Thrice Interview + Giveaway: THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY

Hi! Today we’re celebrating Tracy Holczer’s debut, THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY, which came out last month!

Before we start — why are they called Thrice interviews? The original titles for the Cahill Witch Chronicles were THRICE BLESSED, THRICE CURSED, and THRICE FATED. I have a tattoo with the word thrice, which is partly to remind me how joyful writing that first book was, back when it was just mine, and partly because I like threes. Cate Cahill is the oldest of three sisters, as am I. My birthday is May 3; my anniversary is Sept 30. So there’s a natural theme to these interview questions…

They say: Twelve-year-old Grace and her mother have always been their own family, traveling from place to place like gypsies. But Grace wants to finally have a home all their own. Just when she thinks she’s found it her mother says it’s time to move again. Grace summons the courage to tell her mother how she really feels and will always regret that her last words to her were angry ones.

After her mother’s sudden death, Grace is forced to live with a grandmother she’s never met. She can’t imagine her mother would want her to stay with this stranger. Then Grace finds clues in a mysterious treasure hunt, just like the ones her mother used to send her on. Maybe it is her mother, showing her the way to her true home.

Lyrical, poignant and fresh, THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY is a beautifully told middle grade tale with a great deal of heart.

I say: I haven’t had a chance to read this yet, but once again, check out these starred reviews!

“A lovely and captivating debut…Holczer writes with depth, heart, and a poetic lilt…nuanced characters engage from beginning to end.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Holczer expertly crafts the characters and dialogue to create a story readers will identify with, and thoroughly enjoy… More than simply a book about grief and the death of a parent, Grace’s story is about the search for identity. An essential purchase for middle-grade collections.”—School Library Journal, starred review

Now for our interview with Tracy:​

1. Describe your main character in 3 adjectives + a noun.

Grace is a self-sufficient, practical, loyal pre-teen.

2. Describe your book in 3 adjectives + a noun.

THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY is hopefully a poignant, mysterious, hopeful story.

3. Describe yourself in 3 adjectives + a noun.

I’m a stubborn, whimsical, friendly goofball.

4. If you could travel to any 3 countries, what would they be?

Africa, Portugal and Australia

5. If you could take any 3 non-writing-related classes, what would they be?

Meditation, pottery and surfing

6. If you could have any 3 alternate careers, what would they be?

Pre-school teacher, coffee barista and ski instructor

7. What are your 3 favorite flowers?

Daisy, lilly and peony

8. What are your 3 favorite foods?

Tacos, tacos and tacos

9. What are your 3 favorite books?

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES and WALK TWO MOONS

Thanks for stopping by, Tracy! Congratulations on your debut!

You can find out more about Tracy and THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY at her website and you can follow her on twitter or on Facebook.

Tracy is being generous enough to give away one copy of her book, internationally! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter below by next Tuesday, July 1, at midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway