Hot WIPs and Sassy Chicks: Amanda Flower Interview featuring Nicole Resciniti

Today's spotlight is with two amazing women: Amish/Adult Mystery/Middle Grade MysteryAuthor Amanda Flower and ACFW 2012 Agent of the Year Nicole Resciniti.

I'm so excited to have them on the blog, because it's always so fun to highlight people I know!

ME: Amanda, how did you know you wanted to work with Nicole?

AMANDA: A writer friend told me about Nicole and suggested that I send her a query. Before I did, I researched Nicole and the Seymour Agency because that’s what I do. I’m a librarian and research everything. The more I learned, the more I knew Nicole was the perfect agent for me, and then I met her in person and she was so incredibly nice. My only fear was she wouldn’t sign me. Thank goodness, she did!

ME: Nicole? How did you know you wanted to work with Amanda?

NICOLE: I was in Florida at the time. She told me she’d be on the east coast and we agreed to meet. I drove across from Naples. I’d read some of her samples—another story, for sure!!! After meeting Amanda, we discussed her writing style, and her incredible number of ideas across various genres really stood out. She's capable of writing in so many areas, but what really caught my attention was her passion for writing mysteries and her process. Amanda is BRILLIANT. And caring and kind, and genuine. I actually run out of words to describe her. She is hands-down one of the most truly good people walking the planet. I am beyond blessed to know her. Working with Amanda…seriously, I’m so lucky. (go ahead and think that’s me blowing sunshine. No. Seriously. She’s one of those people who ‘inspire.’ She makes me want to be a better person.)

ME: Amanda? Care to give us a highlight of your writing process?

AMANDA: Write a really horrible rough draft, eat a cupcake. Revise, revise, revise. Send to my readers and to Nicole, eat a cupcake. Get the manuscript back, revise one more time, turn in, and eat a cupcake. Each novel is a three cupcake minimum. Ummm… I believe I left the cupcakes out when I met Nicole the first time. I was still a young author at the time and wasn’t sure “writing for cupcakes” was what she was looking for. I played it safe.

ME: Nicole, what's been the most surprising experience about working with Amanda?

NICOLE: Her attention to detail is amazing. She researches everything and maintains a really great balance of the Amish culture, making it fun and interesting to new readers. But beyond those books, each mystery brings a tangible, emotional element to the page. In Amanda’s MG series, I fell IN LOVE with Andi in thefirst chapter. I felt her tumultuous emotions. I shared her pain. I cared. That is the hallmark of a really talented writer. They manipulate your emotions. They take you outside your comfort zone, and then before you realize they’ve sucked you in, you’re on this amazing, wonderful journey.

I love working with Amanda because with each project, I am always amazed. I’m smiling, feeling nostalgic, and no matter which genre I’m reading, I always hit the end and feel ooooh-sooo-good. Amanda has serious TALENT!

And, I probably shouldn’t, but I’m gonna take it to a personal level. Amanda is one of the most giving, generous people I’ve ever met. She loves and assists her brilliant mother (oh, yes, my friends, ask her about her mother’s accomplishments—her mom is a world traveler and a trendsetter—there is an amazing biography there). She’s an aunt, a librarian, a computer wizard, a world traveler, an Amish amateur quilter, a cat lover, a dessert maker…

I can’t even keep track of her accomplishments. But I can say one thing: Amanda. Is. Amazing.

ME: Amanda, what's been the biggest surprise working with Nicole?

AMANDA: How much she cares about her authors. She genuinely cares about us and our lives outside of our books. I never expected that. She’s one of the nicest people I know. I’m blessed to have her in my life.

ME: Okay, Nicole, give me three words to describe Amanda.

NICOLE: Hardworking. Dedicated. Lovely.

ME: And, Nicole, again... what three words would Amanda use to describe you?

NICOLE: What? I don't know.

ME: Come on. If Amanda had to describe you, what three words would she use?

NICOLE [with a twinkle in her eyes]: Crazy. Pit bull. Annoying.

ME: Amanda, your turn. Give me three words to describe Nicole.

AMANDA: Kind. Brilliant. Superhero.

ME: Aaaaaand, what three words would Nicole use to describe you?

AMANDA: Oh, I don’t know… Worrywart. Prolific. Worrywart. I know worrywart is there twice, but it’s true! I am one. [grins]

ME: Where do you both see yourself twenty years from now?

AMANDA: Writing mysteries, traveling the world, and still being Nicole’s client if she can stand me for that long. ;)

NICOLE: On the beach, editing Amanda's twentieth NYT bestselling book.

ME: Nicole, if you could buy Amanda any drink in the universe, what would you buy her?

NICOLE: A chocolate martini.

ME: Amanda? What drink would you buy Nicole?

AMANDA: Since I know next to nothing about drinks, whatever she wanted.

NICOLE: Here’s my answer to a drink for Amanda. Whatever we ordered would have to have RedBull—cause I’m convinced Amanda doesn’t sleep. She wears like ten different hats and writes for three publishers. Woo-hoo it’s impressive!

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Aren't they awesome?!? But wait, there's more!