The February 2017 Edition of The Big Thrill

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

In this issue, we discover how John Lescroart explores the depths of human frailty in his suspense fiction. We also hear about thriller craft from Mark Greaney and CJ Lyons, and in “Turning Point,” Heather Graham and Jon Land talk about joining forces to write a YA suspense.

We have two exciting “Author Guided Tour” columns this month! Robert Dugoni writes about Seattle, while Christine Feehan explores New Orleans. In “Africa Scene,” Paul Mendolson takes us to Cape Town, while in “International Thrills” we discover the dark side of the Eternal City through Sandrone Dazieri.

In “Trend Report,” Dawn Ius charts a course for romantic suspense in 2017. SJI Holliday interviews Steph Broadribb for “Debut Spotlight.” And in our new column “True Thrills,” covering nonfiction, author Claudia Rowe reveals her obsession with understanding a serial killer.

We also cover new books from K. J. Howe, Reed Farrel Coleman, Kat Martin, Lisa Black and 20 more.

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.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Between the Lines: John Lescroart by James Ziskin
• Author Guided Tour: Robert Dugoni
• Author Guided Tour: Christine Feehan
• Turning Point: Heather Graham and Jon Land by April Snellings
• Debut Spotlight: Steph Broadribb by SJI Holliday
• Trend Report: Romantic Suspense Forecast 2017 by Dawn Ius
• African Scene: Paul Mendelson by Michael Sears
• International Thrills: Sandrone Dazieri by Layton Green
• True Thrills: Claudia Rowe by Dawn Ius
• Up Close: Mark Greaney by R.G. Belsky
• Up Close: K. J. Howe by Dawn Ius
• Up Close: CJ Lyons by Alex Segura
• Up Close: Karen Harper by Alison McMahan

INTERVIEWS

• A Short Time to Die by Susan Alice Bickford
• Hardway by Hector Acosta
• Rise, How a House Built a Family by Cara Brookins
• Into the Firestorm by Kat Martin
• Undercover Protector by Elizabeth Goddard
• Sins of the Father by Winter Austin
• The Excoms by Brett Battles
• Murdered in the Gourmet Kitchen by R. Barri Flowers
• Leon’s Legacy by Lono Waiwaiole
• Unpunished by Lisa Black

NEW RELEASES

• The Year of the Dog by John Wayne Falbey
• Winterlong by Mason Cross
• What You Break by Reed Farrel Coleman
• No Safe Place by Matt Hilton
• Moving Target by Lynette Eason
• Ready Set Rogue by Manda Collins
• Coast to Coast: Private Eyes from Sea to Shining Sea by Andrew McAleer and Paul D. Marks
• Under the Knife by Kelly Parsons
• Deadly Spirits: A Mac McClellan Mystery by E. Michael Helms
• The Origins of Benjamin Hackett by Gerald M. O’Connor
• Co-Co-Caleevio by David Alexander
• The Last Collar by Lawrence Kelter & Frank Zafiro
• In Defiance by John W. Mefford
• Black Moon Rising by Ann Simas
• Ocean of Storms by Christopher Mari and Jeremy K. Brown

Coming Next Month

The latest thrillers from Lisa Gardner, Rhys Bowen, J. H. Bográn, Charles Salzberg, Brad Parks, Matthew Betley, Catherine Coulter & J.T. Ellison, Barry Lancet, James Grippando, A.J. Tata, Paige Tyler, Michael Niemann, Adrian McKinty, Josie Brown, James Cabot, Paul Howard, Paul A. Barra, Rick Mofina, Nancy J. Cohen, Merry Jones, Lynn Chandler Willis, Philip Donlay, Cynthia Kuhn, David Sakmyster and many more!

ThrillerFest XII: Registration is Open!

Your ThrillerFest team is already hard at work planning for next July’s conference where we’ll feature 2017 ThrillerMaster Lee Child, 2016 ThrillerMaster Heather Graham, 2017 Silver Bullet Award recipient Lisa Gardner, 2016 Silver Bullet Award recipient John Lescroart and MATCH UP (ITW Anthology) authors: Lara Adrian, Steve Berry, C.J. Box, Sandra Brown, Lee Child, Nelson DeMille, Diana Gabaldon, Andrew Gross, Charlaine Harris, Lisa Jackson, Peter James, J.A. Jance, Michael Koryta, Gayle Lynds, Val McDermid, David Morrell, Kathy Reichs, John Sandford, Lisa Scottoline, Karin Slaughter, and Eric Van Lustbader.

Like a compelling page-turner, we need to keep you in suspense, so stay tuned for more details!

Master CraftFest: An extraordinary opportunity for writers and authors to meet and learn from the best in the industry in a full day of teaching and review of sample writing on Tuesday.

CraftFest: A host of industry experts or phenomenal teachers helping writers and authors improve their craft or assist in advancing their careers in classroom-type settings of hour-long sessions throughout the day Wednesday and Thursday morning.

PitchFest: An incredible opportunity for writers to pitch their manuscripts to as many of the best agents, publishers, and editors in the industry as they want on Thursday afternoon. (Note: Registration for PitchFest is an additional cost to either CraftFest or ThrillerFest and cannot be purchased as a stand-alone event for writers.)

ThrillerFest: A wonderful opportunity to meet the most successful and bestselling thriller authors in the world, starting with the Opening Night Cocktail Party on Thursday evening, and continuing with panels, interviews, and autograph sessions on Friday and Saturday.

The Thriller Awards Banquet, which is an added feature on the registration options, provides attendees a chance to see authors recognized by their peers for their work on Saturday night, the closing event. This is an amazing experience for both readers and authors, and should not be missed.

Register Today!

ITW’s Fourth Annual Online ThrillerSchool!

Starts March 13th, 2017

Seven Weeks! Seven Bestselling Authors!

Join Lee Child, Meg Gardiner, David Corbett, James Scott Bell, Peter James, Hank Phillippi Ryan and F. Paul Wilson.

In this seven-week program, which begins March 13th, 2017, 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 the past two years, 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 The Big Thrill 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.

Check out what’s in store for February. You won’t want to miss it!

February 6 – 12: “How is the outcome of the 2016 US presidential election going to change thrillers?”
February 13 – 19: “As an author, do you encourage your family and community to read more?”
February 20 – 26: “How long does it take you to write a book? Why do some stories flow so much faster than others?”
February 27 – March 5: “Some authors refuse to blurb or review books in their genre, because as one put it, she did not want to be accused of borrowing ideas. Do you review books in your genre?”

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 David C. Parlier, the winner of this month’s BIG THRILL giveaway. David will receive an assortment of signed thrillers including Dirty Deeds by Armand Rosamilia, Undercover Protector by Elizabeth Goddard, Conspiracy of Silence by Ronie Kendig, Chilled to the Bones by Linda Lee Kane, Slave Queen by H.B. Moore, Moon Over Ruin by Lisa von Biela, The Unsettling Crime for Samuel Craddock by Terry Shames, The Veritas Deception by Lynne Constantine and Where the Lost Girls Go by R. J. Noonan.

All subscribers to The Big Thrill magazine are automatically eligible for the monthly drawing. CLICK HERE to subscribe to The Big Thrill.