41
Interview with
Jennifer Michelle Herrera
Hosted by Sara Vander Zwaag & Jennie Lindsay
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Summary
Sara and Jennie sit down with Jennifer Michelle Herrera, author of Siren Says, for an author conversation as warm as it is wide-ranging. Jennifer shares how Pennsylvania slate and the Welsh settlers who quarried it sparked her romantasy, why she filled the story with plants and tactile detail, and what drew her to the myth of Mis and the power of female rage. The three talk Delilah as a "shadow mommy," Cherry and the case for unlikable women, intergenerational trauma and atonement, and the audiobook narration that carried the Welsh pronunciations. Jennifer also opens up about her writing process, her path from philosophy grad student to literary agent to author, and the books she wants everyone to read next.
Spoilers
Full spoilers for Siren Says by Jennifer Michelle Herrera, including the ending.
Author Bio
Jennifer is the author of Siren Says & The Hunter. She studied philosophy in graduate school before moving to New York City, where she became a literary agent. She has gone on to represent New York Times bestsellers, IndieBound bestsellers, and winners of multiple awards. She now lives in Philadelphia with her husband, children, and cats.
Content Warnings
Self-harm, domestic abuse from a parent, violence and gore, and a coercive sexual encounter that is accidental.
Chapters
0:00 – Show Intro
0:23 – Meet Jennifer Michelle Herrera
3:11 – What Inspired Siren Says: Slate & Welsh Settlers
6:10 – Pennsylvania Rocks & Local History
8:37 – A Tactile Book & Re-Enchanting the World
9:51 – Ancestral Enchantment & Reclaiming Heritage
11:16 – Welsh Pronunciations & the Ceffyl Dŵr
12:05 – Sorcha Groundsell's Audiobook Narration
15:32 – Favorite Scene to Write: Flowers in Bloom
18:58 – Power, Morality & The Good Place
21:30 – Delilah the Shadow Mommy
24:41 – Favorite Character: Delilah & the Crone
29:11 – Female Rage & the Myth of Mis
33:21 – Fantasy as Permission to Feel
35:32 – Motherhood, Advocacy & Accessing Rage
37:19 – Intergenerational Trauma & Atonement
41:01 – Will There Be a Sequel?
42:06 – Cherry & Unlikable Women
46:03 – Writing Process, Research & The Light Eaters
49:05 – Intuition & the Subconscious on the Page
51:36 – The Hero's Journey vs. Women's Cycles
52:36 – Oral History, Mother Tongue & Women's Knowledge
54:26 – Celtic Storytellers & Passing Down Stories
55:55 – Llyfr Cyfrin: The Welsh Book of Secrets
57:04 – Book Recommendations: Wild Reverence & Emma M. Lion
1:00:23 – From Philosopher to Literary Agent to Author
1:03:12 – Where to Find Jennifer
1:05:01 – Favorite Welsh Spirit: The Ceffyl Dŵr
1:06:18 – Thank You & Guerrilla Marketing Plans
1:07:17 – Show Outro
Mentioned in This Episode
Siren Says — Jennifer Michelle Herrera
Fourth Wing — Rebecca Yarros
Threshing Day — Rebecca Yarros
Mother Tongue: The Surprising History of Women's Words — Jenni Nuttall
The Light Eaters — Zoë Schlanger
Wild Reverence — Rebecca Ross
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion — Emma M. Lion
Welsh Witchcraft — Mahra Starling
"Sun to Me" — Zach Bryan (the song behind the flower-garden scene)
Sorcha Groundsell — narrator of the Siren Says audiobook
FAQ
Does Episode 41 of Spread Your Wingspan feature an interview with Jennifer Michelle Herrera, author of Siren Says?
Yes, Episode 41 of Spread Your Wingspan is Sara and Jennie's author interview with Jennifer Michelle Herrera, the author of the Welsh-inspired romantasy Siren Says. It is the companion to Episode 40 of Spread Your Wingspan, where they recap and discuss the book. In this conversation Jennifer talks about her inspiration, her writing process, female rage, and what she is reading next.
What is Siren Says by Jennifer Michelle Herrera about?
Siren Says follows Raven Wynn, a young woman whose magic was bound as a teenager and who travels to Pennsylvania to find her mysterious aunt and a way to deal with her power. Jennifer built the story around Welsh mythology and the slate-quarrying history of Pennsylvania. Hear the full recap in Episode 40 of Spread Your Wingspan.
Should I read Siren Says before listening to Episode 41 of Spread Your Wingspan?
Yes, if you can. The interview includes full spoilers for Siren Says, so read or listen to the book first. If you want a refresher, Episode 40 of Spread Your Wingspan covers the full recap before Jennifer joins in Episode 41.
Will there be a sequel to Siren Says?
Jennifer shares in Episode 41 of Spread Your Wingspan that her publisher would want strong sales before commissioning a sequel, and that she already knows where the story would go, with more of Cherry's story. She jokes that it may one day appear on Patreon.
What books does Jennifer Michelle Herrera recommend?
In Episode 41 of Spread Your Wingspan, Jennifer recommends Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross, The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger, and The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, a series of tiny, rule-breaking novels she read in eight days.
