The Big Thrilltag:www.thrillerwriters.org,2007-11-17://22008-05-10T10:16:41ZThe home of International Thrillerwriters IncMovable Type 4.1Announcing ThrillerFest 2008tag:www.thrillerwriters.org,2008://2.18402008-05-10T05:20:00Z2008-05-10T10:16:41Z Sneak Peek at Conference ProgrammingAdvance Pricing now available! David Baldacci, Steve Martini, and R.L. Stine join the ThrillerFest lineup! Joseph Finder Interview!See Latest News....Joe Moorehttp://www.cottenstone.com
David Baldacci, Steve Martini, and R.L. Stine join the ThrillerFest lineup! Joseph Finder Interview! See Latest News.
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The May Edition of the Big Thrill is here!tag:www.thrillerwriters.org,2008://2.18532008-05-10T05:15:00Z2008-05-10T10:15:21ZThis month's BIG THRILL is loaded with a record-breaking number of thrillers ranging from exciting debut authors on up to the top names in international bestsellers. And we've included a BETWEEN THE LINES in-depth interview with the first of our...Joe Moorehttp://www.cottenstone.comThis month's BIG THRILL is loaded with a record-breaking number of thrillers ranging from exciting debut authors on up to the top names in international bestsellers. And we've included a BETWEEN THE LINES in-depth interview with the first of our three 2008 ThrillerFest Spotlight Guests, Eric Van Lustbader. So check out this month's amazing selection and then head for your favorite bookstore with your May Big Thrill reading list compiled for you by the best thriller writers on the planet.
There's a thrilling month of reading ahead from your friends at the International Thriller Writers Joe Moore Editor
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
And so much more from the best thriller writers on the planet!
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ITW ThrillerFest Scholarship Programtag:www.thrillerwriters.org,2008://2.18662008-05-07T16:55:00Z2008-05-10T16:25:48ZAre 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...Joe Moorehttp://www.cottenstone.comAre 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. ]]>
You do not need to be an ITW member to apply.
Please send the following information to the Scholarship Committee Chair, Allison Brennan at scholarship@thrillerwriters.org:
Name Contact information (address, phone number and email) Pen Name (if any) Book Title Publisher Editor First Book? (yes or no)
All applications also must include the following:
Release date (tentative is okay) Brief synopsis (one page or less) Essay
telling the committee in 500 words or less why you would like to attend
ThrillerFest and what you hope to gain from the experience.
All
submissions are blind. Only the committee chair will know the identity
of the applicant; the synopsis and essay will be sent "blind" to the
committee for review and discussion. The deadline for applications is
May 27, 2008. Two scholarship winners will be notified by June 3, 2008.
Good Luck!]]>
Two-Books-in-One-Day: Author Launches Cutting Edge Social Networking Sitetag:www.thrillerwriters.org,2008://2.18572008-04-30T22:49:10Z2008-04-30T22:54:55Z NEW YORK CITY - When New York Times bestselling thriller author Wendy Corsi Staub realized she would havetwo major novels published on April 29, the dynamo promoter knew she'd need to work some magic to get readers' attention at...Kelli Stanleyhttp://www.kellistanley.com NEW YORK CITY - When New York Times bestselling thriller author Wendy
Corsi Staub realized she would havetwo major novels published on April
29, the dynamo promoter knew she'd need to work some magic to get
readers' attention at this critical point in her career.
With DYING BREATH (Zebra Books), a mom-in-jeopardy thriller, and LILY DALE: BELIEVING (Walker), a young adult paranormal, Wendy and her
husband, Mark--who met when they were both working for a Manhattan
advertising agency--had a challenge on their hands: two books with two
different reading audiences. How could they simultaneously reach both
without spending Madison Avenue-type promo bucks?
"We knew
social network sites like MySpace and Facebook are the hot ticket these
days," Wendy said. "But we wanted to build an exclusive environment to
engage my readers, where they could express themselves, discuss the
books, and actively participate with me and each other. My husband,
along with former advertising agency colleagues, came up with an
innovative concept in Internet promotions: the first--we think--author
specific social networking site, where readers can see a bit more than
the usual About the Author page. Please check it out," she said
enthusiastically, "on www.WendyCorsiStaubCommunity.com and let us know what you think." ]]>
Wendy's innovative site was created by Ed Dintrone and Peter Meluso, owners of ACQUAINTinteractive.com, which specializes in creating custom social networking sites. Wendy still maintains www.WendyCorsiStaub.com, where information on all her books can be found.
DYING BREATH finds a serial killer on the Jersey shore and a mom who
has terrifying premonitions of the victims--visions that include her own
daughter. Book 2 in Wendy's young adult series, LILY DALE: BELIEVING,
is about a teen girl who lives in Lily Dale, NY, a town populated by
psychics. A spirit has a cryptic message for her, and her life depends
on deciphering it. The Lily Dale series has been optioned for
television.
Wendy's suspenseful thrillers have been
compared--by readers, booksellers, reviewers and authors like mega
bestseller Lisa Jackson--to those of Mary Higgins Clark. This month
Wendy was awarded the 2008 Career Achievement Award in Suspense by RT
BOOKreviews magazine.
A native of Dunkirk, NY, now living in
the New York City area, Wendy will keynote the SUNY Fredonia
Commencement ceremonies May 17. And you can bet Mark will be in the
audience, blogging about his wife's speech. ]]>
Bobbie Faye's (kinda, sorta, not exactly) Family Jewels by Toni McGee Causeytag:www.thrillerwriters.org,2008://2.18552008-04-30T22:00:00Z2008-04-29T18:19:35ZAccused of one man's murder, Bobbie Faye goes on the run, trying to stay ahead of the pack of thieves, murderers, and criminals who are all after missing mysterious diamonds. She has to find the gems and figure out the...Joe Moorehttp://www.cottenstone.comAccused of one man's murder, Bobbie Faye goes on the run, trying to stay ahead of the pack of thieves, murderers, and criminals who are all after missing mysterious diamonds. She has to find the gems and figure out the motives of the dead sexy FBI agent who's pressing her for more than just the jewels, all the while sidestepping her steamy (and steamed) detective ex-boyfriend.
Bobbie Faye Sumrall is back in fighting form in this latest installment of her crazy, wacky adventures through Cajun country.
