Larry Beinhart's upcoming novel, SALVATION BOULEVARD, has been optioned for the screen by Mandalay Independent Pictures, with George Ratliff set to write the screenplay and direct.

The novel, to be published this fall by Nation Books, concerns a private detective who confronts religious issues while investigating the death of a professor. According to Variety, "The exercise proves to be a clash of faiths: The detective is a born-again Christian, the dead man an atheist, the accused killer an Islamic foreign student and the D.A. is Jewish" and the book has a "satirical bent, targeting organized religion."

Beinhart's earlier novel novel American Hero was adapted for the screen in 1997 as the film Wag the Dog.

Heather Graham, Joe Lansdale, Brian Keene and L.A. Banks are the guests of honor at the First Annual Las Vegas KillerCon -- a new multi-genre (horror, thriller, and paranormal romance) convention. The event runs September 18th through the 20th, 2009 at the Palace Station Casino. For more details and registration information, visit www.killercon.org.

What do you call a series of books, geared towards male readers, that is similar to the "chick lit" genre? Unfortunately, there's no punchline, because we have no idea.

Here's the quandary: We released a book last fall, STUFF TO DIE FOR by award-winning novelist Don Bruns. STUFF TO DIE FOR received some phenomenal reviews, and it seems the novel's protagonists, James Lessor and Skip Moore, twenty-something slackers/would-be entrepreneurs/ amateur sleuths, really struck a chord with reviewers and readers. Numerous readers and reviewers described James and Skip as the Hardy Boys grown up, and Deadly Pleasures magazine said the book was "written with both the wit and the wisdom that seems to leave the actions, but not the minds, of most men once they hit thirty."

But one article really got us thinking. Jay MacDonald, book reviewer for the Ft. Myers News-Press, wrote this: "Bruns may have stumbled upon a goldmine: a legitimate male counterpart to the hugely successful chick lit novels."

A legitimate male counterpart to the hugely successful chick lit novels? That's good stuff.

But, what on earth should said genre be called? We put our heads together and made a few feeble attempts at coming up with a name. Male-o-drama (ugh), Histery, as opposed to mystery (double ugh), and one other idea that is just too unpalatable to print. Frankly, we're stumped.

Got an idea, a suggestion, a thought you'd like to share for this as-yet-to-be-named genre? Then kindly drop us an email at namethegenre@oceanviewpub.com. If your entry is chosen, Don will gladly include you as a character in book three of the Stuff series. Entries will be accepted until August 31, 2008.

STUFF TO DIE FOR has been awarded the Gold Medal in the Mystery Category of the ForeWord Book of the Year Awards, and won top honors in the mystery/suspense category of the 2008 National Indie Excellence Awards. Book two in the Stuff series, STUFF DREAMS ARE MADE OF, will be released on September 1, 2008.

Don Bruns is an award-winning novelist, songwriter, musician and advertising executive. He and his wife, Linda, divide their time between Ohio and South Florida. Oceanview Publishing (www.oceanviewpub.com) is an independent book publisher headquartered in Ipswich, Massachusetts. For more information, please contact Maryglenn McCombs by phone - (615) 297-9875, or by email - maryglenn@maryglenn.com.

Six thriller and mystery authors, all members of the International Thriller Writers, have banded together to launch Kill Zone, a new writer's blog. Michelle Gagnon, John Gilstrap, Clare Langley-Hawthorne, Kathryn Lilley, John Ramsey Miller, and Joe Moore will be posting six days a week on topics that inspire and interest them in their writing. Guest bloggers will be featured from time to time as well. Visit the Kill Zone at http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/

On August 1st, 2008, the City and County of San Francisco recognized a new fiction genre: Roman Noir.

ITW Debut Author Kelli Stanley received a Certificate of Honor, signed by Mayor Gavin Newsom, congratulating her on inventing a new literary genre and wishing her success on her historical thriller, NOX DORMIENDA (The Big Thrill, July '08).

Kelli celebrated her book launch and civic honor with a party the same evening, held at the nationally acclaimed speakeasy, Bourbon and Branch.

For more information on Roman Noir, Kelli or NOX DORMIENDA, visit Kelli's website.

The International Thriller Writers have introduced a new feature to our Big Thrill website--our brand new Photo Gallery. Visit our Flickr Gallery anytime to see pictures of ThrillerFest 2008 and 2007. And soon, the Gallery will also feature photos submitted by our members of their book signings, workshops, discussion panels, and other writer's conferences they've attended. Check back often and enjoy.
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Bestselling mystery author and ITW member R. Barri Flowers has sold a thriller short story, "The Wrong End of a Gun Barrel," to SEATTLE NOIR. It is part of the Akashic Books award-winning Noir Series.

SEATTLE NOIR will be published in the spring of 2009.

For further information on the Noir Series, visit
http://www.akashicbooks.com/

You can learn more about Barri and his crime fiction at:
http://www.rbarriflowers.com

On the evening of July 12th, 2008, the International Thriller Writers celebrated and announced the winners for their literary awards at a gala celebration at the Grand Hyatt in New York City.

The winners are:

The Silver Bullet Award for contribution to the advancement of literacy was presented to both Macy's and to David Baldacci.

The 2008 THRILLER Awards:

Best Novel:

New York, NY, July 14, 2008 -- The winners of the 2007 Strand Magazine Critics Award are Laura Lippman for best novel (WHAT THE DEAD KNOW) and Marcus Sakey for best first mystery novel (THE BLADE ITSELF). The winners were announced at an invitation only cocktail party in Manhattan, by bestselling author Jonathan Santlofer.

Both of the winners and several of the nominees were in attendance at the Midtown Executive Club. Lippman and Sakey were gracious winners, thanking the panel of book reviewers, congratulating their fellow nominees and acknowledging they were up against stiff competition.

 - Down River by John Hart (Thomas Dunne Books/Minotaur)

 - The Shotgun Rule by Charlie Huston (Ballantine Books)

 - The Strangler by William Landay (Delacorte Press)

 - The Watchman by Robert Crais (Simon and Schuster)

 - What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman (William Morrow)

 Best First Novel

 - The Blade Itself by Marcus Sakey (St. Martin's Minotaur)

 - In the Woods by Tana French (Viking)

 - The Mark by Jason Pinter (Mira Books)

 - Missing Witness by Gordon Campbell (William Morrow)

 - When One Man Dies by Dave White (Crown Publishing)

Lippman, a former journalist for The Baltimore Sun, is no stranger to winning many of the top crime fiction prizes: she has won the Edgar, The Anthony, The Shamus, and The Barry Awards. Her latest novel, ANOTHER THING TO FALL, was released this March by William Morrow.

In just two years, Marcus Sakey has blazed a trail as a new and talented mystery author with his two well written crime novels THE BLADE ITSELF and AT THE CITY'S EDGE. A former St. Martin's author, he has recently signed a deal with Dutton who will publish his next book, GOOD PEOPLE, in August.

Next year, the panel of judges will led by Otto Penzler and will feature critics from The Washington Post, the LA Times, The Associated Press, NPR, Time Magazine, Publishers Weekly and The New York Sun. For more information, please contact Christine Jones at 248 569 3702 or cjones@strandmag.com.

Multiple Bram Stoker Award winner and ITW member Jonathan Maberry and Emmy Award winner Laura Schrock have sold ON THE SLAB, a horror genre entertainment news show to ABC Disney, which will produce it through their Stage 9 Digital Media division and roll it out as in webisode format. ON THE SLAB is tentatively scheduled to air in October 2008.
For more information on Jonathan and his work, visit http://www.jonathanmaberry.com.