The International Thriller Writers have launched a slick web page touting their acclaimed THRILLER short story anthology, which features stories by the biggest names in thriller fiction. On the Thriller Thrillsite, you can listen to one free story each week…from writers like Alex Kava, Denise Hamilton, Lee Child, Heather Graham, Gregg Hurwitz, Gayle Lynds, Raelynn Hillhouse, David Morrell, Brad Thor, and James Rollins. You can even enter to win a copy of the book signed by all the contributors. What are you waiting for?
Interesting that James Patterson is credited as editor, when Steve Berry said last fall that he was editing the darned thing. Is it true Patterson disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle six years ago, and they just keep putting his name on other people’s books to maintain the illusion he is still around?
Berry told a room full of writers at a conference I attended that he was disappointed so few of his fellow ITW members could write a decent short thriller. As I recall, he said he had to include two stories of his own just to fill pages (In fairness, he may have just been playing to the crowd – mostly women, mostly pretty).
With several consecutive NYT bestsellers (his latest shipped at #4, I believe), why wouldn’t Berry get top billing on an anthology he not only edited, but contributed to – twice?
Just curious.
(I hope this doesn’t piss off either Patterson – who may actually be a spector from beyond the grave, or Berry, who is something even scarier – a lawyer.)
I’ve read the ARC and seen the final product–Steve Berry has only one story in it. (And it was an exciting story about bin Laden surrendering and the US government cover up!)
I have no idea what was said at a writers conference, but judging from the ARC, ITW members can write amazing short thriller stories.
According to the intor, Steve Berry served as “Editorial Director” for the project. I don’t know what the heck that is, but I’m guessing it takes a lot to coordinate 30+ authors, the publisher and such.
I’ve read a handful of the stories so far and they’ve been quite good. It’s definitely a challenge to save the world in only 3000 words, though.