Thriller 101

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Thriller 101 Newsletter
Thriller 101 Agent Pitch Contest
Learn more about Daniel Hurst
Michelle Jackson Episode
Jody Wenner's "On Brand "article
Connect with David on Twitter

EPISODE INFO:
By the end of today’s episode you’ll understand 

• Why Daniel decided to go from self-publishing to working with an independent press
• His writing process
• You’ll have a better understanding of how he writes the kinds of clear, compelling hooks that make readers buy his novels. 
• He shares the biggest reasoning behind his decision to sign with a publisher.

BIO:
Daniel Hurst was born in the northwest of England, a part of the world famous for its comedians, pasties and terrible weather. 

He has been employed in several glamorous roles in his lifetime, including bartending, shelf stacking and procurement administration, all while based in some of the most exotic places on the planet, like Bolton, Preston and South London. 

Since following his lifelong passion for writing in 2020, he has amassed a loyal and devoted set of readers, and regularly has several books in the top 100 of the Psychological Thriller Charts on Amazon. His title The Passenger became the #1 selling psychological thriller in the UK in October 2021, and his bestselling book to date is his title The Doctor’s Wife, which topped the Amazon UK Kindle Chart on February 16th 2023. He remembers that date because he stayed up all night celebrating. 

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Thriller 101 Newsletter
Thriller 101 Agent Pitch Contest
Learn more about Michelle Z. Jackson as an agent
Learn more about Michelle Z. Jackson as an author
Heather Levy Episode
Connect with David on Twitter

EPISODE INFO:
If you’re hoping to land an agent this year, you’re going to love this conversation with Michelle. 

We talk about:

• Connecting your pitch to your opening
• How to maintain tension
• The benefits of active voice,
• What agents look for in a submission
• And what makes them pass on a project.

BIO:
Michelle Z. Jackson represents books that evoke heartfelt emotions and fervent conversations among its readers. Her mission is to mentor and develop authors, particularly those from underrepresented communities, and help them build a brand of quality and authentic reads.

Originally from Jamaica, West Indies, she is now a literary agent with LCS Literary. She began her agenting career as an intern and then a Literary Associate with Olswanger Literary.  She is also a published author and has earned educational degrees from New York University, SUNY at StonyBrook, Teachers College Columbia University and Argosy University. She is a member of AALA and SCBWI.

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Thriller 101 Newsletter
Want to Hear More about a Thriller Community?
Learn more about Heather Levy
Catherine Mack Episode
Connect with David on Twitter

EPISODE INFO:
Should you be writing characters first? 

Or maybe you should develop your plot? 

How do you write books with multiple timelines? Do you write them chronologically? Or linearly in relation to the thread of the story? 

Heather Levy is going to cover all this and more!

Plus, she struck up a really interesting debate and I’m curious about your take!

BIO:
Heather Levy is a born and bred Oklahoman and graduate of Oklahoma City University’s Red Earth MFA program for creative writing. The New York Times called her Anthony-nominated debut Walking Through Needles “a spellbinding novel at the nexus of power, desire, and abuse that portends a bright future” and the L.A. Times called it “a standout for its frank but sensitive exploration of trauma and desire.” Publisher’s Weekly says her thriller Hurt for Me “delivers both heat and heart.” Her novels focus on kink-positive stories centered around badass women. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband, two kids, and three murderous cats. Readers can follow her on X and IG @heatherllevy or on her website at www.heatherlevywriter.com 

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Thriller 101 Newsletter
Submit an Article to Thriller 101
Learn more about Catherine Mack
Matt Shao Episode
Connect with David on Twitter

EPISODE INFO:
We’ve all had those moments where we wonder if it’s time to take on something new with our writing. 

Something bolder or more daring. 

Maybe it’s a new genre, new point of view, different structure or something else entirely. 

Well imagine if, by making that brave choice, you absolutely nail it. 

My guest today did just that. 

And she pulled it off so well that the NYT reviewed her book.

BIO:
CATHERINE MACK (she/her) is the pseudonym for the USA Today and Globe & Mail bestselling author of over a dozen novels. Her books are approaching two million copies sold worldwide and have been translated into multiple languages including French, German, Portuguese, and Polish. Television rights to Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies and its forthcoming sequels sold in a major auction to Fox TV for development into a series, with Mack writing the pilot script. A dual Canadian and US citizen, she splits her time between Canada and various warmer locations in the US.

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Click here to submit to the Thriller 101 Pitch Contest
Thriller 101 Newsletter
Learn more about M.E. Shao
Ellie Monago Episode
Connect with David on Twitter

EPISODE INFO:
On the Thriller 101 podcast, we hear a lot from authors who are published. 

I also get the opportunity to share writers who are submitting to agents through the Thriller 101 pitch contest.

However, it's rare that we get to hear from someone who's in the middle of that publishing process.. 

My guest today has signed with an indie press and his book comes out in 2024, but he's in the process of editing and revising before the book can go to publication. 

 This is an interesting perspective that, honestly, as writers, we can learn a lot from and we don't hear enough about.

BIO:
Born in Baltimore, MD, Matt Shao, who writes under the pen name M.E. Shao, grew up in a suburb of Music City in what was then a very small town called Mount Juliet, TN. He attended the local public high school before being recruited to play baseball at nearby Nashville’s Vanderbilt University. Graduating in Spring of 2009 with a degree in Economics and Corporate Strategy, he still carries the life lessons and influence inspired by legendary college ball coach Tim Corbin. 

