for thousands of years, the hope of eternal youth (or eternal life) has been a part of most, if not all, religions. It was important to me to understand the basic foundations of this quest and then the darkest aspects of what it means. And it's hard to write a book about demons without understanding exorcisms, the old Catholic church, Judaism, and witchcraft, including black magic.

While the series itself is built on a paranormal premise, I wanted it to have enough "real world" facts to make it even scarier.

I think this is why monsters don't really scare me (psychotic clowns living in the sewer excluded), but serial killers terrify me. Real people who look normal, even attractive (Ted Bundy anyone?) but are down to their core evil.

What I loved about writing the Seven Deadly Sins books, most recently CARNAL SIN (Ballantine, July 2010), is merging my forensic and crime fiction research with my paranormal research.

For example, in my series the Seven Deadly Sins are released from Hell as incarnate demons. If they touch you, your conscience is stripped away and you act on your deadliest sin. I have a sheriff in the series who, while she has seen the paranormal at work, believes that there is a scientific--and logical--explanation as to why some people are infected by this demonic virus. She, with the medical examiner, are looking at the autopsies to give them answers, and discover (thanks to C.J. Lyons!) an enlarged amygdala, a primitive part of the brain with a role in processing memory and emotional responses.

I've learned (the hard way!) that less is more when writing about something I know very little about. So I took the basic scientific information about the amygdala and brainstem, then made up the idea that the demonic virus changed this, that this is in fact a physical "conscience" that when damaged changes the behavior of the victim--and they act out their worst sin, to deadly results.

Why? Because I needed something I could buy into. I had to believe it could happen, otherwise I'd never be able to convince my readers to suspend disbelief and believe in the story.

After writing two books in my supernatural thriller series, I'm writing two romantic thrillers--no demons in sight (except for the very human evil that my protagonists face.)

Looking at my bookshelves, I realized I have nearly as many paranormal research books as I do forensic and crime research books. But nothing compares to on-hands research: shooting at the gun range with the FBI firearms instructor; "bleeding" during SWAT training that seemed so real my heart raced when the men in black came in with guns; being cuffed during a scenario, down on the ground, and immobile while the tactical team cleared a building.

Real people do this all the time with real bullets, real blood, and real bad guys. I don't. I just write about them. But the research trips have helped me, a boring mom of five who quit her equally boring job in the California State Legislature to write, tell stories with more confidence and truth.

I just hope I don't have to face a real demon--or a real bad guy--to write about them convincingly.

Allison Brennan is a New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of fourteen books and four short stories, including Killing Fear, Sudden Death, Original Sin, and her latest release, the supernatural thriller Carnal Sin. She's also a contributor to "100 Must Read Thrillers" with her essay on Daphne du Maurier's "Rebecca." Married with five children, she lives in northern California and is currently writing--and researching--book two in her Lucy Kincaid romantic thriller series which launches in January of 2011 with "Love Me to Death." Visit her at allisonbrennan.com or check out her Seven Deadly Sins series at sevendeadlysinsbooks.com.


Find out more about great authors at ThrillerFest 2010!

Thrillerfest: Off to a Great Start!

It's been an amazing start to the convention and I have to admit to being a little star-struck. Lisa Scottoline, Steve Berry, Heather Graham, R.L. Stine the list just goes on and on of great authors I've seen so far.

I sent out tweets on Twitter for those who want to follow that. You can find us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/thrillerwriters and if you're on Twitter and want to see what others are tweeting about use #ThrillerFest2010 to find news on Twitter about the convention.

A lot of pictures are going up on the ITW Facebook. You can find the main ITW page at www.facebook.com/thrillerwriters but you can also look up the group site as well and join (aka "like") us there! I hope to have some video tomorrow.

I attended Lisa Scottoline's session where she gave out great advise and the contact information of her agent with instructions to attendees as to how to send their manuscript along with Lisa's referral. What a generous gift! You could actually hear gasps in the audience when she did it! It was a great moment! The offer is only open to those who attended the session as far as I'm aware. This session was amazing and I highly recommend getting the CD for the session when it becomes available. I'll let you know when that happens.

