Jaffareadstoo....: Summer Picnic with Jaffareadstoo ~ Chantelle Atkins ☼

☼ Jaffareadstoo is delighted to welcome you all to our Summer Picnic ☼

Pull up a deck chair, tie knots in your hanky and roll up your trouser legs!

☼ Summer time is here ☼

☼ I'm delighted to welcome, author Chantelle Atkins to our picnic ☼

What favourite foods are you bringing to our summer picnic?

Tortilla wraps with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onion, cheese and jalapenos. Strawberries and raspberries. Garlic stuffed olives. Sliced peppers, carrots and cucumber and a spicy salsa dip. Salt and vinegar crisps!

Would you like chilled white wine, a flute of Prosecco, a tumbler of Pimms, or a tall glass of sparkling elderflower cordial?

Chilled white wine please!

Where shall we sit, by the pool, in the garden, in the countryside, at the seaside?

Seaside

Do we have a wicker hamper, tablecloth and cutlery, or is everything in a supermarket carrier bag?

Carrier bag!

Do you have favourite place to have a summer picnic?

The beach or the forest.

Which of your literary heroes are joining us on the picnic today?

Charles Bukowski

Which summer read are you bringing with you today?

If It Bleeds by Stephen King

Simon&Schuster

What is your earliest summer memory?

Sitting on my red and yellow trike in my back garden, picking a scab from my knee!

Do you have a favourite summer hideaway?

I love visiting my oldest sister in Bridport. They have a beautiful 17th century cottage in rural surroundings. The views are spectacular, and you feel like there is no one else in the world. She always puts on a gorgeous home cooked spread of mostly vegetarian and home-grown food and all the kids run off and play and hide while we enjoy a glass of wine or two. I love it.

Do you have a summer music playlist for reading / writing? And if so will you share with us a favourite song or piece of music that makes you feel summery?

I always listen to music when I am writing as most of my books have soundtracks, or characters who are very into music. I tend to listen to whatever the soundtrack dictates, depending on which book I am working on. I got into a band called Mother Mother about a year ago and I still can’t get enough of them so they would be on my playlist for a picnic. I particularly love It’s Alright and Bit by Bit. I have to say so, in terms of feeling summery nothing beats She Bangs The Drums by The Stone Roses, or almost anything by The Stone Roses. Their music has a really jangly, chilled summer feel.

Do you find that your reading tastes differ between winter and summer?

No, I don’t think so. I tend to read a lot of YA fiction, and I am also working my way through all of Stephen King’s books. I will read anything else that catches my eye and gets added to my list, thrillers, crime, horror, psychological etc.

Do you find it easier to write in the summer months or during the winter?

It makes no difference. I tend to write in the evening when the kids are in bed, so I do about the same amount whatever the season.

Would you like to tell us a little about your latest novel, or your current work in progress?

My next release will be The Boy With The Thorn In His Side Part 5 which will be the final installment in this series. It’s a crime/psyhological thriller/coming--of-age drama with an eclectic soundtrack! I am also working on the first draft of the sequel to my debut novel The Mess Of Me. It’s called The Mess Of Us and is set two years later. Both books are set during the summer months, so it seems an ideal time to be working on this one. Both books are from the point of view of a teenage girl with an eating disorder.