Hanging with one of my favorite authors and overall great guy, Shawn Cosby. His latest novel, *All the Sinners Bleed*, just came out on June 6, 2023.

For the second year in a row, I kicked off the month of June with a visit to New York City for ThrillerFest. Hosted by the International Thriller Writers organization and now in its eighteenth year, ThrillerFest is the premier conference for authors, agents, publishers, and fans of the thriller literary genre. If you fit one of those descriptions, I can't recommend the conference enough.

Taking place over five days in the heart of New York City, ThrillerFest is truly unique among writing conferences. After attending the conference for the first time last year, I got much more deeply involved in this year’s event—including as a volunteer staffer and a judge in the best e-book category. I was also a speaker on a panel moderated by the legendary author, Heather Graham, and featuring an esteemed group of fellow novelists, including Lindsay Cameron, Jessica Hamilton, Jaime Lynn Hendricks, and Glenn Parris.

I got so much out of the conference this year that I found myself contemplating what makes ThrillerFest so special. Three qualities really set this conference apart:

Relevance—By focusing specifically on thriller, mystery, and suspense, the sessions are highly focused on improving your craft in that genre. Topics include everything from FBI procedures to plot twists, psychological profiling to character development, with experts in every area imaginable for thriller writing.
Collaboration—Every attendee brings the mindset that they have both something to learn and to teach. I sat in on panels with authors who later sat in on my panel. Through ThrillerFest, I have joined a critique group that has dramatically improved the quality of my writing through collaborative critiques of each others’ work.
Community—Perhaps most of all, ThrillerFest is an incredibly supportive community. Bestselling authors not only attend but are involved and accessible, even to the newest aspiring authors. Agents and publishers are eager to meet new talent in both formal pitches and informal receptions. There is no sharp-elbowed competition or one-upmanship. Everyone genuinely wants to see each other succeed, and those successes are celebrated with an awards banquet to conclude the conference.

Front row for a talk by former FBI Director James Comey.

I truly feel that I have “found my people” with respect to a writing community through ThrillerFest. From honing your craft in hands-on workshops, to deepening your domain expertise with incredible speakers, to pitching leading agents, ThrillerFest offers myriad ways to make you a better writer—and form supportive new friendships along the way—regardless of where you are in the author journey.

Huge thank you to all the organizers, volunteers, and everyone else who make this conference such a success. I can’t wait for next year!

Wrapping Up ThrillerFest 2023