I also attended Buzz Your Book with Douglas Clegg and M.J. Rose. That isn't a session that gets recorded since they do the session as part of their teaching course. But you can find out more about it on Amazon since the book "Buzz Your Book" will be out in a new edition this year. Definately something I recommend picking up.

I got just the end of R.L. Stine's session, but what impressed me was that he stayed after the session and gave his time to every person that wanted it. He gave advice, shared information and just chattd with fans and aspiring authors. He was so gracious with his time and I thought to myself, "Now THAT is why ITW is special." So many people here are willing to share their ideas, knowledge, experince and time.

I can't wait for tomorrows session!

- Sheila

Thrillerfest Schedule, Friday July 9th!

THRILLERFEST FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2010 Registration 7:30 am - 11 am, 3 pm - 4:30 pm
Barnes & Noble Bookstore, open 9 am- 6 pm, Booth-Plymouth Room



ROOM : URISI/JULLIARD

8:30 am - 11:00 am MORNING COFFEE Hosted by HARPERCOLLINS (BALLROOM I FOYER)


9:00 am-9:50 am HOW TO MAKE YOUR PULSE RACE? Cliche's and How to Avoid Them - Raffi Yessayan, Panel Master, John Altman, Ted Dekker, Karen Harper, David Liss, Leslie Silbert

10:00 am-10:50 am Spotlight Guest Gayle Lynds interviewed by Lisa Gardner (BALLROOM I)

11:00 am- 11:50 am HOW TO BE NOVEL WITH YOUR NOVEL?: E-books, audio books, Vooks, etc. - And Industry Panel - Douglas Clegg, Panel Master, Richard Doetsch, Steve Feldberg, Tammy Nam, Jeremy Robinson, Liz Scheier, Matt Schwartz

11:45 am - 1:00pm SNACK SERVICE - Hosted by THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Ballroom I Foyer)

11:50 pm - 12:20 pm Authors from all morning sessions will be signing in the bookstore.

12:15 pm - 1:00 pm Bonus Session - INTERROGATING THE FBI - FBI Profiler Mark Safarik interviewed by Alan Jacobson (BALLROOM I)

1:00 pm - 1:50 pm ITW General Membership Meeting (BALLROOM I)

1:45 pm - 3:15 pm AFTERNOON SOFT DRINKS Hosted By HARPERCOLLINS (BALLROOM I FOYER)

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm ARE YOU YOUR MAIN CHARACTER? Allen Wyler, Panel Master, Julie Kramer, Deborah LeBlanc, A. Scott Pearson, Rick Reed, Wendy Corsi Staub

3:00 pm - 3:50 pm Spotlight Guest Harlan Coben interviewed by Kathleen Antrim (BALLROOM I)

4:00 pm - 4:50 pm IS SOCIAL NETWORKING A WASTE OF TIME? : An Industry Panel - Allison Brennan, Panel Master, Emi Battaglia, Tess Gerritsen, Meryl Moss, Jason Pinter, Amy D. Shojai CABC, Pam Spengler-Jaffee

5:00 pm - 5:30 pm All authors from afternoon sessions will sign inside the bookstore

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm ITW PUBLICATIONS COCKTAIL PARTY - Featuring the authors of: Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads, Watchlist: The Chopin Manuscript & The Copper Bracelet, First Thrills, and Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror (BALLROOM I)

7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Daktona Banks - SNAP CRITIQUES



ROOM : BROADWAY

8:30 am - 11:00 am MORNING COFFEE Hosted by HARPERCOLLINS (BALLROOM I FOYER)

9:00 am-9:50 am WHICH RULES CAN YOU BREAK? Andrew Gulli, Panel Master, William Bernhardt, Brandilyn Collins, W.G. Griffiths, Katia Lief, Erica Spindler, Mark T. Sullivan

10:00 am-10:50 am Spotlight Guest Gayle Lynds interviewed by Lisa Gardner (BALLROOM I)

11:00 am- 11:50 am WHAT'S THE WORST ADVICE YOU EVER GOT? THE BEST? Matt Richtel, Panel Master, Richard Aaron, Alex Dryden, Lisa Gardner, Alex Kava, Daniel Palmer

11:45 am - 1:00pm SNACK SERVICE - Hosted by THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Ballroom I Foyer)

11:50 pm - 12:20 pm Authors from all morning sessions will be signing in the bookstore.

