Woodbury author Brian Freeman this July will head to New York City, where he will find out if another award is going on his mantle.

Freeman is up for Best Novel of 2010 in the International Thriller Writer Awards for his book The Burying Place, which came out in paperback in March.

“I’ll be putting on my tux and crossing my fingers,” he said.

Other authors nominated for the award include Mo Hayder, Michael Connelly, Jeffery Deaver, and Minnesota’s John Sandford.

“It’s the kind of thing where you always hope you win, but frankly it’s tremendous to be in that kind of company,” Freeman said. “I’ll be walking on air for a week.”

Freeman has previously notched other honors—including the Macavity Award for his first novel—and was also nominated for the Edgar Award.

“This is one of the most exciting,” he said. “They’ve all made it. It’s time to get some new blood in there.”

Freeman recently returned to Woodbury from a 2,600-mile book-signing trip across the Midwest and recently completed his seventh book. He’s also about half finished with his next book under the pen name Ally O’Brien.