"Toni McGee Causey doesn't just write. She takes prisoners. She grabs you by the heart and the funny bone and carries you off into a world of captivating characters, that are a whole bunch of crazy and twice as much fun. Don't try to sleep -- you'll be laughing too loud." -- Marshall Karp, author of Bloody Thirsty
"If you're a fan of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, this is a treat for you. Bobbie Faye is another wise-cracking gal with a knack for getting in trouble. The novel is fast paced, while the mystery keeps you guessing. If you're up for a fast-paced book, however, this is one you won't want to miss." -- Romantic Times (4 stars)
Toni McGee Causey lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She and her husband, Carl, are licensed general contractors, and, in order to support her writing addiction, they run their own civil construction company. You can visit Toni and Bobbie Faye at www.bobbiefaye.com. ]]>
The Rosetta Key by William Dietrichtag:www.thrillerwriters.org,2008://2.18542008-04-30T22:00:00Z2008-04-29T12:19:44ZIn The Rosetta Key, American adventurer Ethan Gage and Napoleon Bonaparte continue the harrowing race to recover an Egyptian book of power that could tilt the struggle for mastery of the world. Set during Napoleon's 1799 invasion of the Holy...Joe Moorehttp://www.cottenstone.comIn The Rosetta Key, American adventurer Ethan Gage and Napoleon Bonaparte continue the harrowing race to recover an Egyptian book of power that could tilt the struggle for mastery of the world. Set during Napoleon's 1799 invasion of the Holy Land, this epic tale continues the tale of "Napoleon's Pyramids," which sold into 24 languages. Can the secret stolen from the Great Pyramid be recovered in the tunnels and ruins of Palestine? Can an unlikely alliance and Ethan's fledgling knowledge of electricity thwart the French siege of Acre? And will the hero learn the fate of lost love Astiza? An electrifying combination of battles, exotic landscapes, and colorful characters who really lived.
"Ever the incorrigible gambler and all-around scamp, Gage makes an irresistible antihero. The ending promises more volumes in what one hopes will be a long series." -- Publishers Weekly
"Historical fiction meets thriller here, with plenty to interest fans of both genres. The action is nearly nonstop, the humor is plentiful, and the intrigue is more than enough to keep the pages turning." -- School Library Journal
William Dietrich is the author of 11 books that combined have been translated into 26 languages. He is also a lifelong journalist who shared a Pulitzer for coverage of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and a teacher of writing and the environment at Western Washington University. Dietrich is a Washington state native who wears two literary hats. He has written and spoken extensively on the environment and science, writing four books on Pacific Northwest environmental history. He is also a novelist who puts his heroes and heroines in thrilling predicaments in exotic environments, from the South Pole to Roman Britain, and from the desolation of the Australian Outback to the temples and pyramids of the Middle East. He is presently working on a series of novels featuring American adventurer Ethan Gage during the Napoleonic wars. ]]>
May 2008: Shaken, Not Stirredtag:www.thrillerwriters.org,2008://2.18522008-04-30T22:00:00Z2008-04-30T18:19:55ZRussel McLeanhttp://theseayemeanstreets.blogspot.com/
This month we come over all Peculier, find a literary author indulging in some (James) Bondage, and someone at Hodder's hunting down the next big debut...
After technical difficulties last month, we're back with more international news from the world of crime and thriller fiction. The months do fly by at this time of year, so I do hope you haven't missed me too much.
Oh, you didn't miss me at all?
Well, never mind. Onwards and upwards:
A MOST PECULIER AWARD
Barely seems like two minutes since Allan Guthrie won last year's Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, and already the latest longlist has been announced. There are a few familiar faces on the list, including previous winners Mark Billingham (Buried) and Val McDermid (The Grave Tattoo), as well as previously shortlisted authors such as Simon Kernick (Relentless) and Stuart MacBride (Dying Light).
Presented at the Harrogate International Writing Festival (chaired this year by the ever charming and slightly dangerous Simon Kernick), the awards have become a major part of this bookseller's (and I assume many others) crime calendar. And as ever, I shall be at Harrogate this year to raise my pint of Theakston's in honour of the winner. Before falling over along with everyone else who's been gulping beer at the bar in the awards hall.]]>
o The Chemistry of Death by Simon Beckett (Bantam) o Buried by Mark Billingham (Sphere) o Christine Falls by Benjamin Black (Picador) o A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil by Christopher Brookmyre (Abacus) o Hurting Distance by Sophie Hannah (Hodder & Stoughton) o Darkness and Light by John Harvey (Arrow Books) o The Death of Dalziel by Reginald Hill (Harper) o The Risk of Darkness by Susan Hill (Vintage) o One Under by Graham Hurley (Orion) o Not Dead Enough by Peter James (Macmillan) o Relentless by Simon Kernick (Corgi Books) o Corn Dolls by Patrick Lennon (Hodder) o Dying Light by Stuart MacBride (HarperCollins) o Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith (Abacus) o The Grave Tattoo by Val McDermid (HarperCollins) o The Savage Garden by Mark Mills (Harper) o The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney (Quercus) o Piece of My Heart by Peter Robinson (Hodder) o Sovereign by C.J. Sansom (Pan) o Shifting Skin by Chris Simms (Orion)
Where would the modern thriller be without James Bond? Despite the death of his creator, Ian Fleming, Bond has been kept alive by a variety of authors down the years. The most recent to take on the task of keeping Bond on the printed page is Sebastian Faulks, whose novel Devil May Care is set in 1967, and sees an older, damaged Bond returning for another shot at glory.
But, in spite of the possibly introspective images conjured up by that synopsis and by Faulks's literary background, we can expect the same thrills and excitement for which the Bond books have become known. Speaking in The Observer, Faulks notes:
"Bond doesn't have an inner life. There would be moments when I'd think, we need to gather our thoughts here and have a breather, where in another novel you'd slow the pace, have some description and see what Bond feels about this. But Bond doesn't reflect. All you can do is move on to the next bomb or shark or car."
He had me at "shark".
Devil May Care is released on the 28th May. Want to know more? Visit the official My Space page (http://uk.myspace.com/devilmaycarebook), filled with tidbits, a theme tune (by Cardiff based rockers, Sal) and a few surprises as well.
ROLLINS, WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE ROLLINS?
Because he's a damn fine thriller writer, that's why. Yes, speaking of tie-ins, I figured it would also be worth mentioning that along with Faulks writing the new adventures of Bond, bestselling thriller writer James Rollins has written the novelisation of the new Indiana Jones Movie: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The movie is out later this month, as is the novel itself. Personally, I can't wait.
HUNTER NO LONGER HUNTING
Don't know the name Joe Hunter?
You soon will. Scooped up for a very cool £80,000, the first novel featuring Joe Hunter looks set to become a series that might give "...Reacher a run for his money" according to Sue Fletcher at Hodder. This debut novel from a Cumbrian police officer has grabbed the headlines, and here at ITW International (Scots division) we're looking forward to our introduction to Joe (or d'you think he prefers Mister Hunter?) I SHALL BE RELEASED
Notable and noted new releases for May from British authors...
Flesh House By Stuart MacBride, HarperCollins, 978-0007244546 - could this be the most grisly investigation for Logan MacRae and the fine lads and lasses of the Aberdeen Constabulary? Right enough, we can expect the usual deft plotting, dark humour and unsettling violence from one of Scotland's finest.
