July 23 – 29: What is the most extreme thing you’ve done in the name of research?

This week the Thriller Roundtable gets extreme when Joseph Amiel, Kathryn Casey, Thomas Young, Ken Pelham, Alex Kava, Lissa Kessler, Angie Fox, R. Thomas Riley and Kathleen George answer the question: “What is the most extreme thing you’ve done in the name of research?”

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Lisa Kessler is an award winning author of dark paranormal fiction. Her debut novel, NIGHT WALKER, won a San Diego Book Award for best Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror, and was also a double finalist for the Book Seller’s Best for Best Paranormal and Best First Book. Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, IMMORTAL BELOVED, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award. Lisa lives in southern California with her incredibly fun husband and two amazing kids.

Angie Fox is the New York Times bestselling author of several books about vampires, werewolves and things that go bump in the night. She is best known for her Accidental Demon Slayer series. She is also writing a series about a group of paranormal M*A*S*H surgeons. The first book in the Monster MASH trilogy, titled IMMORTALLY YOURS, is due out from St. Martin’s Press in August 2012.

R. Thomas Riley is the author of the short story collection THE MONSTER WITHIN IDEA (2009-2011) published by Hugo Nominated Apex Publications and re-released as a Kindle exclusive in 2011. IF GOD DOESN’T SHOW (co-written with John Grover) will be published by Permuted Press and Audible.com, July 2012. DIAPHANOUS (co-written with Roy C. Booth) is available now. THE DAY LUFBERRY WON IT ALL was adapted to short film by Frosty Moon Omnimedia in 2010.

Kathleen George is the editor of PITTSBURGH NOIR and the author of  TAKEN, FALLEN, AFTERIMAGE, THE ODDS (Edgar finalist, best novel), HIDEOUT, and the forthcoming SIMPLE.  The novels are set in Pittsburgh.  The author teaches theatre and writing at Pitt.

Ken Pelham grew up in the off-the-radar South Florida farm town of Immokalee, sandwiched between coasts and snuggled against wild, wooly Big Cypress Swamp. Before turning his attention to novels, he wrote numerous short stories and articles. He lives in Maitland, Florida, with his wife, Laura.

Alex Kava is the New York Times bestselling author of twelve novels, ten in the critically acclaimed Maggie O’Dell series. She is the recipient of the Mari Sandoz Award. Her novels are published in over 26 countries. Alex Kava is also the author of two stand alone thrillers, ONE FALSE MOVE and WHITEWASH.

A novelist and an award-winning journalist, Kathryn Casey is the creator of the Sarah Armstrong mystery series and the author of six highly acclaimed true crime books. Her first novel, SINGULARITY, was one of Booklist’s best crime novel debuts of 2009, and Library Journal chose the third, THE KILLING STORM, as one of the best books of 2010. Casey’s protagonist is a Texas Ranger/profiler headquartered in Company A, Houston. Kathryn Casey has appeared on Oprah, Oprah Winfrey’s Oxygen Network, Court TV, Biography, Nancy Grace, E! Network, TruTv, Investigation Discovery, The Travel Channel and A&E. Ann Rule calls Casey “one of the best in the true crime genre.”

Tom Young served in Afghanistan and Iraq with the Air National Guard. Military honors include two Air Medals, three Aerial Achievement Medals, and the Air Force Combat Action Medal. Young is the author of THE MULLAH’S STORM, SILENT ENEMY, and THE RENEGADES. His newest novel, THE RENEGADES, is set in the Afghanistan war and received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.

Joseph Amiel is an internationally best-selling author, whose novels include STAR TIME, BIRTHRIGHT, DEEDS, HAWKS and A QUESTION OF PROOF. He has also won awards for screenwriting and for his comedy-mystery web series Ain’t That Life. A graduate of Amherst College and Yale Law School, he is married and lives in New York City.