Author Hannah Brouwer On Her Debut Novel, “The Shape of Night”

By: Aneesha Mahapatra

As an avid reader, I’ve touched many different genres of romantic novels, where I’ve come to learn my two favorite types: dark romance and gothic romance. So, what happens when both of those categories are combined in one book? A masterpiece. 

Based in Ontario, Canada, author Hannah Brouwer, just released her debut novel, The Shape of Night. It’s a beautiful and dangerous story set in Prague about a woman named Mina, who wakes up with no memory and discovers she’s been turned into a vampire. As she goes on an adventure to figure out what happened to her and her missing friends, she uncovers secrets about her mysterious Maker, Emyr, and finds herself drawn to Grey, the vampire hunting him.

I finished this book in one sitting, staying up until the sun rose, because I simply could not put it down. I felt so drawn to the characters, the setting, and the plot, that I wish I lived in Prague and encountered a vampire of my own. As someone who was always a fan of the immortal species lore and watching media such as Twilight, Nosferatu, Dracula, The Vampire Diaries, and more, this book made me stare at the wall for hours because I had to fight the urge to immediately re-read it again. 

And what does a girl like me who loves reading and writing and wants to know more about the book and its process do? Contact the author, of course. 

Now, let’s dive into the story behind The Shape of Night and get to know the author behind this dark and captivating gothic romance.

What made you want to write The Shape of Night in the first place? 

Hannah: I was one year postpartum when I started writing it. I had officially stopped breastfeeding and all of a sudden I had all this free time on my hands. I still had six months left of my maternity leave (I took 18 months off from work), and wanted to “find myself again,” which I think is true for a lot of postpartum women.

Writing has always been a huge part of my life, and I didn’t write anything the year I was pregnant or during my first year of maternity. I felt like I had my body back and I could take time for myself at the end of the day. The Shape of Night was meant to be a passion project I could work on to get back into writing, but turned into a story I became very invested in. I wrote the first draft in two weeks and by the time I was working on draft two I knew that it might be something other readers would enjoy.

What was the very first thing you imagined for this story: the characters, the setting, the vampire history/lore, or something else?

Hannah: I had a nightmare a few years ago where I was trapped in a house with no windows and there was a man there telling me I couldn’t leave. This nightmare stuck with me and sat in my writing folder for a long time. The story transformed over time. At one point it was about a waitress working at a nightclub that catered only to vampires (I had been a server for a few years and was drawing from my own horrible experiences), and then once I started taking the idea seriously I wanted to focus on another version of the story that I think had more world building in it. 

As your debut novel, what has the journey from having an idea to actually holding a published book been like?

Hannah: It’s all been very surreal. When I was reading one of the physical copies I almost forgot that I had written it. But the journey itself has been a long process. After finishing my English Lit degree, I queried a manuscript that was absolutely horrible. It was a mess, but at the time I was still trying to write my magnum opus–thinking that it was something I could manufacture and churn out without ever having finished another manuscript before. But the process was discouraging. I got no feedback from the responses I received which left me wondering if being an author was something I was cut out for. 

With the rise of self-publishing, I was able to realize my dream again. I could publish my work and figure out who I am as a writer at the same time. I also think that in the six years since that disastrous manuscript, I’ve grown immensely as a writer. My first manuscript will never see the light of day, but parts of it live on in all the manuscripts I’ve written since. Even The Shape of Night has parts of it that I consider some of my favourite elements.

Was becoming a published author something you always wanted to do? 

Hannah: Always. My mom used to write stories and read them to me before bed. I wrote my first story when I was eleven and it's taken off from there. Of course, there were times that I knew it wasn’t going to be my main career, but I realized a year ago that it was something I could do at the same time I work my 9-5 because I’m passionate about it. 

What makes a vampire story feel truly gothic to you?

Hannah: Gothic storytelling can encompass a lot of different elements. It’s like ordering off a menu (just a little more complex) and there are so many amazing Gothic books being written. I’ve always loved vampires as someone who has grown up with Twilight and The Vampire Diaries. When I got older I was reading classics and as many Anne Rice books as I could get my hands on. I think the vampire is the ultimate Byronic character, whether it be a man or a woman. 

Writing vampires means that I can add an element of fantasy to my world, which classic Gothic Lit has always gone hand in hand with. I think a vampire story will always be Gothic, however much a writer might try to stray from that. I didn’t even realize how much I was leaning into Gothicism when I started writing. But after a few drafts it was like going over a checklist–I had basically all the important elements of Gothic lit without thinking about it because of how integral it is to exploring a vampiric character. 

Team Grey or Team Emyr? 

Hannah: This is such a hard question, but it's interesting. I wonder if readers think that the romance plot will go one way or another, but all I’ll say is when I was writing draft one I was team Grey and by the last draft I was team Emyr. 

