Authors Interviewing Their Characters: Alison Hammer

Alison Hammer, author of YOU AND ME AND US interviews her character CeCe.

Recommended for fans of Jojo Moyes and Marisa de los Santos, Alison Hammer’s debut ought to be sold with a box of tissues. When Tommy is diagnosed with stage four cancer, his partner Alexis and daughter Cece must face their differences and adjust to their future reality without Tommy.

Alison: 

Hi, CeCe. Thanks for making time to chat with me today. And for the great refreshments. 

CeCe: 

It’s no big deal—I like cooking. I’ve been pretty into charcuterie boards lately. 

Alison: 

Well, this one looks Instagram worthy! Can you tell our readers what we’ve got here? 

CeCe: 

Proscuitto and capicola—that’s my favorite cured meat. There’s also some drunken goat cheese, honeycomb with a cave-aged blue cheese, some black mission figs, Castelvetrano olives and bacon jam. Oh, and some fig and olive crisps. 

Alison: 

I don’t know what half of that means, but it looks great! And this, I take it, is your famous Arnold Palmer? 

CeCe: 

They’re not famous—my mom just makes a big deal about them for some reason.  

Alison: 

I understand why. It’s delicious! 

CeCe: 

I just use fresh ingredients instead of the powdered stuff she used to use. And I added some basil to elevate it and put my own twist on it.  

Alison: 

Very creative—is that something you got from your mom? 

CeCe: 

(laughs) Maybe. She’s pretty creative with her advertising stuff. But she can’t cook at all—her specialty is take out. 

Alison: 

So who did you get your cooking skills from? 

CeCe: 

Not my parents! (laughs) My dad isn’t a bad cook, I mean, he wasn’t. He made these really good scrambled eggs that have cream cheese in them. 

Alison: 

My dad makes eggs like that, too! What a coincidence! 

CeCe: 

(laughs) 

Alison: 

Cooking isn’t your only passion, though. From what I’ve heard you’re quite the actress. 

CeCe: 

I don’t know how good I am, but I do love it. Being on the stage is like my comfort zone. 

Alison: 

How long have you been acting? 

CeCe:

Since I was a kid. My mom got me cast in one of her commercials when I was in third grade, and after that, I was hooked. 

Alison: 

She must be so proud of you. 

CeCe: 

I honestly thinks she regrets it. She’d be much happier if I wanted to be a scientist or something with less rejection. 

Alison: 

How is that for you? Dealing with rejection at such a young age. 

CeCe: 

(shrugs) I don’t feel that young. I’m almost fifteen. And I think my generation is more comfortable with putting ourselves out there thanks to social media and stuff. Besides, I get more yeses than nos. 

Alison: 

I heard a rumor that you got one big yes recently? 

CeCe:

(blushes) I’m not supposed to talk about that yet. I had to sign a confidentiality form and everything. 

Alison: 

Very exciting. I guess people are going to have to read to find out! Speaking of readers, how does it feel having people read about you and your life. 

CeCe: 

It’s weird. I mean, some of the stuff is really personal, you know? But at the same time, I’m sure it’ll be cool to have a record of everything when I’m older and want to look back. 

Alison:

Is there anything you want readers to know? 

CeCe:

I guess that I want them to remember I’m just a teenager, and maybe to go a little easy on me. I know I wasn’t always the nicest person, especially to my mom, but I was going through a really hard time. It’s not easy being a teenager! 

Alison: 

No, it’s not. And I think you did great in spite of everything going on. How are you and your mom doing these days? Getting along better? 

CeCe:

Define better. (laughs) We’re okay, we both have our moments, but she says that’s normal. And it if was perfect, it wouldn’t be real. 

Alison: 

Very true. Well, CeCe, I think we’re just about out of time. But thank you so much for talking with me today. I hope you and your mom are staying safe and not driving each other too crazy while you’re social distancing together. 

CeCe: 

(laughs) Thanks. We’re doing okay. 

Alison: 

And Beau? How’s he doing? 

CeCe: 

No comment. (laughs) Some things have to stay personal. 

You can read more about CeCe and her mom in YOU AND ME AND US, releasing April 7th. Order your copy here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Founder of the Every Damn Day Writers, Alison Hammer has been spinning words to tell stories since she learned how to talk. A graduate of the University of Florida and the Creative Circus in Atlanta, she lived in nine cities before settling down in Chicago, where she works as a VP creative director at an advertising agency. You & Me & Us is her first novel. Learn more at https://www.alisonhammer.com/.

YOU AND ME AND US

“Hammer is an expert at both tugging heartstrings and keeping the reader utterly immersed in a world of hope and heartbreak. A great new voice in women’s fiction.”– Kristin Harmel, #1 international bestselling author of The Winemaker’s Wife

The heartbreaking, yet hopeful, story of a mother and daughter struggling to be a family without the one person who holds them together—a perfect summer read for fans of Jojo Moyes and Marisa de los Santos.

Alexis Gold knows how to put the “work” in working mom. It’s the “mom” part that she’s been struggling with lately. Since opening her own advertising agency three years ago, Alexis has all but given up on finding a good work/life balance. Instead, she’s handed over the household reins to her supportive, loving partner, Tommy. While he’s quick to say they divide and conquer, Alexis knows that Tommy does most of the heavy lifting—especially when it comes to their teenage daughter, CeCe.

Their world changes in an instant when Tommy receives a terminal cancer diagnosis, and Alexis realizes everything she’s worked relentlessly for doesn’t matter without him. So Alexis does what Tommy has done for her almost every day since they were twelve-year-old kids in Destin, Florida—she puts him first. And when the only thing Tommy wants is to spend one last summer together at “their” beach, she puts her career on hold to make it happen…even if it means putting her family within striking distance of Tommy’s ex, an actress CeCe idolizes.

But Alexis and Tommy aren’t the only ones whose lives have been turned inside out. In addition to dealing with the normal ups and downs that come with being a teenager, CeCe is also forced to confront her feelings about Tommy’s illness—and what will happen when the one person who’s always been there for her is gone. When the magic of first love brings a bright spot to her summer, CeCe is determined not to let her mother ruin that for her, too.

As CeCe’s behavior becomes more rebellious, Alexis realizes the only thing harder for her than losing Tommy will be convincing CeCe to give her one more chance.

You and Me and Us is a beautifully written novel that examines the unexpected ways loss teaches us how to love.

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: Interviews, On Writing