This week I'm talking with Kayla Hardy about her debut novel The Quarter Queen, a historical fantasy following Marie Laveau and her daughter in nineteenth century New Orleans. We get into how the book started as a television pilot before becoming a novel, the real history behind voodoo and its ties to Catholicism, and why she built a fictional Brotherhood to stand in for real systems of power. We also talk through her research process walking the French Quarter, the playlist she built for each character, and of course her dream cast for the eventual show. It's a conversation about faith, folklore, and what it means to write a story that reclaims a piece of history nobody else was telling.

Purchase The Quarter Queen

Chapters:

00:00 — Welcome to Kayla Hardy and The Quarter Queen
01:19 — Falling in love with reading through Greek mythology
03:23 — From English major to African American literature and voodoo studies
06:47 — Toni Morrison, Beloved, and The Bluest Eye
08:51 — Why voodoo and New Orleans are central to the story
10:25 — What media gets wrong about voodoo
11:44 — Reclaiming zombie mythology and Black folklore
15:20 — How the story started as a TV pilot
17:19 — Turning the project into a novel for creative control
19:30 — Why the story still wants to be television
24:27 — A quick synopsis of The Quarter Queen
26:38 — Marie and Ree as opposites who mirror each other
28:24 — The dual timeline structure and Marie's emotional mask
31:53 — The Brotherhood, the Inquisition, and real historical power structures
36:59 — Writing Marie Laveau as a veiled and complicated figure
40:35 — Why New Orleans is more than a tourist image
43:31 — Building the playlist and cinematic tone of the book
46:10 — Walking, maps, and planning the French Quarter setting
48:24 — Favorite New Orleans food, beignets, and a perfect day in the city
54:23 — What it means to be from both Akron and New Orleans
58:35 — Where to find Kayla, and why people should read the book

In the first episode of On the Record, I sit down with author Hailli Blassingame to talk about her debut novel They All Fall in Love in the End.

We get into how the Challengers soundtrack shaped one of the most electric scenes in the book, why she named each part after a song, what revision actually taught her about being a writer, and what it means to write a character who wants everything and refuses to settle for less. Hailli is honest, funny, and genuinely fascinating to talk to. This one sets the tone for what On the Record is all about.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Hailli Blassingame and Her Journey
02:21 The Writing Process: From Drafting to Revision
05:19 Creating a Contemporary Narrative: The Impact of COVID-19
08:12 Exploring Relationships: Love, Polyamory, and Agency
10:58 Character Development: Kat's Journey and Ambition
13:34 Navigating Love Triangles and Complex Dynamics
16:35 Literary Influences and Breaking the Fourth Wall
18:09 Musical Influences in Writing
21:04 Exploring Imperfect Politics
23:24 DC as a Character
26:36 Navigating Polyamory
28:50 The Essence of the Book
30:53 Literary Inspirations

Author Tiffany L. Warren joins Notes from Erin to talk about her historical fiction novel A Harlem Wedding, the true story of Yolande Du Bois, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Countee Cullen. Tiffany shares how a love of Octavia Butler shaped her as a storyteller, why sad love songs like "Heartbreaker" by Dionne Warwick contain the bones of a romance novel, and how "Congratulations" by Vesta Williams became the soundtrack to the book's wedding scene.

We also dig into the real letters between Yolande, Countee, and W.E.B. Du Bois that inspired the novel, the research trip to the Schomburg Center, and Tiffany's dream casting for a film adaptation.

Purchase TIffany L. Warren's new novel, A Harlem Wedding here.

Subscribe to Notes From Erin here

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction to Tiffany L. Warren
(01:15) The Journey of a Storyteller
(04:28) Inspiration and Creativity in Writing
(07:36) Exploring 'A Harlem Wedding'
(11:12) The Complex Relationship of Yolande and W.E.B. Du Bois
(15:06) Crafting Love Stories: Yolande and Jimmy's Relationship
(19:39) The Complexity of Countee and Yolande's Relationship
(22:49) The Importance of Letters in Understanding Relationships
(25:22) The Grand Wedding of Countee and Yolande
(28:08) The Process of Writing Historical Fiction
(31:27) The Significance of Music in the Narrative
(33:39) Yolande Du Bois: A Hidden Figure in History
(35:53) Casting Choices for a Potential Adaptation

In this episode, I sit down with poet and memoirist Anne-Marie Wells to talk about her debut travel memoir Happy Iceland, out June 27th from Star Belt Press.

