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