May 2008 Archives

On his way to San Diego, Jack Reacher finds himself in Colorado between the towns of Hope and Despair.  When he is arrested for being a vagrant, Reacher decides to fight the law and investigate bizarre circumstances in Nothing to Lose.  Bestselling author Lee Child answered some questions about his latest thriller for The Big Thrill.

What sparked the idea for Nothing to Lose?

This book is more externally driven than most of mine.  The ideas came from observations and conversations as I travel America, and from five years of correspondence with service personnel currently on active duty.

Did you pattern the towns Hope and Despair on real towns?

They're fictional, but they stand in for the kind of lonely, forgotten places that fascinate me.

Poke Rafferty is back. If you already met Tim Hallinan's travel writer in last year's A Nail Through The Heart, you know the treat you're in for. If you haven't, the new Poke Rafferty thriller, The Fourth Watcher, may turn out to be your most delightful and exciting discovery this year.

After a successful run as the author of the Looking For Trouble rough travel guides, Poke is ready to settle into a more tranquil and less perilous family life in Bangkok with the lovely Rose and his adopted daughter Miaow. But trouble sinks its teeth into Poke once again in the form of a man from Poke's past carrying forged IDs and rubies and being chased by the Chinese mob. Add in troubles with North Korean counterfeiters and an American Secret Service agent with a hard-on for Poke and things couldn't get much worse. Described by Publishers Weekly in a starred review as, "Stellar," with "smooth prose, appealing characters and a twisting, action-filled plot make this thriller a stand-out," The Fourth Watcher is sure to please.

Brett Battles' debut novel, The Cleaner, introduced Jonathan Quinn to legions of readers hungry for international intrigue, perfectly paced action and expertly drawn characters. Quinn's sophomore outing, The Deceived, is even better than his spectacular first, and is sure to establish the series as a must read for thriller lovers.

Battles, who's been reading the genre since he was a kid, started off with Alistair MacLean(Ice Station Zebra, Guns of Navarone, The Satan Bug), and Jack Higgins (TheEagle Has Landed) before moving on to Thomas Harris (Black Sunday), Robert Ludlum (too many to name), Stephen King (The Stand, The Dark Tower Series). Loving these books made it natural that he would want to write them, a goal he set at a young age.

"The first time I told anyone I was going to be an author was in fifth or sixth grade. It was always my plan, though at various points I did get sidetracked. When I moved into the 'working' world, I purposely found jobs that would not entail a lot of writing so that I wouldn't burnout when I sat down in the evenings to write."

Yes, summer is officially sneaking up on us in the UK... so Russel is here to guide you through the latest online trailers for the best thrillers, point you in the direction of some thrilling award nominees and all the latest releases...

 

Another month in the crime world, and how time flies. As I type this, we're gearing up for Bond, James Bond, but at least we won't be at the centre of the madness in Piccadilly where it looks like Waterstone's HO are preparing for Bond Mania.

 

No, this month we had a visit from the ever charming John Connolly who was traveling the country to promote the chilling and wonderful new novel, The Reapers. Also, we fought off thehordes that bought tickets for Quintin Jardine who was on the road to promote his latest Bob Skinner mystery, Aftershock. And we started to prepare ourselves for an upcoming visit from American Thriller Royalty in the form of Jeffery Deaver,whose latest novel, The Broken Window deals with a rather chilling and psychotic identity thief who's not just content with skimming cash out of your account but may just get his kicks setting you up for murder.

 

But in between all that, I've been keeping an eye on all the best in thriller writing from the UK... so without further ado let's have some cheap jokes, a few videos and some news from this here island...

"The line of reality gets danced across from time to time...."

Screenwriter turned novelist Anthony Flacco not only takes us back to 1915 San Francisco in his latest historical thriller The Hidden Man, but he takes us into the mind of a man with Alzheimer's. "The line of reality gets danced across from time to time particularly in the early stages (of the disease) when the ability to reflect upon one's situation is still strong and an afflicted person still mounts a mighty struggle to remember and to make sense of things."  It's a brilliant obstacle to put before a character, especially one that uses his mind for a living.

James Duncan, a famed mesmerist that is the darling of the city's elite, finds that his past is catching up with him - but that his brain is failing him just when he needs it most.  As Flacco describes it, "Duncan is a character pushed to his limits, whose prodigious abilities are failing him.... Duncan's plight represents (his) absolute pit of despair. Confidence goes, memory falters, mood plummets, suspicions buzz through his brain like mosquitoes." 

Fearless Fourteen, Janet Evanovich's latest installment in the life of bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, is all about old friendships that are turned on their ear. Joe Morelli, the former bad guy turned vice cop and on-again/off-again love interest, has his past life thrown in his face when cousin Dom Rizzi, a convicted bank robber, is paroled. Nobody has ever found the nine million that went missing, and everybody wants it. What does that have to do with Stephanie? Unfortunately, she has the task of picking up her latest "skip," Loretta, Dom's sister. After Dom goes missing, the partners-in-crime who are searching for the money kidnap Loretta. To get her back so the woman can show up in court on time, Stephanie and Joe realize they're going to have to find the bank money. Add to that a country music star she has to help babysit with Ranger, a video-game-addicted teenager named Zook--who may or may not be a very close relative of Joe, a stalker, the upcoming marriage of best friend Lula to Ranger's co-worker Tank, and a monkey named Carl, and Stephanie's life is once again a mess!

