Writers On The Beat: Crime Writers and Crime Fighters

Aspiring suspense author Lucas Prescott stepped into the Interrogation Room to clear up a few things about his experience at THRILLERFEST19. Lucas hails from Fort Collins, Colorado, and journeyed to NYC for the International Thriller Writer's annual conference to participate in two sub-conferences, PITCHFEST and CONSULTFEST.

In this episode, Lucas and Writers On The Beat host Gavin Reese discussed ITW's nurturing environment at Thrillerfest; the value of accessing agents and publishers in person at the event; and why they're both making plans for next year's Thrillerfest20.

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#writersbeat #writerslife #amwritingfiction #suspense #thrillerfest #thriller #thrillerfest19 #thrillerfest20 #pitch #elevatorpitch #penonajourney #upward #onthecusp #gavinthecop #gavinreese

Eryk Pruitt stepped into the Interrogation Room to clear up a few things about his writing. He's a filmmaker, true crime podcaster, screenwriter, and novelist. In 2011, Eryk wrote and produced the short film FOODIE, which went on to win eight top awards at more than a dozen film festivals. He's since written several others, along with short fiction that’s appeared in The Avalon Literary Review, Thuglit, Pulp Modern, and Zymbol, among others, and was a 2014 finalist for a Derringer Award. Eryk’s also written three novels, entitled DIRTBAGS, HASHTAG, and WHAT WE RECKON, which released in 2017, and he hosts a long-form podcast called THE LONG DANCE, which details the stories of the lives touched by two North Carolina cold-case murders in 1971.

In this episode, Eryk and Writers On The Beat host Gavin Reese discuss the authenticity of his characters; his definition of "noir;" his experience working to help close cold-case murders; and the personal importance of Raylan Gibbons and Michael Douglas.

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#writersbeat #writerslife #writerscraft #craftofwriting #amwritingfiction #truecrime #longformpodcast #crimepodcast #thelongdance #coldcase #homicide #murder #valentinesday #valentinesdance #durhamnc #whatwereckon #characters #characterdevelopment #nacadochas #lufkin #emufarm #club225 #stevenfaustin #stephenfaustin #nativeson #noiratthebar #gavinthecop #gavinreese

Bestselling author Louise Jensen steps into the Interrogation Room to clear up a few things about her writing. Louise has sold over a million English language copies of her International No. 1 psychological thrillers The Sister, The Gift, The Surrogate, and The Date. Her novels are translated into twenty-five languages and are USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestseller’s Lists. She was nominated for the Goodreads Debut (2016), The Guardian's 'Not The Booker' Prize (2018), and the best Polish thriller of 2018. The Gift has been optioned for a TV film.

For this episode, Louise and Writers On The Beat host Gavin Reese discussed her latest US release, THE DATE and face blindness; research into psychological thrillers; plotting versus pantsing; and Louisa May Alcott and Charlie's Angels.

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#writersbeat #writerslife #writingcoach #writerscraft #craftofwriting #amwritingfiction #mentor #thedate #louisejensen #bestseller #faceblindness #psychologicalthriller #thriller #louisamayalcott #littlewomen #magnumpi #gavinthecop #gavinreese #insiderthreat #rebeccabradley #deadblind

Brian Shea, a talented writer and veteran investigator steps in the Interrogation Room, just to clear up a few things about his writing. Brian honorably served as an officer in the US Navy before becoming a cop. He spent eleven years pushing a black-and-white and working narcotics and sex crimes cases in Texas and Connecticut, and he's also taught five years of fifth graders. Brian still teaches New England cops, and his latest book, called Murder 8, launched last month.

In this episode, Brian and Writers On The Beat host Gavin Reese discussed working with and humanizing drug addicts; balancing authenticity and story; reading Connelly and Deaver for research; and why all cops' stories have to be funny.

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#writersbeat #writerslife #amwritingfiction #thriller #crime #mystery #brianshea #murder8 #heroin #bostonpd #bostonlife #writingcraft #writerscraft #craftofwriting #writingcoach #authenticity #SharkForwardMotion #informants #cops #leverage #bosch #lincoln #thrillerfest19 #thrillerfest #itw

Bestselling author Tom Avitabile stepped into the Thrillerfest Interrogation Room to clear up a few things, mostly about my tech problems. Tom worked as a Senior V.P./Creative Director at a New York advertising firm, as well as a film and television writer, director, and producer. His extensive background in computers and engineering led him to work with the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, which inspired his stories about security threats, real-life scenarios, and high-tech assaults. His first techno-thriller, THE EIGHTH DAY, became a Barnes and Noble #1 bestseller, and his next thriller, THE DEVIL’S QUOTA, shed daylight on an evil international syndicate.

In this episode, Tom and Writers On The Beat host Gavin Reese discussed Thrillerfest, mentoring, and the craft of writing.

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Prolific, bestselling writer and teacher Joe Clifford stopped into the Thrillerfest Interrogation Room, just to clear up a few things. Joe overcame a heroin addiction that once compelled him to live on the streets of San Francisco. He earned an MFA from FIU, and his bestselling Jay Porter Thriller Series receives rave reviews. Joe works as the acquisitions editor for Gutter Books and produces Lip Service West (a "gritty, real, raw" reading series in Oakland, CA); he is also the editor of "Trouble in the Heartland: Crime Stories Based on the Songs of Bruce Springsteen," along with the forthcoming "Just to Watch Him Die: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Johnny Cash." Joe also teaches online writing courses for LitReactor and at conferences and retreats.

