The December 2018 Edition of The Big Thrill

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

After more than 40 published books, bestselling author David Baldacci shares how he keeps his writing razor sharp in an engaging interview with Josie Brown. Authors Nancy Bilyeau, Marc Cameron, and Bryan Gruley give insight into their hot new releases, and Riley Sager delves into the anatomy of an option deal in the latest April Snellings’ Tales from the Script column. Plus, learn how YOU can learn from the thriller masters with ITW’s upcoming Online Career School. All this and much more in the December issue of The Big Thrill. 

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: David Baldacci by Josie Brown
• Tales From the Script: Anatomy of an Option by April Snellings
• Introducing ITW’s Inaugural Online Career School
• Up Close: Matt Coyle by R. G. Belsky
• Up Close: Nancy Bilyeau by Dawn Ius
• Up Close: Marc Cameron by J. H. Bográn
• Up Close: Bryan Gruley by April Snellings
• #Chill So You Can Deal by Bryan E. Robinson, PhD
• BookTrib Spotlight: Katrina Carrasco by Neil Nyren
• Africa Scene: Mike Nicol by Michael Sears

INTERVIEWS

• Gravy Train by Tess Makovesky
• The Clincher by Lisa Preston
• The Spectral City by Leanna Renee Hieber
• The Very Least by Ken Kuhlken
• Harbinger by Frank Zafiro and Jim Wilsky
• Pushback by John E. Stith
• Fireball, a J. T. Ryan Thriller by Lee Gimenez
• Reborn by Dan Mayer
• A Deadlier Breed by John Wayne Falbey
• Absinthe Without Leave by Carole Nelson Douglas

NEW RELEASES

• Avenue of Regrets by R. J. Pineiro
• Midsummer Mayhem by Marty Wingate
• Far From Home (Home Series Book Two) by C. Derick Miller
• Game Piece by Alan Brenham
• The Big Machine Eats: Stories by Beau Johnson
• The American Dossier by Uri Norwich
• Slay in Character by Lynn Cahoon
• The Answer to Everything by Ken Kuhlken
• Rotten Peaches by Lisa de Nikolits
• The Divine Affliction by Robert M. Fleisher
• Adrenaline Junkie: A Memoir by Les Edgerton
• Hearts of the Missing by Carol Potenza
• The Malta Escape by Chris Kuzneski
• Who I Am by Sarah Simpson
• The One that Got Away by Joe Clifford
• Fatal Legislation by Ellen Butler

Coming Next Month

The latest thrillers from Peter James, Andrew Grant, John Lescroart, James Rollins, J. H. Bográn, Taylor Stevens, Samuel W. Gailey, Mark Alpert, Eric Beetner, Terry Shames, Martin Jay Weiss, Simon Maltman, Matthew Quirk, R. Barri Flowers, Robert E. Kearns, Mark Pryor, J. T. Ellison, Cathi Stoler, Aimee Hix, L. A. Starks and many more!

Online Career School!

Have you signed a book deal and are now anxiously awaiting publication? Do book tours and social media expectations overwhelm you? Are you a frustrated author looking for discovery? Do you feel like you need better tools to help you with the “business of writing”?

If you can answer yes to any of these questions, then this eight-week online course is perfect for you! Let the experts teach you step-by-step how to succeed in publishing!

CLICK HERE to learn more about ITW’s inaugural Online Career School!

ThrillerFest XIV: Registration is Open!

Your ThrillerFest team proudly announces that the 2019 conference, held at the Grand Hyatt, New York City from July 9-13, is open for Early Bird Registration now. Don’t wait! Take advantage of the lowest prices available for the conference. Lock in your price for this great event now.

ThrillerFest XIV will include:

• 2019 ThrillerMaster John Sandford
• 2019 Silver Bullet Award recipient Harlan Coben
• 2018 Silver Bullet Award recipient James Rollins
• 2019 Thriller Legend Margaret Marbury
• 2019 Spotlight Guest Lisa Unger
• 2019 Spotlight Guest Stephen Hunter

ConsultFest: New! One-on-one fifteen minute session with a top acquiring editor or agent to get instant feedback on your query letter or first two pages of your manuscript. The writer will be assigned a time during CraftFest or ThrillerFest. Up to two consultations may be purchased when registering for any package.

