Summer Picnic with Jaffareadstoo ~ Ali Carter ☼

☼ 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, Ali Carter to our picnic ☼

What favourite foods are you bringing to our summer picnic? 

My own recipe creamy garlic quiche, a selection of cheeses and mixed salad, a bowl of my notoriously boozy black cherry Amaretto trifle, and of course a rich dark chocolate cake - mmm...!! 

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

Ooh... a large Pimms please! 

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

In the countryside beside a little river with a bridge - and fields and hills in the background... 

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

Definitely a wicker hamper and all the trimmings! 

Do you have favourite place to have a summer picnic? 

Anywhere in the glorious Lake District 

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

That would have to be Jack London’s wild wolf dog White Fang 

Which summer read are you bringing with you today? 

My first foray into Peter James books – Possession! 

Orion

What is your earliest summer memory? 

Playing on the beach with my friend Sally and her brothers in Rottingdean East Sussex. 

Do you have a favourite summer hideaway? 

Not yet, but I’m hoping to move up to the Broads in the future and would like to find a spot up there. 

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 never have music on when I’m reading or writing, but my favourite song that makes me feel summery is ‘Summer Breeze’ by the Isley Brothers 

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

Nope – I’m always up for a good crime thriller! My favourites are Tess Gerritsen and Elly Griffiths. 

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

The season doesn’t really affect my writing to be honest, it’s usually stress that seems to control my creativity and inspiration for plots, twists and storylines. I’ve found it more difficult to write in the last few weeks with the Covid crisis, but gradually I’ve settled down and begun to continue with the third book in my series. 

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

I currently have 2 books in the D.C.I. Harry Longbridge/Psycho Charlotte series, and ‘Dead Girls Don’t Cry’ was released in February this year. It continues the story with ex G.P. Charlotte Peterson being sprung from Rampton High Security Hospital on a day release for her wealthy mother’s funeral. Charlotte is, in theory, almost a millionaire. She’s also a vicious serial killer who’s been simmering her way through two years of a life sentence. 

On the guarantee of a future exorbitant payoff, the Zandini mob (who have a family member inside Rampton), fund her identity change and New York trip to track down her two arch nemeses. Their plan to send Charlotte over the edge had worked that summer two years ago, now it was time to return the favour . . . by sending them both to the depths of hell. 

D.I. Fran Taylor has transferred up from South London to Kirkdale in Cumbria, and with a tentative first lead to the Rampton escapee, is now assigned to the case. There’s only one person she wants to work it with her – the one person who knows Charlotte Peterson inside and out from that summer, retired D.C.I. Harry Longbridge – her very close ex partner from Canon Row. 

But once Longbridge is temporarily reinstated, and the pair get that lead to link Charlotte’s escape to New York, Harry finds it difficult to play second fiddle out in Manhattan – even to Fran. When he gets a life or death call from the U.K., the airports are snowed in, Charlotte’s still at large – and the murders have begun . . . So what’s a cop to do? 

Ali, where can we follow you on social media? 

Twitter @alicrimewriter 

Facebook 

• Instagram @alicarter.author 

Website

More about Ali

I was born in Surrey in 1958 and grew up there until I moved to East Anglia in 2003. At the moment I live just outside King's Lynn with my husband, 5 dogs and 6 cats. (I know the dog/cat thing is a bit mad!) I also have two grown up sons and an adorable granddaughter, although at only 6 she won't be reading my crime thrillers anytime soon! 

I originally found some success in writing poetry in the 80's and 90's, but inspiration for my 2018 debut novel 'Blood List,' came after the Dr. Harold Shipman case hit the headlines in 1999/2000. Although a completely different character and plot line, a few years later deeply psychotic G.P. Charlotte and her police hunter D.C.I. Harry Longbridge were born. The full story took its time to complete though as I hit a very long period of writer's block about three quarters of the way through the book. This was due to not being able to source some really important information at the time, and it was an author friend I met years later who finally persuaded me to pull it out of the laptop, start searching for that information again and get it finished. For that I’ll be eternally grateful. ‘Blood List’ is now also available to download on Kindle as well as paperback, and the sequel 'Dead Girls Don't Cry' that was originally set for release end of May 2020, was brought forward to February, so is also out now. I’m currently working on the third in the D.C.I. Harry Longbridge/Charlotte series so not finished with them yet! 

My three favourite places in the U.K. are the Lake District where ‘Blood List’ is set, Cornwall where I’ve had some really memorable holidays, and the beautiful Norfolk Broads where I have family and hope to move up to in the next couple of years. Writing by the river with a cold drink on a cool but sunny day, or snuggled up in a Broadland cottage in front of a roaring winter fire is where I see myself bringing my characters to life in the future. 

Thank you for coming to our picnic. 

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