The March Edition of The Big Thrill

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

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

27 new thrillers this month from ITW members, including 6 from first-time authors Paul McEuen, Ethan Cross, Taylor Stevens, Ian Hamilton, David Duffy and E.J. Knapp, plus news from South Africa, an in-depth interview with the prolific and talented F. Paul Wilson, and more.

Print the Big Thrill list and head on down to your favorite bookstore, or download your selections to your electronic e-reader, and enjoy a month’s worth of great reading from your friends at the International Thriller Writers.

Hot off the press:

Click on a book title to read the feature story

• A Between the Lines Interview with F. Paul Wilson
• Special to The Big Thrill: Save The Libraries, by Karin Slaughter
• News from South Africa by Mike Nicol
• Live Wire by Harlan Coben
• The Informationist by Taylor Stevens
• Spiral by Paul McEuen
• Kiss Me, Kill Me by Allison Brennan
• Last to Fold by David Duffy
• The Shepherd by Ethan Cross
• Silent Mercy by Linda Fairstein
• So Close The Hand Of Death by J.T. Ellison
• Stealing The Marbles by EJ Knapp
• The Water Rat of Wanchai by Ian Hamilton
• The King of Plagues by Jonathan Maberry
• Twice a Spy by Keith Thomson
• Beaglemania by Linda O. Johnston
• Rock Bottom by Erin Brockovich and CJ Lyons
• Deadly Lies by Cynthia Eden
• Buried in Briny Bay by Bobbye Terry
• Green-Eyed Demon by Jaye Wells
• The Gallows Curse by Karen Maitland
• Public Anatomy by A. Scott Pearson
• Vegas Knights by Matt Forbeck
• Mahu Blood by Neil S. Plakcy
• Fall From Grace by Wayne Arthurson
• Against the Law by Kat Martin
• Bermuda Heat by P.A. Brown
• Into the Black–A Nick Kismet Adventure by Sean Ellis
• In the Shadow of Evil by Robin Caroll
• Every Shallow Cut by Tom Piccirilli

.

Coming Next Month

Coming next month: the latest thrillers from Richard L Mabry, MD, J.N. Duncan, John M. Wills, Larry D. Thompson, Rick Mofina, Douglas Corleone, Sandra Balzo, David Hewson, Jeremy Robinson, Jessica Speart, Alan Orloff, Jonathan Hayes, Diane Whiteside, Kylie Brant, James Grippando, Clea Simon, Paula Graves, Jordan Dane, Brian O’Grady, Brett Battles, R. Barri Flowers, Steven Paul Leiva, Cheryl Norman, Hallie Ephron, AM Riley, Ernesto Patino, Kay Thomas, Kat Martin and more. It’s gonna be a thriller!

“Save the Libraries” Initiative

At a time when Americans need their libraries the most, funding is being slashed, staffs are being cut and doors are being closed. The story is the same in most library systems: demand is up, funding is down. Why do we need libraries?

“For many children in rural areas of our country,” ITW member and bestselling author Karin Slaughter answers, “the library offers their only access to books and the Internet outside of the schoolroom.  For adults, many companies only accept job applications filed over the Internet. Mechanics and other professionals need access to costly manuals that are free at their local library.  65% of entrepreneurs use the library to research opening their own business.  And, believe it or not, there are still children whose highlight of the week is that trip to the library.  It was true when I was a kid and it’s doubly true now: the library is the beating heart of any community.”

With support from ITW, and in cooperation with Library Journal contributor and ITW member Jeff Ayers, Slaughter has put her sentiments into action with the “Save the Libraries” program.  The first Save the Libraries event, scheduled for March 12, 2011, will raise funds for the DeKalb County (GA) Public Library system. On that date fellow writers Mary Kay Andrews – who writes the Callahan Garrity mystery series as Kathy Hogan Trocheck – and Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help, will join Slaughter at the Decatur Public Library in Decatur, Ga., for “A Mysterious Evening.”

Tickets to “A Mysterious Evening” may be purchased online now for $65 or, if the event has not sold out, at the door for $75. This price includes hors d’oeuvres, wine or beer, a book signing and a performance of the play Murder Medium-Rare. Those who cannot attend the March 12 event will be able to participate in an online auction. The Facebook fan page for Save the Libraries lists many of the items to be auctioned off.

“As a lasting legacy,” Slaughter says, “there is nothing more important we can do than to make sure everyone has free and open access to reading.  Whether it’s celebrating banned book week or risking jail time in support of reader privacy, librarians have always stood up for the rights of writers.  It’s time that we stood up for them.”

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 what inspires them, who their favorite hero characters are, what advice they’d offer the next generation of thriller authors, and more. Here’s March’s schedule:

Week of February 28 – March 6: “What is your favorite thriller sub-genre? Why?” with Susanna Kearsley, LJ Sellers, Matt Hilton, Mark Alpert, J. H. Bográn, CE Lawrence, Aileen Baron

Week of March 7 – 13: “What is the best debut novel you’ve ever read?” with Karen Dionne, George Eby, Tracy March, Pat Brown, Neil Plakcy

Week of March 14 – 20: “We talk so much about character and conflict. What about setting? Is it just a backdrop? Or a key element to your story?” – Watch The Big Thrill website for the list of participating authors

Week of March 21 – 27: “How do you separate yourself from the characters you write? Or do you?” – Watch The Big Thrill website for the list of participating authors

Week of March 28 – April 3: “Dialogue can be tricky, as the author has to give each character a unique voice that is also distinct from his or her own. How do you do it?” – Watch The Big Thrill website for the list of participating authors

.

Monthly Giveaway

Congratulations to Kim Mattox, the winner of this month’s BIG THRILL giveaway. Kim will receive an assortment of signed thrillers including Winter Break by Kayla Perrin, Lucky Stiff by Deborah Coonts, Shadow Force by Matt Lynn, A Heartbeat Away by Michael Palmer, Cat Sitter Among the Pigeons by Blaize Clement, The Irish Princess by Karen Harper, Targeted by John M. Wills, Indefensible by Pamela Callow, Deadly Games by Cate Noble, and The Rook by Steven James.

All subscribers to THE BIG THRILL webzine are automatically eligible for the monthly drawing. CLICK HERE to subscribe to the BIG THRILL email.