Author Interview & Giveaway: Stephanie Kate Strohm
We are excited to welcome back author, Stephanie Kate Strohm, to the nest today. She's here to dish on her upcoming novel, Confederates Don't Wear Couture. Be sure to check out the giveaway details at the end of this post.
Stephanie has visited Reading Lark before to talk about her debut novel, Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink. Be sure to check out that interview!
Stephanie: When I read Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz, the extreme dedication to historical accuracy at Civil War Reenactments kind of blew my mind. (It's a great read - definitely check it out!) Civil War reenactors truly seem to be the most hardcore of the bunch. So I knew I had to send Libby to the Olympics of living history.
Andrea @ Reading Lark: Will Garrett make an appearance in Confederates?
Stephanie: He will! (But that's all I'm sayin'. Spoilers!)
Andrea @ Reading Lark: In our last interview, I had you tell me which three historical figures Libby would want to meet, but this time let's focus on you. If you could have lunch with three historical figures, who would they be and where would you eat?
Stephanie: I'd want to have a gossipy girls' brunch full of never-ending pancakes at Polly's Pancake Parlor, in Sugar Hill, NH with Eleanor of Aquitaine, Nell Gwyn, and Marilyn Monroe. I think we would have a lot to discuss!
Andrea @ Reading Lark: One thing I love about Libby is her passion for fashion - both contemporary and historical. What is her favorite piece of clothing in the new book? (Stephanie will also be back closer to the release date of Confederates Don't Wear Couture to give our readers a lesson in historical fashion.)
Stephanie: Libby wears a beautiful silvery blue ballgown to a ball at Boone Hall Plantation (that's where Blake Liveley and Ryan Reynolds got married), but I think her favorite would be "a stunning off-the-shoulder gown of warm cream, with a cherry red belt, cherry red bows on the sleeves, and little blue and red cloth swallows pinning back the voluminous folds of the overskirt to reveal an underskirt dotted with a pattern of tiny printed swallows" - that's my favorite, anyway! All of the patterns, fabric, and dresses in the book were things I found in antebellum fashion magazines, primarily Godey's Lady's Book. It was a ton of fun to research!
Andrea @ Reading Lark: I LOVE Boone Hall Plantation. I've visited it several times. I'm so excited to know that it's featured in the novel. Is there going to be another Libby book? If so, can you tell us any of the juicy historical details?
Stephanie: A third Libby book is in the works! And as for juicy details, let's just say...lumberjacks. And leave it at that!
Andrea @ Reading Lark: No need to tell me more now. You had me at lumberjacks! The antebellum and Civil War time periods are my favorites to study. Is it also an area of interest for you?
Stephanie: That's actually one of my favorites, too! It's something I've always been interested in, and the fashion history from that time period plays a large part in it. I did my junior thesis on antebellum debutantes, and had the best semester of my life reading girls' diaries and fashion magazines from the 1850s and '60s. Hoopskirts aside, in many ways the Civil War was the defining moment of our country, and I think there is something inherently fascinating about that, and about how it shaped what America is today.
About the Author
Stephanie Kate Strohm is the author of Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink and the upcoming Confederates Don't Wear Couture. She grew up in Connecticut and attended Middlebury College in Vermont, where she was voted Winter Carnival Queen. Currently she lives in New York City with a huge shoe collection and a little white dog named Lorelei Lee.
About the Novel
Libby's best friend and fabulous fashion designer, Dev, hatches a plan to jet down South and hawk his period gowns to the wives and girlfriends of Civil War re-enactors. With a pang, Libby abandons her plan to visit her boyfriend, Garrett, in Boston and jumps at the chance to help run "Confederate Couture," and let her inner history nerd loose in a 19th century playground. But Libby and Dev aren't whistling Dixie for long. Between the constant travel from battle ground to dusty battle ground (with no Starbucks in sight, mind you), blistering heat, and a violent ghost set on romantic revenge, they quickly realize Alabama's no sweet home. And the boys. . . well, let's just say Libby's got the North and the South fighting for her attention. Confederates Don't Wear Couture is another hilarious, historical romp from Stephanie Kate Strohm!
We have ONE copy of Confederates Don't Wear Couture up for grabs. Thank you, Stephanie Kate Strohm, for providing the book for the giveaway. The giveaway is open to residents of the US & CA. In order to win you must:
* Be 13+ years old
* Fill out the Rafflecopter below
The giveaway runs from May 17-24. The winners will be contacted via email on May 25. Reading Lark is not responsible for prize delivery.
My daughter and I met Steph today at the Teen Book Fest in Rochester NY. We really enjoyed her panel discussion, and my daughter bought "Pilgrims don't wear pink" and had Steph sign it. She loved her pink dress! Can't wait to read the new book. I ordered it for my library!
ReplyDeleteI am super jealous that you got to meet Stephanie! I love her! Thanks for checking out the interview.
DeleteI am looking forward to revisiting Libby's life, with Dev as her sidekick! Loved Pilgrims! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'm reading Confederates right now; it's so much fun being back with Libby and Dev. Their banter cracks me up. This one surely won't disappoint. :)
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