Making Sense of Writing Suspense

Join us for a in depth conversation on writing! Jodé Millman and Suzanne Chazin will discuss what goes into writing a compelling thriller. From building suspense to crafting great characters, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to learn from two talented local authors.

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About the Authors:

Jodé Millman is a life long resident of Poughkeepsie, New York, which serves as the setting for her legal suspense novels. In her writing, she draws upon her experiences as an attorney to capture the tensions that arise when a small community is rocked by tragedy.

Jode's debut thriller novel, "The Midnight Call," was re-released by Level Best Books in 2022. "The Midnight Call" won the 2020 Bronze IPPY Award, the 2020 American Fiction Award, the 2021 Independent Press Award for Legal Thriller, was a 2021 Book Excellence Award Finalist, was short-listed for the 2019 Clue Award and received the First Place Blue Ribbon as "Best Police Procedural" by Chantireviews.com. Her new thriller, "Hooker Avenue," was released by Level Best Books on April 19, 2022, and is the second installment in her "Queen City Crimes" series inspired by true crimes in the Hudson Valley. She is presently at work on the third thriller in the series.

In 2020, she created the educational program "THE WRITER'S LAW SCHOOL," which educates writers and artists about protecting their legal rights in a fun and easy-to-understand way, and has presented the program around the world.

Jodé is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Sisters In Crime and Romance Writers of America. Her book reviews can be found at Booktrib.com and the New York Journal of Books.

Suzanne Chazin is the award-winning author of two suspense series. Her first (The Fourth Angel, Flashover, Fireplay) stars Georgia Skeehan, a scrappy New York City firefighter-turned-arson investigator for the FDNY. The series, hailed as “searing and emotionally explosive,” (USA Today) with a heroine who “dazzles,” (People Magazine) was inspired by her husband, a high-ranking chief in the New York City Fire Department.

Suzanne’s second suspense series stars Jimmy Vega, a flawed but deeply humane cop navigating the veiled world of the undocumented in upstate NY. The books have received critical praise for their mix of strong, believable characters and pulse-pounding action. Her first book in the series, Land of Careful Shadows, was chosen as a top-five mystery of the year by the American Library Association. Her second, A Blossom of Bright Light, was an Amazon Pick of the Month. Her third, No Witness But the Moon, was chosen as one of the ten best books of the year by the Newark Star-Ledger.

A graduate of Northwestern University, Suzanne worked for two decades in journalism, winning several national awards. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, People, Family Circle and Reader’s Digest.