This book is a trailblazer on two counts. It’s the first short-story anthology of thrillers ever done, and it’s the first publication of a new professional organization: International Thriller Writers, Inc. By nature writers tend to be loners, happy with their work, their families and a few close friends. But we also yearn occasionally for collegiality. For years we’ve all said to one another, “Why don’t we organize?” Then in June 2004, Barbara Peters, of the legendary Prisoned Pen bookstore in Scottsdale, Arizona, held the first-ever thriller conference in the United States. She invited six writers— Lee Child, Vince Flynn, Steve Hamilton, Gayle Lynds, David Morrell and Kathy Reichs—and one editor, Keith Kahla, of St. Martin’s Press, to give presentations about the various aspects of writing and publishing thrillers. Clive Cussler spoke at the luncheons.