ATF Pre-Conference Workshop: Presented by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Add authenticity to your thrillers! The pre-conference ATF Workshop is a limited attendance event on the day before the main elements of the ThrillerFest conference. Space is limited and has previously sold out quickly. The workshop will be held at the Grand Hyatt.

Master Class: This one-day intensive writing program allows your instructor to focus on your craft and your story. Everyone is welcome, from beginning writers to well-established authors. Teachers for Master Class 2019 include top-selling members of ITW who will work with you in a small class setting. Instructors this year will be Grant Blackwood, David Corbett, Karen Dionne, Robert Dugoni, Steven James, D. P. Lyle, Gayle Lynds, Donald Maass, and F. Paul Wilson. Space is limited, so sign up soon.

CraftFest: Learn the craft of thriller writing from the best in the genre! Hone your thriller writing skills on many topics to provide you with the tools needed to take your writing to the next level. Special feature: CareerFest! Now that you’ve written that sparkling manuscript, where do you go from there? You don’t want to miss it!

PitchFest: Face-to-face pitching with fifty-plus top agents and acquiring editors who are actively looking for new thriller writer clients. Don’t miss this exceptional opportunity. Purchase an admittance package that includes PitchFest.

ThrillerFest: Spotlight guests, extraordinary programming, author book signings, and camaraderie. Includes the ThrillerFest Grand Opening Reception on Thursday evening, July 11th.

Thriller Awards Banquet: John Sandford will receive his 2019 ThrillerMaster Lifetime Achievement award. 2018 Silver Bullet Award James Rollins will present the 2019 Silver Bullet Award to Harlan Coben. Margaret Marbury will receive the 2019 Thriller Legend Award. All Thriller Award Winners will be announced. Fun, entertainment, and before and after cocktail parties!

Conference elements are priced flexibly to allow you more choices to fit your pocketbook and tailor your experience as you wish. When combining several events, you’ll receive a discount off individual item prices. Early Bird prices are the lowest available, so don’t wait!

Register Today!

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 this month. You won’t want to miss it!

December 3 – 9: “Mentors can be some of the most intriguing characters in fiction as they are often deeply layered and, at times, seem counterintuitive. Who is your favorite fictional mentor? What is foremost in your mind as you create your mentor characters?”
December 10 – 16: “What are the happy accidental finds you’ve come across during the research of a novel?”
December 17 – 23: “Christmas themed thrillers, yes or no? And why?”
December 24 – 30: NO ROUNDTABLE
December 31 – January 6: NO ROUNDTABLE

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!

The NEW Big Thrill Book Giveaway

Congratulations to Mike Z. and Dee D. for winning November’s New The Big Thrill Book Giveaway! Mike and Dee will each receive 10 signed thrillers from ITW members!

You could be December’s winner. On December 7th we will choose 2 more lucky winners to receive 10 signed books each.

But you have to enter to have a chance to win.
Current and new subscribers welcome.
ENTER HERE!

Tear Me Apart by J. T. Ellison 
The Cuban Affair by Nelson DeMille
The Night of the Flood: A Novel in Stories  Edited by E. A. Aymar and Sarah M. Chen
High White Sun by J. Todd Scott 
Roses and Daisies and Death, Oh My by Penny Clover Petersen

The Hapsburg Variation by Bill Rapp 
Walk a Crooked Line by Susan McBride
Dive Smack by Demetra Brodsky
Hybrid by James Marshall Smith 
Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer 

Château Du Lac by David O’Neil 
Blood Legacy: A Samuel Tolen Novel by Gary Williams & Vicky Knerly 
Entangled Moon by E. C. Frey
A Tale of Two Murders by Heather Redmond
High Treason by DiAnn Mills

Exhume by Danielle Girard 
The Secrets You Keep by Kate White
Dark Hours by Sidney Williams
Afterage by Yvonne Navarro
The Old Cape Hollywood Secret by Barbara Eppich Struna

CLICK HERE to enter our next Big Thrill Giveaway.

You could be this month’s winner!