June 16 – 22: “How has an editor’s advice helped with your story?”

This week we turn to editorial advice and ask ITW Members Meg Gardiner, Kate White, Sheila Lowe, Tom Wither, Kym Brunner, Ridley Pearson, Tim Waggoner, Kathrin Lange, Amy Lignor and Neil Plakcy: “How has an editor’s advice helped with your story?”

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Tom Wither’s debut work is THE INHERITOR, a military thriller that crosses four countries in pursuit of the leader of a resurgent al-Qaeda.  According to Publisher’s Weekly, “…the narrative provides plenty of mind numbing twists and turns along the way. Military buffs and fans of high-stakes action thrillers will find a lot to like.”  Tom served his country at home and abroad for more than 25 years as a member of Air Force Intelligence. Tom holds professional certifications from the NSA as an Intelligence Analyst, and the Director of National Intelligence as an Intelligence Community Officer. He lives near Baltimore.

Like her fictional character Claudia Rose in the award-winning Forensic Handwriting Mysteries series, Sheila Lowe is a real-life forensic handwriting expert who holds a Master of Science in psychology. She authored the internationally acclaimed The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Handwriting Analysis and Handwriting of the Famous & Infamous, as well as the Handwriting Analyzer software. Her analyses of celebrity handwritings have appeared in Teen People, Tiger Beat, Us, Mademoiselle, and many others.

Meg Gardiner is the bestselling author of twelve thrillers, including the Edgar Award winner China Lake and the 2012 Audie Award winner The Nightmare Thief. Her new novel Phantom Instinct is published June 26th.

Kym Brunner has been writing action-packed novels for young adults for ten years. An active member of International Thriller Writers (ITW) and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), she spearheads two writing groups. When she’s not writing, Kym teaches reading and language arts for seventh graders––which is an action-packed thriller all on its own. She’s repped by Eric Myers of the Spieler Agency and resides in the Chicago area. WANTED: DEAD OR IN LOVE (Merit Press, June 30, 2014) is her debut novel.

Shirley Jackson Award finalist Tim Waggoner has published over thirty novels and three short story collections of dark fiction. He teaches creative writing at Sinclair Community College and in Seton Hill University’s Master of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction program.

As the daughter of a career librarian Amy Lignor grew up loving books; ‘Patience & Fortitude’ at the NYPL are still her heroes. Beginning in the genre of historical romance with, “THE HEART OF A LEGEND,” Amy moved into the YA world where her first team from THE ANGEL CHRONICLES became a beloved hit. Moving into the action/adventure world with TALLENT & LOWERY, Amy has created a new, incredibly suspenseful, team that has once again exploded with readers everywhere. Born in Connecticut, Amy is now living in the bright sunshine of Roswell, NM, delving into her next adventure.

Kathrin Lange was born in 1969 and lives in Northern Germany. After passing the Abitur and training to be a publishing bookseller, she spent some time working at a theological bookshop. When her children were born, she founded her own media design company. From 2002 to 2004, she published the author’s magazine FEDERWELT, and since 2005 she has been writing novels. Her exciting thrillers are published by Blanvalet and Arena. Kathrin Lange is deeply committed to the promotion of reading. She also works as a novel writers’ coach, and in addition to the International Thriller Writers, she also is a member of the leading German crime-authors organisation SYNDIKAT.

Ridley Pearson is the New York Times bestselling author of more than four dozen novels, including Choke Point and The Risk Agent, featuring globetrotting problem-solvers John Knox and Grace Chu, as well as the Walt Fleming and Lou Boldt crime series, and many books for young readers. The play “Peter and the Starcatcher,” based on his novel written with Dave Barry, was the recipient of five 2012 Tony Awards. He lives with his wife and two daughters, dividing his time between St. Louis, Missouri, and Hailey, Idaho.

Kate White is the New York Times bestselling author of six Bailey Weggins mysteries and three stand-alone suspense novels, Hush, The Sixes, and the upcoming Eyes on You (June 24). She was the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan for 14 years. She is also the editor of the upcoming MWA cookbook.

A native of Bucks County, PA, where the Golden Retriever Mysteries are set, Neil Plakcy is the author of more than two dozen novels and short story collections. He is the proud papa of two rambunctious goldens, Brody and Griffin. More information on his books can be found at his website.