Into the Black Nowhere: out today in paperback

Hey, readers: Into the Black Nowhere, book two in the UNSUB series, drops today in paperback. Grab a copy. Grab ten. Or more — I won’t stop you!

I hope you’ll read, and enjoy. Let me know!

Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million

Into the Black Nowhere: paperback coming 6/25/19

Here’s something for you: a look at the paperback edition of Into the Black Nowhere. It will be published June 25 in the US and Canada.

If you have any questions about how/when/where/how often to pick up copies, here’s advice from Stephen King:

“Meg Gardiner. INTO THE BLACK NOWHERE. Excellent. You know the drill, bookstore near you. Buy now, thank me later.”

Enjoy!

Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million

Into the Black Nowhere named Best of 2018: Novel Gossip, Mystery People

I’m delighted that Into the Black Nowhere is getting so much book love. It’s my baby, and I’m proud of it. So I get a warm feeling when others add it to their Best-Of lists.

Novel Gossip: BEST SERIES OF 2018 #BESTOF2018
“If you’re looking for a book that feels like watching an awesome episode of Criminal Minds, Into the Black Nowhere is the perfect choice!”

Mystery People: TOP FIVE TEXAS CRIME NOVELS 2018
“Gardiner’s second book to feature Caitlin Hendrix has the newly minted FBI agent chasing down a charming, Ted Bundy-type killer who operates along I-35. Meg truly brings the creepy to this one.”

Aw, thanks. I try.

Into the Black Nowhere makes The Real Book Spy’s Best Thrillers of 2018

I’m absolutely delighted that The Real Book Spy has included Into the Black Nowhere on his list of the Best Thrillers of 2018: “Meg Gardiner continued her scary-good series (after last year’s UNSUB), a must-read for those craving nail-biting suspense.”

Click over to see the entire list, which is packed with great novels. The holidays are upon us, and you can never give, or receive, too many fantastic books.

UNSUB and Into the Black Nowhere and a bestseller list

How absolutely wonderful to see both UNSUB and Into the Black Nowhere on the list of Oklahoma’s Top Ten Best-sellers. Thanks once again to my home state for reading the heck out of my novels.

And thanks to Best of Books for the photo. They may still have some signed copies of my books in stock, if you’re itching to grab one, or a few.

This weekend: Texas Book Festival

This weekend I’ll be at one of Austin’s biggest annual events: the Texas Book Festival. They’re expecting 40,000 people at the festival over the weekend, which is a whole lot of book love.

If you’re anywhere nearby, I hope you’ll stop by and say hello.

Texas Book Festival
October 27-28, 2018
Austin, Texas

My schedule:

Noir at the Bar at Lit Crawl Austin
Saturday, October 27, 8 PM
Stay Gold, 1910 E. Cesar Chavez Street
MysteryPeople presents a round of hip, hard-boiled, nitty-gritty noir readings with crime fiction authors. With Meg Gardiner, Lou Berney, and more.

A Trio of Texas Crime Writers
Sunday, October 28, 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
Texas Tent (Congress and 8th Street)
Serial killers, psychological thrills, and page-turning mystery spin from the pens of three of Texas’s most talked about crime fiction writers. Join them for a big conversation about writing the dark side. With Jeff Abbott, Meg Gardiner, and Julia Heaberlin

Come on down, y’all!

Thanks, Oklahoma

I had a fabulous time at the inaugural Oklahoma Book Festival. It was great to get back to my hometown, and to share a sunny autumn day with thousands of people who wanted to hear authors talk about books. I’ll admit that before my panel, I got concerned when the front row filled up with little kids. I was there to talk about Into the Black Nowhere, which isn’t exactly a children’s book. Then a baffled mother asked, “Is this the Extreme Animals presentation?”

Well, the novel is a cat-and-mouse psychological thriller, but that wasn’t what she wanted to know. Eventually, the families all got directions to the correct tent.

One of the great things about any book festival is getting the chance to see other authors. I was lucky to catch up with Lou Berney, a fellow Oklahoman and Edgar winner, whose new novel November Road is one of the best things I’ve read all year.

As you can see from the top photo, I signed stacks of books. They were supplied by Best of Books, a fabulous local independent bookstore. Let me tell you, those booksellers worked for days to set up the festival book tent. On Saturday they were out before sunrise, hauling boxes of books onto the display tables. They deserve massive thanks and a huge round of applause.

And if you’d like to order any signed copies of my novels, Best of Books has them. And they ship. You can order online, by phone, or in person, of course. Support local independent bookstores!