Fans of Evanovich's bestselling series won't walk away disappointed. ITW contributing editor Cathy Clamp sat down with the author to get the scoop about this future bestseller.

Kathy Reichs works full time for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in North Carolina and for the Laboratoire de Sciences Judiciaires et de Medecine Legale for the province of Quebec.  She is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, teaches FBI agents at Quantico how to detect and recover human remains, and is one of only fifty forensic anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology and is on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Oh yes, and she also writes bestselling thrillers featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance "Bones" Brennan.

The popularity of "Bones" is well established, evidenced by the Fox TV series of the same name (it debuted in 2005). So I asked Kathy how much backstory she gave Temperance when she wrote your first novel.

Novelists Deborah and Joel Shlian's latest novel, Rabbit In The Moon, builds on several of their long-term interests: medicine and Chinese culture. The title, Deborah says, "Comes from Chinese folklore. From ancient Chinese folklore there is supposed to be a rabbit in the moon pounding on the elixir of life. One of the themes in the story has to do with finding the secret of longevity."

This was partly sparked by a visit the Shlian's-both physicians-made to China years ago. Deborah says, "We knew the physicians there were very interested in immortality. We visited a hospital and they had this little locked area..."

Joel goes on to say, "They called it The Longevity Institute and were very suspicious about having us tour it. So we sort of put things together."

Rabbit In The Moon takes place in 1989 in the weeks leading up to the Tiananmen Square massacre and follows three characters. Deborah says, "First, it's the story of Ni-Fu Cheng, who's a Chinese physician who's spent his entire career looking for the secret of longevity and finally having to face the fact that not only might his discovery not save the world, but might also destroy it. It's a thriller and it's a love story."

Terri Mitchell dedicated her life to justice after losing her mother to a vigilante killer, but she left the DEA under a cloud of suspicion that won't clear without finding who set her up. While working covertly for the Bureau of American Defense (BAD) agency, she's consulting with the New Orleans Police Department to bust an organized crime ring suspected of funding terrorism when rumors surface of a phantom ghost terrorizing the very felons she's investigating and jeopardizing BAD's mission so Terri goes on the hunt for this unknown player. Nathan Drake has spent his life protecting his family, the only thing that mattered to him before the most feared drug lord in the southeast took all he held dear. Now, he's a man on a mission with nothing to lose...until meeting Terri Mitchell. Seeing a similar goal by different means, Terri and Nathan are drawn deep into an evil underbelly the cuts through all levels of society and rivals terrorism as a new threat to the world. Two people on opposite sides of the law must risk trusting in each other or die...and if they die, a deadly attack will be unleashed on a city of innocent people.

All hell breaks loose in this over-the-top romantic thriller from bestseller Kenyon (BAD Attitude) and Love (aka Dianna Love Snell, Worth Every Risk). Da Vinci Code-derivative components tweaked with a bioterrorism twist add extra punch. (June) Publisher Weekly, April 28, 2008

"Sacrifice and vengeance are key themes in this frightening, fast-paced thriller." Jill M. Smith, Romantic Times

Dianna Love started writing suspense while working over a hundred feet in the air creating spectacular marketing projects for Fortune 500 companies and sold the first book she wrote. That book won the prestigious RITA award (as Dianna Love Snell). Dianna's next release will be PHANTOM IN THE NIGHT (Pocket/June 2008), a romantic-thriller she co-wrote with #1 NYT Best Seller Sherrilyn Kenyon. When not plotting her latest edgy suspense, she travels the back roads on a motorcycle to research new locations and teaches Power Plotting workshops (www.BreakIntoFiction.com - coming out in a 2009 book) across the country.

Susan, why don't we start at the beginning?  Can you give us a sneak preview of your new book, Pitch Black?

Pitch Black is the story of a single Philadelphia journalist, Madison Wade, who adopts a teenage boy she'd met while doing a story about children living on the streets.  In an effort to give her son, Ethan, a better opportunity to start a new life, she accepts a job as editor of the local daily newspaper in a small Tennessee town.  Ethan and three other teenagers go on a wilderness camping trip, but return without their chaperone.  When all evidence points to murder, Ethan is the prime suspect.  Then another of the boys from the camping trip goes missing.  Again, all eyes turn to Ethan.  Madison uses her expertise as in investigative journalist in pursuit of the truth.  Ethan is clearly hiding something, but she knows it can't be murder.  It's a race for her figure out who the killer is before another of the boys falls victim.  But before justice can be delivered, she has to face her own personal nightmare.

Pitch Black is your seventh published novel What was it like traveling down the road from book one?  What did you learn along the way?
 
It's been a thrill.  I've learned something new with each one - not only from the research and about the craft, but about myself as a writer.  My first novel, Back Roads, was published in 2003 and met with wonderful reception, winning several awards.  Which is absolutely fantastic, don't get me wrong.  But it also sets icy fear in a writer's heart that she may not ever deliver a book that's as well received again.  Silly, but true.  I've written enough novels now to understand and accept they all must go their own course.  One of my personal favorites disappeared off the shelves quickly.  Another that I had very little confidence in hung around for a very long time.  My journey to thrillers has come by baby steps.  My novels have always had mystery and some degree of suspense, but in each successive book that degree has increased.  I was thrilled when my publisher suggested I really let go and do a book to be marketed as suspense.  I love this cover.  I love this book!