12:15 pm - 1:00 pm Bonus Session - INTERROGATING THE FBI - FBI Profiler Mark Safarik interviewed by Alan Jacobson (BALLROOM I)

1:00 pm - 1:50 pm ITW General Membership Meeting (BALLROOM I)

1:45 pm - 3:15 pm AFTERNOON SOFT DRINKS Hosted By HARPERCOLLINS (BALLROOM I FOYER)

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm WHY BE NORMAL WHEN YOU CAN BE PARANORMAL? Dakota Banks, Panel Master, Allison Brennan, Heather Graham, Christopher Golden, Jonathan Mabery, Dave Sakmyster

3:00 pm - 3:50 pm Spotlight Guest Harlan Coben interviewed by Kathleen Antrim (BALLROOM I)

4:00 pm - 4:50 pm DO YOU SPY? Anthony Tata, Panel Master, Mike Angly, Andy Hayp, Ward Larsen, Andrew Peterson, David Salkin

5:00 pm - 5:30 pm All authors from afternoon sessions will sign inside the bookstore

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm ITW PUBLICATIONS COCKTAIL PARTY - Featuring the authors of: Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads, Watchlist: The Chopin Manuscript & The Copper Bracelet, First Thrills, and Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror (BALLROOM I)

7:30 pm - 9:00 pm SHEILA CLOVER ENGLISH - SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THE THRILLER GENRE



ROOM : CARNEGIE/ALVIN

8:30 am - 11:00 am MORNING COFFEE Hosted by HARPERCOLLINS (BALLROOM I FOYER)

9:00 am-9:50 am ARE FORENSIC TRILLERS DEADLY? D.P. Lyle, M.D., Panel Master, Lisa Black, Robin Burcell, Kathryn Fox, Jonathan Hayes, Cheryl Paradis

10:00 am-10:50 am Spotlight Guest Gayle Lynds interviewed by Lisa Gardner (BALLROOM I)

11:00 am- 11:50 am HOW DO YOU PACK FOR A THRILLER? : Research & Settings - Jess Buick, Panel Master, Hilary Davidson, Maria Hudgins, Katherine Neville, Peter Steiner, Taylor Stevens

11:45 am - 1:00pm SNACK SERVICE - Hosted by THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Ballroom I Foyer)

11:50 pm - 12:20 pm Authors from all morning sessions will be signing in the bookstore.

12:15 pm - 1:00 pm Bonus Session - INTERROGATING THE FBI - FBI Profiler Mark Safarik interviewed by Alan Jacobson (BALLROOM I)

1:00 pm - 1:50 pm ITW General Membership Meeting (BALLROOM I)

1:45 pm - 3:15 pm AFTERNOON SOFT DRINKS Hosted By HARPERCOLLINS (BALLROOM I FOYER)

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm SHOULD YOU LIVE TO WRITE, OR WRITE TO LIVE? Pat Gussin, Panel Master, Sandi Ault, Joshua Corin, CJ Lyons, Carla Neggers, Tom Sawyer

3:00 pm - 3:50 pm Spotlight Guest Harlan Coben interviewed by Kathleen Antrim (BALLROOM I)

4:00 pm - 4:50 pm WHO'S YOUR HERO? In fiction and real life - Julie Compton, Panel Master, Linwood Barclay, Ted Dekker, David Hagberg, James Hayman, Nate Kenyon

5:00 pm - 5:30 pm All authors from afternoon sessions will sign inside the bookstore

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm ITW PUBLICATIONS COCKTAIL PARTY - Featuring the authors of: Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads, Watchlist: The Chopin Manuscript & The Copper Bracelet, First Thrills, and Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror (BALLROOM I)

7:30 pm - 9:00 pm ROBERT DUGONI - GETTING STARTED AND STAYING HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION



ROOM : BALLROOM I

8:30 am - 11:00 am MORNING COFFEE Hosted by HARPERCOLLINS (BALLROOM I FOYER)

9:00 am-9:50 am HOW DO YOU EXCITE YOUR EDITOR AND GET MORE OUT OF YOUR PUBLISHER?: And Industry Panel : John Lescroart, Panel Master, Dan Conaway, Eric Van Lustbader, Steve Martini, Neil Nyren, Eric Raab, Kate White

10:00 am-10:50 am Spotlight Guest Gayle Lynds interviewed by Lisa Gardner (BALLROOM I)

11:00 am- 11:50 am ARE YA NOVELS FOR GROWNUPS TOO? F. Paul Wilson, Panel Master, Jennifer Allison, A.J. Hartley, Andrew Harwell, Robert Liparulo, Ridley Pearson, R.L. Stine

11:45 am - 1:00pm SNACK SERVICE - Hosted by THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Ballroom I Foyer)

11:50 pm - 12:20 pm Authors from all morning sessions will be signing in the bookstore.

12:15 pm - 1:00 pm Bonus Session - INTERROGATING THE FBI - FBI Profiler Mark Safarik interviewed by Alan Jacobson (BALLROOM I)

1:00 pm - 1:50 pm ITW General Membership Meeting (BALLROOM I)

1:45 pm - 3:15 pm AFTERNOON SOFT DRINKS Hosted By HARPERCOLLINS (BALLROOM I FOYER)

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm HOW CAN WE INNOVATE MORE?: An Industry Panel - M.J. Rose, Panel Master, Rom Doherty, Joseph Finder, Libby McGuire, Mark Nichols, Barbara Peters, Daniel Slater

3:00 pm - 3:50 pm Spotlight Guest Harlan Coben interviewed by Kathleen Antrim (BALLROOM I)

4:00 pm - 4:50 pm WHY DO THRILLERS KICK ASS? Wendy Corsi Staub, Panel Master, Steve Berry, Grant Blackwood, Eric Van Lustbader, John Lutz, Carla Neggers, Ridley Pearson

5:00 pm - 5:30 pm All authors from afternoon sessions will sign inside the bookstore

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm ITW PUBLICATIONS COCKTAIL PARTY - Featuring the authors of: Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads, Watchlist: The Chopin Manuscript & The Copper Bracelet, First Thrills, and Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror (BALLROOM I)

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Craftfest Schedule for July 8th!

CRAFTFEST THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2010 Registration - CraftFest only 8 am - 11 am
REGISTRATION FOR THRILLERFEST 3:30 pm - 6:30 pm Barnes & Noble Bookstore, open 9 am- 6 pm, Booth-Plymouth Room



ROOM : URIS/JULLIARD

8:30am - 11:00am MORNING COFFEE Hosted by THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

9:00am - 9:30am Alex Kava, JT Ellison, Erica Spindler - CREATING AUTHENTIC, TOUGH, SMART FEMALE PROTAGONISTS (Lipstick optional)

10:00 am - 10:50 am R.L. Stine - THE WORLD OF YA PUBLISHING : The Top 10 & The Flop 10

11:00 am - 11:50 am Lisa Scottoline - HOW TO WRITE A THRILLER

11:50 am - 1:50pm All authors from CraftFest classes will sign inside bookstore - CRAFTFEST LUNCH An Interactive Q&A with Gina Centrello President and Publisher, The Random House Publishing Group (Ballroom ll)

2:00 pm - 5:30 pm AGENTFEST - Uris/Alvin

5:30 pm - 6:20 pm BUZZ YOUR BOOK: And the New Reality (Open to all attendees) - M.J. ROSE AND DOUG CLEGG (Edison/Winter Garden)

6:30pm - 8:00pm - THRILLERFEST OPENING RECEPTION Co-Hosted by THE RANDOM HOUSE PUBLISHING GROUP and WRITERS HOUSE Featuring Random House and Writers House Authors (Ballroom II)


ROOM : BROADWAY

8:30am - 11:00am MORNING COFFEE Hosted by THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

9:00 am - 9:50 am Douglas Preston - USING NON-FICTION TECHNIQUES TO WRITE THAT BREAK-OUT THRILLER

10:00 am -10:50 am Michael Palmder - FROM SOUP TO NUTS : Crafting a Thriller from First Notion to Completion

11am - 11:50am Donald Maass - WHAT MAKES A HERO?

