Hello!
Welcome to my website!
I’m Erna and I do a lot of things. I’m a writer, educator, marketer, and a passionate cat lady. Here you can find some of my poems, book reviews, Slavic myths, information about my own books and writing, and you can access my store, Tchotchkes&Co.
If you want to know more about me (and my cats), click here!
Happy reading!
Tchotchkes&Co is my sister Amra and my latest passion project. It’s a colourful gift shop with all sorts of fun bookish goodies including tote bags, mugs, and notebooks. We’re constantly adding new products, so make sure that you check out some of the most popular and beloved ones such as Mad Hatter’s Whimsy, the Jane Austen Set, and the Sherlock Holmes Collection.
Exclusive Design
You won’t find products like ours elsewhere!
We have carefully crafted each of our tchotchkes, worked closely with our designer, and read a lot of books in order to make sure that you are getting a unique product that will bring you joy.
High Quality
Before releasing any of our products into the world, we’ve tried, tested, and lived with them for a while. Only the best ones have found their place on our (virtual) shelves.
Made by Bookworms
These products were designed by two bookish sisters in collaboration with a professional designer. The whole process was conducted under Mr. Ricky’s watchful eye (when not interfering with his 6-hour naps). Inspired by our love of classic literature, nature, coffee, and cats, we created these products with the aim to inspire, brighten your days, and bring you joy. We hope we have succeeded.
My Books
Beneath the Surface
Something dark dwells in the deep crevices of every soul. Erna Grcic’s poetry collection Beneath the Surface revolves around the secrets, weaknesses, and monsters that creep beneath the surface of the everyday existence. She deals with those nightmarish eyes that glint in the darkness behind each smile, each long gaze into the distance, each daydream. It’s an emotional and winding path into the poet’s own past that deals with the journey from childhood to womanhood, war, love, ageing, and passage of time.
Latest on the Blog
Dystopia in Lord of the Flies by William Golding
1.0 Introduction William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is reminiscent of his predecessors, Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe and Ballantyne’s The Coral Island in his situating the action on an uninhabited tropical island. Unlike his predecessors, however, Golding does not explore British imperialism or resourcefulness but turns to a gloomier topic much more relevant to his own…
NaNoWriMo and Rediscovering the Joy of Writing
A blank cork board on Scrivener holds so many possibilities. Every year I talk to fellow writers just around November, and we discuss the quiet dread that surrounds NaNo: deadlines, timeframes, word counts, ideas. Some spend entire October planing and plotting for November just to unleash the ideas and fulfill the daily quota. And for…
November Reads: 5 Gothic Books that Hit the Spooky Sweet Spot
November is my favourite month of the year, not only because it’s my birthday in November, but also because it’s in the sweet spot between the spooky October and cheery December, and it allows you to enjoy it whichever way you like. In my case, I love to put up my Christmas tree, and keep…
Erna Grcic 