Interview with Amanda Sterczyk, Author of Cinnamon and the Clue in the Cardamom

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Cinnamon and the Clue in the Cardamom?

We have a beautiful—and chatty—Himalayan cat named Princess. She’s our foster fail who joined our family at the age of four. The local animal shelter told us that she’d been abandoned and had spent at least one month outside. We have always been so curious about her background, asking her outright, “What’s your story, morning glory? Where did you come from? Who would walk away from such a sweet and gentle cat?” She only responded with meows and chirps, unsurprisingly. One night, I asked her outright, “What are you trying to tell me?” and it struck an idea in my head. What if she could actually tell us what was on her mind? And that’s where Cinnamon emerged.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Cinnamon and the Clue in the Cardamom, what would they be?

Rowan: “Bad Reputation” by Joan Jett — She’s got a take-charge attitude, and it speaks to her defiance of village expectations as well as her refusal to let her family history define her. Plus, it’s a banging tune!

Cinnamon: “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred — It’s the ultimate cheeky-cat anthem. Tail flick. Slow blink. Zero shame.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I love mysteries! All sub-genres, too, including cozy mysteries. Having said that, I love reading in multiple genres. If an author is a great storyteller, I’m hooked. And my background is in non-fiction (13 of my 15 books published to date are NF), so I’ve always got at least one intriguing non-fiction book on my TBR list.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Backwater Justice by Fern Michaels, Dark August by Katie Tallo, Ghost at the Garden Gate by Misty Spellman, Humanish: What Talking to Your Cat or Naming Your Car Reveals About the Uniquely Human Need to Humanize by Justin Gregg, The Doorman by Chris Pavone.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Most definitely, when Rowan first discovers that Cinnamon can talk. She’s desperate to find out how/why, but the cat has other ideas (“I have demands.”). We have a metal sign in our house that says, “It cats could text you back…they wouldn’t”, which was the inspiration for this scene.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

Not a habit but a visual of when I’m writing: when I’m in the flow, I feel like the words are pouring out of me. I imagine people looking at me would relate it to the “wild keyboard-typing trope” and think the output was riddled with mistakes!

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

You learn something new every day.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I just hope they love reading the book as much as I loved writing it!

Amanda Sterczyk is the author of the new book Cinnamon and the Clue in the Cardamom

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