Aftershock by Quintin Jardine, Headline, 978-0755329137 - Bob Skinner, Edinburgh's premiere copper now that Rebus has retired, is back in the latest thriller from bestselling author, Jardine.
The Reapers By John Connolly, Hodder and Stoughton, 978-0340936658- following last year's The Unquiet, Connolly's latest Parker thriller is bound to be an unsettling and powerful read.
Cry For Help by Steve Mosby, Orion, 978-0752874142 - Mosby's 50/50 Killer struck a chord with readers and his second novel should make them extremely nervous about answering their mobiles or replying to apparently ordinary text messages.
And that's all for this month. I've just had a message from M telling me me I have six hours to save the world. If you join me next month, we'll all know I was succesful.
Until then, the name's McLean, Russel McLean.
Nah, it really doesn't have the ring, does it?
Contributing
editor Russel D McLean is a Scottish bookseller working for a national
chain. He has run webzines, agonized over reviews for various
publications both in print and online, and written several short
stories, several of which have been published in Alfred Hitchcock's
Mystery Magazine as well as various other crime and noir markets.
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Maberry completes supernatural trilogy with Bad Moon Risingtag:www.thrillerwriters.org,2008://2.18512008-04-30T22:00:00Z2008-04-26T17:19:56ZJeff Ayershttp://www.voyagesofimagination.com/What began with Ghost Road Blues and continued with Dead Man's Song reaches its terrifying climax in Jonathan Maberry'sBad Moon Rising. This supernatural thriller will solidify his award-winning reputation and bring new readers seeking their thrills with chills.
What was your inspiration for the trilogy?
The trilogy started off as an experiment that grew out of my nonfiction writing. I've been a nonfiction guy for thirty years now, and after doing about a dozen books on martial arts I took a left turn into writing about occult and paranormal folklore. My grandmother (who died in 1978 at 101) told me as a boy about the myths and legends - or as she called them 'beliefs'-- of the supernatural, so I grew up knowing about the European legends of vampires, ghosts and werewolves. The legends, by the way, are substantially different than the depictions seen in popular fiction and film.
As I was writing my second book on spooky folklore (Vampire Universe - Citadel Press, 2006), I began to speculate about how real people would react/respond if they encountered the supernatural. And these would be real people with modern pop culture sensibilities, so they would know about stakes and crosses and all of that. But since none of that stuff is in the folklore (the novelist Bram Stoker added much of what we now consider vampire lore) the characters would be confronting evil that they truly would not understand or know how to stop.
So I took a swing at writing a story. As I outlined it I realized that the story I wanted to tell was a BIG story. Lots of characters, lots of threads that would allow me to explore the different facets of folklore and the dynamics of human reaction to the known and unknown. So I outlined what came to be known as the Pine Deep Trilogy.
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The first book, Ghost Road Blues, was completed in late 2004 and I landed an agent pretty quickly. She sold it to the second publisher who read it and suddenly I was in the fiction game.
I'd pitched the book to my agent as a 'supernatural thriller' rather than a 'horror' novel, partly because horror as a genre is doing poorly in the market and because I used the thriller format to tell the story. A lot of stuff happens in a very short time; there's a lot of character movement, plenty of changes of venue and POV. It was received as a thriller as well, and got support from the thriller, mystery and horror communities, as well as a chunk of the mainstream audience.
I was surprised and delighted that it did so well, and then really surprised when it was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award - something I'd never imagined for my fiction. It was nominated for two awards, actually: Best Novel and Best First Novel. It won the 'Best First' category. Some guy named Stephen King won for Best Novel (maybe you've heard of him? Pretty good writer.)
The publisher opted not to put the label Pine Deep Trilogy on the cover, nor even mention that Ghost Road Blues was part of a series. That got me into a little hot water with some readers who got to the end and wondered where the hell the rest of the story was, because even though one major storyline is resolved in the first book, there are plenty of others that lead right into book 2, Dead Man's Song. And that also didn't have anything on the cover to let readers know they were stepping into the middle of a series.
So, with Bad Moon Rising I deliberately built in a fair amount of backstory so that new readers could jump right in without having read the first two books and still get the story and be entertained.
Is Pine Deep based on any particular town?
New Hope, Pennsylvania is the model for Pine Deep, though as described in the book it's closer to the way New Hope was back in the 1970s when I was in High School: far more rural and very spooky. But a lot of the basic geography and even some of the specific locations, like the town library (where very bad things happen in Bad Moon Rising) are based on real places in New Hope. And New Hope has always had a reputation as one of the most haunted towns in America.
Did you have to get permission to include real people in Bad Moon Rising?
I did, and the stars were very open about letting me write them into the story. A few requested that I not kill them off. Everyone was good natured about it, and some of them are now close friends.
How does music play into the titles and the narrative?
I'm a big music fan, particularly of the blues and classic rock. In High School during the 70s I was in a bunch of bands (Poverty is No Crime, Unknown Heroes, Skeleton Jam -all bands you've never heard of, and for good reason). I'm also a collector of historic blues records.
After High School and before college I hitchhiked across country for about a year or so, and I spent some time in the South, looking for out of the way blues clubs, juke joints and other places where I could hear some burn-your-fingers blues. For a couple of days a bluesman named Tom Cross walked the roads with me (and my buddy, Mike O'Brien), telling us stories about the blues in his day, which was the 30s and 40s. He summed up all his life and struggles with a smile and a fatalistic comment of: "It all ain't nothing but the blues." To me that was like a Zen aphorism, and Tom Cross became the model for the character of Oren Morse.
In Bad Moon Rising, though, there's a point where the hero, Crow, is making a psychological change from being a victim of circumstances to becoming a true combatant. Right before he does something incredibly brave and reckless, he tells his partner: "This ain't the blues anymore...this is rock 'n' roll!"
What constitutes good horror as opposed to lousy horror? Is there a line that you can't cross?
Bad horror is all about shock rather than suspense. It is cheap-shot stuff that is indulges in pain, misogyny, humiliation and violence as the reasons for its own existence rather than as elements in a story about people in crisis.
Also, bad horror does not involve the reader. It doesn't respect the reader, or understand that you need to let the reader participate in the process of storytelling. A lot of my readers tell me that the book and its characters stay with them, that they keep imagining what happens next. I feel the same way when I read really good horror.
For me, some of the best and most compelling horror includes The Haunting Of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, Salem's Lot by Stephen King, Ghost Story by Peter Straub, Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons,and Mystery Walk by Robert McCammon. And there are a number of great non-horror books that still manage to send a real chill up the spine: Burning Angel and Last Car To Elysian Fields by James Lee Burke, Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, and the whole Charlie 'Bird' Parker series by John Connolly.
