Returning to the Atlanta Writers Conference as faculty for a second year was a genuine honor. On May 1 and 2, 2026, Terrie had the pleasure of meeting with writers who had traveled from across the country to Atlanta for two days of pitch sessions, manuscript critiques, and the kind of unhurried conversation that reminds you why this profession is worth every ounce of effort it demands.

The writers who came to AWC this year were prepared, passionate, and deeply serious about their work. To meet with someone who has given that much of themselves to a story is always a privilege. It is the part of this work that never grows old.

To George Weinstein and the full team at the Atlanta Writers Club: thank you. The welcome you extend to writers and industry guests alike reflects something rare in this business, a genuine belief that the community matters as much as the craft. You have built something worth protecting, and we are grateful to be part of it.

Photos from the weekend, courtesy of AWC’s Patrick Scullin and Phil Fasone, are available in the conference gallery.

Thank you, Atlanta.

The Winter Verdict by Dan Buzzetta — Book Cover

Reviewer Lily Andrews at Bestsellers World has delivered a standout review of The Winter Verdict, calling it “a gripping, pulse-pounding thriller” that cements Dan Buzzetta’s place among the finest writers of legal suspense today.

The Winter Verdict by Dan Buzzetta — Book Cover

Andrews praises the novel’s relentless pacing, its deeply authentic legal detail — Buzzetta is himself a litigation partner in a national law firm — and a protagonist drawn not as an invincible hero but as a man who doubts himself and whose love for his family is both his greatest vulnerability and his only weapon. The review also highlights the well-drawn supporting cast, the chilling antagonist compound, and a conclusion Andrews calls “deeply satisfying.”

“The Winter Verdict” is Book 2 in the Tom Berte legal thriller series, published by Severn River Publishing. Read the full review at Bestsellers World.

Order The Winter Verdict on Amazon

The Winter Verdict by Dan Buzzetta — Book Cover

Dan Buzzetta’s thrilling legal series continues with The Winter Verdict, the second book in the Tom Berte series — available now from Severn River Publishing.

The Winter Verdict by Dan Buzzetta — Book Cover

Tom Berte’s bucolic new life is about to be shattered by a threat he can’t ignore. A former Department of Justice lawyer, Tom thought he’d left his past behind when he moved to Castle Ridge with his family. But when a brutal attack leaves him fighting for his life, Tom and his family find themselves at the epicenter of an unfolding conspiracy that stretches from a local ski resort to a desert compound on the other side of the world.

At the heart of the mystery is Phoenix Holdings Group, a shadowy international conglomerate with its sights set on Castle Ridge Ski Resort. When a catastrophic accident at the resort claims dozens of lives, Tom uncovers a chilling connection to his own assault and a ruthless plot that could endanger millions. With his wife and daughter’s lives hanging in the balance, Tom must navigate a treacherous path of legal intrigue, corporate espionage, and looming revenge.

Perfect for fans of John Grisham and Michael Connelly, The Winter Verdict delivers a breakneck pace, high stakes, and a protagonist you won’t soon forget.

Series: Tom Berte, Book 2
Publisher: Severn River Publishing
Publication Date: February 17, 2026
ISBN-13: 978-1648757570

Order The Winter Verdict on Amazon

Order The Winter Verdict on Barnes & Noble

Order The Winter Verdict from Severn River Publishing

SomethingIKeepUpstairs

New Release Spotlight: Something I Keep Upstairs by J.D. Barker

Bestselling thriller maestro J.D. Barker is back with a standalone novel that’s already sending shivers through early readers. Something I Keep Upstairs (Hampton Creek Press, May 13, 2025) drops us on a windswept New Hampshire island, where two friends discover that the past never stays locked away—especially when it’s waiting in the attic.

Blending the fearless nostalgia of It with the creeping dread of Mexican Gothic, Barker delivers 448 pages of pulse-pounding suspense: ancient secrets, razor-sharp twists, and a choice that could cost everything. Within the first week, the book hit Amazon’s #1 Ghost-Thriller slot and cracked Audible’s Top 25 Hot New Releases (Horror)—proof that readers were ready to open that attic door.

Rights momentum is strong: US/UK print and audio are sold, along with Belgium, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sri Lanka. Translation, film/TV, and ancillary rights remain available.

Whether you’re a long-time Barker fan or new to his brand of mind-bending terror, this is one summer trip you won’t forget.

Ready to brave the upstairs? Grab your copy today—or, if you’re a foreign publisher seeking a can’t-miss thriller, drop us a line for rights details.

— Terrie Wolf
Literary Agent & Rights Manager, AKA Literary Management

 

Newlyweds Mattie and Cole Walker are teaching Cole’s daughters how to snowshoe in a remote canyon when a shattering scream pierces the air. They know that somewhere ahead, someone has been injured or worse. Cole takes the girls while Mattie and Robo go deeper into the canyon to search for the source of the scream.

Get to know Tom Larned:

In this episode, retired agent Tom Larned reviews two fraud cases he investigated while assigned to the Fort Myers Resident Agency out of the Tampa Division, the VR Labs wire fraud investigation and the Orion Bank Failure. At the time of Tom’s investigation, Orion was the largest privately owned bank in the state of Florida. The failure of the bank cost the FDIC $884 million.

https://jerriwilliams.com/366-thomas-larned-orion-bank-failure-vr-labs-wire-fraud/