Tea with Amanda Flower
Author of the contemporary and historical mysteries.
I’m so pleased to welcome author Amanda Flower to Tea and Infamy. I first discovered Amanda’s mysteries through her Agatha Award winning novel Because I Could Not Stop for Death, the first in her Emily Dickinson mystery series. I was so intrigued by the idea of Emily Dickinson helping to solve a mystery! Her new historical mystery series features Katherine Wright, Orville and Wilbur’s sister. The first novel in the series To Slip the Bonds of Earth came out in March 2024.
What inspired you to choose Katharine Wright, the sister of the famous Wright brothers, as your amateur sleuth in To Slip the Bonds of Earth?
I was looking for a woman who was a member of famous family in Ohio who has been mostly forgotten, and Katharine was the perfect fit.
How did you approach blending historical facts with fictional elements to create an engaging mystery narrative?
It’s important to me to be as close to the temperament and person Katharine really was. Thankfully, I was able to learn her voice through the letters that she left behind and from the accounts written by her family members.
Katharine Wright is not as widely recognized as her brothers. What aspects of her personality and life did you find most compelling to explore in your novel?
Wilbur and Orville Wright were both very introverted, but Katharine was the opposite. That was a great help to them when they went to Europe in 1908 to sell their airplane. She was willing to learn French and mingle with dignitaries to make the sale. Her brothers did not enjoy socializing, but Katharine did. She was a great help to them. Overall, I admired her spunk and willingness to do anything for her family.
Can you discuss any research challenges you encountered while writing about the early days of aviation and the Wright family?
I ran into a challenge while writing book 2, Not They Who Soar, which will release in May 2025. I was looking for this tiny detail about a crime that actually happened at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. In the novel, Katharine goes to the fair by herself, which is factual and a perfect setting for the second novel in the series. Thankfully, I knew where to go. I reached out to a librarian in St. Louis and by looking through newspapers at the time, they were able to get the information I needed.
How do you balance character development and plot advancement when writing a historical mystery?
I don’t think I treat it any differently from any mystery I write. In the first draft, I’m just getting to know the characters and frame out the plot, but the final draft it all comes together. Every time, I’m still surprised I’m able to pull it together.
In your Emily Dickinson mystery series, you also focus on a historical figure. What similarities and differences did you find in writing about Emily Dickinson and Katharine Wright?
Both Emily and Katharine are fiercely loyal to their families. They also were very intelligent, well-educated, and well-read. However, Emily was much more reserved than Katharine, and Katharine was much more direct.
How do you think the setting of the early 20th century impacts the dynamics of a mystery story?
It has a huge impact because everything was changing so fast. The middle class was forming, electricity was becoming common place, cars were more widely used. I think at this time, people like the Wrights thought anything was possible and they were willing to be the ones to make those things reality.
You’ve also written several contemporary mystery series. How do you balance writing both?
My trick is to never be writing in more than one character’s head in a 24 hour period. If I’m writing about Katharine, I just think about Katharine. If I’m writing one my Amish cozies, I just think about that.
Are you a plotter or more of a pantser when it comes to writing?
Panster. 100%. My rough drafts are ugly and no one but me ever sees them.
What is up next for you? Hopefully more Katherine Wright and Emily Dickinson novels!
Thank you! Yes, the next Emily Dickinson Mystery, I Died for Beauty, will release in February 2025, and the second Katharine Wright Mystery, Not They Who Soar, will release May 2025. Before that, my next Amish cozy, Gingerbread Danger book 9 of the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries, will release in October 2024.
What is on your TBR (to be read pile) right now?
On the top of my pile is history books about another person in American history that I’m researching, but I can’t tell you who it is because I’m waiting for news from my agent. Also on my TBR pile are the latest Vivien Chien cozy and the newest release from Charles Todd.
Are you a tea drinker? And if so, what is your favorite tea?
I usually only drink hot tea when I’m ill, but I LOVE iced tea. My favorite is green iced tea. I was excited to learn when writing Not They Who Soar that iced tea was first served at the 1904 World’s Fair.