We chat with USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award–winning author Amanda Flower about I Heard A Fly Buzz When I Died, which sees a literary icon stays with the Dickinson family, Emily and her housemaid Willa find themselves embroiled in a shocking murder.
Hi, Amanda! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m a mystery author living in Ohio with my husband and a bunch of adorable cats on our farm where we have a recording studio.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I fell in love with writing when I was a eleven years old and read a story in front of my English class, and my classmates and my teacher laughed at my humorous story. It was the best feeling.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Mouse and the Motorcycle
- The one that made you want to become an author: Charlotte’s Web
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Jane Eyre
I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died is the second installment in your Emily Dickinson Mystery series! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Historic, Literary characters, Surprising, Revealing, and Touching
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect to see Emily Dickinson and her maid Willa Noble’s friendship grow as the women learn more about each other. Also, Willa trusts herself more in this novel than she did in Because I Could Not Stop for Death. The most fun part is the arrival of a few real life literary writers from the 19th century other than Emily of course.
Where did the inspiration for I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died come from?
This is the second novel in the Emily Dickinson Mystery Series. While researching the first book, I came across the fact that the Dickinsons were friends with Ralph Waldo Emerson and he even stayed with Emily’s brother. I’m a big Emerson fan and knew I had to include that in the series.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I love to write about the tension between employers and servants during the nineteenth century. It’s such and interesting and complicated relationship, especially in the case of Emily and Willa.
With over a decade of published books, what are some of the key lessons you have learned when it comes to writing and the publishing world?
I’ve learned so many lessons, but the most important ones are the following:
There is no right way to write a novel. You have to write the way that works for you and gets the words on the page.
Always be working on something new. This industry is constantly changing, and you have to be willing to change with it for longevity.
Never give up. Writing is a hard business, but it is so worth it.
What’s next for you?
Currently, I’m writing the third Emily Dickinson Mystery that will release early 2025. I am loving it. I’ll also be going on a book tour this spring in the Mid Atlantic region of the country. Visit my website, amandaflower.com, after the first of the year for more information about that.
Lastly, are there any 2024 book releases you’re looking forward to reading?
I am really looking forward to the release of To Slip the Bonds of Earth. It’s the first novel in my second historical mystery series. This series features the Wright Brothers and begins the day they flew for the first time on December 17, 1903. Their real-life sister narrators the mystery. The novel will release in March 2024.
