How I Got That Quote

"A dark mystery with a fiery romance at its heart." 

Last summer, when Choc-Lit asked if I had any ideas on who might be approached to provide that all important quote for the cover of Never Coming Home, I knew exactly who I wanted. An author whose work I love, a winner of both an Edgar and RT Book Review Reviewers' Choice Award and numbered amongst Stephen King's favourite thriller writers, it could only be Meg Gardiner.  A judge in a competition once compared my work to hers. I was over the moon. That kind of comparison is one of the greatest confidence boosters a wanna-be can ever receive.

Meg at a previous Crimefest

So - I knew who I wanted, but how to approach her? I was all set to e-mail a request, when I came across publicity for an event at Goldsboro Books in London, called Crime in the Court. It looked interesting, and I was wondering about treating myself to a trip to the wicked city, when I noticed that Meg would be amongst the authors attending. That was it. I had to go.

It was a lovely evening. The gods were kind. On a rare, warm summer night, a very large number of crime writers and their fans spilled out of the shop into Cecil Court; wine was drunk, books were bought and signed, there was a lot of conversation and a good time was had by all. In amongst all this, I managed to track down Meg. She coped admirably with a complete and possibly slightly incoherent stranger (I'd only had one glass of wine, honest!) accosting her and asking, not for her autograph, but for her endorsement of a book. She agreed that my publishers could send the manuscript to her and the quote came back a few weeks later. It's now on the back of the book. And it looks so good there. Thanks Meg.

In conversation with Zoe Sharp

Her most recent book -The Nightmare Thief - is out in paperback in the US this month. She's appearing at Crimefest in Bristol this year, and I will be there, so I'm looking forward to saying thanks again, in person. Crime in the Court will be taking place again this year, on 3rd July. I'd recommend it. I had a great time last year. And I got my quote.