Everyone who knows me knows I’m obsessed with a good love triangle, but personally for me, I am team Emyr all the way. I’ll always choose the mysterious, brooding character that fights for you, sorry not sorry.

What was the biggest surprise about writing and publishing your first book?

Hannah: The biggest surprise writing my book was just how much I had figured out when it was finished. When I sat down to write the next one, it was so much easier. I knew what I needed to do each time because I had already figured out how to get the words on the page the first time. The biggest surprise from publishing my book is that there are people enjoying it. 

I hold my writing very close to my chest so no one had read it at that point except my editor (which in retrospect was a mistake–I have alpha and beta readers lined up for the next book), so it's that validation that's coming from people who have enjoyed it. I know the book won’t be for everyone, which is okay, but I’m so grateful that people are taking a chance on an indie book since I don’t think the reputation of self publishing has been glowing until recently. But there are some really amazing books being written that don’t go the traditional publishing route.

If you could be turned by any fictional vampire, who are you choosing?

Hannah: I can wholeheartedly say that it’s probably Carlisle Cullen from Twilight. But if you asked me ten years ago it would have been Damon from Vampire Diaries. I think this shows a lot of growth (haha).

I think I’d probably choose Elijah Mikaelson from The Originals or Carlisle Cullen as well, just because I know they’d be gentle about it (hopefully)!

If The Shape of Night were to turn into a movie, who would your dream cast be for Mina, Emyr, and Grey?

Hannah: When I first started writing I had actors in my head for each character, but after a few drafts those faces melted away and I was faced with real characters who had emotions that went beyond picturing actors playing them. I think Mina would have to be a likeable actor who has a capacity for growth as Mina’s character transforms a lot throughout the series (I’ve written the next three books already and it’s interesting looking into what the future holds for her). 

Grey would have to be British, or at least someone who could pull off a good British accent, and have a sort of attraction to him that’s hard for anyone–man or woman–to resist. Emyr would be the most difficult. He’s supposed to be beautiful but also quite scary looking. I am a huge proponent of only casting unknown actors for book adaptations. So maybe this is a non-answer but it's the one I’ve got! 

“I am a huge proponent of only casting unknown actors for book adaptations”- this is something I hope every author does for future book adaptations because it makes it all the more magical. 

What do you hope readers take away from The Shape of Night?

Hannah: I hope readers enjoy the world I’ve built. There are so many amazing vampire worlds, both in film and in books, and I wanted to create something that harkens to the best of all of them. For example, I didn’t want vampires who burned in the sun (since that’s not what I read as a kid) but also had some sort of horrific quality to them. I was also really hoping that readers enjoyed my characters. 

I wanted my secondary characters to feel just as full as my main characters, maybe even more so. I’ve heard from a lot of people that their favourites are Adelais and Lee, which warms my heart because they might be my favourites too. I think for a broader takeaway, I want readers to continue to pick up Indie books. 

When can we expect the second book to come out? 

Hannah: Book two is currently with my editor. It needs one last round of edits from me before going to a few beta readers, then the last few rounds of edits from me. If everything goes smoothly, I want the book to be out early 2027. I have books three and four written already (it's a five book series), and I want them to be out as soon as humanly (or inhumanly) possible. Because I’m independently publishing, I have the luxury of setting my own timeline. If everything goes incredibly well, I’ll be able to publish book three in fall 2027. 

What's something you are looking forward to in your author/ writing journey?

Hannah: Other than The Shape of Night series, I have three duologies that I want to publish in the next few years (they are all Gothic Romance/ Dark Fantasy, it’s definitely my genre). I’m tirelessly impatient and if I could put everything out at the same time I would, but I need to focus on one thing at a time. But as far as what I’m looking forward to the most with my debut is feedback.

I want to know what people love and hate about my book because it helps my craft. I was horrible at taking feedback in school from my professors, but I think now more than ever I need it–and I want it. If I could have one dream for my author journey, it would be to see my books in bookstores. There’s a few more hoops I have to jump through to make that happen as an indie author but I think that would be the most amazing thing.

I wish I could read The Shape of Night for the first time again just to experience all the feelings I was going through—the giggling, my hand covering my mouth in shocking scenes, taking breathers in preparation for the next scene, etc. 

Reading is such an exhilarating way to immerse yourself into the world of fiction (I guess this is why I always need to create fake scenarios before going to bed). I hope everyone can enjoy this book as much as I did and find their own little escape within its pages.

You can learn more about Hannah Brouwer and stay updated on new book releases on her author page, Instagram, or TikTok. 

The Shape of Night is the first book of the Blood Heir Series and is now available on Amazon, Bookshop, and Kindle Unlimited.