And snacks.

It was 2005. I'd just signed a contract with Kensington for my first thriller book, after a quarter century as a newspaper editor and writer. While I'd devoured thrillers all my life, starting with the Hardy Boys, progressing through Mickey Spillane and Robert B. Parker, re-reading The Day of the Jackal till the pages fell out, then leaping into the vast ocean of thrillers available today, I didn't know a thing about the thriller business. I needed to learn fast, so I wouldn't sound like more of an idiot than I normally am when conversing with agents, editors, publishers and, most of all, the authors I admired so much.

I asked my editor what I should do.

"There's a new organization for thriller writers," she said. "It's called ITW. I've heard good things about it. You should get involved."

I looked it up, and dropped a letter with my check and copy of my contract. Gayle Lynds responded, which bowled me over because she was, like, famous, and she was welcoming me. I asked her if there was anything I could do--ITW was hosting a party at Bouchercon, which in 2005 was being held in my hometown of Chicago, and I was available to do most anything needed.

"Can you go shopping?" Gayle asked. "One of our members is going to Costco to buy refreshments for the party, and it'd be a huge help to have a car."

That I could do, with as much panache as an aging Honda Civic could muster. I met up with Kathleen Antrim, who, as I've found with almost every ITW member I've met since, was warm, gracious, and a delight to pal around with. We headed to Costco and loaded a cart with the two things guaranteed to attract thriller writers: booze and snacks. The resulting party, the first official meeting of this group of internationally bestselling thriller superstars--and unknowns like me--was a rousing success.

And now, I'm the minty-fresh chairman of ThrillerFest 2010. I credit the liquor.

I've been involved with the festival since its 2006 debut in Phoenix, running the first live auction for charity under the tutelage of then-ThrillerFest Chair CJ Lyons. (Brad Meltzer was our auctioneer, and an ace one at that.) We raised thousands of dollars thanks to the baskets of goodies from more than a dozen ITW superstars. I ran the auction again in 2007, when we moved to our current home in New York City.

In 2008, Kathie, having graduated from shopper-in-chief to Vice President of National Events, asked me to direct a new event she'd dreamed up: AgentFest. Essentially speed-dating for writers, I'd recruit four dozen big-name literary agents and publishers, put them in a room with more than a hundred authors looking for representation, and make sure nobody killed each other. (Plus run the charity auction, which we'd now expanded to two separate live events, one for the folks attending CraftFest, the other for those attending ThrillerFest. With me as auctioneer for both. Oy.) Somehow it all worked out, and I volunteered again for 2009, primarily because a lot of ITW people helped me become a thriller writer and I wanted to return the favor, but mostly because it's fun. I've also been a contest judge, I've written for ITW publications, and I've done other things that needed doing.

Chairman is a great job, because I get to see every part of the festival, from loading dock to ballrooms. I get to work arm-in-arm with my shopping pal Kathie; indefatigable executive director Liz Berry; hundreds of authors, editors, publishers, agents, reviewers, booksellers, publicists and other industry pros; readers; and all the authors who are our committee chairs, without whom this festival simply would not exist. I can't emphasize that enough: from marketing to ad design to the website to the program book to helping Barnes & Noble stock the onsite store with thousands of copies of our members' books, committee chairs do the hard work, and do it with intelligence and flair. My job is to get that talent the stuff they need to provide you the biggest and best ThrillerFest yet.

Because ultimately, this festival is about you.

Shane Gericke

ThrillerFest V Chair

International Thriller Writers