Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Maureen Johnson!
Read on to learn more about the author, the book, and a giveaway!
Meet the Author: Maureen Johnson
Maureen Johnson is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen young adult novels, including Death at Morning House, the Truly Devious series, the Shades of London series, Suite Scarlett, and 13 Little Blue Envelopes. Her collaborative books include Ghosts of the Shadow Market (with Cassandra Clare), as well as Let It Snow (with John Green and Lauren Myracle), which was also a hit feature film on Netflix. Her books have sold more than three million copies worldwide and have been published in more than thirty countries. She grew up in Philadelphia, graduated from the University of Delaware and has an MFA in Writing from Columbia University. Maureen lives in New York City with her husband and dog. www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com
Website * Instagram * X * Facebook * TikTok
About the Book: Death At Morning House
From the bestselling author of the Truly Devious books, Maureen Johnson, comes a new stand-alone YA about a teen who uncovers a mystery while working as a tour guide on an island and must solve it before history repeats itself.
The fire wasn’t Marlowe Wexler’s fault. Dates should be hot, but not hot enough to warrant literal firefighters. Akilah, the girl Marlowe has been in love with for years, will never go out with her again. No one dates an accidental arsonist.
With her house-sitting career up in flames, it seems the universe owes Marlowe a new summer job, and that’s how she ends up at Morning House, a mansion built on an island in the 1920s and abandoned shortly thereafter. It’s easy enough, giving tours. Low risk of fire. High chance of getting bored talking about stained glass and nut cutlets and Prohibition.
Oh, and the deaths. Did anyone mention the deaths?
Maybe this job isn’t such a gift after all. Morning House has a horrific secret that’s been buried for decades, and now the person who brought her here is missing.
All it takes is one clue to set off a catastrophic chain of events. One small detail, just like a spark, could burn it all down—if someone doesn’t bury Marlowe first.
Amazon * B&N * IndieBound
~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
I’m a classic mystery fan, and you basically have two types of classic mystery. You have a series detective (Sherlock, Poirot, Marple, etc.) and you have the stand-alone books, the stories unto themselves. I wanted to do both. There are more Stevie Bell books coming, but this felt like the right time to put a new, stand-alone book into the mix. I thought of the Thousand Islands as a setting because I wanted to do an island mystery. (Islands are the mystery writer’s friend. We’re always looking for a closed setting to play in. Mansions, islands, etc.) I remember reading about it as a kid and being fascinated by all of these small islands, so close and yet so far, in the beautiful, almost tropical-looking water. I had seen pictures of mansions and castles, people boating from house to house on this glowing water. That felt right. Then to the business of the story.
I always start with why. I never care about how or who until I work out why. I work intensely on the mechanism of the crime. I often write up a solution document. Then I start drafting, working back and forth between these, tweaking each. And then I go into a fugue state at some point, and then the book is due in three weeks and then the screaming starts. That’s when I shine.
YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?
The novel. It’s always the novel with me.
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
I can’t say because it is a massive spoiler, but it comes very close to the end, and it is a letter.
YABC: What will fans of the Truly Devious/Stevie Bell mysteries notice about this new book?
I think Stevie fans will like Marlowe! Marlowe doesn’t want to be a detective, but she’s forced into it through circumstances and a series of personal mistakes.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
I love this cover. I truly love it. I asked if we could harken back to old paperback mystery covers, where clues or story elements might be hidden or worked into the design. The artists wove clues and bits of the story into the picture. Look at it closely!
YABC: What’s up next for you?
I have two dossier mystery books coming out! They are case files in the forms of books. You are the detective, you go through the case documents and photos, and there is a sealed solution in the back. And, of course, two more Stevie Bell mysteries!
YABC: What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from this book?
The adage that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it is true. The stories that affect us the most are the ones we refuse to tell or share, the ones we suppress. These are the stories that can heal us if we take the time to listen to them—or could doom us if we try to push them away. This means book banning. This means CRT. This means all of those things we seem to be doing as a society to reshape our past, all the things we would turn away from. These are the things we have to learn about.
Also, watch out for those scented candles. Never leave them burning unattended.
YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
Apparently, catching COVID on or before book tours?
Kidding. But it’s the sad truth that my current book tour and my last one have both been upended by my getting COVID.
YABC: What advice do you have for new writers?
You’re going to hate me for this but take me seriously: write. Just write. It takes a long time to learn, and you have to write badly before you write well. That’s not just in general, but for every project and book. You have to write it wrong before you write it right, so embrace doing the thing badly, and doing it a lot. That’s how you learn.
Title: DEATH AT MORNING HOUSE
Author: Maureen Johnson
Release Date: August 6, 2024
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: mystery
Age Range: 14 and up
~ Giveaway Details ~
Two (2) winners will receive a copy of Death at Morning House (Maureen Johnson) ~US Only!
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