With over 7 million books in print in multiple languages, Jon Land is at the top of the thriller game. Yet this risk-taking author has accepted a new challenge--a partnership with a real life real estate mogul, who is the prototype for his new series of books featuring character Michael "the Tyrant" Tiranno (based on Fabrizio Boccardi).

In the books, the line between fact and fiction is deliberately blurred. Boccardi, like the fictional character Tiranno, is building a casino in Las Vegas named The Seven Sins, which is the title of the first book in Land's new series (The Seven Sins: The Tyrant Ascending) set to debut in June.

Land and Boccardi are also exploring film and video game opportunities through King Midas World Entertainment, Boccardi's media company, as well as other merchandising deals.

Land, whose success as a novelist includes Blood Diamonds, The Last Prophecy, and The Blue Widows, among others, has also had success as a screenwriter with Dirty Deeds and Paranoia. While Land is pursuing screenwriting interests, he said he would not write the adaptation for The Seven Sins. His focus right now is fully on writing the thrillers.

This new venture into "reality based" fiction worked some interesting hardships on Land as a novelist, but the end result is a character far more complex and rich than even he envisioned.

"At times I felt constricted creatively by reality. But in the end, Michael is much more complex and, I think, interesting," Land said.

In the grip of a blistering Melbourne heat wave, a teenager is found dead in a St Kilda loading bay with a syringe hanging from his arm - is it an overdose or something more sinister? Assigned to the case, Detective Rubens McCauley soon he finds himself up against a secret network of paedophiles, child abusers and underage prostitutes. . .

"Jarad Henry has redefined "dangerous" and it lurks on the brooding Melbourne streets - full of gangsters, drug dealers and alley crawlers ..." -- Crime Down Under

"Jarad Henry knows the genre and he knows how to write ..." -- Australian Book Review

Jarad Henry has worked in the criminal justice system for more than ten years, and is currently a strategic advisor for Victoria Police. He has a degree in criminology and regularly speaks about crime trends at conferences and seminars. Jarad's debut crime novel, Head Shot, was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, and for the Ned Kelly Awards Best First Crime Novel. Blood Sunset won the Fellowship of Australian Writers' Jim Hamilton Award, and was shortlisted for The Australian/Vogel Literary Award.

San Francisco criminal defense attorneys Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez face their most compelling case yet when they're called in at the last minute to try to stop the execution of Nathan Fineman, a former mob lawyer convicted of murdering three people in the back room of Chinatown's notorious Golden Dragon Restaurant. With only ten days to go and a wealth of evidence pointing toward Fineman's guilt, their task seems impossible. Complicating matters, Mike must battle his own personal demons when the reputation of his deceased father--a San Francisco cop who was at the scene on the night of the murders--is called into question. As the plot hurtles toward its stunning denouement, Judgment Day is approaching not only for Nate Fineman, but for Mike's father and for the the law firm of Daley and Fernandez as well.

"A compelling cast and plenty of suspense put this one right up there with the best of Lescroart and Turow." -- Booklist (Starred Review)

Sheldon Siegel has been a practicing attorney in San Francisco for more than twenty-five years. Judgment Day is the sixth novel in his series of critically-acclaimed, best-selling courtroom dramas featuring Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez. He lives in Marin County with his wife and twin sons. He is working on his seventh novel.

Deadly radiation, a Soviet government on its last legs, and Madmen hungry for power--Chernobyl Murders is an international thriller set in Ukraine during the Chernobyl disaster. In the 60s and 70s, while working for the Atomic Energy Commission, Michael says he worried something like this would happen. In 1986, when Chernobyl exploded in the land of his parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, he began Chernobyl Murders, and dedicated it to Chernobyl survivors. Some material in the book, once classified, has now been declassified.

"Do not be fooled. This is no ordinary murder mystery. Rich with characters, beautifully written, and fascinating with insider details, Chernobyl Murders by Michael Beres is an unforgettable journey into one of the Cold War's most explosive episodes. From Kiev to Chicago, Pripyat to Vienna, you'll feel the pulse-pounding threat of discovery and the white-hot heat of chase in this outstanding thriller. Beres serves up a feast of a story." -- Gayle Lynds, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Spymaster

"In his new mystery thriller, Chernobyl Murders, Michael Beres creates a drama of revenge from the old Soviet order leading us on a chase across Ukraine while passionately capturing the terror, confusion, and anguish of refugees of an environmental disaster we will never forget." -- Mary Mycio, author of Wormwood Forest, a Natural History of Chernobyl

Michael Beres worked for the government, holding a top-secret security clearance, and in the private sector, documenting analytical software. His 2006 release The President's Nemesis, was compared to The Manchurian Candidate by Library Journal. Final Stroke (2007) is about health care scams, a detective with a stroke, and a plot to steal a Presidential election. Chernobyl Murders, 2008, is an international Cold War thriller.

A Chicago native now living in West Michigan, Michael is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications.

New York Times bestselling author Phillip Margolin is back, this time with a powerful tale of murder that snakes its way through Washington, D.C.'s halls of power, leading straight to the White House and the most powerful office on earth.

