Debut Authors

ITW ThrillerFest Scholarship Program

Sat, 10 May 2008 06:10:00 +0000

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.

Julie Kramer's STALKING SUSAN Is Hot Pick!

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:14:40 +0000

Julie Kramer's debut novel, STALKING SUSAN, has enjoyed a flurry of excitement.
STALKING SUSAN will appear in Mystery Guild Book Club's fall catalogue as a featured alternate selection. Mystery Guild offers a vast range of the latest in bestselling mysteries, thrillers and suspense novels.
The Midwest Booksellers Association has also named STALKING SUSAN an August pick. MBA represents more than 250 independent bookstores in the midwest.
And Mysterious Galaxy Books in San Diego has chosen STALKING SUSAN for their "Signed First Mystery Program" this summer. Books are sent to an author to sign, then shipped back to the store to sell. And Poison Pen in Phoenix is also giving raves to STALKING SUSAN, their July First Mystery Club Pick.
To catch the wave, visit Julie's website at http://www.juliekramerbooks.com/ and find out more about this thrilling new debut!

Web Crawlers and Spiders and Bots, Oh My!

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:42 +0000

By Andrew Peterson

I thought I'd write a brief article on the subject of "web crawlers" and "spiders." I hope you'll find it useful. If you follow a few simple rules, you can maximize your internet exposure and move your ranking up in the search engine results and help keep yourself near, or at, the top.

In a nutshell, companies like Google and Yahoo use search engine programs designed to scour the internet looking for keywords, web addresses, and traffic flows - both in and out of sites. These programs are called spiders or web crawlers. They are a specific type of bot, or software agent with a specialized purpose - to gather information from websites and index it in a HUGE database for recall.

It's a super complex task due the dynamic nature of the ever changing World Wide Web. Think about it, how many micro changes are made every day to the tens of millions of websites out there? It's staggering to comprehend.

Jordan Dane Scores Top Hit (Again!)!

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:53:00 +0000

Jordan Dane's last book in her ground-breaking romantic suspense debut trilogy -- NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM, NO ONE LEFT TO TELL, and NO ONE LIVES FOREVER, published March, April and May by Avon -- has just received another Top Pick from Romantic Times!

NO LIVES FOREVER rated an RT Top Pick 4.5 stars:

"The final book in Dane's outstanding launch trilogy picks up shortly after
No One Left to Tell. Heavy with atmosphere and creeping danger, this
page-turning thrill ride is unforgettable! Rarely does an author make such
an impact in such a short span of time."

Jill M. Smith - Romantic Times Book Review

For more information on Jordan and her smash hit trilogy, visit her website and The Thrill Begins!

Rainforest Reading!

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:44:12 +0000

Deep in the heart of a Brazilian rain forest, ITW Debut Author Leighton Gage (BLOOD OF THE WICKED) reveals the
only necessary survival tools: books by fellow ITW Debut Authors CJ Lyons (LIFELINES) and Jordan Dane (NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM).

Just more evidence that ITW Debut Authors are everywhere ...

Read all about them on the ITW website or The Thrill Begins!

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:36:22 +0000

The Thrill Begins: Home of the ITW Debut Authors

The International Thriller Writers membership includes some of the world's best-selling authors: David Morrell, Gayle Lynds, Lee Child, Sandra Brown, Clive Cussler, Jeffery Deaver, Tess Gerritsen, James Patterson and many, many more.

All of these authors' careers began with their first book. Browse the ITW Debut Authors' website, The Thrill Begins, and discover the best-sellers of tomorrow.

Interested in becoming an ITW Debut Author member?

If you're an ITW member with a debut novel publication date of July 2007 or later whose second book has not yet been released, contact CJ Lyons for information on how to become an ITW Debut Author member. Benefits include access to the ITW Debut Authors' private discussion forum, question and answer sessions with ITW member mentors, promotion tips, and general all-around support.

How Libraries Create Authors

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 04:27:39 +0000

Julie Kramer, author of the soon to be released STALKING SUSAN, was one of five authors selected to speak at the

LibraryJournal Breakfast at the Public Library Association Conference in Minneapolis March 27.

She talked about how libraries create authors, and how she wanted to be like Phyllis A. Whitney when she grew up."When I first decided to get serious about writing a book, one of the first things I did was go to the library," Kramer said. There she reread debut novels by her favorite thriller writers and tried analyzing what made them so good. That took about a year. And that was her favorite part of writing a book.

But she found making up stories harder than her day job as a journalist writing news, so she started checking out books about the craft of fiction. One of the most useful, WRITING MYSTERIES, featured advice from famous authors, including a chapter on pacing and suspense written by Phyllis A. Whitney. "I took her advice about curiosity, emotion, viewpoint and giving every character a secret. Eventually I had a big pile of pages."

Next she started checking out books about researching agents. And it worked. Elaine Koster agreed to represent her.