Best of Books
Kickingbird Square
1313 East Danforth Road
Edmond, OK 73034
Phone: (405)-340-9202

(Photo with Lou Berney courtesy of Joe Hight)

Saturday October 20th: Oklahoma Book Festival

I’m excited that this weekend I’ll be taking part in the inaugural Oklahoma Book Festival. It’s going to be a terrific event and I’m happy that it will bring me back to my hometown. My schedule:

Oklahoma Book Festival
October 20, 2018
OKC Boathouse District
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Meg discusses Into The Black Nowhere
Saturday October 20,  11:00am – 11:45am
Ida Sutton Williams Headliner Tent
Signing to follow

Here’s more on the festival, from the Sunday Oklahoman: Oklahoma Book Festival to bring 50 to 75 authors to Oklahoma City this week.

If you’re in the Oklahoma City area, come on down. I hope to see you there!

Thriller Time: New York Times Book Review & Book Podcast

I’m pretty excited — okay, very excited — to be included in the New York Times Book Review and Book Podcast this week. When I was in NYC for Thrillerfest, I was interviewed by Tina Jordan about writing thrillers. It’s a joy to be included in the podcast with Lee Child, Megan Abbott, Lisa Gardner, and Lisa Scottoline. Check it out:

Making a Killing: Top Thriller Writers Talk about Their Craft

And this weekend’s NYT Book Review includes Into the Black Nowhere in “It’s Thriller Time / Lights Out!”

The Times says: “We’re hereby calling the next title trend: thrillers that stoke our fear of the dark with titles that play on words like ‘black’ or ‘night.'”

Yeah, pretty excited.

Coming up: San Antonio Book Festival

This Saturday, April 7th, I’ll be speaking at the San Antonio Book Festival. Details:

San Antonio Book Festival
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Serial Killers: Facts & Fiction with Meg Gardiner and Kate Winkler Dawson
12:00-1:00 PM
Swartz Room
San Antonio Central Library
600 Soledad
San Antonio, Texas

The festival runs all day, and is packed with great speakers. Sandra Cisneros, Jorge Ramos, Holly Black, Paula Poundstone… check out the entire program.

If you’re around, I’d love to see you.

Reddit “Ask Me Anything” March 16th

On Friday, March 16th, I’m going to be doing a Reddit AMA — Ask Me Anything. There will be a link where people can ask me written questions and I’ll reply. About my books, writing, Jeopardy! the impending squirrel apocalypse — anything.

AMA: Meg Gardiner
Friday, March 16th, 2018
12 Noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific

More details to follow on the 16th!

I’ve been talking… to Texas Monthly, Seattle Review of Books, and more

As part of the launch of Into the Black Nowhere, I did a bunch of talking. To readers, radio hosts, and magazines. Here’s a roundup. Just in case you want to know more about the novel, or my writing process, or which tunes I listen to when I write. Bonus: click through to enough articles, and you’ll see what I look like when I go axe throwing.

Meg Gardiner’s Dark Past — Texas Monthly

How Author Meg Gardiner Gets Into the Mind of a Killer — Austin Monthly

The Quintessential Interview: Meg Gardiner — Seattle Review of Books

Tracking the Darkness — The Big Thrill

The Kindle Chronicles Podcast

Video and podcast with Lisa Gardner

On Tuesday evening, I spoke at The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, Arizona, with Lisa Gardner. The Pen is a legendary independent bookstore, and it was an excellent event. Thanks to everybody who turned up — especially my law school classmates and the reader who drove three hours from south of Tucson to get books signed.

The bookstore livestreamed the event. You can rewatch the stream here.

And beforehand, Lisa and I recorded a podcast. It’s now up. Check out our discussion of Into the Black Nowhere, Lisa’s novel Look for Me, series mashups, dog boot camp, and more. Meg Gardiner & Lisa Gardner. February 6, 2018.

Many thanks to The Poisoned Pen and its owner Barbara Peters for inviting me to Arizona and for making the event a success.

How a photo inspired Into the Black Nowhere

In September 2016, as I was just beginning to flesh out ideas for the sequel to UNSUB, I attended Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention. I wrote a post about the photo above, which was taken during the weekend:

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.)
_______

Guess what? I took that joke, and the shiver that underlay it, and used the idea in the novel that became Into the Black Nowhere.

The lesson: Everything is material. And if an idea worms its way under your skin, pay attention. You never know how, when, or where you might use it.