Middle grade author Dana Hammer joins me today to talk about her new MG fantasy, Fanny Fitzpatrick and the Sirens.
During her virtual book tour, Dana will be giving away a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn participant. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!
Bio:
Dana Hammer is a playwright, screenwriter, short story writer, and novelist. Her screenplay, Red Wings, has been optioned by EMA Films. She is the author of several novels, including The Cannibal’s Guide to Fasting, My Best Friend Athena, Fanny Fitzpatrick and the Brother Problem, and Fanny Fitzpatrick and the Sirens, published by Cinnabar Moth. She is also the author of Cosmas and Damian, a historical comedy play published by Next Stage Press. Many of her short stories have been published in a variety of anthologies, magazines, and journals. Her plays have received several staged readings and full productions. She was a Writer in Residence at Hypatia in the Woods, in summer of 2022. She has received over seventy awards and honors for her writing, few of which generated income, all of which were deeply appreciated. She has recently started writing poetry, and has sold one poem.
Welcome, Dana. Please tell us about your current release.
Fanny Fitzpatrick and the Sirens is the third book in the Fanny Fitzpatrick series. In it, Fanny is recruited to attend a summer camp for girls with exceptional singing capabilities, in the hopes that she will one day become a siren herself. Her friends tell her not to go — they say that sirens are dangerous women who use their voices to lure men to their deaths. But Fanny really wants to become a siren, and besides, those murders were a long time ago. Sirens don’t do that kind of stuff anymore…do they?
What inspired you to write this book?
The last two books, haha. Actually, I wanted to let Fanny explore something new — being tempted with supernatural greatness. Her best friends are either magical beings or fantastically wealthy, and Fanny is working class and mundane. I wanted to see how she reacts when she is offered a chance to become a siren, using her already-remarkable singing talent to achieve something extraordinary.
Excerpt from Fanny Fitzpatrick and the Sirens:
But I don’t have a chance to practice or not practice, because I remember that I have a Zoom date with Gemma and Athena. I head down to the computer and log in to the meeting.
Gemma and Athena are already in there, talking about something. They look serious and sour, but Gemma is wearing the most adorable newsboy hat with embroidered flowers on it, and I squeal when I see it.
“Gemma, that hat though!”
They stop talking and look at me, not smiling. I realize something weird is going on, and so I stop smiling.
“Fanny, we need to talk,” says Athena.
That’s not good.
“Um. Gemma? How’s England?” Gemma shakes her head at me.
I look back to Athena, who has crossed her arms, which makes her look like a strict disciplinarian who’s about to give me a terrible lecture. And I realize that’s exactly what’s about to happen.
“Herman told me everything,” Athena says.
“Um.”
“You let those things in your house! After I specifically told you how dangerous they are!”
“I didn’t let them in,” I say, which I realize is a wimpy thing to say, but I can’t think of anything better. “My dad did.”
“What did they want? Why were they there, at your house?”
“Well—”
“Do you have any idea how many people sirens have killed over the course of these millennia?”
“But that was a long time ago!” I say, sounding desperate and silly, even to my own ears.
“Fanny,” Gemma says, quietly, looking around to make sure no one is listening to her. “I’m not supposed to say this. But there are these islands. A few of them. And they have special deals with the UN, NATO, the African Union, and a few others that I’m not allowed to even say the names of. They have diplomatic immunity. They operate under their own laws, and they answer to no one. They’re unmappable, untraceable. I’ve been talking to Athena, and I think these islands are owned by the sirens.”
“You sound like conspiracy theorists,” I say, rolling my eyes. “How do you even know about these top-secret islands if they’re so top secret?”
“My parents,” Gemma says, like it’s obvious. I guess it should be obvious. I still have no idea what her parents do for a living, but they seem to jet around the planet a lot, with machete-bearing security guards, so I guess it must be important. Still.
“Well, Feather Island is a school. A school for musicians,” I say, trying to reassure them. “There’s a brochure and everything.”
I wish I had the brochure so I could show it to them, how lovely and harmless the place is, but my parents have put it somewhere and I don’t know where it is.
“How do you know about Feather Island?” Athena demands, looking even more furious.
Whoops. I guess I’ve gotta tell them now.
“That’s what the sirens wanted. To tell me about their music camp.”
“NO!” Athena shouts, banging her fist on the table in front of her. Splinters of wood fly everywhere and I’m kind of scared now. This is intense, even for Athena. “You can NOT go to this island. I don’t care what they told you. It’s bad news.”
What exciting project are you working on next?
Right now I am working on an adult vampire romance, which is a big departure from what I normally write. Vampire romances are a dime a dozen — the market is completely oversaturated — but I’m doing it anyway, and I hope my spin on it will be well-received.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
This is a strange question, and I get asked it a lot. The honest answer is, I don’t know that there was ever a conscious moment when I said “I’m a writer now.” I have always written things.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I’m very fortunate that I’m able to write full time! It’s the best job in the world. My workday varies, because I’m also a mother with a busy social life. But typically I write while my kid is at school, or at night, after she’s in bed. However, I’m currently writing this while my daughter and her friend paint their nails in the living room. I’ve been interrupted three times, when I gave them permission to eat cocktail peanuts (No, there is no alcohol in them), when I was asked where the nail polish was (on the table in front of you) and if I can take them to get ingredients for something called “dragon beard.” I’m getting this article done if it kills me.
In sum, I find the time when I can, and I’m super glad I don’t have to do so while also holding down an office job.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I find it hard to write without a beverage. I’m currently drinking green tea, in an attempt to be healthy and sensible.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A psychologist, a travel agent, a museum curator, a marine biologist, a stay-at-home-mom. I had lots of ideas, but not a lot of goals. As a poor kid, my options were limited, and I was well aware of that.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I hope you enjoy Fanny Fitzpatrick and the Sirens. It has some wonderful new characters who I know you will love.
Links:
Website | Facebook | Amazon
Thank you for hosting today.
This looks really good. Thanks for sharing.
Sounds like a good read.
This looks really good.
I enjoy the fun cover.