11:50 am - 1:50pm All authors from CraftFest classes will sign inside bookstore - CRAFTFEST LUNCH An Interactive Q&A with Gina Centrello President and Publisher, The Random House Publishing Group (Ballroom ll)

2:00 pm - 5:30 pm AGENTFEST - Uris/Alvin

5:30 pm - 6:20 pm BUZZ YOUR BOOK: And the New Reality (Open to all attendees) - M.J. ROSE AND DOUG CLEGG (Edison/Winter Garden)

6:30pm - 8:00pm - THRILLERFEST OPENING RECEPTION Co-Hosted by THE RANDOM HOUSE PUBLISHING GROUP and WRITERS HOUSE Featuring Random House and Writers House Authors (Ballroom II)


ROOM : CARNEGIE/ALVIN

8:30am - 11:00am MORNING COFFEE Hosted by THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

9:00 am - 9:50 am David Hagberg - LOVE THINE ENEMY

10:00 am -10:50 am John Gilstrap - BROKEN BONES, BALLISTICS AND BACKDRAFTS : Technical Stuff That Writers Should Get Right

11am - 11:50am Robert Dugoni - POWER EDITING

11:50 am - 1:50pm All authors from CraftFest classes will sign inside bookstore - CRAFTFEST LUNCH An Interactive Q&A with Gina Centrello President and Publisher, The Random House Publishing Group (Ballroom ll)

2:00 pm - 5:30 pm AGENTFEST - Uris/Alvin

5:30 pm - 6:20 pm BUZZ YOUR BOOK: And the New Reality (Open to all attendees) - M.J. ROSE AND DOUG CLEGG (Edison/Winter Garden)

6:30pm - 8:00pm - THRILLERFEST OPENING RECEPTION Co-Hosted by THE RANDOM HOUSE PUBLISHING GROUP and WRITERS HOUSE Featuring Random House and Writers House Authors (Ballroom II)

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Craftfest Schedule for Wednesday, July 7th!

CRAFTFEST WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 2010 CraftFest Registration,
8:30 am -1 pm, 3 pm - 4:30 pm Barnes & Noble Bookstore, open Noon - 6 pm : Booth-Plymouth Room


CRAFTFEST BONUS POWER SESSIONS Presented by WRITER'S DIGEST

ROOM : URIS/JULLIARD

10:00 am - 10:50 am Kathleen Antrim and Jon Land WHAT IF? SO WHAT? Learn To Pitch To An Agent or Editor

11:00 am - 11:50 am William Bernhardt - EIGHT STEPS TO WRITING - AND FINISHING - YOUR NOVEL

CRAFTFEST CLASSES

12:30 pm - 1:50 pm Steve Berry - WHO'S TELLING THE STORY AND WHAT ARE THEY SAYING. Point-of-view and Dialogue

2:00 pm - 2:50 pm David Morrell - THE PROS AND CONS OF THE FIRST PERSON VIEWPOINT

3:00 pm - 3:50 pm Gayle Lynds - NINE SECRETS TO WRITING BESTSELLING THRILLERS

4:00 pm - 4:50 pm Al Zuckerman - CRAFTING BIG SCENES FOR THE BLOCKBUSTER NOVEL

5pm - 5:30 pm Authors from all CraftFest classes will sign inside Bookstore

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm CRAFTFEST COCKTAIL PARTY Hosted by GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING Manhattan Ballroom



ROOM : BROADWAY

9:00 am - 9:50 am Lorenzo Carcaterra - FOR THE THRILL OF IT : From Book to Screen

10:00 am -10:50 am Sophie Littlefield, Carla Buckley & Barbara Poelle - SETTING WORKSHOP - Creating a Sense of Place

CRAFTFEST CLASSES

11:00am- 11:50am Eric Van Lustbader - THE RED ZONE

11:50 am - 12:20 pm Andrew Gross - AND THE WINNER FOR THE BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IS...

