1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?
I’m not sure how I got into writing. I’ve always written. I honestly can’t remember a time when I didn’t write.
2) What inspired you to write your book?
Drugs, haha. Basically, I wanted to write a satire about the way we treat addicts in our society. On the one hand, we treat them as criminals for something that pretty much everyone agrees is a disease, and that’s messed up. On the other hand, addicts often do horrible things because of their addictions, and we can’t ignore that, and act like it’s not a problem. To my way of thinking, the solution to addiction isn’t to punish addicts. The solution is to come up with a cure for addiction. I’m not a scientist, so I can’t do that. But I can write a book about it.
3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?
This book has a lot of themes in it, and I’m reluctant to tell people what to take away from it. I just hope that something resonates with them.
4) What drew you into this particular genre?
I love horror comedy and dystopian fiction. Both genres are always asking the question “what if?” And I think that’s the basis of all really good storytelling.
5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?
I’d like to hang out with Esteban Zappa, of course! I want him to take me out to a fancy restaurant and introduce me to exotic dishes and I’d ask him to tell me stories about his globetrotting adventures.
6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
The only social media site I really use is Facebook. I technically have an Instagram account, but I hate taking pictures, so it’s not really for me. Twitter seems like it’s just people being really mean, really fast. Maybe I’ll try TikTok someday. I don’t know.
7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?
Marry someone who will support you financially so you have the time and space to write. Alternately, be independently wealthy. I’m mostly kidding, but not entirely.
8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?
Yesterday I finished a new draft of my first middle-grade novel, My Best Friend Athena. It’s about an eleven-year-old girl whose best friend is the reincarnation of the Greek goddess, Athena. When Athena accidentally turns the school bully into a cockroach, the girls have to work together to find him and turn him back into a boy.
We will see if I can get it published.
About the Author
Dana Hammer is a novelist, short story writer, playwright, and screenwriter living in Anaheim, California.
Author Anthony Avina's Blog 