Thriller 101

Send me a Text Message!Refer 3 Friends for Query Letter and Pages FeedbackConnect with T.C. Westminster Grab your copy of THE HOSTNatasha C. Sass EpisodeConnect with David on TwitterEPISODE INFO:The words “author platform” can make any writer roll their eyes. However, it’s also one of those important aspects of being a writer that isn’t much about actually being a writer. Luckily, today’s guest makes author platforms fun! So if you want to improve the quality and quantity of your author platform this year, there’s a simple framework my guest today used to get more than 20k followers on social media. And honestly, it’s way simpler than I expected it to be.Tori’s new novel, THE HOST, is out now. It’s a phenomenal thriller that I’ll let her talk about, but it’s one of those books that gets under your skin and you just can’t seem to get it out. She also shares the harrowing story of how the book came to be, and her method of finding the right kind of followers on social media.BIO:Some of Tori Westminster’s closest author friends joke that she lives in a bunker, much like the one in her book, THE HOST. She doesn't often leave the house because she lives with chronic illness and a neurological disorder that involve extended periods of intense pain. During those periods, she has learned to distract herself with stories. These stories and characters have kept her spirits up when her body failed her.Outside of writing, she’s homeschooled her gifted children and do her best to keep up with her adventuring family despite her physical limitations. They're even willing to cart her around the wilderness in a wheelchair when necessary, so she doesn’t miss out. They go the extra mile for an experience.Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!Join the Thriller 101  newsletter for exclusive updates Download Natasha's Cozy Mystery Workbook Episode with Erin Flanagan Connect with David on TwitterEPISODE INFO:Does it feel like Cozy Mysteries are making a come back? Well it did to me. So I reached out to Cozy expert, Natasha C. Sass. She quite literally wrote the book on cozy mysteries.BIO:Natasha has been in the publishing industry for 20 years. She's helped to organize regional conferences for authors, and teaches classes on writing and self-publishing. As a former corporate trainer, she breaks down the complex into understandable pieces to make the business of writing faster and easier. She loves to see her students succeed. Visit her and find her workshops at natashacsass.comShe's been in the cozy mystery space since 2021 where she publishes under the pen name Julia Koty.Her bestselling book How to Write a Cozy Mystery Step-by-Step is now available.Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!Join the Thriller 101  newsletter for exclusive updates  Click here to rate and review the podcast!Find out more about Erin FlanaganEpisode with Mandy McHughConnect with David on TwitterEPISODE INFO:The art methodically rising tension is a tricky one...because there really isn’t a hard and fast rule. However, while talking to our guest today, I learned so much about how to incrementally increase tension over the course of a novel. Plus, we cover some major misconceptions about the publishing business. We’re busting myths out here so come along for the ride.BIO:Erin Flanagan is the author of two short-story collections and three novels including Deer Season, winner of the 2022 Edgar for Best First Novel, and the most recent Come with Me. She is an English professor at Wright State University and a regular book reviewer for Publishers Weekly. For more information about her and her writing, please visit www.erinflanagan.net or say hello on Twitter and Instagram at @erinlflanagan. Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!Download the Official Thriller 101 Hook Checklist HereClick here to rate and review the podcast!Find out more about Mandy McHugh Connect with David on TwitterEPISODE INFO:If you’re into morally gray characters, then you’re going to love today’s guest. And you’re going to love her even more if you want to write great dialogue.Seriously, if you need to improve your dialogue writing, read Mandy McHugh’s work.BIO:Mandy McHugh is an author from upstate NY. She received her MA in English Lit from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY and her BA in English from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY.  Her debut novel, CHLOE CATES IS MISSING, was one of Popsugar's best mysteries and thrillers of 2022. IT TAKES MONSTERS is out now! Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!Download the Official Thriller 101 Hook Checklist HereClick here to rate and review the podcast!Find out more about Amy Nielsen Listen to Last Time: Catherine McKenzie Connect with David on TwitterEPISODE INFO:If you’re hoping to sign with your agent in the next few months, you’re going to love this episode with my guest today. We’re going to dive deep into a fantastic submission that shows a ton of promise! Amy is going to share so many tips with use that you’ll find yourself pausing, rewinding, and (safely) taking notes. If your goal is to land a literary agent ASAP then this will be one of the most valuable things you do for your writing career this week.BIO:Amy Nielsen spent nearly twenty years sharing her love of books with young readers on the other side of the writing aisle as a youth librarian. Daily immersion in story took root, and she started penning her 2024 YA debut, Worth It, behind her checkout desk.           