It’s my Bouchercon schedule, y’all

This year, Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention, is being held in Dallas from October 31 — November 3. I’ll be there, because where else do I get to hang out for a few days with mystery and thriller fans, talking dawn to midnight about books and writing?

Here’s my schedule, including an off-site event at the Half Price Books Flagship store.

Halloween Mystery Panel
Thursday, October 31, 7 PM
Half Price Books Flagship
5803 E. Northwest Hwy
Dallas, Texas

Friday, November 1, 3:30 PM
Mystery Writers of America signing table
Bouchercon Book Room

Saturday, November 2, 11 AM
Panel Moderator: The Rogues

Saturday, November 2, 1 PM
Panel: The Name of the Game Was Murder

Sunday, November 3, 10 AM
Panel: Beyond This Point There Be Monsters

I hope I’ll see some of you there. All y’all, if possible.

Upcoming events

I have a number of events coming up in the next few months. Here’s a preview:

Left Coast Crime
March 28-31, 2019
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Texas Writes at the Sterling City Public Library
April 11, 2019 10:00AM to 1:00PM
Sterling City Public Library
301 Main St.
Sterling City, TX 76951

Edgar Symposium
April 24, 2019
Grand Hyatt New York
New York City

Oklahoma Writers’ Federation: Turning the Page Conference 2019
May 3 & 4, 2019
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA
Meg will be the 2019 conference Keynote Speaker

ThrillerFest
July 10-13, 2019
New York City

Bouchercon
October 31 — November 3, 2019
Dallas, Texas

Hope to see some of you along the way!

UNSUB wins the Barry Award!

I’m absolutely delighted that UNSUB has won the 2018 Barry Award for Best Thriller. I’m proud of this book, and so happy that I could attend Bouchercon, where it was awarded.

Thanks to my publisher, Dutton; Jessica Renheim, who edited the novel; my stellar publicist Jamie Knapp; my agent Shane Salerno; and of course to Paul Shreve, for being the Husband, and putting up with everything that goes along with writing a novel and living with a novelist.

It was especially gratifying to be chosen from among such a stellar list of nominees. All the nominated novels are amazing. In particular, I was truly honored to be on this list with Thomas Perry’s The Old Man. Tom and his future wife Jo Perry were the editors for the first short story I ever published, in the UC Santa Barbara literary magazine. To have UNSUB nominated alongside his book means more than I can express.

And many thanks to Catriona McPherson for capturing my surprise.

Coming up: Bouchercon 2018

This coming week, September 5-8, I’ll be at Bouchercon 2018 in Tampa. Here’s my official schedule:

A Martini with a Twist of Plot: Thrillers
Thursday, September 6
2:00-2:45 PM

Women Who Thrill
Saturday, September 8
10:00-10:50 AM

Interview: International Guest of Honor Sean Chercover
Saturday, September 8
3-3:50 PM

I’ll also be crossing my fingers for UNSUB, which is nominated for a Barry Award. I hope I’ll see some of you in Florida!

UNSUB nominated for a Barry Award

I’m thrilled — well, way past thrilled — that UNSUB has been nominated for a Barry Award for Best Thriller.

The Barry Awards are given at Bouchercon, the annual World Mystery Convention. The winners will be announced September 6th at the Bouchercon 2018 Opening Ceremonies in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Now, the kicker: Anybody who subscribes to or reads Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine is eligible to vote for the winners of the Barry Awards. The deadline for votes is August 6, 2018. You’re permitted one vote per category, for a total of four possible votes.

You can vote by e-mailing your choices to george@deadlypleasures.com.

2018 Barry Award Nominees:

Best Novel
THE LATE SHOW, Michael Connelly (Little, Brown)
THE MARSH KING’S DAUGHTER, Karen Dionne (Putnam)
EXIT STRATEGY, Steve Hamilton (Putnam)
THE FORCE, Don Winslow (Morrow)
PRUSSIAN BLUE, Philip Kerr (Putnam)
MAGPIE MURDERS, Anthony Horowitz (Harper)

Best First Novel
THE DRY, Jane Harper (Flatiron)
SHE RIDES SHOTGUN, Jordan Harper (Ecco)
THE LOST ONES, Sheena Kamal (Morrow)
THE IRREGULAR, H. P. Lyle (Quercus)
A RISING MAN, Abir Mukherjee (Pegasus)
MY ABSOLUTE DARLING, Gabriel Tallent (Riverhead)

Best Paperback Original
SAFE FROM HARM, R. J. Bailey (Simon & Schuster UK)
THE DEEP DARK DESCENDING, Allen Eskens (Seventh Street)
HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE, Kellye Garrett (Midnight Ink)
THE DAY I DIED, Lori Rader-Day (Morrow)
BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS, Kristi Belcamino (CreateSpace)
SUPER CON, James Swain (Thomas & Mercer)

Best Thriller
GUNMETAL GRAY, Mark Greaney (Berkley)
SPOOK STREET, Mick Herron (Soho)
THE FREEDOM BROKER, K. J. Howe (Quercus)
THE OLD MAN, Thomas Perry (Mysterious Press)
UNSUB, Meg Gardiner (Dutton)
TRAP THE DEVIL, Ben Coes (St. Martin’s)

I’m honored to see my novel on the list with such great books. Congratulations to all the nominees!

