Author Interview: Mary Hanlon Stone!

About Mary:

Mary Hanlon Stone grew up in Michigan, eventually studying both English literature and law at the University of Michigan. Currently practicing law in Los Angeles, Ms. Stone works extensively protecting children and teens. Invisible Girl was inspired by her work with children.

         When poor Boston girl Stephanie is abandoned by her abusive mother and taken in by Annie’s Beverly Hills family, she feels anything but home. Her dark complexion and accent stick out like a sore thumb in the golden-hued world of blondes and extravagance. These are girls who seem to live life in fast-forward, while Stephanie is stuck on pause. Yet when a new rival moves to town, threatening Annie’s queen-bee status, Stephanie finds herself taking sides in a battle she never even knew existed, and that feeling invisible is a wound that can only be healed by standing up for who she is.

When you set out to write INVISIBLE GIRL, what did you think were important qualities for your main character, Stephanie, to have?

I guess I didn't think about what qualities she should have as much as I just felt what she was like. I knew she was smart and liked to read, but I also knew that she was painfully shy because she never really had anyone in her corner. I knew that despite what happened to her with her family that she was very brave underneath it all.


What made you want to write about such an emotional topic as child abuse? Were you hoping that, maybe, a victim of child abuse would find comfort in INVISIBLE GIRL?

I didn't think about writing about child abuse as much as I thought about writing about how hard it is for a child with secrets of abuse to get through the normally very hard world of middle school. I am so honored that so many "invisible girls" I have met through work have trusted me with their secrets and trusted me to help them, I wanted to give them something. I wanted to give hope to girls who haven't had the greatest family life. I wanted these girls to know that they can find love and happiness.

Has your work with law, specifically children, had an impact on your writing? Have any specific cases in your job with law influenced your writing?
My work with kids and teens at my job has had a huge impact on my writing. Once someone tells me their story, it is in my heart forever. I deal with many, many kids who are abused or neglected and they make me want to reach out to more kids of abuse or neglect.


What do you hope to accomplish with your writing?

I hope to reach out to teens and let them feel that someone is on their side, that someone gets them and believes in them.


If you could have written any book (besides your own, of course), which book would that be?

Wow, where do I start!! My favorite writer of all time is Edith Wharton. I read Custom of the Country every couple of years just to marvel at how she writes. I admire her to no end.

What is the most important piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Writing advice, of course.
Just keep writing!!

What is the one book you read that changed your life?


Well, I read Aynn Rand's The Fountain Head and Atlas Shrugged back-to-back the summer I studied for the Illinois bar--her characters really got into my head and made me feel there was nothing I couldn't do, including passing the bar!

Thanks, so much, Mary for being a part of this blog. Good luck with your writing!

Love from Brent & Emily, The Naughty Book Kitties <
(You can see Brent's review of Invisible Girl  HERE.)
(And John at Dreaming In Books wrote a lovely review. You can go read it HERE.)