Then Kramer checked out books about the publishing industry, all the while revising and improving her manuscript. Before long she had a two-book deal with Doubleday. And her editor, Stacy Creamer, decided to market her book under suspense. Just like Phyllis A. Whitney.

-------
Julie Kramer's debut STALKING SUSAN will be released July 15, but will be available for early sale at Thrillerfest. To learn more about her, visit her website at www.juliekramerbooks.com .

Stories and Secrets with MJ Rose

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:13:04 +0000

MJ Rose: internationally best-selling author of nine novels, most recently, The Reincarnationist.

Founding member and board member of ITW.

Founder of the world's first marketing company for authors, AuthorBuzz.com.

Co-Author with Doug Clegg of Buzz Your Book, the writer's marketing bible.

Teacher of the famed Buzz Your Book class...

The list goes on. MJ's resume is as amazing as she is, and the ITW Debut Writers were thrilled beyond measure when MJ agreed to field our marketing questions recently. (Hint: if you qualify and haven't joined the Debut Author group, this is what you're missing!)

CJ Lyon's LIFELINES: A Perfect 10!

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:30:32 +0000

In addition to the accolades CJ Lyon's debut novel LIFELINES has received from Publisher's Weekly, The Baltimore Sun (a review to be picked up by the New York daily Newsday), and a Top Pick from Romantic Times, LIFELINES has scored a Perfect 10 from Romance Reviews Today!

"You have to read LIFELINES to believe it. The writing, storyline, descriptions, and characterizations are simply superb ... a gritty, breathtaking, nail-chewing wild ride in and about Pittsburgh. I found it difficult to put this book down. It is better than any medical story I have ever read and rivals the best in the movies and television. At the climax, readers will be hanging on by their fingertips. Emotions run high, and debut author C. J. Lyons blends everything and everyone seamlessly in this riveting drama. I award this must-read novel a Perfect 10."

~Vi Janaway, Romance Reviews Today

For the entire review, click here. For more information on the world of LIFELINES, visit CJ's website. LIFELINES is available in stores everywhere.

Researching the Thriller: When Ten Percent is Enough

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:22:50 +0000

By Andrew Peterson

In conversation, the subject of "research" often comes up. After offering a quick snapshot of my novel's plot and its protagonist, I'm often asked, "Is that what you used to do for a living?" My answer is always the same. No, I've never been a sniper or a covert CIA operative. And although they don't put their next question into words, I know what they're thinking: Then how can you write about it?

I always smile and answer the unasked question like this: "As far as I know, Anne Rice has never been a vampire." This usually brings a chuckle, but I also see the light go on behind their eyes.

It's a work of fiction, not an autobiography.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN - FROM DEBUT TO AGATHA NOMINATION

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 06:08:31 +0000

by Sibylle Barrasso

Hank Phillippi Ryan has wired herself with hidden cameras, chased down criminals, and confronted corrupt politicians. She's won 24 Emmys for investigative reporting. "But," she says, "I've never faced a challenge like getting my first novel published."

She writes the Charlotte McNally Mysteries, about a 46-year-old investigative TV reporter in Boston. She insists it's not about herself, "I'm older than that." Charlie McNally is married to her job and wonders what will happen when the camera doesn't love her anymore. The premise for her debut novel PRIME TIME: Charlie finds secret messages in computer spam.

For months and months, Hank thought she and her husband would be the only ones ever to read PRIME TIME. "I would crane my neck to see the mailbox as we would head up the driveway, home from work," she says. "And every day, every day, there would be that self-addressed brown envelope announcing that yet another agent had said no. Finally, I thought it was just not going to happen. One day, in tears, I said to my husband, 'Is Charlie McNally going to die? Is no one ever going to meet her?"

The Writers Chatroom Hosts Dane's Virtual Book Tour

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:57:33 +0000

During the month of March, The Writers Chatroom (TWC) is proud to host its first virtual book tour. The cyber-tour will feature debut author Jordan Dane and her back-to-back releases with Avon HarperCollins: NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM (April 08), NO ONE LEFT TO TELL (May 08), and NO ONE LIVES FOREVER (June 08).

TWC's Linda Hutchison had arranged the event after 'virtually meeting' Dane in MySpace. "I knew Jordan was doing everything we had ever thought of telling writers to do to market their wares. She had sold three novels to a major publishing house and three more in 2007. She also had a professional website and several very visible marketing strategies in place. She was definitely on my 'to be watched' list."

Publishers Weekly calls Dane's NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM a "dynamite debut" and compares Dane's intense pacing to Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner, and Tami Hoag-romantic suspense that "crosses over into plain thriller country". Avon/HarperCollins bought Jordan Dane's debut suspense series in auction and is launching this eagerly awaited trilogy in a back to back publishing event April through June 2008. "We are pursuing an aggressive release schedule," says Avon publisher Liate Stehlik, "because we believe strongly in this author. Jordan Dane is poised to be the 'next big thing' in the romantic suspense genre."