When private detective Dana Cutler is hired by an attorney with powerful political connections, the assignment seems simple enough: follow a pretty college student named Charlotte Walsh and report on where she goes and whom she sees. But then the unexpected happens. One night, Cutler follows Walsh to a secret meeting with Christopher Farrington, the president of the United States. The following morning, Walsh's dead body shows up and Cutler has to run for her life.

In Oregon, Brad Miller, a junior associate in a huge law firm is working on the appeal of a convicted serial killer. Clarence Little, now on death row, claims he was framed for the murder of a teenager who, at the time of her death, worked for the then governor, Christopher Farrington. Suddenly, a small-time private eye and a fledgling lawyer find themselves in possession of evidence that suggests that someone in the White House is a murderer. Their only problem? Staying alive long enough to prove it.

"Margolin uses his background as a criminal defense attorney to create a thought-provoking insider's view of a criminal justice system that is as corruptible as the attorneys, judges, police officers, and criminalists who make it work." -- Boston Globe

"It takes a really crafty storyteller to put people on the edge of their seats and keep them there. But Phillip Margolin does just that." -- Chicago Tribune

Phillip Margolin's compelling insider's view of criminal behavior comes from his unique background as a longtime criminal defense attorney who has handled thirty murder cases, including twelve death penalty cases; he was the first lawyer to use the Battered Women's Syndrome to defend a client in a murder case. He's written twelve New York Times bestsellers and has been nominated for an Edgar Award. A long-time resident of Portland, Oregon, Margolin is president of Chess for Success (www.chessforsuccess.org), a non-profit program that uses chess to teach children educational skills.

Genevieve O'Brien knows all about nightmares. She survived for two months as a prisoner of a deranged killer. Now the media isbuzzing bout the Poe Killings, a string of homicides mirroring the author's macabre stories.

Genevieve turns to P.I. Joe Connolly for help. As their investigation leads them miles from Manhattan, he has to admit there's a twisted new serial killer at work.

"There are good reasons for Graham's steady standing as a best-selling author." - Booklist for Ghost Walk

"The intense, unexpected conclusion will leave readers well satisfied." - Publishers Weekly on The Dead Room

"Another top-notch thriller from romance icon Graham." - Publishers Weekly on The Island

New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham has written more than a hundred novels, many of which have been featured by the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and translated into more than twenty languages. Heather enjoys her south Florida home, but loves to travel as well, to locations such as Cairo, Egypt, and even to her own backyard, the Florida Keys. Heather is a member of many writing groups, including RWA, HWA, Ninc, MWA, and International Thriller Writers. Originally a theater person/back-up singer/bartender, she is very proud to be a Killerette in the Killer Thriller Band, along with many fellow novelists she greatly admires. She is also the founder of the Slush Pile Players who do a facsimile of entertainment for many venues. Heather hosts Writers for New Orleans each Labor Day, and is happy to hear from readers. Visit her at theoriginalheathergraham.com, heathergraham.tveheathergraham.com, or her myspace page. 

A string of high-profile and very public murder-suicides has San Francisco even more rattled than a string of recent earthquakes. Enter forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett, hired by the SFPD to cut open not the victim's body but the victim's life. Jo's job is to complete the psychological autopsy, shedding light on the circumstances of any equivocal death. Soon she makes a shocking discovery: All the suicides belonged to something called the Dirty Secrets Club, a group of A-listers with nothing but money and plenty to hide. As the deaths continue, Jo delves into the disturbing motives behind this shadowy group - until she receives a chilling message that dredges up dark secrets Jo thought she'd left deep in her past.

"A winner in every way. The Dirty Secrets Club is nuanced and layered -- and a harrowing thriller... Meg Gardiner makes every one of her characters leap alive off the page." -- Jeffery Deaver

"Meg Gardiner is an astonishing writer, and The Dirty Secrets Club is a humdinger of a thriller, with shocks and twists galore. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough." -- Tess Gerritsen

Meg Gardiner is originally from Southern California, where she practiced law in Los Angeles and taught at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is the author of the Evan Delaney novels, including CHINA LAKE, MISSION CANYON, JERICHO POINT, CROSSCUT, and KILL CHAIN. She lives with her family near London. 

House Rules begins with an narrowly-aborted terrorist attack on the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. The first attack is quickly followed by three more: an attempt to fly a plane into the White House and two attempts to destroy the U.S. Capitol. All the attacks involve Muslim Americans. An atmosphere of fear and xenophobia quickly permeates the country, resulting in an ambitious senator introducing a bill to do background checks on all Muslim Americans. John Mahoney, Speaker of the House, and has doubts about the FBI's investigation into the attacks, and sends his man, DeMarco, down the rabbit hole to find the truth. House Rules involves mobsters, terrorists, meth dealers, and corrupt politicians. It's a story of assassination, political intrigue, and greed - a story where nothing is as it seems to be.

"House Rules has it all: a lightning-paced plot, a quirky cast of players, and best of all, one of the most engaging heroes I've ever encountered. In Joe DeMarco, Lawson has created a charmingly likeable character whom I'll happily follow for many books to come." -- Tess Gerritsen

"Full of insider information, (House Rules) reinforces Lawson's place in the upper rank of Washington thriller specialists." -- Publisher's Weekly

House Rules is Mike Lawson's third novel. His first book, The Inside Ring, was rated by the Seattle Times as one of the top ten thrillers of 2005 and nominated for a Barry Award. His second novel, The Second Perimeter, was equally well-received and Mike has been published in twelve languages to date. He's a former senior civilian executive for the United States navy and makes his home in the Pacific Northwest.