What scares you?
I get asked that a lot, and I don't scare easily. I'm a big guy with over forty years as a jujutsu expert, bouncer and bodyguard behind me. I've been in real life-or-death confrontations, and I've been knifed, shot at, and run over. I used to skydive for fun, and I find rollercoasters very relaxing. So...what scares me? Global politics will do for now.
What is your next book, Patient Zero, about?
Patient Zero is a new direction for me, and I had an incredible amount of fun writing it. It launches a new series of novels featuring Joe Ledger, a Baltimore detective recruited by the DMS (Department of Military Sciences), a secret government organization composed of science geeks and first-team shooters who go after bioterrorists.
In Patient Zero a group of terrorists have a genetically altered pathogen called Seif al Din (The Sword of God) that will turn people into mindless and murderous zombies. If the pathogen is released there will be no chance of stopping it, so Joe and Echo Team -his elite special ops squad-literally race against time to stop the terrorists. It starts fast and ends with heckuva big running battle.
Joe Ledger is a fun character. He's described by his former Army commander as a 'hero waiting to happen' -- someone who has all of the right skills but has never had to really use them. Mr. Church, the mysterious head of the DMS, recognizes Joe's potential and throws Joe into the path of Seif al Din.
The book has gone through a lot of hands already--my first readers and editor have passed it around quite a lot even though it's not due out until early 2009--and we've found that it speaks to a pretty broad demographic base. Women seem to dig it as much as the men do.
Patient Zero is a thriller, but it uses a police procedural structure. It also retains my own smartass sense of humor. And I can promise some of the most realistic fight scenes around. I even teach workshops on writing realistic fight and action scenes, and will be giving that talk at ThrillerFest.
What can one expect when picking up a Jonathan Maberry novel?
Real characters in unreal situations. As a writer I'm a 'characters first' kind of guy. I like layered, often damaged characters, and I like to build the story in ways that twists them and forces them to react and adapt. And I use a lot more humor than readers might expect in either horror (which isn't known for it) or action thrillers.
Jonathan Maberry is a Bram Stoker Award-winning author, writing teacher, and
motivational speaker. His books include GHOST ROAD BLUES, DEAD MAN'S SONG, BAD
MOON RISING, VAMPIRE UNIVERSE, THE CRYPTOPEDIA, and ZOMBIE CSU. Jonathan is
co-founder of the Writers Corner USA, a writers' education center. He's a member
of the HWA (Horror Writers Association), ITW (International Thriller Writers),
MWA (Mystery Writers of America), and SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers
of America) and is a speaker for the National Writers Union. He lives in
Warrington, Pennsylvania with his wife, Sara, and son, Sam.
ITW contributing editor Jeff Ayers is the author of VOYAGES OF IMAGINATION: THE STAR TREK FICTION COMPANIONPocket
Books-November 2006. He frequently reviews thrillers for Library
Journal and regularly interviews authors for LJ, the Seattle
Post-Intellgencer, and Writer Magazine.
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Writing between the lines with Eric Van Lustbadertag:www.thrillerwriters.org,2008://2.18482008-04-30T22:00:00Z2008-04-24T16:45:36ZThere are some novelists who write with a common theme, a "what" that drives their fiction. Others discover the "what" as they go along. International bestselling author Eric Van Lustbader doesn't so much write with a "what" in mind, but...James Scott Bellhttp://www.jamesscottbell.comThere are some novelists who write with a common theme, a "what" that drives their fiction. Others discover the "what" as they go along.
International bestselling author Eric Van Lustbader doesn't so much write with a "what" in mind, but a "who."
He calls this The Outsider.
"Since I'm an Outsider myself," Lustbader explains, "all my protagonists are Outsiders, as well, starting with Nicholas Linnear [of the Ninja Cycle novels]. Being half-Asian, half-Western, he belongs in neither world. He stands apart and, like all Outsiders, is more qualified to comment on society. Because he has no biases, no axes to grind, his observations are neutral, therefore balanced, most truthful and thought-provoking."
In addition to his numerous creations, Lustbader has also carried on the saga of Jason Bourne, in cooperation with the Robert Ludlum estate. The same Outsider motif drew Lustbader to Bourne.
"Many's the time Bob Ludlum and I would discuss our respective prototypical heroes," says Lustbader, "remarking on how similar in makeup they were: loners yet fiercely loyal, they were walking, talking oxymorons, which made them special not only to the two of us, but to our millions of readers. Because aren't human beings, by nature, paradoxical? Think about it. How many times have you found yourself experiencing two opposite emotions simultaneously? We wonder how we can love and hate someone at the same time, but that's rational thinking; emotions like love and hate are irrational, not subject to the artificial 'laws' humans have imposed on society, in a futile attempt to turn chaos into order."
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In the forthcoming First Daughter (Forge), Lustbader's protagonist, Jake McClure, survives a horrific upbringing. His inner scars drive him to the outside, and raises a central question that Lustbader sees as having wide significance.
"When you're so deeply damaged, how do you let in even those you love? This is a question that haunts Jack, but I think, to some extent, it haunts a lot of people."
Lustbader is one of the few novelists who is a major success in two different genres (fantasy and thrillers). But the craft he brings to each is uniform.
"Fiction writing is fiction writing, no matter the genre. What I mean is this: all fiction is grounded in the same basic needs: story arc and character arcs. A story begins with an inciting event: something shocking, something that upends the protagonist's world. Think of North By Northwest. Cary Grant plays a mild-mannered advertising executive waiting for his mother in a hotel lobby. Just as the bellboy comes around calling the name of what turns out to be the fictitious name of a spy the CIA has concocted, he waves to someone he thinks is his mother. Now a rival group of spies is convinced he's the fictional character. Everything in the film proceeds from that premise. That's the story arc."
And the character arc?
"Again, let's look at the Cary Grant character in North By Northwest. When we first meet him he's a momma's-boy drone (despite the fact that he looks like Cary Grant!). Because of the inciting event, he will move from being a disbelieving nerd to a man on the run, a man who begins to use his mind to escape the enemy's ever more clever traps, until at the end, he becomes a reluctant spy for the CIA and a hero by defeating the enemy spy ring. Oh, yes, and along the way he falls in love. The changes he undergoes from the beginning to the end of the film comprise his character arc. One of the main points of a character arc is that the hero goes from being passive (events happen to him) to being the initiator, a central attribute of a hero in any genre.
"These priorities are fiction-driven, rather than genre-driven."
I asked Lustbader what he does differently today than when he started.
"I think it's more a question of attitude than of action. I have more experience, for one thing, so constructing a storyline that I find exciting is a familiar task, though possibly not any easier. For another, I'm more confident, and confidence brings about concentration, which any writer must have. Also, I'm better able to apportion my time.
