I read a lot in 2021, more than I’ve ever read in a single year. To be exact, I read 63 books, shattering my goal of reading 30 books by 210%! I read physical books, ebooks, and, my favorite, audiobooks. Whether it was tales of truth or fiction, I dove into a diverse array of genres, covering 12,151 pages along the way. So, what books did I curl up with in 2021? Keep reading to find out.
Continue reading
Last night I attended the National Book Awards in New York City, an annual event hosted by the National Book Foundation. My reason for going was to see James Patterson receive the 2015 Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community. Past recipients of this award include Maya Angelou and Dave Eggers. Continue reading
Last week I attended ThrillerFest IX in New York City. This annual event is held by the terrific organization International Thriller Writers, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. While at ThrillerFest IX, I had the opportunity to attend FanFest, a portion of the week-long event where fans get to meet and spend time with a multitude of authors over cocktails. Picture it: There’s a large room with Lee Child, Michael Connelly, David Morrell, and countless others at tables waiting to sign your book, take photos with you and chat. It was a great way to cap off my week at ThrillerFest IX. Below are several photos of myself and authors whom I spent time with during the conference or at FanFest.
Last week I attended ThrillerFest IX in New York City. This annual event is held by the terrific organization International Thriller Writers, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. While at ThrillerFest IX, I had the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the best in the business. Friday and Saturday were comprised of panels about a variety of topics. I couldn’t stick around for Saturday but below are photos and highlights from some of the sessions that took place on Friday.
Last week I attended ThrillerFest IX in New York City. This annual event is held by the terrific organization International Thriller Writers, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. While at ThrillerFest IX, I had the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the best in the business. Two days were dedicated to CraftFest, which was comprised of seminars dedicated to helping writers improve their craft. Below are photos and highlights from some of the sessions.
Meeting Taylor Stevens.
The third day of ThrillerFest was filled with great panels, as well as an entertaining Anne Rice interview that was conducted by her son, Christopher Rice. Check out the highlights, photos and videos below.
Fist, Knife or Gun?
Fist, Knife or Gun?
Keeping a Series Character Fresh.
Keeping a Series Character Fresh
Plotter or Pantser?
Plotter or Pantser?
Anne Rice and her son, Christopher Rice.
During the second half of day two of ThrillerFest was AgentFest, which is best described as speed dating between aspiring authors and agents. Hundreds of authors looking to get published lined up in four or five rooms waiting to have five minutes or less to pitch a book to a variety of agents. The agents were very nice to the authors, and they had timers to make sure each person was given a fair shot. This went on for three and a half hours. In the end, some authors were asked to email the agents a few chapters or an entire manuscript, while others were kindly rejected. The rooms were filled with so much hope and anxiety it was palpable. In case you’re curious, I didn’t pitch anything; my books aren’t far enough along to warrant a review, but next year, who knows.
One year ago, this week, I launched my blog. I never thought I’d start one for a variety of reasons, but the past year has been quite a trip. During that time the following things happened:
The second year for my blog is shaping up to be an exciting one. This week, I’m heading to ThrillerFest and will be sharing with you all the wonderful content that will invariably come out of the event. And I’ve got a couple exciting author interviews lined up for later this year. Speaking of which, my first self-published book should be out before year’s end – so stayed tuned for more details.
Thank you for following my blog, as well as liking, sharing and commenting on my posts. Your voice and input is what matters most, and I hope to keep you entertained for many years to come.
Next week I’m attending my first ThrillerFest, and it should be a blast. I’ll have the opportunity to network with and learn from some of the best writers in the business. I’m sure I’ll have many great photos, videos and stories to share. Stay tuned to my blog for full coverage of the event.
