Less than 11 weeks away, The Jinn Daughter is getting some buzz. My hometown published an interview with me on The Valley Ledger, a short interview on why I write, how I balance grad school and research with writing, and more.
Here’s a snippet from the interview.
What or who inspired you to be a writer? What was your inspiration for this book? I always wanted to be a writer and a scientist, and now I’m both, which has been such a gift. Every book I’ve ever read has inspired me to be a writer. Much of my love of literature and writing comes from my father, who fed me a steady diet of Middle Eastern food and folklore. I draw from oral stories my dad passed on to me — some of the tales interwoven into the larger narrative of The Jinn Daughter I’ve drawn from stories he told me growing up. My strongest inspiration for writing this book has been my Syrian heritage, a heritage I am proud of.
-Rania Hanna, The Valley Ledger, January 2024
Interested in reading more? Check out the rest of my interview here.
As of today, we are FIVE months away from pub date for THE JINN DAUGHTER, my debut novel.
A stunning debut novel and an impressive feat of storytelling that pulls together mythology, magic, and ancient legend in the gripping story of a mother’s struggle to save her only daughter
Nadine is a jinn tasked with one job: telling the stories of the dead. She rises every morning to gather pomegranate seeds—the souls of the dead—that have fallen during the night. With her daughter Layala at her side, she eats the seeds and tells their stories. Only then can the departed pass through the final gate of death.
But when the seeds stop falling, Nadine knows something is terribly wrong. All her worst fears are confirmed when she is visited by Kamuna, Death herself and ruler of the underworld, who reveals her desire for someone to replace her: it is Layala she wants.
Nadine will do whatever it takes to keep her daughter safe, but Kamuna has little patience and a ruthless drive to get what she has come for. Layala’s fate, meanwhile, hangs in the balance.
Rooted in Middle Eastern mythology, Rania Hanna deftly weaves subtle, yet breathtaking, magic through this vivid and compelling story that has at its heart the universal human desire to, somehow, outmaneuver death.
Some author reviews:
“Lyrical and magical, The Jinn Daughter captivates with its fierce imagination and its visceral prose. Hanna spins a folkloric tale of family bonds and the power that the dead hold over the living. An extraordinary novel that will linger long after the final page!”―Helene Wecker, author of The Golem and the Jinni
“A beautiful, haunting homage to Middle Eastern folklore,The Jinn Daughter is a stirring tale of love, grief, and the depths we’re willing to go to save our loved ones. Hanna’s beautifully drawn, complex characters weave together a story that will find its way into your very bones and leave you wanting more.”―Ehigbor Okosun, author of Forged by Blood
“Hanna seamlessly weaves compelling and complex characters into a lush tapestry of Middle Eastern folklore, creating a tragic, haunting world that is as dark as it is beautiful.” ―Samantha Sotto Yambao, author of Before Ever After
With pub date of THE JINN DAUGHTER 7 months away, I’m soaking up all the marketing strategies I can. One way to stay connected with readers is through Bookbub. I’ve used the site to get updates on book releases, book giveaways, and recommendations, and I finally have my own author profile on there!
Some of my favorite fantasy reads are listed there and I’d love if you connected with me, especially if we share fav reads!
My debut novel, The Jinn Daughter, releases April 2, 2024.
A stunning debut novel that pulls together mythology, magic, and ancient legend in the gripping story of a mother’s struggle to save her only daughter.
As I’m learning all I can about book marketing, I’m finding myself relying on one of the traditional heavy-hitters of word-of-mouth book marketing: Goodreads.
I’d love if you would follow my Goodreads Author page and keep updated on my book’s release and other news, including any giveaways if they happen.
it’s 8 months until my debut novel, THE JINN DAUGHTER, comes out. april 2, 2024. right in time for arab-american month.
i have two-thirds of a year to focus on learning marketing, feeling more confident in putting myself out there, and spreading the word about my work.
one way i’ve been realizing is an effective tool is word-of-mouth, a powerful marketing strategy that does wonders and can spread news of a work faster than lightning.
as such, i’m sharing links to my social media and encouraging you all, my appreciated followers, to like, share, and follow my accounts.
More updates coming. In the meantime, follow me on instagram, which is the only place besides this newsletter I’ll be giving updates.
A bit about, The Jinn Daughter:
Nadine is a Hakawati jinn tasked with one job: telling the stories of the dead. She rises every morning to gather pomegranate seeds – the souls of the dead – that have fallen during the night. With her daughter Layala at her side, she eats the seeds and tells the stories of the dead. Only then can the departed pass through the final gate and into eternal peace.
But when the seeds stop falling, Nadine knows something is terribly wrong. All her worst fears are confirmed when she is visited by Kamuna, Death herself, who reveals she wants the one thing Nadine treasures above all: her daughter Layala.
With Layala’s fate hanging in the balance, Nadine will do anything to keep her daughter safe. But Kamuna is angry and ruthless, and she will do anything to get what she wants. Nadine must sacrifice everything and travel to the underworld and do the unspeakable to save her only child.
Rooted in Middle Eastern mythology, Rania Hanna deftly weaves subtle, yet breathtaking, magic through this vivid and compelling story that has at its heart the universal human drive to love and to grieve.
Reading Between the Dunes 