Based on the internationally popular Konami videogame! Highly skilled former FOXHOUND agent Solid Snake is called out of retirement to do what he does best--neutralize a crisis of epic proportions. A deadly team of renegade FOXHOUND operatives has taken over the nuclear disposal facility on Shadow Moses Island in the icy Aleutians. If their demands aren't met, a powerful, top-secret weapon will be unleashed upon the world. But somebody is hiding something. Somebody has a hidden agenda. And somebody wants Snake to learn secrets about his dark past--secrets that would shake any man to his core.

RAYMOND BENSON wrote six original James Bond novels, three film novelizations, and three short stories--all published worldwide. His most recently published thrillers are A HARD DAY's DEATH (the first in a series of "rock 'n' roll thrillers") and the novelization of the popular videogame METAL GEAR SOLID. As "David Michaels" Raymond was the author of the NY Times best-sellers TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL and TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL--OPERATION BARRACUDA. Raymond's other recent original thrillers are FACE BLIND, EVIL HOURS, and SWEETIE'S DIAMONDS. An anthology of some of his 007 work will be published in October 2008.

DANIEL RAYNE KNOWS WHO HE IS.
IT MEANS NOTHING
IF THE REST OF THE WORLD DOES NOT.

His memory is clear. His suddenly severed identity, a mystery. With seemingly no means of proving who he is, he fights through the maze of societal convention, struggling to resurrect his existence, hoping against all hope to get his life back. It proves a daunting task until several clues surface, leading him down a completely unsuspected road.

Is Daniel Rayne insane? Unless he can find another answer, it would appear to be the only conclusion left.

"I pretty much held my breath through the last fifty or sixty pages, as the suspense came to its climatic ending...this book is crazy. It's wholly original, and entertaining. If you like suspense, murder, who done it sort of books, you won't be disappointed by this one." MySpace reviewer "Book of the Moment"

Matthew Dunn spent eight years as a fraud investigator before starting a successful business and computer consulting business.

A town's deadly secret will drive one man to the edge of his faith...

After learning of the disappearance of his nephew, Joe Saunders returns to his childhood home of Dark Hills to aid in the search effort. When Caleb is found, badly mauled and clinging to life, Joe embarks on a mission to find the beast responsible. But the more Joe delves into the fabric of his old hometown, the more he realizes Dark Hills has a dark secret, shrouded for three generations in a deadly code of silence. As Joe unravels the truth behind a series of unexplained animal attacks, murder, and corruption at the highest level of law enforcement, he is led to a final showdown where he must entrust his very life into God's hands.

A great first book from an exciting new author! A vicious enemy, a family secret, a thirst for revenge, and a need for reconciliation all drive The Hunted from intriguing beginning to thrilling conclusion. Skillful prose and great storytelling make Mike Dellosso a writer to watch. I can't wait for his next book! -- Kathryn Mackel, author of Vanished

Something's coming for you... and you might not be able to stop it. Read this someplace safe as you experience the incredibly descriptive world of The Hunted through the vivid writing and spine-tingling imagination of Mike Dellosso. And sleep with the lights on. -- Austin Boyd, author of the Mars Hill Classified trilogy

From page one The Hunted grabbed me by the collar and wouldn't let go. Full of intrigue, supernatural undertones, and true to life characters, I highly recommend this superb debut novel. -- C.J. Darlington, Co-founder & Book Editor, TitleTrakk.com

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Mike Dellosso now lives in Hanover, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Jen, and their three daughters. He writes a monthly column for Writer . . .Interrupted, was a newspaper correspondent/columnist for over three years, has published several articles for The Candle of Prayer inspirational booklets, and has edited and contributed to numerous Christian-themed Web sites and e-newsletters. Mike is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, the Relief Writer's Network, and International Thriller Writers. He received his BA degree in sports exercise and medicine from Messiah College and his MBS degree in theology from Master's Graduate School of Divinity.

You take some "surf's up" magic realism, a dead body, a little Buddhist philosophy, a Barry Manilow impersonator with a dog named Mandy, and Danni "Queen of Scream" Keene (the unflappable goddess of horror films), along with the last living relative of the real Macbeth, who happens to be a circus clown, and put them all in the sleepy retirement community of Laguna Key. The result? A mystery that no one is interested in solving except a security guard named Brian Wilson, who can't stop thinking that "East Coast girls are hip."

Good grief! N.M. Kelby is another hilarious Florida writer. Vultures, matching wines with fried candy bars, a Barry Manilow impersonator, and lots of bodies in a gated community. You can't make this stuff up. Oh, wait, Ms. Kelby did. Funny is good, and there is enough poignancy to prevent it from being a comic strip. Get the book and have a swell time. -- Otto Penzler, The Mysterious Bookshop, NYC

"Witty, evocative, and literate...M@BGB&G manages to be all three and a mystery, to boot. I was hooked from the first paragraph on. N. M. Kelby must be a fascinating woman 'cause she sure is a fascinating writer." -- Adrienne Barbeau, actress (The Fog, Swamp Thing, and Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death) & author (There Are Worse Things I Could Do)

N.M.Kelby is the author of Murder at the Bad Girl's Bar and Grill (Shaye Areheart/ Random House), Whale Season (Shaye Areheart/ Random House), In the Company of Angels (Theia/Hyperion), and Theater of the Stars (Theia/Hyperion). Her work has been translated into several languages and offered by The Literary Guild, Doubleday Book Club, and Quality Paperback Book Club.

