Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Interview with TBF author: Stephanie Kate Strohm

Stephanie's TBF page 
Get all of Stephanie's books available through the Monroe County Library System here.

Hello everyone!

ROC the day was very successful! Thank you to everyone who donated to TBF and the other non-profit organizations!

I'm so excited to present to you, readers, Stephanie Kate Strohm! She is the author of Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink about a teen fashionista, Libby, solving mysteries, flirting with cute guys and looking fabulous, of course! The sequel, Confederates Don't Wear Couture hits the shelves Summer 2013.

Miranda Reads: Libby, the heroine in Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink, loves history and fashion. Do you have the same love for history and fashion?
Stephanie Kate Strohm: History and fashion are two of my favorite things - which makes fashion history probably my most favorite thing! I was a history major in college (focus on women in 19th century America), and I spent inordinate amounts of "research" time reading 1850s fashion magazines - just for fun. Consequently, my early drafts all have ridiculously long descriptions of everyone's outfits - like pages and pages that have to be edited out! Apparently, not everyone wants to read endless paragraphs about buttons. But if anyone ever wants to talk about antebellum sleeve detailing or the evolution of pantaloons, just let me know.

MR: Can you tell us what Confederates Don't Wear Couture is about?
SKS: Confederates Don’t Wear Couture follows Libby and her BFF Dev down to Alabama where they spend the summer at a series of Civil War Reenactments. So lots of hoopskirts, hardtack, and handsome boys in uniform. And of course, it wouldn't be a Libby summer without a ghost out for revenge!

MR: How many books are you planning to have in the Pilgrim series?
SKS: Definitely three...beyond that, it's still kind of up in the air!


MR: What was it like traveling to different states to perform in plays? Did you have to wear a corset?
SKS: A theater tour is a very strange, unique experience. It is very cool to be able to see so much of the country, and I'd never performed on such big stages before - sometimes as many as 6,000 seats! But after a while, you get tired of living in hotels and constantly driving around. And I have spent way more time in a corset than the average 21st century woman. Actually, the first time I was laced into one, I passed out! Faceplanted in the dressing room during a costume fitting. Now, however, I'm a corset pro - I can spend all day in one. Spending three summers at Shakespeare festivals will really build up your corset stamina.  

MR: Which novel of Jane Austen is your favorite? Why?
SKS: Emma. Although my favorite has changed over the years. When I was writing Pilgrims, it was, no surprise, Northanger Abbey. But after recently rereading all the Austens, I found my affections had switched back to my first favorite - Emma. Why Emma? Emma is the heroine I identify the most with. Sure, we'd all like to be Elizabeth Bennett, but I am most definitively...not.

MR: What author are you most looking forward to meeting at the 8th annual Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival?
SKS: I'm really looking forward to meeting Robin LaFevers - we have the same publisher, but we've never met! And she obviously loves history too, so I think we'll have a lot to talk about!

Thank you, Stephanie for taking some time to chat with me! To learn more about Stephanie, go to her website or her Facebook page.

Enjoy the holidays, everyone!

Miranda

PS--If you happen to be in the village of Fairport, you definitely want to check out the newly re-done YA area! It's gorgeous!

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