Me: Did you always know that you would write a book someday?

Charlie: I’ve always enjoyed writing and have been doing so for a number of years. Getting published was always the dream, so I was delighted when Darkstroke publishing decided to take on The Cry of the Lake.

Me: What inspired you to write this book?

Charlie: I’d been wondering about what impact witnessing a terrible incident might have on the mind of a child, especially if it was something they couldn’t find the words for. The story grew from there and I used my surrounding countryside and nearby lake as the setting.

Me: How did the cover of your book come to be? Is it exactly like you envisioned?

Charlie: My publishing house came up with the cover design. My working title was ‘The Forget-me-not Crown’ because these flowers are an important trigger for one of the characters in the book, but my publishers felt it didn’t shout out psychological thriller and made it sound more like a romance. For me the wreath of flowers remained important – the designer managed to incorporate them with the skull which is also an integral part of the book.

Me: Do you intend to keep writing?

Charlie: I do and I am.

Me: What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Charlie: I’m at my most creative first thing in the morning. I have been known to sneak downstairs at 4am so that I can write in complete silence with only my dog for company.

Me: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite if more than one? If only 1 book then do you plan on writing more?

Charlie: This is my first published novel and I’m currently writing another psychological thriller which will be coming out next year.

Me: Was there any interesting tidbits you edited out of this book?”

Charlie: It was more a case of adding extra bits into the final version rather than taking any away. Initially I didn’t describe the murder of the school girl, but an early reader said that they felt cheated by not seeing how it happened, so I included it.

Charlie is very much a morning person and likes nothing more than committing a fictional murder before her first coffee of the day. She studied Theology at Worcester College, Oxford and currently lives in a Leicestershire village with her husband, three teenagers, tortoise and golden retriever.