In this special episode of Writers, Ink, Zach Bohannon hosts a panel of authors brave enough to take the Harlan Coben Challenge, resulting in the Audible Original, “Birds of Prey.” Listen in as Tess Gerritsen, Kathy Reichs, Heather Graham, and other bestsellers discuss the behind-the-scenes process of writing and collaborating on a unique and spontaneous anthology.
From Audible.com:
The world’s greatest thriller writers prove they’re up to a unique challenge in this action-packed, audio-original collection.
It all started with a simple, yet sneakily difficult challenge from global best-selling author Harlan Coben: Pick a bird of prey, then use it as the inspiration for a brand-new story.
The response from some of the best writers on the planet: Game on!
The result: Eleven stories that are twisty, scary, surprising and bursting with imagination. An egg worth more than its weight in gold. A mysterious operative known only as Owl. An eagle-watcher who sees more than she should. Even a story that somehow places the Maltese Falcon in a nursing home.
Birds of Prey: The Harlan Coben Challenge is a highly bingeable audiobook that’s a treat for thriller fans.
Introduced by Harlan Coben, Birds of Prey features these stories:
- “The Coffin Bearer” by Tess Gerritsen
- “Precious Cargo” by C.J. Box
- “Owl” by Kathy Reichs
- “Kudzu” by Ace Atkins
- “Predator or Prey?” by Heather Graham
- “Silent as a Shadow” by S.A. Cosby
- “Jail Birds” by Hank Phillippi Ryan
- “The Falcon” by Robert Dugoni
- “Watchers” by Allison Brennan
- “Red of Beak and Claw” by Gregg Hurwitz
- “Hawkshaw Hunting” by Kelley Armstrong
Birds of Prey: The Harlan Coben Challenge was created with International Thriller Writers (ITW). C.J. Box served as project editor.
©2022 International Thriller Writers, Inc., and authors (P)2022 Audible Originals, LLC.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How the Birds of Prey project originated
- How you can get your work published in an ITW anthology
- How a defined writing prompt makes drafting easier
- If writing for Audiobook adaptation affects the writing process
- And much more!
Links:
J. D. Barker – http://jdbarker.com/
J. Thorn – https://theauthorlife.com/
Zach Bohannon – https://zachbohannon.com/
Birds of Prey – https://www.audible.com/pd/Birds-of-Prey-The-Harlan-Coben-Challenge-Audiobook/B09WZHXGMQ
Three Story Method: Writing Scenes – https://books2read.com/threestorymethodws
Best of BookTook – https://bestofbooktok.com/
Story Rubric – http://storyrubric.com
Nonfic Rubric – http://nonficrubric.com
Scene Rubric – http://scenerubric.com
Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life – https://kobowritinglife.com/ and Atticus – https://www.atticus.io/
Music by Nicorus – https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley – http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio – http://www.millpondstudio.com
Audio production by Geoff Emberlyn – http://www.emberletter.com/
Website Design by Word & Pixel – http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact – https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.
Immersing Yourself in Your Story with Heather Graham
Heather Graham lives to immerse herself in her stories. Whether she is speaking to former FBI agents, searching for small town legends, or taking part in a seance, she uses her encounters to intricately build and understand her characters and storylines. Heather is a long-time bestselling author with over 200 books published and over 600 million sales worldwide. She writes anything from historical fiction to romance to paranormal thrillers and is well known for her extensive Krewe of Hunters series and for hosting the yearly Vampire Ball at the RT Convention. Graham’s upcoming release, Dreaming Death, will be available next month.
From Amazon.com:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Heather Graham, majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write. Her first book was with Dell, and since then, she has written over two hundred novels and novellas including category, suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult and Christmas family fare.
Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business – editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins.
Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouse, J. Thorn, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- The history of the Vampire Ball
- The key differences between writing historical vs. contemporary fiction
- The benefits of writing with kids
- Why Heather’s writing is so diverse
- Heather’s writing schedule
Links:
J. D. Barker – http://jdbarker.com/
J. Thorn – https://theauthorlife.com/
Heather Graham – https://www.theoriginalheathergraham.com/
Dreaming Death by Heather Graham – https://books2read.com/DreamingDeath
Phantom Evil (Krewe of Hunters Book 1) by Heather Graham – https://books2read.com/PhantomEvil
Music by Nicorus – https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley – http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio – http://www.millpondstudio.com
Contact – https://writersinkpodcast.com/dev/contact/
“Muggable” quote by Harley Christensen – https://www.mischievousmalamute.com/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.