"That said, I'm still obsessed with writing. When I'm in the middle of a project it doesn't matter whether I write one paragraph or eight pages, my head is filled with my story and my characters 24/7. It's sort of like being possessed, and I have to say sometimes the grip of it is still sometimes frightening, but this is the only way I can write, walking the edge between one world and the other. Much of the time, especially toward the end of a novel, the world I've created is far more real to me than life; it also seems far more interesting."
This "obsessive" approach means there is no "typical" writing day for Lustbader.
"The word 'typical' is not in my vocabulary. Right from the get-go I was taught to think independently, to think outside the box and, most importantly, to see the big picture. As I've already said, I'm thinking about a project 24/7. That means, for instance, I always have a pad and pen beside my bed. Invariably, in the midst of a novel, I'll have a fistful of thoughts the moment after I turn out the lights at night."
Lustbader used to write only in the morning, but over the years that's changed. "Now I often don't get started writing until three or four in the afternoon. Why this is, I can't say; writing is a basically irrational experience. And it's hard work, but try telling that to anyone who doesn't write."
Contributing editor James Scott Bell is the author of Try Dying (Center Street), first in the Ty Buchanan thriller series, and Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure (Writers Digest Books)]]>
Killer Heat by Linda Fairsteintag:www.thrillerwriters.org,2008://2.18472008-04-30T22:00:00Z2008-04-24T13:47:36ZSuccess can never be guaranteed in every case Alexandra Cooper prosecutes, but for once the odds are with her for putting away a serial rapist for a crime he committed over twenty years previously, but outside the courtroom another predator...Joe Moorehttp://www.cottenstone.comSuccess can never be guaranteed in every case Alexandra Cooper prosecutes, but for once the odds are with her for putting away a serial rapist for a crime he committed over twenty years previously, but outside the courtroom another predator is at large. His first victim was a call-girl, a cat-o-nine-tails discovered near her body, and it seems as though Detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace need to look amongst her clients for the killer, but the discovery of other corpses, the modus operandi remarkably similar to the first, turns the investigation into a hunt for a random and viciously sadistic murderer. A part of his signature is that in the humid heat of summer he leaves his victims' remains in some of the least populated parts of New York - a derelict office building, an abandoned fort on an island below Manhattan. Alex fears it may be another twenty years before they can identify this monster, each day bringing the dread of news of another killing, then she, Chapman and Mercer get lucky and are able to give a name to their target. But that's not the same as putting him safely behind bars: to do that they are going to have to get close to him, much too close for Alex's own safety ...
"Fairstein delivers a scorcher of a crime novel --her hottest yet." -- Library Journal
"Fairstein's nail-biting 10th legal thriller... manages to both entertain and educate." -- Publisher's Weekly
"Intriguing... fans will love the result." -- Kirkus
"Fairstein proves what a fantastic legal mind she has." -- The Mirror
Linda Fairstein, one of America's foremost legal experts on crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence, ran the Sex Crimes Unit of the District Attorney's Office in Manhattan for more than two decades. Her first novel, FINAL JEOPARDY, which introduced the character Alexandra Cooper, was published in 1996 to critical and commercial acclaim. Her nonfiction book, SEXUAL VIOLENCE, was a New York Times notable book in 1994. She lives with her husband in New York and on Martha's Vineyard. ]]>
Rollins novelizes the latest Indiana Jonestag:www.thrillerwriters.org,2008://2.18432008-04-30T22:00:00Z2008-04-24T16:48:06ZJoe Moorehttp://www.cottenstone.comSummer means big blockbuster titles and big blockbuster movies. One of the most anticipated films coming out this summer is the latest movie in the Indiana Jones franchise, titled Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. And one of our own ITW members--James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of The Judas Strain--was hand-picked to write the novelization to the upcoming blockbuster, due out May 22nd. He sat down with The Big Thrill to answer a few questions.
So how were you chosen to write the novelization to Indy 4"?
Well, over the years, my books have been critically compared to Indiana Jones. I think mostly due to the historical or archaeological nature of the novels. In fact, one reviewer of my book, Map of Bones, described it as a cross between Indiana Jones and the The Da Vinci Code. To this day, I'm still not sure if that reviewer was insulting me or complimenting me. But I personally take any comparison to Indy as a compliment. And such reviews did eventually draw the attention of Random House who obtained the adaptation rights to the upcoming film. After that, my name got submitted, and I got the thumb's up.
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What does "Indiana Jones" mean to you?
For me, Indiana Jones is the "every man" hero. He doesn't have any super powers, nor does he have any cool gadgets like James Bond. He perseveres through both dogged willpower and the strength of his intelligence. He is scarred, weathered, and tempered by his experiences--not unlike the bullwhip he carries with him. Plus he doesn't take himself too seriously, poking fun at himself with his wry humor as often as he does the world. Who wouldn't want to be Indiana Jones--if only in their own imagination? What was it like working on the book?
It was an absolute blast! I first read the script back in the late spring of 2007. At that time, security was as tight as a bank vault, and to even read the script, it required a drive over to Lucasfilm studios in the Presidio of San Francisco. But over time, I was allowed access to the script at home and granted a key to a site where still shots from the movie were uploaded. So between reading the script, talking with the screenplay writer (the amazing David Koepp), and viewing the shots from the production department, I was able to begin working on the novel.
Did you have the right to change the story at all?
The studio gave me a fairly free hand to adjust, re-frame, and even add several scenes. Also as screenplays mostly communicate via visual action and dialog, I was able to explore the "inner" Indiana Jones--his internal monologue, thoughts, and fears--which was a thrill. And by the time I was done with the book, I had created about a dozen entirely new scenes that aren't in the script or movie.
Are you authorized to say something about the story?
No. There's an embargo on all story details until the movie's release. For any questions about the plot, all I can say is "no comment."
Last question, how do you feel about snakes?
With a little ketchup, they aren't bad.
James Rollins is a New York Times bestselling author. In addition, he has a doctorate in veterinary medicine and his own practice in Sacramento, California. An amateur spelunker and a certified scuba enthusiast, he can often be found either underground or underwater. ]]>
The story behind the story in Tell No Liestag:www.thrillerwriters.org,2008://2.18412008-04-30T22:00:00Z2008-04-22T21:23:54ZJulie Compton's debut novel, Tell No Lies, is the story of a family man's obsession and the price he's forced to pay. When assistant DA Jack Hilliard finds himself simultaneously seduced by a dream job and a tempting woman, he...Rebecca Cantrellhttp://www.rebeccacantrell.comJulie Compton's debut novel, Tell No Lies, is the story of a family man's obsession and the price he's forced to pay. When assistant DA Jack Hilliard finds himself simultaneously seduced by a dream job and a tempting woman, he soon learns how easy it is to compromise his values and comfortable life for ambition and desire. But when the object of his obsession is charged with a heinous crime, and Jack alone can prove her innocence, he must choose between saving her by speaking out, or saving his marriage and career by remaining silent.
