Q&A With Erika

A bit about me:

1. I have been in love with music since I’ve been able to hear. Beatles in surround sound by my crib. Later, anything British or popular. Then, 1500 albums in, diversified taste. As a teen, I toured briefly with The Clash. In 1994, I finagled my way front row at The Rolling Stones’ Voodoo Lounge stop in Miami.

2. Films were next, at 4 years old I began watching old gangster films at The Exeter Boston on my dad’s weekends. My favorite films? Impossible. I rewatch Nights of Cabiria, Murder by Death, and Harold and Maude though. So…

3. My book preferences are memoir and crime. The two genres, not true crime. People fascinate me, and a good twisty mystery/crime novel can leave me in awe. These days, Audible gives me a bedtime story every night.

4. I grew up in the Boston area. I was immersed in Disco, Punk rock, and all the glorious 1970s-1980s stereotypes. I’ve worked hard on making my ‘Rs’ pronounced. Tired of being asked to say, “pahk da cah in hahvard yahd.”

5. I’ve written under the pen name Emily Blunt since 1990; for Elle, Mojo and others. Mostly celebrity covers. When the actress got famous, I’d say, “Not that Emily Blunt.”

6. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2004 after an extreme case of optic neuritis. The symptom burst forward after watching The Aviator in a sub-zero theater. My vision, in one eye, was flipped upside down.

7. I’ve won a game show, played a murder victim on a low-budget crime series, and worked on Warner Bros. DVD extras interviewing celebrities about films.

8. My progression now has me in a power wheelchair. I’ve adapted, but it is isolating. Zoom keeps me in community, and nature keeps me sane.

9. I have an Australian Shepard. She’s my first rescue without trauma. She was very loved since puppydom. Piper. She’s wonderfully dramatic and has a great sense of humor.

10. I wrote a memoir because truth is stranger than fiction…but, it's not published.

I screwed up with Amazon’s ID verification (combo of having on a thing called a vpn on & MS cogfog), and listened when their bot insisted I had to close the account. When I did, it was "Sorry, one account ever. You can not publish with us.” I had 2 mths of being thrown around.

Finally I just gave up for mental health. If you want a copy, I can print via ‘vanity’ and ship $20 total via PayPal; email me on contact us page. It takes like 3 weeks from printer to door; only available to ship to USA.