In the conversation we cover what it took to write a book from scratch over ten years with no format training, what Icelandic strangers taught her about happiness, and the simple daily practice she now uses to stay connected to joy. If you've been feeling the weight of the world lately, this one is for you.

• Pre-order Happy Iceland, here.

• Subscribe to the Notes from Erin newsletter, here.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Anne-Marie Wells02:28 The Evolution of Reading and Writing05:02 Role Modeling Reading for the Next Generation07:33 Exploring 'Happy Iceland': The Journey Begins10:25 The Writing Process: From Notes to Manuscript13:01 Overcoming Challenges in Writing15:54 Lessons on Happiness from Iceland18:44 Finding Joy in Everyday Moments22:34 Finding Joy in Everyday Delights26:49 Building Confidence Through Experience31:20 The Importance of Community and Connection36:39 Lessons in Happiness and Mindfulness40:09 Connecting Through Stories and Experiences

Carlie of She's Becoming Bookish joins Notes from Erin for a conversation about historical fiction, building a BookTube presence, and the music that mirrors her reading life. She breaks down three historical fiction picks for three different types of readers, makes a case for why audiobooks absolutely count, and names the one album she thinks deserves to be a novel. Come for the book recommendations, stay for the Death Cab for Cutie mention.

Subscribe to She's Becoming Bookish on YouTube

Subscribe to Notes From Erin

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

02:35 Early reading memories and influences

05:21 Rediscovering reading during the pandemic

07:55 Reading formats: physical, digital, and audiobooks

10:36 The audiobook debate — does it really count?

13:32 Note-taking and book reviews

15:57 Carlie's YouTube journey and why she made the pivot

18:30 Building confidence on camera

26:57 Navigating your digital footprint as a creator

28:11 Why authenticity keeps people coming back

29:35 Connecting through personality and recommendations

31:26 With Love from Harlem and the world of biographical historical fiction

38:31 What draws Carlie to historical fiction

41:28 Three historical fiction picks for three types of readers

45:44 The music that speaks to her reading life

What happens when fairies decide to make TV? Author and entertainment journalist Randee Dawn joins Erin to talk about her Tuniverse series — contemporary fantasy that swaps swords and sorcery for soap operas, cozy mysteries, and mythical creatures navigating the modern world.

Randee's latest book, We Interrupt This Program, drops readers into a magically constructed cozy mystery village — think Murder, She Wrote meets Irish folklore — where the showrunner fairy won't leave his house, the Greek muses have gone on vacation, and a silver-haired writer named Winnie has to figure out why everything has stopped working. It's funny, it's warm, and it's the kind of fantasy that sneaks up on you.

In this episode, Erin and Randee dig into the resurgence of contemporary fantasy (and what CGI, Harry Potter, and romantasy have to do with it), how Randee's background covering music and TV for outlets like Variety and the LA Times shaped her fiction, what it actually feels like to write a novel, and why community — writers groups, reading series, conventions — is what made her publishing journey possible.

They also talk soundtracks as creative fuel, the writing advice that changed how Randee thinks about character, and why New Zealand might just be the most functional country on earth.

Paired this episode: We Interrupt This Program by Randee Dawn — a cozy, witty fantasy that rethinks what entertainment is even for.

If you loved this episode, the full conversation — and Erin's album pairing — lives on Substack. Subscribe to Notes from Erin for more books, music, and the conversations that connect them.

Chapters

(00:00) Welcome & Meet Randee Dawn(01:52) Earliest Reading Memories(03:33) The Fantasy Resurgence Explained(08:20) From Music Journalism to Fantasy Novels(13:37) The Origin of the Tuniverse(16:33) Writing Books vs. Writing Everything Else(21:28) Brooklyn Books & Booze(26:18) We Interrupt This Program — Synopsis(29:08) Building Trope Town(37:57) Character, Conflict & What Makes a Story Work(43:25) Shared Universe Easter Eggs(44:04) How the TV-Phrase Titles Work(48:05) Quick-Fire Round(49:59) Writing with (or without) Music(52:05) Why Everyone Should Visit New Zealand

Leonor Mamanna has sent Leave It to Leonor every single Thursday for almost 10 years, 492 editions and counting. In this episode, we talk consistency, curation, and what it means to be the person people come to for recommendations. We also get into her three-book-at-a-time reading routine and the social campaign she built around A Little Life that took on a life of its own.

