Ally Carter Discusses Her New Novel "The Blonde Who Came In From the Cold"

The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold: A Sequel

• 💡 Ally Carter discusses her new novel, "The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold," a follow-up to "The Blonde Identity."
• 🎯 The new book focuses on the spy twin from the first novel, featuring a different spin on the amnesia trope.
• 🚀 The story is described as "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" meets "The Hangover," involving a spy who wakes up handcuffed to her ex-boyfriend.

The Writing Process and Tone

• ✍️ Carter explains that she knows she's hit the right note when she's "talked herself up" during the writing process.
• ⚠️ Conversely, if she's overwhelmed with Post-it notes and whiteboards, it signals a problem.
• 💬 The books blend romance and humor, with the humor often arising naturally from the characters and situations.

Transitioning from YA to Adult Fiction

• 📚 Carter initially tried to write "The Blonde Identity" as a young adult novel but encountered issues with plausibility for teenage characters.
• 🕵️‍♀️ The core problem was explaining why a teenager would possess top-secret information, which led her to consider her past "Gallagher Girl" series.
• 💡 Making the protagonists adults, specifically CIA agents, resolved these plot issues and allowed for a different direction.
• 📈 A lesson for teenagers: many problems change or disappear by age 30.

Background and Inspiration

• 🌱 Carter's passion for writing was ignited by S.E. Hinton's "The Outsiders," realizing that authors could come from her home state of Oklahoma.
• 🌽 She pursued a less conventional path, earning a master's degree in agricultural economics from Cornell.
• 💼 Carter finds her background in agricultural economics invaluable for managing her writing career as a small business.