Interview with Marin Montgomery, author of The Girl That Got Away

What can you tell us about your new release, The Girl That Got Away?

The book is loosely based on my childhood hometown and an event that happened to me as a twelve-year-old when I was having a tent sleepover during the summer. I did live on a dead-end street across from a trailer court, cemetery, and a strip club, yet only the cemetery remains. It didn’t result in a kidnapping, but it did result in the what if’s

What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?

• You by Caroline Kepnes
• Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
• The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
• The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
• The Memory Watcher by Minka Kent

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I’ve been writing since I was in elementary school—song lyrics or poems and short stories. I’ve started writing many books and then stopped. It was a personal goal, and my best friend and mentor showed me that this was attainable. I’m so lucky to have her as not only a friend but as a mentor. Thanks, Minka Kent!

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

I have an overactive imagination, and I’m constantly thinking of situations or events that should and could be stories. I love to bring characters to life and see what happens as I’m developing them.

BAM. You’re a superhero. What’s your superpower?

I would have the ability to read minds, though I think that would drive me crazy, always wondering why people thought the way they did and what they thought of what I said or did!

How do you like to spend a rainy day?

The perfect rainy day involves a good book, my guilty pleasure of The Real Housewives of Orange County or Married at First Sight or binge-watching re-runs of The Office. Dashiell, my Goldendoodle would be there to make sure I got off the couch and took him for a walk when the clouds parted!

What scene in The Girl That Got Away was your favorite to write?

My favorite scene to write was the kidnapping because of what happened that summer when I slept in the tent. I was able to visualize the scene perfectly in my mind because of how I felt during those moments when you didn’t know if a stranger was going to stay or leave.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

My trainer, Jeremy Scott, has a couple mantras that are simple and they resonate with me.

Until next time, eat well, train hard, and be nice to people.

The other one is

We aren’t here to just pay bills and die which is great advice when you’re following your passion.

Marin Montgomery is the author of the new book The Girl That Got Away. 

Connect with Marin:
Author Website