2011 Thrillermaster: R.L. Stine

R. L. Stine is the author of over 330 books for children. His Goosebumps, Fear Street, and other book series have sold nearly 400 million copies around the world, making him one of the best-selling children’s authors in history. Stine is a three-time winner of the Nickelodeon Children’s Choice Award and a recipient of the American Library Association Award. read more

2010 Thrillermaster: Ken Follett

Known around the world for his string of smash-hit spy thrillers touched off by 1978′s Eye of the Needle, Ken Follett’s taut tales — spiked with more than a dash of sex appeal — have earned this author (and sometime blues guitarist) a reputation as a master of international intrigue. read more

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Spotlight Guest: Robert Crais

Robert Crais is the author of the best-selling Elvis Cole novels. His first novel won the Anthony and Macavity Awards and was nominated for the Edgar Award, and was selected as one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. The novels of Robert Crais have been published in 42 countries and are bestsellers around the world. Robert Crais is the 2006 recipient of the Ross Macdonald Literary Award. read more

Spotlight Guest: Diana Gabaldon

Are they histories? Fantasies? Science fiction? Thrillers? While it may be impossible to categorize the books Diana Gabaldon calls historical fantasias, it hardly matters to the author’s huge and loyal fan base, all of whom are just eager to devour Gabaldon s richly detailed, complexly plotted, extravagantly romantic romps through time, space, and breathtaking landscapes. read more

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Spotlight Guest: John Lescroart

John Lescroart is a New York Times bestselling author of nineteen novels. His books have been translated into 17 languages in more than 75 countries. His first novel won the San Francisco Foundation’s Joseph Henry Jackson Award for best novel by a California author, and subsequent novels were nominees for the Shamus and Anthony Best Mystery Novel, and chosen 2007 Novel of the Year by the American Author’s Association. read more
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2011 True Thrill Award Recipient: Joe McGinniss

The first book Joe McGinniss wrote was The Selling of the President (1968), which revealed for the first time how ad agencies sell politicians to voters. That seminal work landed on the New York Times bestseller list when he was just 26 years old; it’s still taught in classrooms today. He’s written 11 other books and numerous magazine and newspaper stories, taking us to soccer stadiums, oil fields and racetracks. But it’s his quartet of true crime stories that mark him as a True Thrill Master. His 1983 account of a brutal murder case, Fatal Vision, was gripping as he slowly reveals the killer’s identify. His 1989 tale of an idyllic family ripped by tragedy, Blind Faith, is Hitchcockian in its cast of character. The psychodrama of mother and son, Cruel Doubt (1991), unwinds with the understated horror of emerging facts. Never Enough (2007) is a suspenseful account of how greed can kill even the wealthy. With verve, guts, and ambition, McGinniss has inspired three generations of nonfiction suspense and true crime authors.

2011 Silver Bullet Award Recipient: Karin Slaughter

Karin Slaughter is the number one international bestseller of several novels, including the Grant County series. A long-time resident of Atlanta, she splits her time between the kitchen and the living room.

The Silver Bullet Award was created by the International Thriller Writers in conjunction with Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) to recognize outstanding and meritorious achievement in the pursuit of literacy and the love of reading. Past recipients include authors Sandra Brown, R.L. Stine, David Baldacci, publisher Tom Doherty, actor Tony Plana (UGLY BETTY), the Nestle Company, Capital One, and Macy’s.

2010 Silver Bullet Award Recipient: Linda Fairstein

Linda Fairstein served in the office of the New York County District Attorney, where she was Chief of the Sex Crimes Prosecution Unit for twenty-six years. She remains one of America’s foremost legal experts on crimes of violence against women and children.