In Tell No Lies, the reader gets a glimpse of the differences between private law firms and the district attorney's office. As someone who has worked in both the private and government legal sector, which do you prefer?
On the private side, I worked at two larger law firms, and then a smaller, boutique firm, before becoming a stay-at-home mom for several years. When I returned to practice, I accepted a position with the US Trustee's Office, part of the Department of Justice. It was my dream job. Although I worked with great people at all my jobs, there's no denying that at private firms, an attorney has the constant pressure to bill more hours, bring in clients, become a partner, etc. I didn't have these same pressures at my government job, which made it easier to just enjoy the purely legal aspects of the practice. ]]>
Why did you choose to write the novel from Jack's point of view, that of a likable family man who falls down the rabbit hole of self deception and adultery?
There's a point in the novel where Jack asks Jenny, in reference to another character they believe has embezzled from a client, 'Why would he do that? Why would he risk everything like that?' Those questions speak to the heart of the novel. I'm a firm believer that man is basically good, and whenever I hear about someone doing something we consider bad - immoral, unethical, or sometimes just plain nonsensical, I want to know the 'story behind the story' - because I believe there is always a larger story than just what appears on the surface. Not a justification, necessarily, but an explanation.
Also, as a writer (and really, as a reader, too), I like my protagonist to have some pretty serious flaws. They have to be flaws the character can overcome, of course, but I do think flaws are essential to developing character arc and for making the character more interesting and more believable.
What do you think drives powerful people to self destructive behavior like Jack's and Jenny's?
Wow, if I knew the answer to this question, I'd bottle it!
What can you tell us about the next novel?
It's the story of a biker whose girlfriend is injured in a motorcycle accident and taken from him without so much as a goodbye. In his search to get her back, which takes him from Florida to New England to Africa, he stumbles upon plans to eliminate her. As he battles to literally save her life, he confronts both their demons and, in doing so, figuratively saves his own.
Can you name the last book you finished, the book you're currently reading, and the next book on your list?
I just finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. One word: amazing. The last thriller I read, though, was Minette Walters' The Devil's Feather. It was quite a page turner! The pile on my nightstand is high, but the next in line is probably A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Julie Compton practiced law in St. Louis, Missouri (the setting for Tell No Lies) before moving to the East Coast, and most recently worked as a trial
attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice in Wilmington, Delaware. She now
lives in Florida with her husband and two daughters, where she writes full time.
ITW contributing editor and website administrator Rebecca Cantrell
bought her first typewriter with babysitting money at age thirteen.
Since then, she has written novels, screenplays, and short stories
about (and sometimes in spite of) the Alaskan wilderness, Berlin before
and after the wall, and dot com Silicon Valley. She has also written
many technical manuals. EVEN SMOKE LEAVES A TRACE is her first
published novel. She lives in Hawaii with her
husband and son. ]]>
Steve Wilson reveals a city of conspiracies in President Lincoln's Spytag:www.thrillerwriters.org,2008://2.18382008-04-30T22:00:00Z2008-04-18T19:28:03ZAfter turning out three World War II military thrillers, author Steven Wilson took a step backward in time to embrace his other professional interests-the Civil War. His newest novel, President Lincoln's Spy, is the first in a contracted series featuring...Mark Terryhttp://www.markterrybooks.com/After turning out three World War II military thrillers, author Steven Wilson took a step backward in time to embrace his other professional interests-the Civil War. His newest novel, President Lincoln's Spy, is the first in a contracted series featuring Captain Fitz Dunaway, a discredited army officer turned spy. Conveniently, Wilson works as the curator and assistant director of the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum on the grounds of the Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee.
Of the new novel, Wilson says, "It's about a discredited army officer who is given the opportunity to redeem himself only if he agrees to act as a spy for the Assistant Secretary of War. Being a military man, he thinks that spying is distasteful, but he also wants to get back in the fight and he wants a regiment, which is what's offered to him if he will only take on the role of the spy."
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As in all good historical novels, Wilson revels in historical accuracy and detail and loves research as much as writing. "It's pretty interesting. I try to find out what I can about specifics about the uniforms, the weapons, the personalities, the city itself-Washington, DC-which is a fascinating study of contrasts. You have shacks right across the street from magnificent houses, you have pigs running around on Pennsylvania Avenue-a typical 19th Century big city, so to speak."
Research about the Civil War era comes naturally, of course. In his job as curator of the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum, Wilson teaches history and works on the exhibits, which he describes as "a lot of fun." In addition to that, he writes regular columns for Military.com about historical military issues.
Wilson notes that his character, Fitz Dunaway, who will be back in at least one more novel to be published by Kensington, is a Union soldier spying on Confederates. "Washington, DC, during the Civil War was a city of conspiracies ... which it still is, I suppose. The only difference is ... I guess there is no difference. There were always conspiracies to do something-to steal medicine, smuggle people in, smuggle people out, everything you could possibly think of including. In this particular case, there's a conspiracy to kill Abraham Lincoln, but Dunaway is warned early on that he can trust no one."
Wilson describes himself as more of a burst writer than a same-time-of-day writer. "I've found it's better for me to kind of ease into it. If I force myself into a schedule, well, I guess I'm too cantankerous to do that. I know you should probably write every day, but I just can't force myself to do that."
Steve Wilson lives in Tennessee in a small town about two hours from the Smokey Mountains with his wife, Angela. PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S SPY will be released by Kensington in trade paperback on April 29, 2008.
Contributing editor Mark Terry is the
author of the Derek Stillwater thriller series. His newest thriller,
THE SERPENT'S KISS, is available in stores and online. ]]>
Black Out by Lisa Ungertag:www.thrillerwriters.org,2008://2.18372008-04-30T22:00:00Z2008-04-18T19:14:57ZAt first glance, Annie Powers seems a happy, wealthy woman living a perfect life in Florida with her husband Gray and their daughter Victory. But Annie is not what she seems. Soon, however, we see Annie's demons beginning to creep...Joe Moorehttp://www.cottenstone.comAt first glance, Annie Powers seems a happy, wealthy woman living a perfect life in Florida with her husband Gray and their daughter Victory. But Annie is not what she seems. Soon, however, we see Annie's demons beginning to creep up on her, triggering unfamiliar and frightening memories. Once upon a time Annie was Ophelia March, a young woman who escaped a troubled home only to find herself in the thrall of a killer. Annie thought she left that girl behind - the night Ophelia died in a fiery crash. She's wrong. After a series of terrifying events, Annie quickly realizes she must piece together these memories to finally make sense of who she was, who she is and, ultimately, to save herself and her daughter.
