The February 2015 Edition of The Big Thrill

Read the stories that were featured in the February edition of The Big Thrill.

February is all about affairs of the heart—but it wouldn’t be The Big Thrill without a side of murder and mayhem.

We kick off the month with a Between the Lines interview featuring New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner, who dishes on everything from cooking and marketing to her new release, CRASH & BURN.

Industry Spotlight returns with James Ziskin shining the light on Seventh Street Books, the new thriller and mystery imprint on the block with an already remarkable track record of success.

International Thrills correspondent J. F. Penn is back with a look at the life of bestselling Australian-British author Alan Baxter, and on the Africa Scene, Joanne Hichens profiles Cape Town’s Priscilla Holmes.

Plus, we have not one, not two, but three Specials to The Big Thrill this month. Steve Vincent explores why we love the political thriller. Jan Thomas and Grant Jerkins give us the scoop on the art of collaboration. And Jerry Amernic talks about the importance of the historical thriller.

As if that isn’t enough to fall in love with this issue, we’ve got interviews with more than twenty authors—all International Thriller Writers members—about their heart-pounding new releases.

Hot off the press:

Click on the book title below to read the feature story or click here to scroll through all of this month’s articles.

• Between the Lines with New York Times Bestselling Author Lisa Gardner by Dawn Ius
• Special to the Big Thrill: Why We Love the Political Thriller by Steve P. Vincent
• Special to the Big Thrill: The Long Road to Collaboration by Grant Jerkins and Jan Thomas
• Special to the Big Thrill: The Importance of the Historical Thriller by Jerry Amernic
• Industry Spotlight: An Inside Look at Seventh Street Books by James Ziskin
• International Thrills:  An interview with bestselling Australian-British author Alan Baxter by J. F. Penn
• Africa Scene: An Interview with Priscilla Holmes by Joanne Hichens
• Twelve Days by Alex Berenson
• Big Mojo by Jack Getze
• Allure of Deceit by Susan Froetschel
• End of Secrets by Ryan Quinn
• Crazy Love You by Lisa Unger
• Little Black Lies by Sandra Block
• Blood Infernal by Rebecca Cantrell and James Rollins
• The Accidental Alchemist by Gigi Pandian
• Dead Red by Tim O’Mara
• Reluctant Assassin by Ken Oxman
• One To Go by Mike Pace
• Blockbuster by Lisa von Biela
• Monday’s Lie by Jamie Mason
• Bender by Brian Pinkerton
• Hungry Like the Wolf (SWAT 1) by Paige Tyler
• Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose
• Against the Sky by Kat Martin
• Lane Changes by S. L. Ellis
• The Abduction of Mary Rose by Joan Hall Hovey
• In The Woods by Merry Jones

Coming Next Month

The latest thrillers from David Morrell, Mary Louise Kelly, Rick Mofina, Wendy Corsi Staub, Diane Kelly, Hallie Ephron, Annelise Ryan, Glen Erik Hamilton, Philip Donlay, Gigi Pandian, Stephen Edger, Rick Campbell, Kathryn Casey, Jean Heller, Louise Voss, Nicole Maggi, David Putnam, Connie Archer, Jean-Pierre Alaux & Noël Balen, Leslie Budewitz, Jack DeWitt, Jeffrey B. Burton, Trisha Leaver & Lindsay Currie, Douglass Seaver, Cecilia Ekback, Eric Giacometti & Jacques Ravenne, Dani Pettrey, Steve Cavanagh, Francine Mathews, Douglas Wynne and many more!

New E-Releases from ITW Members

• Cuffed: Tales from the Street by Suzanne Berube Rorhus
• Human, All Too Human by Steve Attridge
• Strangers on a Plane by Kay Kendall
• First World War by Ken Pelham
• Condemned by Michael McBride
• Firebug by Michael McBride
• Daddy’s Home by Paul Dale Anderson
• Beyond Good and Evil by Steve Attridge
• 11 by Kylie Brant
• Be Mine: Ten Erotic Romances for Valentine’s Day by Denise A. Agnew
• The Pisces Affair by Daco
• Initiated to Kill by Sharlene Almond
• The Mazovia Legacy by Michael E. Rose
• Blue Amber by William Burton McCormick
• See Them Run (Lucy Kendall #2) by Stacy Green
• Stolen by Dawn Kopman Whidden
• Secret Wars: An Espionage Story by Joe Goldberg
• Public Service by Colin Knight
• Killer Connection (A Hawaii Mystery Novelette) by R. Barri Flowers
• Ditching David by Jenna Bennett
• Confessions Of A Hit Man by Richard Godwin
• Raising Hell by John G. Hartness
• The Organ Harvesters by Bette Golden Lamb
• Gates of Hell by J.F.Penn
• Murder Most Rural by Charlie Flowers
• Samuel Elijah Johnson Series by Troy Lambert
• The Devil Made Me Do It by Paul Dale Anderson
• Twisted by Michaelbrent Collings
• Skin of My Teeth: Volume 1 (Skinned: Book 3) by Judith Graves
• Murder Will Out by Alison Joseph
• Boysie Blake: Problem Solver by Max Myers
• The Tesla Legacy by Rebecca Cantrell
• Death of a Songbird by Christine Goff
• Choosing Evil (Ensouled Trilogy, #1) by Kristina Rienzi
• Black River by Tom Lowe
• Ephemeral: A Brainrush Thriller by Richard Bard
• Everlast: A Brainrush Thriller by Richard Bard

