Q&A With Katie Garner

Today’s Q&A is with Katie Garner, whose debut mystery thriller novel The Night It Ended will be coming out on June 27^th. I read an early copy of the book that her kind publisher sent me, and let me tell you if you’re a fan of murder mystery novels you are in for a treat.

Q: Could you please share a little bit about what the book is about? How did you come up with the concept for The Night It Ended?

A: Struggling after a traumatic case, Dr. Madeline Pine, a criminal psychiatrist with skeletons in her own closet, is called to a remote boarding school for troubled girls to investigate the suspicious death of a student.

I came up with the idea after visiting an abandoned mansion in update New York. I felt a pull to the location and asked my husband if he was up for a drive. Luckily he said yes! While I knew I wanted to write a story centered around this structure, I wasn’t sure what it should be. A few years later I knew it had to become a boarding school. I also wanted to write a character who was battling anxiety and was trying her best despite her hardships.

Q: One of my favorite genres to read is the mystery genre. What do you enjoy the most about writing it?

A: I always thought of mysteries being a bit interactive. Reading a mystery invites you into the crime and asks you to help solve it, in a way. With other genres, I’m a passenger enjoying the ride. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But in a mystery, you become an active participant. I love figuring out what could be a clue and putting the pieces together to try to guess the ending. And of course, who doesn’t love a great twist!

Q: We were discussing that your second novel will be on the domestic side and have a mysterious family and a creepy house. Do you have a title for the second book yet?

A: I do have a title for it but through the publishing process, it could be changed before the end, so I don’t want to ‘spill the beans’ just yet. But I will say it’s three words and has the word ‘family’ in it!

Q: Who were your biggest supporters among your family and friends who supported your dream of being an author?

A: Definitely my husband. We’ve been together since high school and he’s always supported my writing. He always helped me with my query letters, and we’d hang out and try to create the best pitches together. I always run my ideas past him. I know it’s a decent idea when he’s unable to poke holes in it.

Q: We also spoke about who your dream cast would be for the movie or television adaptation of The Night It Ended. I have a casting suggestion of my own, what about Henry Cavil for Detective Matthew Reyes?

A: I mean, you can’t go wrong with Henry Cavil! If Henry wanted to play Matt, I’d never say no. I haven’t watched it yet, but I know he plays Sherlock in Enola Holmes, so he’d definitely do an amazing job playing a PI.

Q: Do you have a favorite spot or spots where you plot, write and edit your novels?

A: I have a closet/office where I write. I don’t have a laptop at the moment, so I write on an old iMac. But I can write almost anywhere so long as it’s mostly quiet and there’s never-ending coffee. If I could magically write anywhere, I’d write at a desk with a window facing the ocean.