iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 02/10/2026

Hey good to see you! I now share my home with this excellent cat named Minerva. She is a little sleepy.

Snoozy black cat who managed to pull a comforter up over herself like a person.

Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 24/09/2026

I am (briefly) at the southwest corner of beautiful Lake Ontario. If you happen to be in the St Catharines area, come on by to the Lincoln Pelham Public Library at 6:30 p.m. tonight, for a Q&A and signing. We love a public library!

Rocky landscaped shore and waves. It is windy.

Big lake with a bit of shore visible around the bend, and a bit of pier visible too.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 24/09/2026

People of Cambridge, Ontario and environs! City of my birth! I stopped at Indigo Cambridge Centre as I passed throigh today, and signed stock, including an original 2018 edition of Armed in Her Fashion, which is a rare find these days! (It was rereleased later as The Chatelaine.)

A stack of copies of Mercutio, plus one copy each of Armed in Her Fashion and The Valkyrie.

Kate holding a copy of Mercutio as smiling.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 23/09/2026

Hello from Stratford ON, where the swans are tame and the writers roam free

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 23/09/2026

Mini Ontario book tour starts tomorrow! Packing road trip snacks because my body is far too middle-aged for highway fast food. 🤘

A selection of crudités, halloumi, sandwiches, trail mix, oranges and hippie granola bars

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 20/09/2026

Today at the Smiths Falls Literary Festival. L>R Ted Outerbridge, Anuja Varghese, Amanda Connolly, yours truly, Elle Wither.

Five people on stage smiling for the camera.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 15/09/2026

I know we grumble about author-targeted bot spam but there is just so much of it. I get almost no other spam. This is 4 days' worth. My filters caught about 3/4.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 04/09/2026

I made myself some bookmarks because I have a bunch of events and signings coming up, and they came out nice! Half my books on one side, half on the other. If I forgot a book or something, don't tell me.

Two bookmarks showing reverse sides. Five book covers on each side. The Swordmaster, The Magus Comspiracy, The Resurrection Plot, Alice Payne Arrives, Alice Payne Rides. The Chatelaine, The Embroidered Book, The Valkyrie, The Tapestry of Time, Mercutio.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 30/08/2026

Went out to see the stone sculptures at Remic Rapids today. Ottawa's pretty good looking sometimes. The artist is John Felice Ceprano.

Lines of stones balanced on other stones leading into the Ottawa River

Stones balanced on each other on a riverbank

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 29/08/2026

Picnic with friends today. I made oatmeal chcolate chip cookies.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 28/08/2026

In terms of food per square foot, Blue Lake pole beans sure do pull their weight (this is a week's growth from six vines in half a garden box.)

Two medium salad bowls full of trimmed and chopped green beans, ready to be blanched and frozen.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 28/08/2026

They're calling it the Lake Ontario tour

A google map route tracing a path along the north side of Lake Ontario.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 22/08/2026

OK Chapters Gloucester is the end of the line (I thought about adding surprise!Innes but that's another half hour on the highway and my introvert self is getting punchdrunk.)

Kate in a suburban parking lot with the Chapters behind

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 22/08/2026

But Indigo Rideau is still a thing, which means... mall #2! Good omens: The store is playing Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk, and a young person near where I am signing is reading THE STARVING SAINTS by Caitlin Starling. Resisting going up to them to say "I BLURBED THAT ISN'T IT GREAT" like a weirdo

Kate, now shiny of skin, and glazed of eye, holding her book in a mall bookstore

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 22/08/2026

Perfect Books! A wonderful store and the heart of a community. It's hopping in there on a sunny Saturday afternoon (we caught a rare moment without folks in it for the photo) so I tried to get in and out without fuss. I am, amazingly, still on schedule. Now playing: Fast Car, Tracy Chapman.

Sandwich boards for Perfect Books. One has a rainbow and says "Life can be a drag. Reading doesn't have to be!"

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 22/08/2026

Ottawa now has, I think, 9 indie bookstores. Today I'm stopping at 2 of my faves, starting with The Spaniel's Tale. They also only have 1 left, because "they have been selling well all week." We love to hear it. If you ever want to order a signed copy from TST or Perfect Books let me/the store know.

