Are you a debut author with a book out in 2008 or 2009? Would you love to attend ThrillerFest in New York City but haven’t quite figured out how to pay for it?

ITW is offering two scholarships for debut authors to attend ThrillerFest 2008 in New York City July 9-12. The scholarship is for the conference registration fee, craft fest, and any ITW sponsored meals (including the Thriller Awards Dinner.) Lodging and transportation is not offered as part of the scholarship.

Criteria:

You must have a debut novel published or scheduled to be published in 2008 or 2009 by an ITW recognized publisher. Individuals previously published by non-ITW recognized publishers or in a short story format (under 40,000 words) are eligible provided that the novel to be published in 2008 or 2009 is their first full-length novel published by an ITW recognized publisher.

You do not need to be an ITW member to apply.

Please send the following information to the Scholarship Committee Chair, Allison Brennan at scholarship@thrillerwriters.org:

Name

Contact information (address, phone number and email)

Pen Name (if any)

Book Title

Publisher

Editor

First Book? (yes or no)

All applications also must include the following:

Release date (tentative is okay)

Brief synopsis (one page or less)

Essay telling the committee in 500 words or less why you would like to attend ThrillerFest and what you hope to gain from the experience.

All submissions are blind. Only the committee chair will know the identity of the applicant; the synopsis and essay will be sent “blind” to the committee for review and discussion.

The deadline for applications is May 27, 2008. Two scholarship winners will be notified by June 3, 2008.

If you have any questions, please email the committee chair at scholarship@thrillerwriters.org.

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve sold the first three books of my supernatural thriller series based on the Seven Deadly Sins to Ballantine.

I’ve been thinking about this series for five years now. It’s always on my mind. I started writing the first book before I sold THE PREY to Ballantine, but put the idea on the back burner after the sale.

I will continue to write the same dark romantic thrillers I’ve been writing to date. In fact, after TEMPTING EVIL and PLAYING DEAD come out this year to conclude the Prison Break Trilogy, I have the first three books of my FBI series in 2009–starting with SUDDEN DEATH in April. My FBI series will follow a core group of characters through major and violent crimes. Serial killers, mass murders, kidnappings, domestic terrorism, and the like. I’m very excited about the FBI series and plan to continue it beyond 2009.

And, in fact, I have another idea for a romantic thriller series based on the company my heroine works for in PLAYING DEAD.

But I’m also excited about this new series. I call it “supernatural” rather than “paranormal” because everything takes place in the known, contemporary world. The supernatural elements? The Seven Deadly Sins are demons on earth.

Haven’t you wondered about the Seven Deadly Sins? What makes them deadly? What if they were truly deadly? What if Envy was a demon who fed and multiplied our internal envious feelings, resulting in murder, thefts, rape, mutilations, torture and other atrocities?

When we look at violent criminals, we often think that no human being could be so cruel. What if a demon really did “make him do it?”

There will be a romance throughout the series, as well as a strong crime presence. Each story is set up with a very human and very real crime. The difference? In order to catch the killer(s) my team of characters must first stop a corporeal demon who feeds and grows stronger on a “deadly sin.”

Book one is about envy. A coven of teen-age witches unwittingly release the Seven Deadly Sins from their underworld prison. A high school girl is found dead in the woods with no apparent cause of death, and her best friend is missing. Three people are drawn to the small California town: a reclusive woman from Ireland with more experience with demons than she ever wanted; a former seminarian haunted by the massacre–and the memories–of twelve dead priests; and a true crime writer who thinks the whole thing is a hoax. It is tentatively scheduled for publication in November 2009.

I’m visiting today over at Lee Lofland’s THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT talking about the FBI Citizens Academy and research. Hope you can stop by!

I have the cover for Playing Dead! I love it. It looks better (richer and darker) in print.

What I particularly love about this cover is that the designer really focused on setting (just like the other two books in this series.) The bridge on the cover is the Tower Bridge, a major Sacramento landmark (probably the most famous except for the State Capitol and Sutter’s Fort.) The green is rich, a bit on the sea green side but not as washed out as it looks online. The title is gold and looks fantastic against the green backdrop. There is also a water theme and the Sacramento River is important to the story.

PLAYING DEAD is in production and I’m awaiting copy edits while writing Jack Kincaid’s book SUDDEN DEATH (April 09.)

If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter, do it this week because this weekend I’m sending out an announcement about excerpts and a special contest for newsletter subscribers!

Over at Murder She Writes today, I’m asking for help to name my FBI series which will launch with SUDDEN DEATH in Spring 09. All the details and some brainstorming ideas are over there, so if you want to help (or just comment!) you’ll have a chance to win an early copy of TEMPTING EVIL (to be sent in early May when I get my author copies.) The winner of the book will be randomly drawn; my favorite series names will be sent to my editor and agent for discussion.

SPEAK NO EVIL is a finalist for Best Romantic Suspense in the Romance Writers of America RITA awards. SEE NO EVIL finaled in Best Novel with strong romantic elements.

To say I’m excited is an understatement!