12:30 pm - 1:50p am David Hewson - KEEPING A BOOK DIARY - Simple Secrets That Can Keep Your Book On Track

2:00 pm - 5:30 pm Lisa Gardner - SUCCESSFUL REWRITING : Pairing Down and Fleshing Out

5:30 pm - 6:20 pm Authors from all Craftfest classes will sign inside Bookstore

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm CRAFTFEST COCKTAIL PARTY Hosted by GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING Manhattan Ballroom




ROOM : CARNEGIE/ALVIN

9:00 am - 9:50 am Allison Brennan - NO PLOTTERS ALLOWED

10:00 am -10:50 am D.P. Lyle, MD - VOICE. WHOSE STORY IS IT?

CRAFTFEST CLASSES

11:00am- 11:50am D.P. Lyle, MD - THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CHARACTER MOTIVATION

11:50 am - 12:20 pm Grant Blackwood - THE ELEMENTS OF BIG THRILLERS

12:30 pm - 1:50p am William Bernhardt - THE CHARACTER-DRIVEN THRILLER: Giving Readers a Reason to Care

2:00 pm - 5:30 pm Steven James - SIX SECRETS TO NOVEL WRITING THAT NO ONE EVER TOLD YOU ABOUT

5:30 pm - 6:20 pm Authors from all Craftfest classes will sign inside Bookstore

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm CRAFTFEST COCKTAIL PARTY Hosted by GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING Manhattan Ballroom

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Steve Berry and Jon Land talk about Thrillerfest

ThrillerFest is days away! 


I caught up with Steve Berry and Jon Land at BEA and asked them what they're looking forward to most.
Steve gets to interview Ken Follett and Jon gives us some humor and insight!



Steve Berry






Jon Land







You can find out more about Steve Berry at www.steveberry.org and you can find Jon Land at http://www.jonland.net.

Celebrate Craft : Validate My Parking

Celebrate the Craft! - from the Newbie's Guide to Publishing blog

Writers crave validation.

It's built into our psyches. We believe our words are good enough to put down on paper, and then we have the narcissism to think that others will not only enjoy our words, but pay for the privilege to read them.

Because of that, we tend to get attached to what we write. These words are our babies, and criticism is hard to bear. We take it personally.

This is silly. Everyone has an opinion, and all opinions are valid. Yes, if your writing failed a reader, it's your fault. But your job isn't to enthrall every reader. Your job is simply to enthrall more than you fail.

The fact is, you'll fail some readers. Lots of them.

You'll get bad reviews. You'll get angry emails. You'll get snotty comments. Some will be aimed at your writing. Some will be aimed at you personally.

This is a good thing.

Not because these comments are correct---though if enough people say the same thing, you should really start to listen. But because getting feedback, good or bad, means you're reaching people.

The bigger you get, the more negative feedback you can expect.

So how do you deal with people who don't like you?

If you want to be a grown-up, you should ignore them. I've never seen anything good come out of engaging a critic. Once you begin to defend yourself--or even worse, attack--you've pretty much lost some face.

What Peter says about Paul shows more about Peter than about Paul.

As for how you should feel, well, you should act like a grown up there as well. Sticks and stones. Unless someone is burning a cross outside on your front lawn, you really can't take negative people seriously.

You shouldn't take positive people seriously, either. But you can say "thanks" to those who offer kind words. If you're really grounded, you can thank the naysayers too.

But JA, isn't validation the reason we become writers in the first place? Didn't you read your opening sentence?

Yes. But get your ego boost from your royalty check, not from reviewers, critics, fans, blogs, awards, peers, and message boards.

Then who are the people you should listen to?

That's easy. Turn on your cell phone. Look at your contact list. Those are the important people in your life. Take praise and criticism from them. Everyone else is window dressing.

Some people won't like you. Get used to it. If you can't, don't be a writer.

You're a pompous, egotistical, self-important know-it-all.

Thanks for your comment, and thanks for reading. :)

Find out more about great authors at ThrillerFest 2010!