She left the library after her youngest son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and began writing full-time. She also began working with other authors helping them to elevate their craft and go on to pursue publication deals. While she will always enjoy pursuing her own writing goals, helping other authors has become a passion. She is honored to now serve as an associate literary agent at The Purcell Agency.          Amy also has a background in television production and creates book trailers for authors to use as a marketing tool. She started Mayflower Media where she works collaboratively with writers to bring the heart of their stories from the page to the screen.          In addition to her debut, Amy is the author of It Takes a Village: How to Build A Support System for Your Exceptional Needs Family, the picture book, Goldilocks and the Three Bears: Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Teaching Television Production, Beyond the Morning Newscast. She is the co-author of the upcoming title Navigating the Wild World of Publishing: A Workbook for Indie and Self-Published Authors and the co-host of the Author(ish) podcast.          When not writing or reading she and her family can be found boating in Tampa Bay. You can find Amy at www.amynielsenauthor.com. Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!Free 5-Day Email Mini Course on Hooking an Agent with Your OpeningPaula Hawkins on LitHubGet the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!Free 5-Day Email Mini Course on Hooking an Agent with Your OpeningClick here to rate and review the podcast!Find out more about Catherine McKenzieLink to the last time Catherine was on the podcastConnect with David on TwitterEPISODE INFO:In today’s episode, we’re going to hear from a best-selling author about how she plans and organizes her novels.Anyone who writes in the thriller, mystery, suspense, or crime genre considers multiple points of view and multiple timelines. So few pull it off as well as Catherine McKenzie.Listen to how she does it here!BIO:Catherine McKenzie was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. A graduate of McGill in History and Law, Catherine practiced law for twenty years before leaving the practice to write full time. An avid runner, skier and tennis player, she’s the author of numerous bestsellers including HIDDEN, FRACTURED, THE GOOD LIAR and I’LL NEVER TELL. Her works have been translated into multiple languages and PLEASE JOIN US and I’LL NEVER TELL have all been optioned for development into television series. Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!Free 5-Day Email Mini Course on Hooking an Agent with Your OpeningClick here to rate and review the podcast!Find out more about Emmy Nordstrom HigdonLink to the last time Emmy was on the podcastConnect with David on TwitterEPISODE INFO:In today’s episode, we’re going to hear from a literary agent about what you need in your opening pages. If you’re hoping to sign with an agent this year, then you’ll love the clear, actionable steps outlined in this episode.BIO:emmy (they/them) holds a PhD in justice-oriented social work with a focus on critical animal studies from McMaster University, with peer-reviewed publications in public health and psychology. In 2019, they made a lateral career move into publishing after four years as a bookseller at a local independent bookstore.They are a literary agent at Westwood Creative Artists, a faculty member for the Manuscript Academy, and an advisor for the Festival of Literary Diversity and Sheridan College Creative Writing and Publishing programs. In their agenting work, they use a hands-on, conscious editing approach.emmy is a queer, trans, and non-binary colonizer originally from Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland), the ancestral homelands of the Beothuk and the Mi’kmaq, now based on the Haldimand Tract, which is the territory of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Attawandaran peoples. emmy is autistic, has psychiatric disabilities, and a hormone-related chronic illness.emmy lives with their partner, a Deaf Dalmatian named Pavot, two formerly feral Maine coon cats, Whisper and Willow, and their collection of plants, informally nicknamed The Leafy Bois. They keep busy with vegan cooking, needlework, wholesome games, snail mail, their sticker collection, TTRPGs, and… obviously, reading. Get the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!Free 5-Day Email Mini Course on Hooking an Agent with Your OpeningWanda Morris on CrimeReadsInterviews Referenced:Literary Agent Kimberly BrowerAuthor James ByrneAuthor JM DonellanGet the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

Send me a Text Message!Free 5-Day Email Mini Course on Hooking an Agent with Your OpeningAgent: Carleen Geisler Author: Brooke RobinsonAuthor: Aaron Philip ClarkGet the list of 125+ Literary Agents who rep Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Crime Fiction Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now