2015 Thriller Award Winners.

I share this news basically for two reasons: one that I really really wanted to be present but couldn't make the trip to NYC. And the second, or perhaps the first one if I wanted so damn self-centered (:-) ), is that I coordinated a group of terrific authors/ITW members as a panel for the Best Paperback Original novel. It was an honor and quite a privilege to read so many wonderful novels.

They winners are:

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

Megan Abbott – THE FEVER (Little, Brown and Company)

BEST FIRST NOVEL

Laura McHugh – THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD (Spiegel & Grau)

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL NOVEL

Vincent Zandri – MOONLIGHT WEEPS (Down & Out Books)

BEST SHORT STORY

Tim L. Williams – “The Last Wrestling Bear in West Kentucky” (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine)

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

Elle Cosimano – NEARLY GONE (Kathy Dawson Books)

BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL

C.J. Lyons – HARD FALL (Legacy Books)

The ITW's Thriller Roundtable

As you know, I coordinate the Thriller Roundtables for the ITW. It is a nice gig that allows me to interact with many wonderful authors from around the globe.

For the month of July, and as part of the Tenth Anniversary of Thriller Fest, we organized the topics around one of the main events of the fest: meeting the agents.

We have four wonderful topics that will be discussed by top-notch agents. Here is the list:

Jul 6 - 12 What is the most common mistake writers make in approaching an agent? 
Jul 13 -  19 What is the added-value of agents in the self-publishing model? 
Jul 20 - 26 Do agents have regrets about the story that got away? 
Jul 27 - Aug 2 When should a writer change agents? Are agents wary of writers with low sales seeking such a change? 

The first topic is already open and the agents participating are: Janet Reid, Jennifer Weltz, Albert Longden, Kimberly Cameron, Helen Heller, Michelle Wolfson, Alec Shane, Beth Phelan and John Raab.
The direct link is HERE!