"Black Out is riveting psychological suspense of the first order. If you haven't yet experienced Lisa Unger, what are you waiting for?" -- Harlan Coben
"I read Black Out in one hungry gulp, and spent the rest of the night trying to calm my jangled nerves. This is a stunning, mind-bending shocker with moments of sheer terror-one of the best thrillers I've read this year!" -- Tess Gerritsen
"Twisty, riveting, and enormously exciting. Lisa Unger is a powerful and elegant writer, and Black Out is her best novel yet." -- Joseph Finder
Lisa Unger is the New York Times bestselling author of BEAUTIFUL LIES and SLIVER OF TRUTH. Her novels have been published in 26 countries, receiving rave reviews and appearing on bestseller lists around the world. BEAUTIFUL LIES was a finalist for the ITW "Best Novel" Award in 2007.
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Ghost Moon by Rebecca Yorktag:www.thrillerwriters.org,2008://2.18352008-04-30T22:00:00Z2008-04-16T13:56:01ZGhost Moon, the next book in award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Rebecca York's popular Moon series, tells the story of Quinn, a woman who comes from a universe parallel to our world on a mission to save a friend's...Joe Moorehttp://www.cottenstone.comGhost Moon, the next book in award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Rebecca York's popular Moon series, tells the story of Quinn, a woman who comes from a universe parallel to our world on a mission to save a friend's life. She's stopped in her tracks by a ghost, Caleb Marshall, killed 75 years ago by his cousin. Caleb's stayed on earth to avenge his death. Although he and Quinn are powerfully drawn to each other, she's terrified that he will wreak vengeance on her friends, the Marshalls; and she sees no future in a relationship with a phantom. Everything changes when Caleb acquires the body of a murder victim. But can he and the Marshalls work together to foil a diabolical plot aimed at the heart of the U. S. government?
"Rebecca York delivers page-turning suspense." -- Nora Roberts
"Riveting, passionate, breathtaking are all perfect descriptors for Rebecca York's latest Moon series book: Ghost Moon. It has everything--a storyline ripped from today's headlines, fascinating characters, paranormal elements, and a fast moving pace." -- sensual.ecataromance.com
Ever since she can remember, Rebecca York (aka Ruth Glick) has loved making up stories full of adventure, romance and suspense. As a child she corralled her friends into adventure games or acted out romantic suspense stories with a cast of dolls. ]]>
David Baldacci, Steve Martini, and R.L. Stine 
This month's BIG THRILL is loaded with a record-breaking number of thrillers ranging from exciting debut authors on up to the top names in international bestsellers. And we've included a BETWEEN THE LINES in-depth interview with the first of our three 2008 ThrillerFest Spotlight Guests, Eric Van Lustbader. So check out this month's amazing selection and then head for your favorite bookstore with your May Big Thrill reading list compiled for you by the best thriller writers on the planet.
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?
Accused of one man's murder, Bobbie Faye goes on the run, trying to stay ahead of the pack of thieves, murderers, and criminals who are all after missing mysterious diamonds. She has to find the gems and figure out the motives of the dead sexy FBI agent who's pressing her for more than just the jewels, all the while sidestepping her steamy (and steamed) detective ex-boyfriend.
Toni McGee Causey lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She and her husband, Carl, are licensed general contractors, and, in order to support her writing addiction, they run their own civil construction company. You can visit Toni and Bobbie Faye at www.bobbiefaye.com. 
In The Rosetta Key, American adventurer Ethan Gage and Napoleon Bonaparte continue the harrowing race to recover an Egyptian book of power that could tilt the struggle for mastery of the world. Set during Napoleon's 1799 invasion of the Holy Land, this epic tale continues the tale of "Napoleon's Pyramids," which sold into 24 languages. Can the secret stolen from the Great Pyramid be recovered in the tunnels and ruins of Palestine? Can an unlikely alliance and Ethan's fledgling knowledge of electricity thwart the French siege of Acre? And will the hero learn the fate of lost love Astiza? An electrifying combination of battles, exotic landscapes, and colorful characters who really lived.
William Dietrich is the author of 11 books that combined have been translated into 26 languages. He is also a lifelong journalist who shared a Pulitzer for coverage of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and a teacher of writing and the environment at Western Washington University. Dietrich is a Washington state native who wears two literary hats. He has written and spoken extensively on the environment and science, writing four books on Pacific Northwest environmental history. He is also a novelist who puts his heroes and heroines in thrilling predicaments in exotic environments, from the South Pole to Roman Britain, and from the desolation of the Australian Outback to the temples and pyramids of the Middle East. He is presently working on a series of novels featuring American adventurer Ethan Gage during the Napoleonic wars. ]]>
Barely seems like two minutes since Allan Guthrie won last year's Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, and already the latest longlist has been announced. There are a few familiar faces on the list, including previous winners Mark Billingham (Buried) and Val McDermid (The Grave Tattoo), as well as previously shortlisted authors such as Simon Kernick (Relentless) and Stuart MacBride (Dying Light).
Where would the modern thriller be without James Bond? Despite the death of his creator, Ian Fleming, Bond has been kept alive by a variety of authors down the years. The most recent to take on the task of keeping Bond on the printed page is Sebastian Faulks, whose novel Devil May Care is set in 1967, and sees an older, damaged Bond returning for another shot at glory.
Because he's a damn fine thriller writer, that's why. Yes, speaking of tie-ins, I figured it would also be worth mentioning that along with Faulks writing the new adventures of Bond, bestselling thriller writer James Rollins has written the novelisation of the new Indiana Jones Movie: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The movie is out later this month, as is the novel itself. Personally, I can't wait.
Flesh House By Stuart MacBride, HarperCollins, 978-0007244546 - could this be the most grisly investigation for Logan MacRae and the fine lads and lasses of the Aberdeen Constabulary? Right enough, we can expect the usual deft plotting, dark humour and unsettling violence from one of Scotland's finest.
Contributing
editor Russel D McLean is a Scottish bookseller working for a national
chain. He has run webzines, agonized over reviews for various
publications both in print and online, and written several short
stories, several of which have been published in Alfred Hitchcock's
Mystery Magazine as well as various other crime and noir markets.
What began with Ghost Road Blues and continued with Dead Man's Song reaches its terrifying climax in Jonathan Maberry's Bad Moon Rising. This supernatural thriller will solidify his award-winning reputation and bring new readers seeking their thrills with chills. 
As I was writing my second book on spooky folklore (Vampire Universe - Citadel Press, 2006), I began to speculate about how real people would react/respond if they encountered the supernatural. And these would be real people with modern pop culture sensibilities, so they would know about stakes and crosses and all of that. But since none of that stuff is in the folklore (the novelist Bram Stoker added much of what we now consider vampire lore) the characters would be confronting evil that they truly would not understand or know how to stop. 
