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Thriller 101 Newsletter
Learn more about Kathy Reichs
3 Story Elements You Need in Your Opening Paragraphs

EPISODE INFO:
How about some writing advice from an author who’s books inspired twelve seasons of an award winning television show? 

You know the show Bones? It’s is a drama series created for Fox and ran from 2005 to 2017, airing for 246 episodes over 12 seasons. It starred Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz. The woman who wrote those books, Kathy Reichs, is here to talk to us about writing. 

We're going to talk about how to effectively incorporate your expertise into your writing without overwhelming your readers. 

This is especially crucial for genres like police procedurals, legal thrillers, and medical thrillers, but it’s useful for anyone who does research on their novels and has wondered how much to keep and how much to cut…

BIO:
Kathy Reichs’s first novel Déjà Dead catapulted her to fame when it became a New York Times bestseller and won the 1997 Ellis Award for Best First Novel. Her other Temperance Brennan books include Death du Jour, Deadly Decisions, Fatal Voyage, Grave Secrets, Bare Bones, Monday Mourning, Cross Bones, Break No Bones, Bones to Ashes, Devil Bones, 206 Bones, Spider Bones, Flash and Bones, Bones Are Forever, Bones of the Lost, Bones Never Lie, Speaking in Bones and the Temperance Brennan short story collection, The Bone Collection.   In addition, Kathy co-authored the Virals young adult series with her son, Brendan Reichs. The best-selling titles are: Virals, Seizure, Code, Exposure, Terminal, and the novella collection Trace Evidence. The series follows the adventures of Temperance Brennan’s great niece, Tory Brennan.  Dr. Reichs’ latest novel, Two Nights, was released July 11 and features Sunday Night, a tough-talking, scarred heroine.  Dr. Reichs was also a producer of the hit Fox TV series, Bones, which is based on her work and her novels.

From teaching FBI agents how to detect and recover human remains, to separating and identifying commingled body parts in her Montreal lab, as a forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs has brought her own dramatic work experience to her mesmerizing forensic thrillers. For years she consulted to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in North Carolina and to the Laboratoire de Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale for the province of Québec. Dr. Reichs has traveled to Rwanda to testify at the UN Tribunal on Genocide, and helped exhume a mass grave in Guatemala. As part of her work at JPAC (Formerly CILHI) she aided in the identification of war dead from World War II, Korea, and Southeast Asia. Dr. Reichs also assisted in the recovery of remains at the World Trade Center following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Dr. Reichs is one of only 100 forensic anthropologists ever certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology. She served on the Board of Directors and as Vice President of both the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the American Board of Forensic Anthropology, and is currently a member of the National Police Services Advisory Council in Canada. She is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

Dr. Reichs is a native of Chicago, where she received her Ph.D. at Northwestern. She now divides her time between Charlotte, NC and Montreal, Québec.

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Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

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Thriller 101 Newsletter
Check out the Thriller Opening Data Tracker HERE

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Thriller 101 Newsletter
Learn more about Lisa Kusel
Jessica Payne Episode
Heather Levy Episode
Lisa Unger Episode

EPISODE INFO:
Ever wondered how authors create those unforgettable characters that seem to linger in your mind after the last page? You know, those characters that feel like they’re living and breathing? Well, today, we’re talking to a master at character voice. Lisa is going to help us develop a process for character voice that can make your characters come alive for readers.

BIO:
Lisa Kusel was born in New Jersey and raised in California, Lisa Kusel lived in various exotic locales across the globe before she made a home in Vermont with her family. She is the author of a memoir, a short story collection, and the novel Hat Trick. Learn more about her at www.lisakusel.com.

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Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

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Thriller 101 Newsletter

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

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Thriller 101 Newsletter
Learn more about Jessica Payne
Previous episode with Jessica Payne
Jennifer Chevais Episode

EPISODE INFO:
You’re going to get insights into exactly how Jessica writes her books now that she’s a seasoned author. 

And then you’ll hear why she says you should, under no circumstances, copy her process. 

We’re going to talk about all that and more in today’s episode and you’ll walk away with a plan for how to better edit your novels. Because we all need that.

By the end of this episode, you'll have a better understanding of:

• How to edit your novel like a pro
• How to keep track of the lessons you learned
• What experienced writers like Jessica do to maintain their book writing pace

BIO:
Jessica Payne is a thriller author living in the Pacific Northwest where the mountains and Puget Sound are home. Beyond writing, she loves to run, rock climb, and explore the great outdoors with her daughter and husband. She is also an RN and host of #MomsWritersClub on YouTube. When holding still, which isn’t often, you’ll find a book in her hand and a cat /dog/small child in her lap.

