FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
KILLER YEAR - THE CLASS OF 2007 LAUNCHES
Designed To Promote
Debut Suspense Novelists
September 25, 2006—Every best-selling
author began as a debut novelist. But making the step
from promising beginner to proven success can be tricky,
which is why
four online friends, Brett Battles, JT Ellison, Jason Pinter
and Sandra
Ruttan decided to start Killer Year.
Founded in May 2006, Killer Year is a now a collective of
suspense
novelists who have banded together, sharing promotion and
marketing for
their debut novels. "Fiction is a crowded market," said
founding member
J.T. Ellison. "By working together, we hope to reach
a larger audience
than we could alone."
"We wanted to find a way to have equitable attention
paid to all types
of publication formats, from mass-market paperbacks to hardcovers,"
said Brett Battles, a co-founder. "One voice to promote
14 authors
seemed to be our best bet to sell our books."
Spurred by a mention on Sarah Weinman's award winning blog,
Confessions
of an Idiosyncratic Mind, the four put up a website and blog,
and
Killer Year was born. The ranks quickly filled with excellent
authors
who, like the founders, are debuting in the fiction genre
in 2007. All
the books will be released from major New York publishing
houses and
first class small publishers, and will be commercially available
in all
retail outlets.
International Thriller Writers (ITW), the first professional
organization for thriller writers, is lending a hand to the
14
novelists. The idea resonated with M.J. Rose, who heads up
ITW's
marketing committee. "One of our mandates is to build
a community of
writers who can help each other. Another is to get serious
attention
for our authors and make them stand out from the crowd. Not
just
established authors, but debut authors as well. This program
fits both
those goals."
One ITW member will mentor each Killer Year member, providing
individual
advice, blurbs and a short review of their book they can
use in
promotional material. They will also introduce Killer Year
at a special
breakfast during ThrillerFest 2007, the premier event for
the thriller
writing community. After 2007, Killer Year will remain an
ongoing
program, with ITW welcoming a new class of debut novelists.
"Only in the suspense genre can something this exciting,
this cutting
edge happen," founder Sandra Ruttan said. "We work
as a team," added
Jason Pinter. "We're here to support each other and
make sure all of
our members succeed in their first year as published authors."
Killer Year is an elite group of 14 debut suspense novelists
working to
create an interactive community with potential readers, buyers,
reviewers and publishing professionals. The Killer Year founders
are
Jason Pinter (THE MARK, Mira), Brett Battles (THE CLEANER,
Bantam
Dell), J.T. Ellison (ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS, Mira) and Sandra
Ruttan
(SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES, Tico).
Members include Robert Gregory Browne (KISS HER GOODBYE,
St. Martin's),
Bill Cameron (LOST DOG, Midnight Ink), Toni McGee Causey
(BOBBIE FAYE'S
VERY (very, very, very) BAD DAY, St. Martin's), Sean Chercover
(BIG
CITY, BAD BLOOD, William Morrow), Patry Francis (THE LIAR'S
DIARY,
Dutton), Marc Lecard (VINNIE'S HEAD, St. Martin's Minotaur),
Derek
Nikitas (PYRES, St. Martin's Minotaur), Gregg Olsen (A WICKED
SNOW,
Kensington), Marcus Sakey (THE BLADE ITSELF, St. Martin's
Minotaur) and
Dave White (WHEN ONE MAN DIES, Three Rivers Press).
Visit the KillerYear website for more information on these
fine authors.
WWW.KILLERYEAR.COM.
###
Contact:
J.T. Ellison
615-662-6792
jtellison@jtellison.com
KillerYear.com
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