Kate signing in a glorious bright indie bookstore

Kate outside the display window of The Spaniel's Tale

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 22/08/2026

Mall thought: I do not understand shortsleeved sweaters. There is never a time when I want sweater on my torso and nothing on my arms. Mall time was a mistake and I am disheveled. Onward! I used to come to Indigo Pinecrest all the time when I worked at the Ottawa Citizen across the parking lot.

A stack of books, an inkpad, a stamp, a pen.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 22/08/2026

Coles Bayshore only had one copy left, on the Canadian Authors table. It is signed! Taking a quick break to do a few mall things before I get back on the road. Now playing: Twenty five miles by Edwin Starr. The playlist has the right vibe.

Kate signing at a bookstore counter, with subglasses on because she left her other glasses in the car

Kate in a mall in front of a Coles bookstore

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 22/08/2026

We have crossed from country to suburbs! Indigo Kanata. Saw a friend, signed some books, ate my nutella-based snack before the day gets any hotter. Now playing: Stand By Me, Stephen Wilson Jr.

Kate outside an Indigo store wearing sunglasses.

Kate holding a copy of Mercutio with a Craig Staff Pick sticker.

Kate signing books at a cart, with a grin.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 20/08/2026

I stopped at the Indigo stores in Barrhaven and South Keys to sign copies of MERCUTIO. Thanks to the staff for helping me with the books! More stores coming soon...

Kate is signing a large stack of purple paperbacks at a counter in a bright and airy bookstore.

Kate signing at a counter in a bookstore. She is wearing a black top and pants and long silver sword earrings.

A signed copy of Mercutio in black ink, with a red Queen Mab stamp.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 18/08/2026

Years ago from a now defunct store in Ottawa called Mrs TiggyWinkles. The brand seems to be Living Royal. They're comfortable and (evidently) last!

Kate's foot in a Shakespeare sock and shoe and an office carpet.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 12/08/2026

The highest destiny for any book.

A black cat sleeping on an ottoman that has a red blanket covering it. Her head is resting on a mass market paperback of Game of Thrones.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 09/08/2026

I am reading Fairies: A History by @drfrancisyoung.bsky.social. Really enjoying it.

Fairies: A History by Francis Young. A cream background with a green woodland scene as a circular cutout in the middle.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 09/08/2026

I've heard that people are getting their pre-orders even though MERCUTIO isn't technically out in Canada until Aug. 18, so as I was passing a mall bookstore today I popped my head in and yep, there they were!

A stack of books on the Fantasy table includes my novel Mercutio.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 08/08/2026

Improviser by nature, forced to become a planner to some extent because otherwise I end up with a shapeless mass. I write a synopsis and then I change everything and then I synopsize again, repeat. I can stick to an outline for IP if I need to.

4. Are you more of a planner or
improviser in writing? (Ive heard the
terms "architect and gardner" before)

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 08/08/2026

I loved writing the opening chapter at the Battle of Campaldino, where Dante did fight. I also loved creating my version of Faerie, especially the disaster that has befallen it, and the "wtf" house that our heroes visit, which draws on a medieval tradition. Also the chapter titles. And a motif 🤐

3. Again, no spoilers, but is there a particular section or chapter of the book that you just loved writing?

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 08/08/2026

My polisci nerd heart! It is mostly taken from the real overlapping political situations in the Italian city states circa 1300, which were absolutely bonkers. It is hard to weave that stuff into fiction without sounding like a Wikipedia article so grounding it in characters' lives was key. 5/

2. No spoilers, but from the start
there is a political conflict, and the
nuance of the politics gets really
cool and interesting the longer the
story goes. Did you have trouble
coming up with the intricacies? Or,
again, any tips? I really cant stress
how delightful that aspect is even
amongst all the other delightful

aspects

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 08/08/2026

(Screenshotting with permission.) "What did people in general know/think" can be a tricky area for non-experts to research. I pick up clues from narratives of the time and extrapolate a bit; things like "what did Marco Polo think he had to explain" or "what was this real-life brawl about." 2/

1. There's clearly a lot of historical info you had to know to write it. Do you have any tips for research? Especially general opinions of the populace, not hard facts? The characters seem so authentic!!

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 04/08/2026

When life unexpectedly hands you a ripe plantain.

A blue and white plate with fried ripe plantain, kidney beans and black beans in seasoned coconut milk, mushroom and wild rice, and a bottle of Marie Sharp's hot sauce.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 30/07/2026

Played our first game of Baltic Empires. The learning curve is a little steep at first but it's a lovely game, lots of fun and possibility.