Her story "Jubilation, Florida" was selected for NPR'S "Selected Shorts," and recorded by Joanne Woodward for the CD Travel Tales, and reprinted in New Stories from the South: Best of 2006 (Algonquin Books). Kelby is working on the film version of Whale Season along with Actor/Singer Dwight Yoakam.

Is she losing her heart ... or her mind?

Dedicated, driven real estate agent Julie Ferris is enjoying a day at the beach with her sister Laura when a strange, almost undetectable charge fills the air. Then, under the hot Malibu sun, time stops altogether. Neither sister can explain their "lost day" - nor the blinding headaches and horrific nightmares that follow - but Julie chalks it up to the stress she's been under since her boss's son took over Donovan Real Estate.

Patrick Donovan would a real catch if not for his notorious playboy lifestyle and matching attitude. When a cocaine-fueled heart attack nearly kills him, Patrick makes an astonishingly fast - and peculiar - recovery. Julie barely recognizes the newly sober Patrick as the same man she once struggled to resist. Maybe it's the strange beach experience fueling her paranoia, but she can't help sensing something just isn't ... right.

As Julie's feelings for Patrick intensify, she's about to discover how that day at the beach links her newfound happiness with her wildest suspicions . . .

"An edgy and intense example of romantic suspense with plenty of twists and turns." -- (The Summit) Paranormal Romance Writers

"Genuinely chilling, and probably best read in the daylight hours, this isn't just a ghost story."(Scent of Roses) - Romantic Times Bookreviews

New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in Anthropology and History. Currently residing with her Western-author husband, Larry Jay Martin, in Missoula, Montana, Kat has written over forty bestselling novels, including Historical, Romantic Suspense, and Contemporary. Over eleven million copies of her books are in print and her novels have been published in seventeen foreign countries. Among her many awards, Kat has won the prestigious Romantic Times Magazine Career Achievement Award.

Born to a life pitted by violence, a man desperately seeks peace to move on. He's fallen in love with a Chicago homicide detective, but just when he embarks on a new life, his old one comes calling. A mysterious and beautiful assassin barges into his downtown Chicago flat, attempting to collect on an old marker. She begs his help to free a crime boss kidnapped in Brazil. He's got seven days to attempt an impossible rescue of the father he never knew.

"Strap yourselves in, folks! Mega-talented author Jordan Dane will wring your emotions dry as she takes you on a wild ride of murder, intrigue and redemption." -- Merline Lovelace, USA Today bestselling author

"...Breathtaking action, nail-biting suspense and sizzling tension. Jordan Dane proves she's a talent worth watching." -- Amanda Stevens - award-winning suspense author

After Jordan Dane sold her first 3-books to Avon/HarperCollins in auction, her debut title - No One Heard Her Scream - held more significance. Everyone heard her scream! And that went double for the next 3-book thrillers she sold before having any books released. Prior to selling, Jordan received 33 national writing competition awards. Formerly an energy sales manager, she now is following her passion to write full time. Take a front row seat to suspense with Dane's back to back releases in April through June 2008--No One Heard Her Scream, No One Left to Tell, & No One Lives Forever.

Since the death of her husband, Anne Dunne and her three children have struggled in every way. In a last ditch effort to save the family, Anne plans an elaborate sailing vacation to bring everyone together once again. But only an hour out of port, everything is going wrong. The teenage daughter, Carrie, is planning to drown herself. The teenage son, Mark, is high on drugs and ten-year-old Ernie is nearly catatonic. This is the worst vacation ever.

Anne manages to pull things together bit by bit, but just as they begin feeling like a family again, something catastrophic happens. Survival may be the least of their concerns.

Written with the blistering pace and shocking twists that only James Patterson can master, Sail takes "Lost" and "Survivor" to a new level of terror.

James Patterson is most recent bestseller is Double Cross. He is one of the best known and best selling authors of all time. He lives in Florida.

Roughan is a graduate of Dartmouth College. He rose through the ranks of the advertising industry in New York City before publishing his first novel, The Up and Comer. Roughan credits his keen writing skills to his years of work in advertising. "I wouldn't have been able to write a single chapter, let alone a whole book, without my advertising background."

Howard Roughan lives in Connecticut with his wife and son.

Mark Alpert has an eclectic background that he brings to life in his debut novel, Final Theory.  He majored in astrophysics at Princeton University where he also studied poetry.  He received a MFA from Columbia and then became a reporter for Scientific American.

His new thriller Final Theory delves into the world of Einsteinian physics as a dying man's last words propel a search for a unified theory of the universe.

Explain for us how science and poetry intersect for you--does poetry play a role in Final Theory?

Astrophysics and poetry aren't so different, really. They're all about appreciating the wonders of the universe. There's no poetry per se in Final Theory but a few sentences are kind of poetic. "In the drabness of Jadwin Hall she blazed like a particle shower." That's my favorite sentence in the book.

