Interview with D. Z. Church, Author of The Orleans Lady

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?

I set the Wanee Mysteries in a burgeoning prairie town in Illinois, thirty-five miles east of the Mississippi River, not by accident. My family farmed there for over a hundred years, so the river was part of our creation story. Even my city-bred mother told tales of floating the Mississippi on an inner tube tied to a tree near Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and her fear that the rope would snap and she would end up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, or worse.

Further, the river’s floods were legendary. In the first Wanee Mystery, Unbecoming a Lady, Cora’s mother deserts her and leaves her in debt. I knew Cora wouldn’t be able to live with that, not without knowing why. And I had to answer that for her.

Soon enough, tales of the mysterious Marie Mae, who operates a riverboat out of New Orleans, trickled into the subsequent books. And so, it became inevitable that Cora would board a riverboat, hoping to settle her past. And I would have the fun of describing the might of the river just east of home.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?

Cora Countryman – I Want to Be Free
Sebastian Kanady – You Belong to Me
Mrs. Gibson – Oh, What a Beautiful Morning

And yes, I know these are all golden oldies, but evocative ones.

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

I love reading mysteries and thrillers, especially those with the spice of romance. I also spend a good deal of time, especially as I start a new Wanee Mystery, reading nonfiction to ensure that the characters, actions, attire, and such are true to the late 1870s. Which leads to spending, probably too much time with Charlotte Beecher, The Doctrine of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 1876, biographies, treatises on the social conditions of the times, diseases, and whatever other rabbit holes I need to burrow down to world-build, including assorted Historical Society websites.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

The next book in the Wanee Series, tentatively titled Of Temperance and Fire, concerns what happens when the Women’s Crusade of 1876 spills over into Wanee. So, my TBR list consists of:

History of the Woman’s Temperance Crusade – Annie Wittenmyer
Women Torch-Bearers – Elizabeth Putnam Gordon
Do Everything – Frances Elizabeth Willard

And then there is The Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters, just because I need to read it every few years. And, of course, the rest of the stack…

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Almost any scene between Cora and Kanady. I feel as though I have to up my game for their banter. But I loved writing the action sequences, too. I won’t say more on that topic, as it would be a plot spoiler, so I guess readers will just have to come along for the ride.

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

I have a statue of a small white rabbit and another of a very tiny toy Vought F4U Corsair painted Navy blue that occupy the base of my writing lamp. They are always with me. The F4U kept me company as I wrote The Cooper Quartet, which, though about the impact of Vietnam on a military family, begins with the actions of their legendary father, a World War II and Korean War Corsair ace. The toy helped center my writing as the four Cooper thrillers evolved.

The rabbit is but one of many; eight others watch me from atop my bookcase across the room. They make me smile, even when the page before me is blank. And, of course, rabbits are very, very lucky and prolific. And as a symbol of new life, a perfect companion for the conception of characters.

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

“Know where you stand and stand there.” — A Daniel Berrigan quote. As it guides me, it guides my characters in being true to themselves and their purpose.

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

A life of mystery, learning, and adventure may not be in lands far, far away, but just around the next corner. Or, to quote Mr. Kanady: “Well, my dear, you are in the middle of all three.”