Ask the Author: Hannah Dennison
Answered Questions (8)
Hannah Dennison
Hi Tari - thanks so much for asking ... and apologies for the delay in responding to you. I literally JUST found this in my inbox (I have been feverishly writing the second book in the new series and didn't see the flag). YES - you are absolutely right about the sea tractor! I did "borrow" the idea from Burgh Island. Burgh Island is about 10 miles from where I live in Devon. I have seen the sea tractor close up and it's a really weird contraption. I thought it would be fun to have it at Tregarrick Rock. I'm so glad you enjoyed Death at High Tide. You have made my day. Hope all is well! Hannah
Hannah Dennison
Hi John - The series is about two British sisters in their late thirties. Evie, a photographer, has just been widowed. Margot, a Hollywood film producer, is in the throes of a divorce. Evie unexpectedly inherits a run down Art Deco hotel on a tidal island in the Isles of Scilly. Needless to say murder ensues! But apart from murder, the adventures are also about sibling relationships. The series has been described as a cross between Doc Martin, The Durrells in Corfu with a splash of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Thanks so much for your question!
Hannah Dennison
Ann! Are you still speaking to me? OMG I cannot believe I never answered this. I am so sorry! I didn't get the Goodreads notification and then I was off-piste for a while writing my new series. To answer your question - I am planning on writing a Vicky Hill Christmas book in time for the holidays. Thanks for asking!
Hannah Dennison
Oooh ... I love this question. These are on my list: Jenn McKinlay's new book - "About a Dog," Sara Rosett's "Death in an English Garden," Joan Hess's "Out on a Limb" and ... because I have a 10 hour flight to England where I love to read massive books ... Barbara Erskine's "Sleeper's Castle." And yes, all print. I do use my Kindle occasionally but I just love the feel of paper.
Hannah Dennison
Hi John - this is a large question but I'll answer it as best I can. My relationship with my publisher (s) were established through my agent. If you get a contract with a publishing house, this is usually in the form of an advance against future sales. When you have earned out the advance, you then would get royalties. The advance/royalties are a percentage of the cover price of the book. So ... for a hardback you would earn more than a paperback etc. The contract with a publisher is usually a book contract so there is no long term obligation. The contract with an agent can often have long term obligations. I hope than answers your question!
Hannah Dennison
Hello! This is such a great question! I was a flight attendant on private jets for a number of years waaaaay back in the last century. On one such trip to Eastern Europe our passenger was Robert Maxwell (the newspaper tycoon). I liked him. Six weeks later he supposedly jumped off a boat amid a huge pension scandal. Did he fall or was he pushed? Quite a few of my flying adventures could be turned into mysteries.
Hannah Dennison
Gosh … writing "The End." Just kidding. Actually, there are many things I love (and quite a few I don't). I love it when a story finally begins to come together after weeks and months of struggling with just an idea. There’s a magic that happens and I honestly don't know where it comes from. But ... every time I start a new book, I'm terrified that THIS time the magic won't appear. Putting writing aside, something I didn’t foresee was the amount of wonderful people I would meet and the friends I would make - other authors, readers, booksellers, librarians and everyone that goes into physically getting the book onto the shelf. It's quite astonishing. That is the absolute best thing about being a writer.
Hannah Dennison
This is a very good question! When I first started writing I used to panic because my mind would go a complete blank and all I wanted to do was take a nap. It was awful - but now I know that the reason I have writer's block is because I don't know my characters well enough. What I do is go back to each character and make sure they have a secret or a fatal flaw; maybe find out what might be in their trash bin ... and then think about the worst thing that could happen. That usually gets me going again!
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