Happy October Folks!
Hope you’ve all been well.
Here’s your reminder that my Rot and Read Along is beginning TODAY (Monday October 20th)! I’ll be hopping onto my discord voice channel around 7pm and will wait 10-15 minutes to see who trickles in. I’ll go over some general info before beginning as well so don’t feel like you have to rush if you have an intension to attend! This Read Along meant to act like an audiobook followed by a discussion on the chapter(s) covered for anyone who wants to stick around after. I’ll be reading one-two chapters based on what everyone is feeling. I will try to differentiate voices if it comes to it, but please bare with me haha. ANYWAY, I’m super excited for this on-going event. Remember, every time you join, you get an entry for a chance to win a signed copy of my next book Death and Rest. Don’t worry if you miss an event, I’ll also post which chapters were covered so you can read them in the week between events!
You can join my channel here, if you haven’t already: https://discord.gg/T8q4dbZ9Km
Also: Happy One Year Anniversary to me and Time, Swords, and Blood.
In other exciting news…
I have two events coming up!
I signed up for an author afternoon at Dragon’s Den Bookshop in November. People can come chit chat with me, and I’ll read an excerpt from Time, Swords, and Blood for attendees.
My second event is Book Bazaar 2026 and An Evening with Authors in February! I’ll be selling books and merch all day at the bazaar then chitchatting with other authors and attendees in the evening, which I’m super excited about. It will be my first ‘market’ since my LARP market in September (I sold 5 books there and I’m still super happy about that).
I’ll be update with more information on both these events in future blogs and will be adding them to my events page as well with all the info!
So, what am I reading?
The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore
I wanted to have a seasonal read, so I decided to give this book a chance.
THAT’S RIGHT, I finished Heart-Shaped Karaoke Box by CANADIAN indie author E.R. Hann. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who’s seeking a coming of age story with bisexual romance and a love for Japan. I asked her to do a little interview with me. You can read our it below! (Including very minor spoilers)
1) I tend to lean towards fantasy books for reading, so I liked that your book brought me out of my comfort zone. What I didn’t expect was the school-girl giggling I did when Yuya kisses Eva. My jaw DROPPED at how forward he was. DO you have a scene that you really enjoyed writing?
1) I loved writing Eva and Yuya’s romantic scenes, but my favourite is when Eva meets Miriko. That scene feels like the keystone of the story, like I wrote the entire book just to get there.
2) Was the Sakura on the back of the book a wink at Eva’s tattoo?
2) The tattoo and the sakura on the back cover are both emblematic of Japan so I included it on the cover to hopefully catch the eye of readers who would recognize it!
3) How many words is Heart-Shaped Karaoke Box?
3) 61 000
4) How long did it take you to write?
4) It took me about a year to write and another year to rewrite and edit. I was working full time and wrote most of the book in my workplace’s writing club and doing writing sprints with friends over Discord.
5) Who was your favourite character to write, if you have one?
5) My favourite character to write was Miriko. I made her almost cartoonish or surreal. A celebrity character with plenty of wealth and notoriety is a fantastic toy for the other characters to play with.
6) Is there anything you’d like readers to know about your book that you think not enough people are talking about?
6) I’ve been a die-hard fan of Japanese music for almost 25 years, and I based all of the musicians in the book on real life artists that I’m a fan of. Some readers have guessed who V-stop and Miriko are based on, but I haven’t had any guesses for the others. I’m hoping more people in this niche interest will find my book and figure all the references out! They’re kind of like Easter eggs for us nerds.
7) Are you working on a new project/book?
7) I always have projects on the go! Creative people need to have their own stories, even to just think and daydream about, or else we’ll fall into depression. I actually wrote a totally different book before Heart-Shaped Karaoke Box which I haven’t published yet. I’ve been wrestling with rewriting that; it’s been frustrating me recently. I’ve been working on outlines for two paranormal series and I’m considering starting one for a November novel writing challenge, but I still haven’t decided which one to go with.
8) Did you pull any of your story from events in your own life? (Travelling, characters, etc.)
8) Actually quite a bit of Heart-Shaped Karaoke Box came from my life and experience. When Eva first arrives in Japan, most of what she experiences comes right from my first time there when I stayed at my friend’s family home. There are other little scenes in the book that come from my three trips to Japan, like praying at Meiji-Jingu, taking the bullet train through the countryside, buying a pastry on the street, signing into the front desk at karaoke. And what happens between Yuya and Eva came from a real-life past relationship of mine- unfortunately! When I graduated from college, I had originally planned on moving to Japan but I got hired right away in my field, so I stayed. Many years since then, I was thinking about what my life may have been like if I had gone and smashed that together with a fanfiction-like idea of meeting and working with my J-pop idols and so the book was born.
Author E.R. Hann is also an artist with a background in animation. She is an animal lover and has been vegetarian for twelve years. She volunteers with an animal rescue and is the neighbourhood bunny lady.
You should definitely give her a follow on the socials and check out her debut novel Heart-Shaped Karaoke Box in paperback, hardcover, ebook AND audiobook!
Last, but not least, I said there would be a recipe in my title. This is a simple, but delicious, meal inspired by the line “Know that hearing your voice is like cranberry wine and I draw life from hearing it.” If you like brie and bread, this one is for you.
Sweet and Spicy Brie
Put brie in oven-safe container at 350 degrees. Cut jalapenos into very small pieces and put into medium heat pan with ½ bag (probably about a cup – cup and a half) of cranberries and sugar. Give a little mix then cover with lid to simmer. Check on compote every few minutes. When sugar melts and jalapenos start to cook, begin to squish cranberries with a fork. You want a somewhat watery jam consistency. If mixture looks too thick, add a little bit of water so its more saucy. I like my brie super melted, so by the time the compote is finished, the brie is done too. Pour the compote over the melted brie and serve with crunchy bread or crackers.
Viola.
- ½ wheel double creamy brie cheese
- 5 jalapenos (if you like it SPICY, add more, I like the undertone of spice and I got that from 5)
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ bag cranberries (frozen or fresh)
- water as needed
- bread for dipping
Chat again in November!
HAM
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