For The Strand Magazine, I wrote about Ten Great Crime Stories Set During the Holidays. Have a read, and see why It’s a Wonderful Life is noir to the core and How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a classic heist story.
Yes, Die Hard is on the list. OF COURSE.
This weekend I’ll be speaking at Texas Writes in ATX. It’s going to be a great two days of presentations on writing, and I hope I’ll see some of you there.
Texas Writes in ATX
Sunday, November 10, 2019
ACC Riverside Campus
1020 Grove Boulevard, Austin, TX
My schedule:
Sunday, 2:55-3:25pm:
HARD CHOICES: PUTTING YOUR CHARACTERS TO THE TEST
How do you create compelling characters and put them in memorable conflict? Meg Gardiner, author of fourteen acclaimed thrillers, will talk about heroes, antagonists, and how, by forcing them to face hard choices, you can ramp up the suspense and tension in your story.
Sunday, 4:10-4:55pm:
Panel discussion
Come on down, 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.
I’ve got several events coming up this month and next. If you’re in the neighborhood, check them out.
Noir at the Bar
Tuesday, September 10, 7:30 p.m.
Radio Coffee & Beer
4204 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX
With Meg Gardiner, Amy Gentry, Puja Guha, Edwin Hill, Laura Oles, May Cobb, and host Scott Montgomery
Author Visit: Barnes & Noble Round Rock
September 16, 2019 — 1 p.m.
Meg will speak to the Round Rock New Neighbors Book Club — free and open to the public
Barnes & Noble
La Frontera Village
2701 Parker Road Bldg A Suite 700
Round Rock, TX 78681
512-600-0088
Texas Writes at the McCulloch County Library, Brady, TX
September 21, 2019
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
McCulloch County Library
401 E. Commerce
Brady, TX 76825
With Meg Gardiner and Rachel Starnes
Free and open to the public
If you’re interested in attending, please contact the library to pre-register at (325) 597-2617.
FallCon 2019
Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association Trade Show and Conference
Thursday, October 10 – Saturday, October 12, 2019
Renaissance Denver Stapleton Hotel
Friday, October 11: Thrilling & Mysterious Author Panel
Bouchercon
October 31 — November 3, 2019
Dallas, Texas
Hope to see some of you in the coming weeks!
Hey, I have news! My next novel is now available for preorder. The Dark Corners of the Night comes out February 18, 2020. Here’s a taster:
I am the legion of the night.
He appears in the darkness like a ghost, made of shadows and fear — the Midnight Man. He comes for the parents but leaves the children alive, tiny witnesses to unspeakable horror. The bedroom communities of Los Angeles are gripped with dread, and the attacks are escalating.
Still reeling from her best friend’s close call in a bombing six months ago, FBI behavioral analyst Caitlin Hendrix has come to Los Angeles to assist in the Midnight Man investigation and do what she does best — hunt a serial killer. Her work is what keeps her going, but something about this UNSUB — unknown subject — doesn’t sit right. She soon realizes that this case will test not only her skills but also her dedication, for within the heart of a killer lives a secret that mirrors Caitlin’s own past. Hesitancy is not an option, but will she be able to do what must be done if the time comes?
You can preorder it in hardcover, digital, and audio. And preorders make an author, and her publisher, extremely happy. But don’t just listen to me. The Real Book Spy lists The Dark Corners of the Night as one of “15 Thrillers Coming Out in 2020 that Should Already be on Your Radar.”
Why you should be excited about it: Meg Gardiner’s scary-good new series is one of the best in crime fiction today, and after switching publishers—a move that resulted in delaying its publication to 2020—absence has surely made hearts grow fonder, making her next UNSUB book one of next year’s most anticipated new releases.
Preorder:
Posted in Books, The Dark Corners of the Night, Writing
Here’s my tower of summer books. ‘Tis a fine tower indeed.
What are you reading?
Next week I’ll be teaching and speaking at ThrillerFest in New York City. If you’re around, here’s my schedule:
ThrillerFest XIV
July 10 — 13, 2019
Grand Hyatt, NYC
New York City
I hope I’ll see some of you there!
Tagged Books, Creative Writing, ThrillerFest, Thrillers, Writing