Matt first began writing in August of 2015, immediately following the loss of his beloved mother, Elizabeth Louise. His debut work, a science fiction novel entitled "Continuity", was published in April 2016, and was followed by a sequel called “Continuity: Coalescence” two years later. The two books have since been compiled into one installment as the first in what will become a series, and is scheduled for release in December of 2024 care of Wild Ink Publishing, LLC.

Matt’s writing portfolio includes columns & short stories for newspapers, published poetry, business copy, and more. His freely available content can be found on his website, howtheworldshouldwork.

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Thriller 101 Newsletter
Learn more about Ellie Monago
Michelle Glogovac Episode
Connect with David on Twitter

EPISODE INFO:
There are more avenues to publication now than there have ever been. 

Whether it’s publishing by partnering with a literary agent, or small or independent publishers, or even self-publishing, there’s so many ways to get your book out there. 

Which way is the best? 

Well, today we’re going to hear from an author with a variety of publishing backgrounds. 

That way you can decide what’s right for you.

BIO:
Ellie Monago is a novelist and practicing therapist. She moved from California to Canada three years ago with her family. Her novel, THE CUSTODY BATTLE, was just released, and a related novel called THE DIVORCE LAWYER is available for pre-order now and comes out in May. Ellie also writes under the name Holly Brown

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

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Click here to submit to the Thriller 101 Pitch Contest
Thriller 101 Newsletter
Learn more about Michelle Glogovac
Connect with Michelle on Twitter (X)
Connect with Michelle on Instagram
Learn more about the MLG Collective
Carey Blankenship-Kramer Episode
Connect with David on Twitter

EPISODE INFO:
Have you ever thought about being a guest on a podcast? 

It’s never to early to build your author platform. 

And in today’s episode my guest is going to talk about why you should want to be on a podcast as a writer and author, and how to do it.

Today’s guest is something a little bit different than my normal interviews but I had the chance to talk to Michelle and I couldn’t be more excited.

So whether you’re planning on being on podcasts this year or it’s in the future plans to happen for you at some point, you’re going to love this episode.

BIO:
Michelle Glogovac is THE Podcast MatchmakerTM, an award- winning publicist, host of the My Simplified Life podcast and author of How To Get On Podcasts (McGraw Hill, 2024). Michelle is working with clients who make an impact by defining their stories and matching them with the perfect podcasts. She has helped entrepreneurs, authors, nonprofits and advocates hone their storytelling abilities, grow their businesses, and elevate themselves as thought leaders on over 1,000 podcasts. Michelle is a sought-after speaker in this niche and has presented to thousands of publicists and groups on how to not only perfectly pitch a podcast but to create marketing content from every interview. She has coached 14,000 authors through the process of creating and launching a podcast book tour through the Nonfiction Writers Association.

Michelle is a wife, mom of two, stepmom of two, and a fur mom. She has her B.A. and M.S. in Law, and is the Founder + CEO of The MLG Collective®. Michelle resides in the Bay Area and is a sushi lover.

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

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Learn more about Carey Blankenship-Kramer
Connect with Carey on Twitter (X)
Mel Mattison Episode
Connect with David on Twitter

EPISODE INFO:
Should you include a theme in your summary? 

How do agents read queries anyway? 

And what do you need in your opening to catch an agent’s attention? 

All this and more on this episode of Thriller 101 where Belcastro literary agent shares all her top tips for hooking a literary agent. 

BIO:
After growing up surrounded by books and people who loved to read them, Carey debut novel, GHOST SCOUTS HONOR, is being published by Scholastic January 2025. And yes, she does have experience with how ghosts have zero respect for personal space. She is currently repped by Sheyla Knigge at High Line Literary Collective.
​
Carey graduated from Berry College with a dual degree in English and Creative Writing. She later received her master’s in Writing and Digital Communications from Agnes Scott College. She has experience working with both publishing houses and literary agencies and loves her role as Junior Agent at Belcastro Agency. 

Outside of work and writing, you can usually find Carey spending time with her small zoo and husband, getting way too competitive on the tennis court, gardening, playing video games, or eating candy. 

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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Click here to submit to the Thriller 101 Pitch Contest
Thriller 101 Newsletter
Learn more about Mel Mattison
Connect with Mel on Twitter (X)
Ash Clifton Episode
Connect with David on Twitter

EPISODE INFO:
If you want to learn how to effectively introduce characters to your readers, you’re going to love today’s guest.

Mattison talks about finding a big idea that will carry you through a novel. 

And often those ideas come from two or three ideas mashed together. You'll hear that in Mattison's story of how he came up with the idea for his novel, QUOZ.

Writers often talk about how best to introduce a character but in a lot of ways less is more. 

In today's episode, we hear how to create concise character descriptions to keep readers engaged without overloading them with character description

BIO:
Mel Mattison is a writer and financial services veteran. Leveraging over twenty years’ experience in the realm of high finance, he brings real-world authenticity to his fictional narratives. Mel holds an MBA from Duke University and studied creative writing at Loyola University Chicago.

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

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Click here to submit to the Thriller 101 Pitch Contest
Thriller 101 Newsletter
Learn more about Ash Clifton
Connect with Ash on Twitter (X)
Lisa Unger Episode
Connect with David on Twitter

EPISODE INFO:
How much backstory is too much backstory? Can there be any backstory at all? I mean, your characters have to have something going on…right? But what does that look like? Luckily, Ash Clifton is here to help us with that and so much more!

BIO:
Ash Clifton was raised in Gainesville, Florida, where he attended the university and got a B.A. in English. He then earned an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. His short fiction has appeared in The Missouri Review, The Massachusetts Review, Cutthroat: A Journal of the Arts, and StepAway Magazine. His debut novel, Twice the Trouble, is forthcoming from Crooked Lane Books on March 5, 2024.

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