A board game showing an early modern map of northern Europe.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 28/07/2026

Sick of carrying my stuff to my hybrid workplace in convention totes, so I bought a bag from Poppy and Peonies. Pockets! Zippers! Key leash! Currently contains 2 water bottles, umbrella, cosmetic bag, crossbody bag w/ phones/ wallet, two notebooks, pens, emerg supplies, big bag of Starburst, laptop.

A forest green vegan leather bag sitting on a piano bench.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 26/07/2026

Without saying your age what is your favorite movie from the year you turned 18 (Every time I rewatch 12 Monkeys I like Brad Pitt's performance less, which evens out because every time I watch it I like Bruce Willis's performance more.)

Bruce Willis as James Cole in 12 Monkeys. In this scene he is in an institution, wearing pyjamas and a robe, looking suspiciously into the shadows near the camera.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 20/07/2026

Well it was a long day at work, time to flop oh hi Minerva

Kate is a middle aged white lady with glasses, obscured by a very possessive black cat.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 12/07/2026

What a joy to listen to Billy Bragg in the sunshine. Turns out he is a gracious workshop host, an amazing one with DUG, Kathleen Edwards and Jamie Webster. Earlier highlight of Day 4 was Chicha Libre with Brighde Chaimbeul on Scottish small pipe and Gwenifer Raymond fingerpicking, below.

Musicians on stage, watching Gwenifer Raymond on guitar.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 11/07/2026

Very large excited crowd waiting for Khn and Klek at the party stage

A nighttime crowd with various lights etc on poles in front of a lighted stage

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 11/07/2026

Jesse Welles on the main stage. I told him the internet says hi.

Main stage flanked with screens showing guitarist/harmonica player/singer Jesse Welles with folkies sitting on the grass and standing in the dancing area.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 10/07/2026

Highlight for me of Winnipeg Folk Fest Day 2, daytime shift: Jesse Welles joined by The Pairs and Mon Rovîa on Knockin' on Heaven's Door. I have now gone in search of coolth and to rest up for the Angine de Poitrine mosh pit tonight.

A festival stage with sunlit audience in low chairs and on stage in the shade, musicians.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 10/07/2026

Highlight for me of Winnipeg Folk Festival 2026 Day 1: Horse Lords www.horselords.org

Musicians on stage including a saxophonist and a bunch of hippies (complimentary) in the late afternoon sun

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 04/07/2026

The kind of bean in the photo is actually fève, at least in Canadian French (source: my pantry) but "haricot" kicks ass because it comes from Frankish for "to lay waste" (rel. to English "harry") > slicing up > stew > beans (with possible influence at the final stage from Nahuatl "ayecotl")

Heinz fèves à la Brittanique (brown beans)

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 03/07/2026

Thanks for all the conversation is response to this post. I write in many registers for many audiences, including at my day job, but if you ever want to read a book that is me just using the words I want to use, it's Mercutio. If you like that sort of thing.

Chapter 1: What fray was here?
Steady, now. A line of men on horseback stretches across the dry valley. Mail reflects a grey sky. Pennants hang limp. The horses in their bright caparisons are patient.
Mercutio, with his borrowed helm under his arm, wants to get on with things. His horse, too, is borrowed. Unbedecked, because Mercutio is not worth the money. The mail is borrowed, and the sword, and the surcoat with his father’s family arms. The minimum required for a citizen soldier of Florence. All of it provided begrudgingly by his uncle, who could not fail to equip the prodigal nephew who arrived on his doorstep three months ago and declared himself ready to restore his parents’ honour.
By which Mercutio meant: fortune.
To fight, his uncle asked?
By which he meant: to die.
In this summer of the year 1289, Florence is at war, as usual. Locked in a constant struggle of raids and sieges against the towns and families who support the Holy Roman Empire’s claims in Italy. The Republic of Florence says it does not need an emperor, and neither does Siena, or Lucca, or any of the other towns whose men are on God’s side of the field today.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 01/07/2026

Well, all I can say about this storm is: yikes. So far we still have power but a lot of house-shaking booms and we're not even in the red yet.

A radar map showing a line of storms southwest of Ottawa, where I live.

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Kate Heartfield @kateheartfield.com · 30/06/2026

We have a possible bug sighting

A black cat cozy on a red couch but alert and looking off to the right of the frame

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