Author Interview and Giveaway: The Final Reveille by Amanda Flower

The Final Reveille
(A Living History Museum Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
New Series
Publisher: Midnight Ink (May 8, 2015)
Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0738744735

 As the director of Barton Farm, a living history museum in Ohio, Kelsey Cambridge is underpaid and underappreciated, but she loves every minute of it. Determined to keep the struggling farm open, she plans to impress the museum’s wealthy benefactress, Cynthia Cherry, with a Civil War reenactment on the farm’s grounds.

Unfortunately, the first shot in the battle isn’t from a period soldier. It’s from Cynthia’s greedy nephew, Maxwell, who fires a threat at Kelsey to cut the museum’s funding. The next morning, things go from bad to worse when Kelsey discovers Maxwell dead. Now Kelsey is the police’s number one suspect, and she must start her own investigation to save Barton Farm . . . and herself.

Interview With Amanda Flower

I enjoyed interviewing Amanda Flower for this book tour stop!

When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

I knew I wanted to be a writer when I read a story I wrote to my sixth grade English class, and the class and my teacher laughed at my description of being stuck at the top of a Ferris wheel. I knew in that moment I had found my calling to make people laugh with my words.

What was your favorite book as a child?

Charlotte’s Web

What is your writing day like?  Do you have any interesting writing quirks?

In addition to being a writer, I’m a fulltime college librarian, so every day of my life looks a little bit different because I write about my work schedule that varies from week to week. However, I do most of my writing on Saturdays and Sundays I’m not working. On a those days, I can write up to seven thousand words in a day. I usually write better when I have a large chuck of time to really get into the story. One of my writer quirks would be I like to wear a hoodie with the hood up when I write. I suppose it gives me tunnel vision.

What was the most surprising thing you learned while creating this book?

I feel like I have a good grasp on American history, but I was surprised to learn that Walt Whitman served as a nurse to wounded soldiers during the Civil War in Washington DC. He would read his poems to the men to comfort them. I loved that fact and had to put a Whitman reenactor in the book because of it. 

Who are your favorite authors? 

That’s such a tough question. There are so many. Some of my favorite mystery authors are Heather Blake, Kylie Logan, and Rhys Bowen. There are many more than that! 

What is your next writing project?

 

Currently, I am in the middle of a very busy writing year. I am under contract to write five mysteries this year for Midnight Ink and Penguin/NAL. I write mysteries under my name and the name Isabella Alan. I’m currently working on the sequel to The Final Reveille called The Final Tap about maple sugaring on Barton Farm. My next cozy to release after The Final Reveille is Murder, Plainly Read, which is the 4^th novel in The Amish Quilt Shop Mystery Series I write as Isabella Alan.

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About This Author

Amanda Flower, a two-time Agatha Award-nominated mystery author, started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story she wrote to her sixth grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she’d found her calling of making people laugh with her words. She also writes mysteries as national bestselling  author Isabella Alan. In addition to being an author, Amanda is an academic librarian for a small college near Cleveland.

 

Purchase Links: Amazon B&N

Giveaway:
There is a Rafflecopter Giveaway for copy of the Final Reveille, one pb copy of Maid of Murder, one copy of one of my Isabella Alan mysteries, and a Ohio country gift.

a Rafflecopter giveaway