Where I get my ideas Part 6 Million: photos

My publisher threw a shindig at Bouchercon in New Orleans. When guests walked in, a Polaroid-style camera was available for everybody to use. This is roughly what happened when I found it.

Me: I love Polaroids! Okay, these are actually mini Fujifilm pics, but I love them!

The Husband: Sure. Whatever makes you happy. I’m just arm candy.

[click]

[photo develops]

Me: Wow. Uh. It looks like something you’d find in a serial killer’s garage.

Journalist friend: And everyone asks, “Who are these people?”

And so my next novel is born. To all involved: Thanks.

(And yes, in the novel, when the cache of photos is found in the garage, the people in them won’t be wearing name tags. But I have to start somewhere.)

Hello from New Orleans

French Quarter

Voodoo Shop

French Quarter

Jazz on the street

Mississippi Bridge

Bouchercon party

Bonjour, y’all. Hello from New Orleans, where I’m enjoying Bouchercon: Blood on the Bayou. I have not had my fill of authors, great novels, pralines, or jambalaya. I never will.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going in search of all of those.

Bouchercon 2016: Blood on the Bayou

Today I’m heading to New Orleans for Bouchercon 2016: Blood on the Bayou.

Here’s my schedule:

NOIR AT THE BAR – Welcome to Bouchercon
WEDNESDAY, 4:30-6PM LaGalleries 6

WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES – Diversity, Disorder and Detection
THURSDAY, 9:00AM-9:50AM LaGalleries 6

DOIN’ WHAT COMES NATUR’LLY – Writing believable characters
SATURDAY, 1:30PM-2:20PM LaGalleries 1

ECHOES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES — Author group signing
SATURDAY, 4PM Book Room

If you see me wandering the French Quarter with my face covered in powdered sugar, you’ll know I’ve raided Cafe DuMonde for their entire supply of beignets. Stop me and say hi.

Noir at the Bar Bouchercon

Next week at Bouchercon New Orleans, I’m taking part in Noir at the Bar. A bunch of authors will read — for just one minute apiece, so you know we’re going to dive straight into the juiciest, hardest-hitting, noir-iest, crazy wild bits of our writing — and give away a copy of one of our books.

If you’re attending the convention, come on by. It should be a blast.

The Bouchercon 2016 playlist

All the panels at this year’s Bouchercon are named after songs. The convention’s in New Orleans, after all. Here are panel posters, designed by the con’s programming chair, Jon Jordan of Crimespree magazine.

It’s going to be fun.

The entire panel song list is here.

‘Bye, Raleigh — thanks for a great Bouchercon

I’m heading home from a great weekend of panels, laughter, author talk, fried chicken, and book lust. Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention, is wrapping up. It was — as usual — a whole lot of fun for people like me who love to immerse ourselves in the world of mystery and suspense fiction.

There are always a few surprises at a convention. Such as: I will again never poke fun at the concept of chicken and waffles. And: I’m bound to meet someone who went to the same high school as my mother. Big continent, small school; yet it’s inevitable.

And, at Bouchercon Raleigh, I got this surprise: a copy of Books to Die For, with the title page of my essay on A is for Alibi autographed by Sue Grafton. I got to put my signature next to that of one of my heroes. This is a highlight of my writing life.

To Bouchercon I go

I’m getting ready to attend Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention. This year it’s in Raleigh, North Carolina. So, along with the authors, readers, books, panels, mayhem, murder, author cage fights, monkey races, sniper training, lions and tigers and bears, oh my, there will be Carolina barbecue.

My official schedule includes these panels, which should be a lot of fun.

Crime and Mystery meet Conspiracy, Science and Medicine
8th October 2015
2:30PM
Meg Gardiner [Moderator]
Dirk Wyle
Ross Pennie
Patricia Gussin
Mike Tabor

Keeping it Moving / Maintaining Pace in the Narrative
10th October 2015
10:00AM
Alexandra Sokoloff [Moderator]
Meg Gardiner
Glen Erik Hamilton
Terrence McCauley
SJ Rozan

Hope to see you there.

Upcoming Events: Bouchercon in Raleigh

Next month I’m attending Bouchercon 2015, the world mystery convention, in Raleigh, North Carolina. The con runs October 8-11. Besides talking about mysteries and thrillers, taking part in the late night authors’ fight club, and eating Carolina barbecue, I’ll be on a couple of panels.

Crime and Mystery meet Conspiracy, Science and Medicine
8th October 2015
2:30PM
Meg Gardiner [Moderator]
Dirk Wyle
Ross Pennie
Patricia Gussin
Mike Tabor

Keeping it Moving / Maintaining Pace in the Narrative
10th October 2015
10:00AM
Alexandra Sokoloff [Moderator]
Meg Gardiner
Glen Erik Hamilton
Terrence McCauley
SJ Rozan

I hope to see some of you there.

Me and Edgar, hangin’

Here I am at Bouchercon 2014 with my BFF Edgar & his little buddy the Raven, who will just not shut up. NEVERMORE. Yeah, we get it.

Mr. Poe is wearing his happy face.