Final Theory starts with a man's dying words.  As a scientist, do you believe in the supernatural forces beyond our measure/reality?  As a poet?

I don't believe in the supernatural clichés -- ghosts and so on -- but we know for a fact that the universe contains many things beyond our measure.

Quantum mechanics tells us that the universe can't be completely described; at the subatomic level the world is fundamentally uncertain.  The universe is also non-local; an event in one galaxy can instantaneously affect measurements in another galaxy billions of light-years away. Einstein hated this idea -- he called it "spooky action-at-a-distance" -- but it appears to be true.

For four novels, Clive Cussler has charted the exploits of the Oregon, a covert ship completely dilapidated on the outside but, on the inside, packed with sophisticated weaponry and intelligence-gathering equipment. Captained by the rakish, one-legged Juan Cabrillo and manned by a crew of former military and spy personnel, it is a private enterprise, available for any government agency that can afford it--and now Cussler sends the Oregon on its most extraordinary mission yet.

The crew has just completed a top secret mission against Iran in the Persian Gulf, when they come across a cruise ship adrift in the sea. Hundreds of bodies litter its deck, and as Cabrillo tries to determine what happened, explosions rack the length of the ship. Barely able to escape with his own life and that of the liner's sole survivor, Cabrillo finds himself plunged into a mystery as intricate--and as perilous--as any he has ever known, and pitted against a cult with monstrously lethal plans for the human race ... plans he may already be too late to stop.

Plague Ship is a high-stakes, high-seas journey that proves once again that Cussler is "just about the best storyteller in the business" -- New York Post

Here's what was featured in the June edition of the Big Thrill

Hot off the press

• NO ONE LIVES FOREVER by JORDAN DANE
• SEASON OF STRANGERS by KAT MARTIN
• MURDER AT THE BAD GIRL'S BAR by N.M. KELBY
• SAIL by JAMES PATTERSON & HOWARD ROUGHAN
• THE HUNTED by MIKE DELLOSSO
• PLAGUE SHIP by CLIVE CUSSLER
• ERASED by MATTHEW DUNN
• METAL GEAR SOLID by RAYMOND BENSON
• HOUSE RULES by MIKE LAWSON
• THE DIRTY SECRETS CLUB by MEG GARDINER
• THE DEATH DEALER by HEATHER GRAHAM
• EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE by PHILLIP MARGOLIN
• CHERNOBYL MURDERS by MICHAEL BERES
• JUDGMENT DAY by SHELDON SIEGEL
• BLOOD SUNSET by JARAD HENRY
• PHANTOM IN THE NIGHT by DIANNA LOVE & SHERRILYN KENYON

In-depth features

• THE FOURTH WATCHER by TIMOTHY HALLINAN
• FINAL THEORY by MARK ALPERT
• NOTHING TO LOSE by LEE CHILD
• FEARLESS FOURTEEN by JANET EVANOVICH
• PITCH BLACK by SUSAN CRANDALL
• THE HIDDEN MAN by ANTHONY FLACCO
• RABBIT IN THE MOON by DEBORAH & JOEL SHLIAN
• THE SEVEN SINS by JON LAND
• DECEIVED by BRETT BATTLES
• WISHBONES by CAROLYN HAINES
• International News from RUSSEL MCLEAN
• Between The Lines interview with KATHY REICHS
  

Monthly book giveaway

Congratulations to Charlotte Hayes, the winner of this month's BIG THRILL giveaway. Charlotte will receive an assortment of signed thrillers including JUDGMENT DAY by Sheldon Siegel, NO ONE LEFT TO TELL by Jordan Dane, FIDELITY by Thomas Perry, PHANTOM IN THE NIGHT by Sherrilyn Kenyon & Dianna Love, and RABBIT IN THE MOON by Deborah & Joel Shlian.

All subscribers to THE BIG THRILL webzine are automatically eligible for the monthly drawing. Click here to subscribe to the BIG THRILL email.

Part of ITW's mission statement reads: "To promote the thriller genre at an innovative and superior level for and through our Active Members."

Over the last four years I, along with the rest of the board and committee heads, have looked for ways to do that, and one of the most fruitful is our association with Audible.

I'm really proud to announce that our first project together, The Chopin Manuscript, was awarded the 2008 Audio Book of The Year on May 30th at BEA at the Audio Publishers Association's Audie Awards.

The Chopin Manuscript is an original serialized thriller created exclusively for audio by a stellar list of thriller writers and produced by Audible.com. It's a project that Steve Feldber, Director of Content at Audible, and I only imagined would ever happen when we sat down over coffee at BEA 2006 to brainstorm about how ITW and Audible might work together.

Stuff To Die For (Oceanview Publishing) by ITW author Don Bruns was named the winner of the 2008 National Indie Excellence Award for best novel in the Mystery/Suspense/Thriller category. The NIEA is an annual competition for books from independent and small press publishers.

In addition, Bruns' novel captured ForeWord Magazine's Book Of The Year award for best Mystery. The announcement was made at a special ceremony held in Los Angeles during Book Expo America.


