First things first: What kind of author is he?

hhp

He's a fantasy author.

The white space might get a little too fiddly in the center. The join of the /r/ looks too thin. Try to get some more weight on the E's serifs on the right.

I might go a little bit more extreme with the serifs. And the beak of the "r" might be nice as a Gill/Kindersley style* (which would further better replace the missing bar/serifs of the "E"). Also, I might actually try dumping the stem above the "r".

* http://media.mutualart.com/Images/2009_07/08/0013/223991/703c4059-b121-4...

hhp

The idea of the lowercase r replacing the middle bar of the E works, but a few details don't look right to me.

First, the top of the r sits a little below where the middle stroke of the E would normally be. I'd move it up very slightly.

Second, the slight concavity of the terminal at the top of the r is dissonant (to my eye) with the flat outer edges of the serifs on the right-hand side of the E. I'd make the terminal at the top of the r (and its flipped image) just a bit less concave.

Finally, the flipped image isn't just a flipped image. The rotated terminal above the r is visibly wider than the one on the r itself. I would make them match.

P.S.: Hello, Baltimore! Have a Natty Boh for me!

Nice concept!