Many of TWC's authors have reviewed advance copies of NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM and will post their reviews and their own Q&A interviews with Jordan during March. And the event will culminate in a live moderated chat on March 30th. See dates and hosting authors links below. For more information on The Writers Chatroom, please visit their website at www.writerschatroom.com, voted as Writer's Digest "101 Best Websites for Writers".

Virtual Tour Dates and Links
March 5 - Billie Williams http://printedwords.blogspot.com

March 8 - Linda J. Hutchinson http://reviewhutch.blogspot.com

March 12 - Kim Richards http://kim-richards.livejournal.com/

March 15 - Lisa Haselton TBA

March 19 - Cricket Sawyer http://www.Cricketshearth.blogspot.com

March 22 - Diana Castilleja http://dianacastilleja.blogspot.com

March 26 - Renee' Barnes http://msqtpi.livejournal.com/

March 29 - Glenn Walker http://www.monsura.blogspot.com

March 30 - TWC Launch PARTY - Moderated Chat (7pm EST) March Chat Guests: C. Hope Clark, Kathryn Lilley, James McMullen, Darlene Hartman/ Simon Lang, and Jordan Dane.

The Long, Long Night

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:17:30 +0000

As my debut novel prepares to launch with a bang on Nov. 3, 2008, I thought I would look back to where this overnight success began.

I wrote my first novel at 14 when a junior high classmate ran away from home. After school, my best friend and I hopped on our bikes and scoured the suburban neighborhood, calling the girl's name and looking in her usual haunts. Although we came up empty in our search, the girl eventually showed up safe and sound. But it was that event that ignited in me an idea for a "What if?" story that eventually grew to be my first novel-length work.

I wrote that first draft in longhand -- despite having some of the worst handwriting to ever spring from the Scottish education system -- and became so enamored of the possibilities that I begged my parents for a portable manual typewriter for Christmas. With the typewriter in my eager little hands, I began the second draft of the novel that I titled, He Climbed A Crooked Ladder. The story was set in Baltimore-- a city I had never been to, so all the descriptions were of my local non-Baltimore neighborhood; the protagonist drove a car, even though I didn't have a driver's license; and it featured a rather interesting sex scene even though I was a virgin.

I finished the novel to my satisfaction sometime in high school (a third draft was written on a fancy new electric typewriter) and it has rested in a dusty box ever since. No one has ever read the finished script, but it taught me one of the most important lessons of bring a writer: I could turn an idea into a whole, novel-length story. Sure, the writing may not have been any good and the plot was probably a meandering mess, but I proved to myself that I could stick at a story and work through it until it was complete.

After that, I turned my attention to poetry (as being around pretty girls at school all day has a tendency to do) and published dozens of horrible ones in the school newspaper. This was also a very valuable lesson. Being published, even in such a small arena, meant people could read my work and offer their opinion. As you can imagine, some people (the closeted poets and lovers of secret diaries) thought I was incredibly brave, while others mocked and laughed at me to no end. Being able to accept this criticism for what it was is something every writer needs. It builds our armor for the future and strengthens our resolve to succeed.

Resolve, determination and pure pigheaded stubbornness was something I would soon discover I needed by the semitruckful.

-- Grant McKenzie
http://grantmckenzie.net
SWITCH
How far would you go to save the ones you love?
Bantam Transworld UK
Coming: November 3, 2008

Lifelines Launch and Thrilling Panels at LCC

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:56:58 +0000

Denver is hosting Left Coast Crime this year, and ITW Debut Authors and advisors are getting ready for "Murder onthe Rocks!"

CJ Lyons, already a star in the Centennial state from her keynote speaker gig at the Rocky Mountain Fiction

Writers' Conference, will be launching LIFELINES at LCC. CJ's signing schedule includes two events on March 5^th--a 5 PM signing at Denver's Murder by the Book, and a 7 PM launch at High Crimes in Boulder--and a March 6^th signing at the famous Tattered Cover bookstore in the historic LoDo section of Denver.

At the conference itself, CJ will be participating in a "Writers on Writing" segment with a class on how to write thrillers Thursday afternoon (12:30-1:15); moderating a hardboiled panel on Friday morning (8:30-9:15), and talking about the art of the thriller on Friday afternoon (3:45-4:30) with fellow ITW members Jeff Buick, Laura Caldwell, Linda Richards and Theresa Schwegel.

Jordan Dane in Meijer Major Book Tour

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:45:37 +0000

September 18 - 21, 2008
Meijer Book Tour 2008 - Five Cities in Michigan

Jordan Dane will be one of the featured authors for a book tour of Meijer Supercenters in Michigan hosted by Levy Entertainment. The tour will spotlight "lead title" authors for all the major publishing houses. The highly promoted event with its huge book signings will cover 9 stores and 5 cities--including Detroit, Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Lansing. The tour begins Thursday, September 18 and will end at the last store in Detroit on Sunday, September 21 at 6:00 pm. Stay tuned for more details, and be sure to check out Jordan's website for an updated schedule!