Jessica is the author of MAKE ME DISAPPEAR, THE LUCKY ONE, THE GOOD DOCTOR, and NEVER TRUST THE HUSBAND.

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Thriller 101 Newsletter
Learn more about Jennifer Chevais
Dr. Leslie Dobson Episode
Read Roxie Key's Article
Connect with David on Twitter

EPISODE INFO:
If you ever find yourself wondering what agents think about while reading your submission, then you’re in the right place. 

If you ever find yourself wondering what agents think about while reading your submission, then you’re in the right place. 

By the end of this episode, you'll have a better understanding of:

• What agents are looking for in submissions
• How to hook an agent's attention
• Why subverting tropes can be a great way to grab an agent's attention
• And so much more!

BIO:
Jennifer Chevais is currently building her list of authors specialising in fantasy, science fiction, and horror, but she also has a soft spot for thrillers, upmarket fiction, memoir, graphic novels, and many more.

Jennifer’s experience includes freelance acquisition reading and translating for a French publisher as well as nearly a decade in advertising.

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Thriller 101 Newsletter
Learn more about Dr. Leslie Dobson
Alex Kenna Episode
Connect with David on Twitter

EPISODE INFO:
Dr. Leslie Dobson is not my typical guest on Thriller 101. 

But when I say she delivered for the writing community, I mean it. 

By the end of this episode you’ll have a better sense of how to build character motivation—and why it might be just as important to think about your audience as about your character, how to navigate themes of mental illness, and so much more!

BIO:
Dr. Leslie Dobson is a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist in California. She has over 20 years of psychology experience. She has worked in maximum security settings with individuals who committed violent felonies and were found to have a severe mental illness. Over the past three years, Dr. Dobson has primarily focused on civil law. She is an expert in psychological evaluations to determine the truth. Through a variety of assessment measures, she determines the truthfulness of claims regarding emotional distress, especially sexual abuse allegations. In her clinical practice, she focuses on trauma, and also empowering clients to set interpersonal boundaries. Dr. Leslie spent years with psychopaths, and she is passionate about educating and empowering clients, especially women, to live their best life and set boundaries with toxic people, preserving their energy. Dr. Dobson’s first book, The Friend Cleanse: How to identify energy vampires, set boundaries & balance your glass of life, will be published on January 1, 2024. 

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Thriller 101 Newsletter
Pitch Your Article to Thriller 101
Learn more about Alex Kenna
Roxie Key Episode
Viviana Vasiu's article: 3 Agent Offers in 48 Days
Connect with David on Twitter

EPISODE INFO:
I firmly believe that quality thrillers, mystery, suspense, and crime fiction use this technique where there’s tension in the main plot (or what I call the professional plot). 

This is the dead body or missing person plot line that is omnipresent in these genres.

But the thing that differentiates really great stories is that there’s also this running tension in the main character’s personal life that makes them feel more real. 

This has to be done well, though. And that’s what we’re talking about today.

In this episode, you’ll learn about how Alex balanced the personal and professional tension in her story, and how she developed the kind of backstory necessary to keep that tension high and keep readers on the edge of their seats throughout the entirety of her novel. 

That way you’ll be able to apply it to your story.

BIO:
Alex Kenna is a mystery writer, prosecutor, and amateur painter based in Los Angeles.  Her first novel, WHAT MEETS THE EYE, was a 2023 Shamus Award Finalist for best first P.I. novel. Her second novel, BURN THIS NIGHT, is coming November 2024.

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Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

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Thriller 101 Newsletter
Pitch Your Article to Thriller 101
Learn more about Roxie Key
Daniel Hurst Episode
Eloise Corvo's article: Turning a Standalone Mystery into the First in a Series
Connect with David on Twitter

EPISODE INFO:
How should you start your novel? Should you have a prologue? Should you jump right into the action? Or spend time with the characters? Today’s guest is going to talk us through the how and why she started her novel the way she did. And I have to tell you, it might be her debut novel, but she knocked this out of the park. 

BIO:
Roxie Key lives in Northampton, UK, with her wife and daughter. Currently working as a creative copywriter for a global brand, Roxie has a degree in creative writing and an unhealthy obsession with crime thrillers. Roxie’s debut thriller, The Deadly Spark, is a dark, compelling crime novel about the fallout after a deadly house fire, perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Jane Casey and Clare Mackintosh. Published by HQ, an imprint of HarperCollins, it's available in paperback, ebook and audiobook.

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Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now