ThrillerFest VIII with Anne Rice, Michael Connelly, T. Jefferson Parker, Michael Palmer, and Steve Berry

Diabolical plots … Fiendish plans … and a Shocker of a twist you won't see coming … ThrillerFest is back!

Anne Rice, Queen of the Gothic Thriller, will make a rare appearance to serve as this year's ThrillerMaster when she takes a bite of the Big Apple at ThrillerFest VIII, celebrating the art of the thriller from July 10th through the 13th, 2013 at the Grand Hyatt in New York City.

"This is the place where fans can mingle with writers, novices can learn from pros, industry professionals can share their secret passion with librarians, and everyone can have one heck of a great time," says ThrillerFest Executive Director Kimberley Howe.

New this year at ThrillerFest is FanFest, an opportunity for thriller writers to give back to their most loyal fans. These lucky readers will join such big-league talent as Joseph Finder, John Lescroart, M. J. Rose, Steve Berry and R. L. Stine, for a cocktail party that would impress even Nick and Nora Charles. The event will include a special kickoff book signing, gifts and a chance to mix and mingle with their favorite authors.

Spotlight guests, who will add to the pulse-pounding excitement, include:

• Michael Connelly — Author of The Drop, The Fifth Witness, The Reversal, The Scarecrow, The Brass Verdict and The Lincoln Lawyer, as well as the Harry Bosch series and most recently, The Black Box. A former newspaper reporter, Connelly has won numerous awards for his fiction.

• T. Jefferson Parker — One of only three two-time winners of the prestigious Edgar Award for Best Novel, Parker is the author of 20 novels including L.A. Outlaws, Storm Runners, and the award-winning Silent Joe and California Girl. His most recent novel is The Famous and the Dead.

• Michael Palmer — Famous for his bestselling medical and political suspense, Palmer's most recent novel is Political Suicide. His book, Extreme Measures, was adapted for a film starring Gene Hackman. A physician, Palmer helps doctors with physical and mental illness, as well as drug dependence and alcoholism.

• Silver Bullet Award Recipient Steve Berry — The author of The Jefferson Key, The Columbus Affair and soon-to-be-released The King's Deception and nine more novels, Berry will be honored for his philanthropic work on behalf of fellow writers and historic preservation.

• Corporate Silver Bullet Award Recipient USO — The USO will be honored for making Operation Thriller a reality. This past November marked the third USO Operation Thriller tour, which took Kathleen Antrim, Michael Connelly, Joseph Finder, Brad Meltzer, and Andy Harp to the Middle East to entertain the troops.

The thrills continue with two of ThrillerFest's most anticipated events: CraftFest, where the best authors in the business share secrets with fellow writers, and AgentFest, "speed-dating" with the top agents in publishing.

It all culminates with the 2013 ITW Thriller Awards Banquet, during which Steve Berry will receive the Silver Bullet Award and the awards for best novel; best debut novel and best short story will be finally revealed — a riveting climax to a sensational event.

Event highlights include:

• ThrillerFest opens with a bang on Thursday night with a cocktail party hosting all authors, industry executives and conference attendees. Authors are open and accessible to chat with fans.

• Anne Rice, the 2013 ThrillerMaster, will be interviewed by her son, Christopher Rice, during a spotlight session.

• Author Daniel Palmer interviews his father, ThrillerFest Spotlight guest Michael Palmer.

• Novelist MJ Rose interviews international bestselling author Steve Berry and Liz Berry about their non-profit History Matters. Steve is the 2013 ITW Silver Bullet Award recipient.

• Jon Land interviews thriller-superstar and Spotlight guest Michael Connelly.

• Award-winning author D.P. Lyle interviews T. Jefferson Parker, Spotlight guest and two-time winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel.

More about CraftFest and AgentFest …

As most writers know, publishing changes faster than a New York minute! According to Bowker's 2012 annual report on U.S. print book publishing, it was projected that about 1.5 million books were published in 2011. What's more, Bowker, the company that handles ISBNs, saw a 287 percent rise in self-published print and e-books since 2006, which totals more than 235,000. If you're a first-time author, what do you do to stand out in the crowd?

To hone your story to a razor-sharp finish that will thrill readers and critics alike, ITW ThrillerFest offers CraftFest. The top dogs in the thriller world will be your teachers — an incredible opportunity to learn from the best. Imagine being taught point of view from Steve Berry, the secrets of collaboration from Doug Preston and Lincoln Child, how to take your novel places with a sizzling setting with David Morrell or screenwriting tricks from Alexandra Sokoloff.

Hunting for an agent can be the most daunting experience a novice author can have. Thriller veterans Kathleen Antrim and Jon Land teach how to sharpen your pitch for AgentFest. Dozens of agents will be at your disposal, ready to be seduced by your tantalizing prose. This is no fantasy ― it's the wildly popular portion of ThrillerFest often described as "speed dating with agents." You'll have the opportunity to pitch as many of New York's top literary agents as you can handle.

You never know when publishing magic can happen. At his very first ThrillerFest, author John Dixon met the agent who signed him just one-week after the event. Now, John has a two-book deal with Simon & Schuster/Gallery Books, and sealed a deal with CBS for a TV series based on his thriller.

Similarly, author Jamie Freveletti met her agent during AgentFest, and her debut novel was part of a two-book deal with Harper Collins. Jamie went on to win the coveted "Best First Novel" award from ITW, but her success didn't stop there. She has since published two novels and was asked by the Estate of Robert Ludlum to write the next in the Covert One series.

Topping it all off is a power-packed hour with a top literary publicist and a self-publishing guru who will give you the tools to buzz your book in the ever-changing marketplace. Social media, blogs, Web sites, book signings — they'll answer all your questions about getting your book out there into the hands of readers.

The International Thriller Writers is an honorary society of more than 1,300 authors in 22 countries with more than three billion books in print. To make a reservation for the suspense-inspired four-day adventure, please visit ThrillerFest.com.