We chat with author Jennifer Herrera about Siren Says, which is a lush, spellbinding tale about a tenacious young woman who must harness her family’s dangerous magic to put a stop to the sacrifices they’ve been making for more than a century
Hi, Jennifer! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
When I was five, my parents decided to move our family to a small town of about 1,300 people, feeling that that would be a good environment to raise kids. What in fact happened was that I grew up feeling like an alien in this place where everyone was related and where all of the families had known each other for generations. Because I grew up in a place where I was automatically different, I’ve never really felt a desire to fit in. I think that strangeness shows in the work that I create.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve always loved psychologically analyzing anyone in my vicinity ever since I was a child, but I hadn’t felt empowered to make up my own stories until I was in college. I wrote what were probably very bad novels, but hey that’s a rite of passage! It wasn’t until I started working in publishing that I learned how to tell a story over the span of 90,000 words. It turns out, that is a skill like any other, and it takes loads and loads of practice to be able to do well.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. It’s the book that made me first fall in love with New York City.
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. She managed to convey friendship and love amidst a world of magic in a way that feels remarkable, even now.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. On the surface, it’s a simple tale about a unicorn who can’t find anyone else like her, but dig a little deeper and you see it’s infused with so many hidden meanings and turns of phrase that draw out these tiny but monumental truths.
Your latest novel, Siren Says, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Botanical magic, found family, & crows.
What can readers expect?
It’s a moody, atmospheric novel about a woman who must learn to harness her family’s dangerous magic to break an ancestral curse. It’s got big “water sign” energy, some spice, and the depth that comes from truly grappling with the amorality of the world and yet still believing in goodness.
Where did the inspiration for Siren Says come from?
There’s a myth of a woman named Mis whose father dies on a battlefield. In her grief, Mis drinks her father’s blood only to become an enormous black bird that terrorizes a town for 300 years. The king is very angry that she is destroying his trade routes. So he sends warriors after her, whole armies, too. No one can touch her until a gentle harpist plays music for her that is so heartbreakingly beautiful that it reminds her that she’s human.
The myth struck a chord with me and it became the foundation for the journey that my character takes through this book.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved learning about the real-life plants that inspired the sentient plants in this book. I had no idea that the natural world produced such incredible varieties that were capable of so much. It was a joy, in the midst of writing a fantasy world, to find a reason to look upon our own world with wonder.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
When I in the middle of a rewrite of this book, my mom died. It was terrible in every way. Yet I had already found this grief myth that had become the backbone of my book. Just as Mis finds a way to experience her humanity again through art, I also was able to find a way back to myself through the act of creation. While I wouldn’t say I overcame my grief, for a while at least I could transform it.
What’s next for you?
If this book sells well then it will be easy for me to keep writing for a long time to come. That’s just the nature of the publishing business. If this book does not sell well, then of course I will keep writing and keep telling stories. I’ll just have to get creative with how to do so.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
I want to read Melissa Albert’s The Children. It came out last month, but I just haven’t had the chance yet!
I read Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross this year and it completely blew me away. The way she manages to develop a sweeping, sensual story with personal stakes stayed with me long after I closed the book.