Don Bruns is also the author of four mysteries featuring rock and roll journalist Mick Sever -  Jamaica Blue, Barbados Heat, South Beach Shakedown, and St. Barts Breakdown.  South Beach Shakedown  was named best novel in the mystery/suspense thriller category of the "Best Books 2006" awards. Bruns has also authored several short stories and served as editor of the anthology, A Merry Band of Murderers, which reached #5 on the Independent Mystery Bestsellers List in 2006. He is also a frequent contributor to The Little Blog of Murder. A former road musician who traveled and performed throughout the US with major entertainment acts, Don Bruns recently released a CD of original songs called Last Flight Out, and performed two original songs at the 2004 Edgar Awards ceremonies. Don Bruns divides his time between Ohio and South Florida. He regularly travels to the Caribbean.

Bestselling legal thriller novelist and true crime writer R. Barri Flowers is editing the first American Crime Writers League anthology, MURDER PAST, MURDER PRESENT.

The collection, which features twenty-two short stories by bestselling, award-winning mystery writers, was sold to Twilight Times Books, owner of the very popular Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine.

Contributing authors include thriller members Taffy Cannon, Shirley Kennett, and Twist Phelan, with an introduction by Jan Burke.

The anthology will be published in the summer of 2009.

A new recommendation program in association with the International Thriller Writers.

The leading provider of premium digital spoken audio information and entertainment, Audible, Inc., an Amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ:AMZN) announced BREAKOUT THRILLERS, a new monthly co-marketing program with the International Thriller Writers (ITW), the world's leading organization of thriller writers.  BREAKOUT THRILLERS is designed to promote the best thrillers in audio as recommended by a rotating roster of best-selling writers.

"ITW's partnership with Audible is an exciting opportunity to bring new listeners to thriller writing. It's a 'win' for everyone involved," said Carla Neggers, best-selling author and ITW's coordinator for the BREAKOUT THRILLERS program.

"With so many great thrillers out there, how do you choose? Each month, BREAKOUT THRILLERS will bring must-hear titles to the surface. After all, who knows thrillers better than the world's best thriller writers?" added Steve Feldberg, Director of Content at Audible, Inc.

Here's how BREAKOUT THRILLERS works. Audible has invited fifteen of the bestselling thriller writers in audio who are also ITW members to be part of the program.  Audible gave each of them a list of every ITW member who has a book in audio available at Audible and the titles available -- except themselves of course. The bestselling authors can then request any titles they want to listen to or, if they have previously listened to them, they can just make the recommendation.

Are you a debut author with a book out in 2008 or 2009? Would you love to attend ThrillerFest in New York City but haven't quite figured out how to pay for it?

ITW is offering two scholarships for debut authors to attend ThrillerFest 2008 in New York City July 9-12. The scholarship is for the conference registration fee, CraftFest, and any ITW sponsored meals (including the Thriller Awards Dinner.) Lodging and transportation is not offered as part of the scholarship.

Criteria

You must have a debut novel published or scheduled to be published in 2008 or 2009 by an ITW recognized publisher. Individuals previously published by non-ITW recognized publishers or in a short story format (under 40,000 words) are eligible provided that the novel to be published in 2008 or 2009 is their first full-length novel published by an ITW recognized publisher.

Here's what was featured in the May edition of the Big Thrill.

• LINDA FAIRSTEIN "delivers a scorcher" with KILLER HEAT
• BLACK OUT from LISA UNGER is "riveting psychological suspense"
• "Historical fiction meets thriller" in THE ROSETTA KEY by William Dietrich
• TONI MCGEE CAUSEY "grabs you by the heart" in BOBBIE FAYE'S FAMILY JEWELS
  
• SHADOW OF POWER from STEVE MARTINI is an "intelligent and intriguing thriller"
• TOM PICCIRILLI has written a "truly dazzling" thriller with THE COLD SPOT
• ADAM GITTLIN "rips open the underbelly of the real estate business" in THE DEAL
• THOMAS PERRY "intrigues with spare, intelligent prose" in FIDELITY
• TED BELL proves that he's "the master of swashbuckling" with NICK OF TIME
• SCREAM FOR ME by KAREN ROSE is "intense, complex and unforgettable"
• GHOST MOON from REBECCA YORK is filled with "page-turning suspense"
• ROBERT LIPARULO delivers a double punch with WATCHER IN THE WOODS and HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS
• KASEY MICHAELS has "done it again" with DIAL M FOR MISCHIEF
• "Buckle your seatbelts for a roller coaster ride" with SAY GOODBYE by E.J. RAND
• "No one does romantic suspense better" than CARLA NEGGERS in THE ANGEL
• CHRIS GRABENSTEIN writes his first book for younger readers with THE CROSSROADS
• SCORCH by debut author MARC PAOLETTI proves he's "the real deal"
• JORDAN DANE delivers "riveting, gritty suspense" in her second of three back-to-back thrillers with NO ONE LEFT TO TELL
• The latest International thriller news from RUSSEL MCLEAN
  
• Plus our contributing editors deliver in-depth feature interviews with JONATHAN MABERRY, JULIE COMPTON, STEVE WILSON, ROB PALMER, WENDY CORSI STAUB  
• Bonus: a BETWEEN THE LINES interview with ThrillerFest Spotlight Author ERIC VAN LUSTBADER
• Extra Bonus: JAMES ROLLINS takes us BETWEEN THE LINES with his novelization of INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
• And so much more from the best thriller writers on the planet!