Goodreads asked Alan M. Clark:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Alan M. Clark SAY ANYTHING BUT YOUR PRAYERS, about the life of Elizabeth Stride, is the second book in my Jack the Ripper Victims Series. The series began with OF THIMBLE AND THREAT, about the 4th victim, Catherine Eddowes. About 20 years ago, I read the police reports from the murders. The one involving Eddowes listed everything found with her body at the murder scene. She was wearing several layers of clothing and had about 50 personal items, many held in hidden pockets. Since she was living on the street at the time, she no doubt had everything she owned with her. The list is pitiful. One of the most elaborate items was a partial pair of spectacles. It gave me a sense of the desperate life she led, her survival skills, and her willingness to struggle on. I began to wonder about the drama of the victims' lives within Victorian London instead of who the Ripper might be.

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