The Lost Girl of Astor Street Clue Hunt: Clue #5

Good morning lovely readers,

So today we have an exciting guest on the blog. Today, we have Stephanie Morrill (one of my all time favorite authors) on the blog for an interview about writing and her upcoming book The Lost Girl of Astor Street which is on shelves today. If you follow me on Facebook, you have probably seen me post a few things about the upcoming release.

Stephanie Morrill is the creator of GoTeenWriters.com and the author of several young adult novels, including the historical mystery, The Lost Girl of Astor Street. Despite loving cloche hats and drop-waist dresses, Stephanie would have been a terrible flapper because she can’t do the Charleston and looks awful with bobbed hair. She and her near-constant ponytail live in Kansas City with her husband and three kids.

Bethany:What got you into writing?

Stephanie:I’ve wanted to be a writer since first grade. My elementary school encouraged writing time and we had freedom to write whatever kind of stories we desired. Then a parent volunteer would type our stories up for us, and we could pick the color for our cover and the binding. At the end we were supposed to illustrate it (I was awful) and then read it to the class. I loved it so much, and after that I always wanted to tell stories for a living.

B:What is your favorite part of the writing process?

S:I love so many parts of the process, but probably the brainstorming part is where I have the most fun and the least hair-pulling-out moments. That’s a time when the story still feels perfect and full of potential. But I love the first draft and edits too. I even love writing my synopses!

B:Where do you get inspiration for your writing from?

S:Like most writers, I get story ideas all the time. I’ll be at the grocery store, and I’ll overhear a bit of conversation. Or I’ll drive past a boarded up house and think about people who used to call it home. Not all the ideas stick, but a lot of times they start sticking to each other and building momentum. My initial idea for The Lost Girl of Astor Street came while I was putting away laundry, of all things. My mind was wandering (as it often does during chores), and I started thinking about different stories I like. I thought about Veronica Mars for a while, and then something triggered a thought about Downton Abbey, and I thought, “I wish there was something out there that was like Veronica Mars but in a Downton Abbey kind of setting. Oh, maybe I could do that!”

B:Do you base characters off people you know in real life?

S:I sometimes start with people I know in real life. Or I borrow from them. My friend Kelli once told me that she hates slow dancing because she always tries to lead, and I thought, “That’s so Piper!” and put it in Piper’s mouth.

B:Why 1920s Chicago?

S:Because of what an interesting time and place in history it was. Prohibition opened the doors to all kinds of morality questions, and there was very little structure in place for enforcing it. So criminals grew richer and more powerful every day. They had tremendous influence in politics, and it was a very scary thing to stand up to them. There are so many interesting stories out of our country in that decade.

Stephanie’s book, The Lost Girl of Astor Street, is a definite must read for those who love historical fiction books. I’m pretty sure I read it in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. You can get the book at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.

Clue: is closer

Clue 1: Stephanie Morrill
Clue 2: Some Books Are
Clue 3: Gabriella Slade
Clue 4: Page by Page, Book by Book
Clue 5: Pens and Scrolls
Clue 6: Singing Librarian Books
Clue 7: Heather Manning
Clue 8: Annie Louise Twitchell
Clue 9: Noveling Novelties
Clue 10: Kaitee Hart
Clue 11: Classics and Craziness
Clue 12: Zerina Blossom
Clue 13: Rebecca Morgan
Clue 14: Keturah’s Korner
Clue 15: That Book Gal
Clue 16: Anna Schaeffer
Clue 17: Hadley Grace
Clue 18: Lydia Howe
Clue 19: Ramblings by Bethany
Clue 20: Matilda Sjöholm
Clue 21: Lydia Carns
Clue 22: Broken Birdsong
Clue 23 & Clue 24: The Ink Loft
Clue 25: Roseanna M. White