Subscribe to Leave It to Leonor

Subscribe to Notes from Erin

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction to Leonor and Her Newsletter

(03:04) The Journey of Consistency in Writing

(05:57) The Evolution of Leonor's Newsletter

(09:04) Curating Content: Essays and Recommendations

(11:59) The Influence of Leonor's Career on Her Writing

(15:02) Favorite Podcasts and Ideal Guests

(17:59) Reading Habits and Influences

(25:14) Exploring Literature: Nonfiction and Romance

(26:07) Book Recommendations: Must-Reads for Everyone

(28:11) The Impact of A Little Life on Social Media

(30:19) Creative Marketing: The Evolution of Book Promotion

(34:17) The Influence of Social Media on the Book Industry

(38:02) Pop Culture Reflections: TV Shows and Characters

(44:35) The Value of a Curated Newsletter

As a reader, cultivating a community of fellow readers is important both digitally, and in person and this is one thing that Jordan Hernandez of Completely Booked has thought about and equally perfected.

In this interview, I spoke with Jordan about her community, the importance of reading diverse books, lessons she pull from both her reading and running life and so much more.

Connect with Jordan:

Instagram | TikTok | Threads | Substack

Connect with me:

Newsletter | Instagram | Threads

Chapters:

00:00 The Journey to Reading

02:57 Building a Community Around Books

06:01 The Evolution of Completely Booked

09:10 The Importance of Diverse Reading

11:58 Navigating Social Media for Community Growth

14:58 Empathy Through Literature

26:44 Exploring Audiobooks and Their Impact

34:06 Highlighting Upcoming Black Women Authors

40:41 The Importance of Reading in Relationships

44:22 Building Community Through Books

In this episode, I sit down with author ReShonda Tate to talk about her new novel With Love from Harlem, a sweeping historical fiction set in 1940s and 50s Harlem following jazz prodigy and civil rights advocate Hazel Scott and her complicated relationship with Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. We get into Hazel's erased legacy, the sisterhood between Hazel and Billie Holiday, what Black women in exile have in common across generations, and what ReShonda believes Hazel would say to artists navigating this moment.

Read more on Substack:

http://notesfromerin.substack.com

Connect with me on social media:

• Instagram
• Threads

Connect with ReShonda Tate:

• Instagram
• Website

Purchase With Love from Harlem

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction to ReShonda Tate and Her Journey as a Reader

(02:42) The Creative Process Behind Writing Historical Fiction

(05:50) Exploring Hazel Scott's Life and Legacy

(08:48) The Complex Relationship Between Hazel Scott and Adam Clayton Powell Jr.

(11:37) The Importance of Sisterhood and Friendship in Harlem

(14:56) The Cultural Significance of Harlem and Its Artists

(17:43) Reflections on Black Womanhood and Resilience

(20:07) Looking Ahead: ReShonda's Future Projects

Interview with Bsrat Mezghebe, author of the debut novel I Hope You Find What You're Looking For, published by Liveright. We talk about Eritrean independence and the real women who inspired the book, her earliest reading memories, the role of music in her storytelling, being featured as a Well-Read Black Girl, and how she balanced personal and political narratives in her fiction.

Chapters:

(00:00) Meet Bsrat Mezghebe, Author of I Hope You Find What You're Looking For

(02:55) Bsrat's Earliest Reading Memories and What Made Her a Writer

(05:58) Being a Well-Read Black Girl Pick and What It Meant

(08:45) How I Hope You Find What You're Looking For Came to Be

(11:52) Writing Eritrean Independence Into a Personal Story

(14:50) The Real Women Who Became the Heart of the Book

(17:59) How Music Shaped the Writing of This Novel

(22:03) Artistic Influences, Cultural References, and the World Behind the Book

(25:49) Why the Title I Hope You Find What You're Looking For and Where the Characters Go

(28:31) What Bsrat Wants Readers to Take Away

(30:58) On Community, Connection, and Who This Book Is For

(33:08) Bsrat's Music Picks and Book Recommendations

You can watch the full episode on Substack:

https://notesfromerin.substack.com/p/bsrat-mezghebe-debut-novel

Connect with Bsrat:

https://bmezghebe.com/