In this episode, Joe and Writers On The Beat host Gavin Reese discuss writing craft, as well as addiction, recovery, and the common humanity of cops and addicts.

Joe's site: http://www.joeclifford.com/

Gavin's site: https://gavinreese.com

#writersbeat #writerslife #writerscraft #craftofwriting #joeclifford #jayporter #thriller #addiction #recovery #gavinthecop #gavinreese

Authors Reagan Keeter and Mary G. Thompson stepped into the Thrillerfest Interrogation Room to clear up a few things.

Reagan Keeter published his debut novel, 99 SOULS, under the pseudonym Gabriel Burns, and it was a National Indie Excellence Awards finalist. He began writing at fifteen and has since worked as a writer and editor at Georgia newspapers, along with publishing a variety of short stories. Reagan earned a Journalism degree from Georgia State University and an MA in Technical & Professional Communication from Southern Polytechnic State University.

Mary G. Thompson grew up in Oregon, earned her BA from Boston U, and her JD from the University of Oregon. Of her seven years as a practicing attorney, nearly five were in the service of the US Navy. Mary earned her MFA in Writing for Children from The New School, and she is now a law librarian in Washington, DC.

In this episode, Mary, Reagan, and Writers On The Beat host Gavin Reese discuss their writing process, the development of their craft, and the intrinsic need to tell stories.

#writersbeat #writerslife #writerscraft #craftofwriting #amwriting #amwritingfiction #thriller #paranormal #kidnap #kidnapping #kidnapped #gavinreese #gavinthecop #marygthompson #reagankeeter #99souls #amychelseastaciedee

Tori Eldridge is Honolulu-born thriller writer who challenges perspective and empowers the spirit. Her debut novel, THE NINJA DAUGHTER, is the first book in the Lily Wong Ninja Mystery series and was inspired by her debut short story featured in Suspense Magazine’s Best of 2014. Other short stories have been published in several anthologies. Tori’s screenplay THE GIFT earned a semi-finalist place for the prestigious Academy Award Nicholl Fellowship. She holds a fifth-degree black belt in To Shin Do Ninjutsu and has traveled the USA teaching seminars on the ninja arts, weapons, and women’s self-protection.

In this episode, Tori and Writers On The Beat host Gavin Reese discussed being a real-life ninja, female empowerment, and the craft of writing.

Tori's site: www.torieldridge.com

Tori's works: https://www.amazon.com/Tori-Eldridge/e/B00FIOXH9Y

Gavin's site: gavinreese.com

Gavin's works: https://www.amazon.com/Gavin-Reese/e/B072W5PPGS

#writersbeat #writerslife #writerscraft #craftofwriting #ninja #ninjasdaughter #thegift #lilywong #author #nichollfellowship #selfdefense #strongwomen 

Acclaimed bestseller Karen Cleveland stepped into the Interrogation Room, just to clear up a few things. Karen worked as an analyst at CIA, and the bulk of her work there was in counterterrorism. She has master’s degrees from Trinity College Dublin, where she studied as a Fulbright Scholar, and from Harvard University. Her first novel, NEED TO KNOW, was a finalist for the ITW Thriller Award, and her writing has been praised by the likes of Lee Child and John Grisham. Her latest book, KEEP YOU CLOSE, just released last month.

In this episode, Karen and Writers On The Beat host Gavin Reese discuss her motivations and experience at CIA; her deliberately crafted writing style and voice; the time Universal bought her movie rights; and her love of Nate The Great.

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#writersbeat #writerslife #writerscraft #thecraftofwriting #writingcoach #amwriting #amwritingfiction #thriller #psychologicalthriller #betrayal #insiderthreat #trustnoone #cia #analyst #gavinthecop #gavinreese #keepyouclose #needtoknow #universalpictures #charlizetheron #lightningstrike #fulbright #ITW #Thrillerfest 

Retired police lieutenant and debut author Mark Bergin stepped into the Interrogation Room to answer a few questions. Prior to becoming a cop, Mark was an award-winning crime writer for the Alexandria Virginia Gazette. Mark went on to earn multiple Officer of the Year awards during his nearly 30-year career. The life of being a cop brought him into close contact with the difficult and often overlooked issue of suicide among American cops. Among others, Kirkus Reviews recently acclaimed his writing an “authentic voice” in police fiction.

Currently, more police officers are lost to suicide than to assaults and injuries in the line of duty. Bergin’s debut novel, entitled APPREHENSION, brings awareness to this issue, and he plans to donate a portion of his sales directly to the National Police Suicide Foundation and similar programs.  COPS WHO STRUGGLE WITH DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE CAN GET ANONYMOUS HELP AT  866-276-4615.

In this episode, Mark and Writers On The Beat host Gavin Reese discuss the trauma inherent to cop work; police suicide; Mark's double Widow Makers; and how the Thrillerfest writers' conference improved his craft.

"Crooks don't read, but [I left out certain details in case] somebody read it to them." -- Mark Bergin

Mark's site: markberginwriter.com

Gavin's site: gavinreese.com

Gavin's works:   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NDFSL8H/

#writersbeat #writerslife #writerscraft #craftofwriting #amwriting #amwritingfiction #thriller #mystery #suspense #policetrauma #ptsd #policesuicide #suicide #GETHELP #YOUARENOTALONE #gavinthecop #gavinreese #emotionalrollercoaster #apprehension #markbergin