The first book, Ghost Road Blues, was completed in late 2004 and I landed an agent pretty quickly. She sold it to the second publisher who read it and suddenly I was in the fiction game.
So, with Bad Moon Rising I deliberately built in a fair amount of backstory so that new readers could jump right in without having read the first two books and still get the story and be entertained.
I get asked that a lot, and I don't scare easily. I'm a big guy with over forty years as a jujutsu expert, bouncer and bodyguard behind me. I've been in real life-or-death confrontations, and I've been knifed, shot at, and run over. I used to skydive for fun, and I find rollercoasters very relaxing. So...what scares me? Global politics will do for now.
ITW contributing editor Jeff Ayers is the author of VOYAGES OF IMAGINATION: THE STAR TREK FICTION COMPANION Pocket
Books-November 2006. He frequently reviews thrillers for Library
Journal and regularly interviews authors for LJ, the Seattle
Post-Intellgencer, and Writer Magazine. 
There are some novelists who write with a common theme, a "what" that drives their fiction. Others discover the "what" as they go along. 
"Since I'm an Outsider myself," Lustbader explains, "all my protagonists are Outsiders, as well, starting with Nicholas Linnear [of the Ninja Cycle novels]. Being half-Asian, half-Western, he belongs in neither world. He stands apart and, like all Outsiders, is more qualified to comment on society. Because he has no biases, no axes to grind, his observations are neutral, therefore balanced, most truthful and thought-provoking."
In the forthcoming First Daughter (Forge), Lustbader's protagonist, Jake McClure, survives a horrific upbringing. His inner scars drive him to the outside, and raises a central question that Lustbader sees as having wide significance. 
Contributing editor James Scott Bell is the author of Try Dying (Center Street), first in the Ty Buchanan thriller series, and Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure (Writers Digest Books)]]>
Success can never be guaranteed in every case Alexandra Cooper prosecutes, but for once the odds are with her for putting away a serial rapist for a crime he committed over twenty years previously, but outside the courtroom another predator is at large. His first victim was a call-girl, a cat-o-nine-tails discovered near her body, and it seems as though Detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace need to look amongst her clients for the killer, but the discovery of other corpses, the modus operandi remarkably similar to the first, turns the investigation into a hunt for a random and viciously sadistic murderer. A part of his signature is that in the humid heat of summer he leaves his victims' remains in some of the least populated parts of New York - a derelict office building, an abandoned fort on an island below Manhattan. Alex fears it may be another twenty years before they can identify this monster, each day bringing the dread of news of another killing, then she, Chapman and Mercer get lucky and are able to give a name to their target. But that's not the same as putting him safely behind bars: to do that they are going to have to get close to him, much too close for Alex's own safety ...
Linda Fairstein, one of America's foremost legal experts on crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence, ran the Sex Crimes Unit of the District Attorney's Office in Manhattan for more than two decades. Her first novel, FINAL JEOPARDY, which introduced the character Alexandra Cooper, was published in 1996 to critical and commercial acclaim. Her nonfiction book, SEXUAL VIOLENCE, was a New York Times notable book in 1994. She lives with her husband in New York and on Martha's Vineyard. ]]>
What was it like working on the book? 
Did you have the right to change the story at all? 
Julie Compton's debut novel, Tell No Lies, is the story of a family man's obsession and the price he's forced to pay. When assistant DA Jack Hilliard finds himself simultaneously seduced by a dream job and a tempting woman, he soon learns how easy it is to compromise his values and comfortable life for ambition and desire. But when the object of his obsession is charged with a heinous crime, and Jack alone can prove her innocence, he must choose between saving her by speaking out, or saving his marriage and career by remaining silent.
Why did you choose to write the novel from Jack's point of view, that of a likable family man who falls down the rabbit hole of self deception and adultery?
ITW contributing editor and website administrator Rebecca Cantrell
bought her first typewriter with babysitting money at age thirteen.
Since then, she has written novels, screenplays, and short stories
about (and sometimes in spite of) the Alaskan wilderness, Berlin before
and after the wall, and dot com Silicon Valley. She has also written
many technical manuals. EVEN SMOKE LEAVES A TRACE is her first
published novel. She lives in Hawaii with her
husband and son.
After turning out three World War II military thrillers, author Steven Wilson took a step backward in time to embrace his other professional interests-the Civil War. His newest novel, President Lincoln's Spy, is the first in a contracted series featuring Captain Fitz Dunaway, a discredited army officer turned spy. Conveniently, Wilson works as the curator and assistant director of the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum on the grounds of the Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee.
As in all good historical novels, Wilson revels in historical accuracy and detail and loves research as much as writing. "It's pretty interesting. I try to find out what I can about specifics about the uniforms, the weapons, the personalities, the city itself-Washington, DC-which is a fascinating study of contrasts. You have shacks right across the street from magnificent houses, you have pigs running around on Pennsylvania Avenue-a typical 19th Century big city, so to speak."
Contributing editor Mark Terry is the
author of the Derek Stillwater thriller series. His newest thriller,
THE SERPENT'S KISS, is available in stores and online.
At first glance, Annie Powers seems a happy, wealthy woman living a perfect life in Florida with her husband Gray and their daughter Victory. But Annie is not what she seems. Soon, however, we see Annie's demons beginning to creep up on her, triggering unfamiliar and frightening memories. Once upon a time Annie was Ophelia March, a young woman who escaped a troubled home only to find herself in the thrall of a killer. Annie thought she left that girl behind - the night Ophelia died in a fiery crash. She's wrong. After a series of terrifying events, Annie quickly realizes she must piece together these memories to finally make sense of who she was, who she is and, ultimately, to save herself and her daughter.
Lisa Unger is the New York Times bestselling author of BEAUTIFUL LIES and SLIVER OF TRUTH. Her novels have been published in 26 countries, receiving rave reviews and appearing on bestseller lists around the world. BEAUTIFUL LIES was a finalist for the ITW "Best Novel" Award in 2007. 
Ghost Moon, the next book in award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Rebecca York's popular Moon series, tells the story of Quinn, a woman who comes from a universe parallel to our world on a mission to save a friend's life. She's stopped in her tracks by a ghost, Caleb Marshall, killed 75 years ago by his cousin. Caleb's stayed on earth to avenge his death. Although he and Quinn are powerfully drawn to each other, she's terrified that he will wreak vengeance on her friends, the Marshalls; and she sees no future in a relationship with a phantom. Everything changes when Caleb acquires the body of a murder victim. But can he and the Marshalls work together to foil a diabolical plot aimed at the heart of the U. S. government?
Ever since she can remember, Rebecca York (aka Ruth Glick) has loved making up stories full of adventure, romance and suspense. As a child she corralled her friends into adventure games or acted out romantic suspense stories with a cast of dolls. ]]>