New Audio Books from ITW Members

• Graduate Circles: A Women’s Epistolary Novel by R. Barri Flowers
• If the Shoe Kills by Lynn Cahoon
• Bet on Love by Devon Vaughn Archer
• Everlast: A Brainrush Thriller by Richard Bard
• The Sex Slave Murders 3: The Horrific Tale of Serial Killers Leonard Lake & Charles Ng by R. Barri Flowers
• Murder Aboard the Titanic: A Mystery At Sea Short by R. Barri Flowers

ThrillerFest X – Register Today!

ThrillerFest X – July 7th – 11th, Grand Hyatt, NYC.

Check out the Thrillerfest website, registration now available!

In 2015 we’ll be honoring:

• 2015 ThrillerMaster Nelson DeMille
  
• 2014 ThrillerMaster Scott Turow
• 2015 Silver Bullet Recipient Kathy Reichs
  
• 2014 Silver Bullet Recipient Brenda Novak
  
• 2015 Spotlight guest Mark Billingham
  
• 2015 Spotlight guest Charlaine Harris
• 2015 Spotlight guest Greg Iles

Some of the highlights of this year’s event include:

• Master CraftFest
• CraftFest
• PitchFest
• CareerFest
• ThrillerFest
• Thriller Awards Banquet

Want to learn more about ThrillerFest? Read a recap of the last ThrillerFest, ThrillerFest IX: Celebrating Ten Years of Innovation by Kimberley Howe and Anthony J. Franze

ITW’s Online ThrillerSchool Returns March 2nd, 2015!

Seven Weeks! Seven Bestselling Authors!

Join Steven James, D.P. Lyle, Robert Dugoni, Gayle Lynds,

Andrew Gross, Linwood Barclay and Heather Graham!

In this seven-week program, which begins March 2nd, 2015, the craft of thriller writing will be front and center. Each instructor will teach an aspect of craft though a podcast, written materials that include further reading and study suggestions, and an entire week of online Q&A with the registered students. The goal is simple: To make each student a better writer.

Like last year, the online school will fill up very quickly, so register soon. Visit ITW’s Online Thriller School for more information.

The Thriller Roundtable

Whether you’re a fan or an author, you’ll want to join the Thriller Roundtable discussions at TheBigThrill website, where each week a new group of authors discuss everything from what they love about writing thrillers, to what they’ve learned, and more.

Here’s what’s in store for February!

February 2 – 8: Do authors sometimes regret killing off a character?
February 9 – 15: ITW Member Brian C. Poole says:  “At heart all storytellers are liars.”  How do our stories lie?
February 16 – 22: Could you write or revise your novel if word processors were not available – or do you?
February 23 – March 1: The first time you discovered thrillers as a genre … do you remember which book it was, and how it landed in your hands?

Authors, don’t miss this promotional opportunity! Participate in the Thriller Roundtable by contacting J.H. Bográn.

The Neverending Book Giveaway

If you’re a thriller fan who likes to win free books, be sure to check out the Neverending Book Giveaway on The Big Thrill website. Sign up for as many of the contests as you like! Just post a reply, and you’re entered!

Don’t forget to scroll down the list of contests or CLICK HERE for more contests and giveaways so you don’t miss any. (Tip: to shorten the display, click “Toggle Comment Threads.”) And because this book giveaway is “neverending,” be sure to check back often to enter the latest drawings!

Monthly Giveaway

Congratulations to Jeff Spangler, the winner of this month’s BIG THRILL giveaway. Jeff will receive an assortment of signed thrillers including Aftershock by Philip Donlay, The Accidental Alchemist by Gigi Pandian, Buried by Elizabeth Goddard, Viking Bay by M. A. Lawson, South of Good by Randall Reneau, Unseen Forces by Ed Kovacs, Storm Damage by Ed Kovacs, Good Junk by Ed Kovacs, Paw and Order by Diane Kelly, In the Woods by Merry Jones, The Replacements by David Putnam and The Fourth Rule by Douglass Seaver.