The February 2018 Edition of The Big Thrill

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

In this issue, read about how the hottest controversies of the day appear in a new novel in our cover story on Alafair Burke. Bestselling authors John Lescroart, James Grippando, Lisa Black, J. D. Horn, and Christopher Reich take you behind the scenes on their new books, and Dawn Ius takes the temperature of the thriller genre in her latest “Trend Report.” In our other special columns, Charles Salzberg tells how he stays in the moment while writing in “Inside Creativity,” E. A. Aymar interviews John Copenhaver in “Debut Spotlight,” Layton Green talks to Deji Bryce Olukotun in “International Thrills,” and Michael Sears brings us Fred Strydom in “Africa Scene.”

Other fascinating interviews: Carter Wilson, Simon Wood, Bryan Robinson, DiAnn Mills, and 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: Alafair Burke by April Snellings
• Trend Report: Thriller Forecast 2018 by Dawn Ius
• Inside Creativity: The Role of Spontaneity by Charles Salzberg
• Debut Spotlight: John Copenhaver by E. A. Aymar
• Up Close: John Lescroart by Dawn Ius
• Up Close: James Grippando by Robert Rotstein
• Up Close: J. D. Horn by Wendy Tyson
• Up Close: Christopher Reich by R. G. Belsky
• Up Close: Carter Wilson by Dawn Ius
• Up Close: Lisa Black by R. G. Belsky
• Up Close: Bryan Robinson by Wendy Tyson
• International Thrills: Deji Bryce Olukotun by Layton Green
• Africa Scene: Fred Strydom by Michael Sears

INTERVIEWS

• High Treason by DiAnn Mills
• The Devil At Your Door by Eric Beetner
• Saving Grace by Simon Wood
• Sins of the Fathers by Joseph Badal
• Culprits: The Heist was Only the Beginning by Richard Brewer and Gary Phillips
• A Kill for the Poet by Simon Maltman
• Life During Wartime by Thomas Pluck
• The Honorable Traitors by John Lutz
• Man of Honor by Chris Malburg
• Killer Choice by Tom Hunt

NEW RELEASES

• Bad Samaritan by Dana King
• To March Into Hell by Ron Parham
• Lying, Cheating, and Occassionally Murder by Ginny Fite
• The River Below by Bonnie Hearn Hill
• Trinity by Richard Edde
• The Storm King by Brendan Duffy
• The Violet Crab by Bob Bickford

Coming Next Month

The latest thrillers from Walter Mosley, Brad Parks, Meg Gardiner, Brad Meltzer, Debra Webb, E. A. Aymar & Sarah M. Chen, Christopher Rice, Don Helin, Clarissa Goenawan, Rick Mofina, Saralyn Richard, Gordon McAlpine, Richard L. Mabry, Robert Bidinotto, Karen E. Olson, Jason Jack Miller, T.C. Lotempio, William L. Myers Jr. and many more!

ITW’s Online Thriller School: Registration is Open!

Seven weeks!
Seven bestselling authors!
Seven LIVE video instruction sessions!

Last year’s Thriller School was a great success and students came away with many new skills for their writing tool box. And this year will be just as useful to writers of all skill levels.

This year’s seven-week program begins April 2nd, 2018, and as before, the craft of thriller writing will be front and center. Each instructor will teach an aspect of craft though a real-time Facebook Live video available exclusively to the students who are registered for the Online Thriller School.

Click Here to Learn More

ThrillerFest XIII: Advance Registration is Open!

Your ThrillerFest team proudly announces that the 2018 conference, held at the Grand Hyatt, New York City from July 10-14, will include:

• 2018 ThrillerMaster George R.R. Martin
• 2018 Silver Bullet Award James Rollins
• 2017 ThrillerMaster Lee Child
• 2017 Silver Bullet Award Lisa Gardner
• 2018 Spotlight Guest Megan Abbott

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. The cost is $150 which includes morning coffee service. Lunch is on your own during a 1.5 hour break. Space is limited and has previously sold out quickly. The workshop will be held at the Grand Hyatt.

Master CraftFest: 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 CraftFest 2018 include top-selling members of ITW who will work with you in a small class setting. Instructors this year will be Steve Berry, Gayle Lynds, Grant Blackwood, F. Paul Wilson, Don Maass, Steven James, DP Lyle, and others. 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: You asked for a time dedicated to pitching your projects to agents, editors, publishers, and producers – we listened! Face-to-face pitching with top agents 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.

Thriller Award Banquet: 2018 ThrillerMaster George R.R. Martin will receive his ThrillerMaster Lifetime Achievement award, introduced by 2017 ThrillerMaster Lee Child. 2017 Silver Bullet Award Lisa Gardner will present the 2018 Silver Bullet Award to James Rollins. All Thriller Award Winners will be announced. Fun, entertainment, and before and after cocktail parties!

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 February. You won’t want to miss it!

February 5 – 11: “Is fact really stranger than fiction? How do you weave the two to make a really compelling story?”
February 12 – 18: “How do you start writing your novel?”
February 19 – 25: “Do you have a writing mentor? What’s the best lesson you’ve learned from your mentor?”
February 26 – March 1: “What can thriller writers learn from the film industry?”

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 Diana Mooney, the winner of this month’s BIG THRILL giveaway. Diana will receive an assortment of signed thrillers including Operation Down by Brad Taylor, A Reckoning in the Back Country by Terry Shames, The Hapsburg Variation by Bill Rapp, The Eulogist by Jeffrey B. Burton, Accidental Outlaws by Matt Phillips, Back Story (Caught Dead in Wyoming: Book 6) by Patricia McLinn, and An Engineered Injustice by William L. Myers, Jr.

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