Guest Post

Guest Chick: Jessica Laine + GIVEAWAY

Jen here, and happy to welcome Jessica to the blog. I’m kind of a scaredy-cat in general, but I find eco-horror fiction fascinating.

What Scares Me

Gracias to Jen and all the Chicks for having me as your guest today. You are the best!

It’s October and the spooky season of Halloween is well underway here in Minnesota. There’s something you should know about me: I LOVE horror books. I take advantage of cooling temperatures during the fall to snuggle into a warm blanket and read about someone−or something−gently rapping, rapping at a chamber door. Is it the wind and nothing more? Inquiring minds want to know.

October Sunrise in Minnesota

When I was a kid, my mother asked why I insisted on “scaring myself to death” by reading horror. Tucked under the covers, I loved how the goosebumps would rise as I read stories by John Bellairs, Peter Straub, and Stephen King. And don’t get me started on my first literary crush, Edgar Allan Poe. I dressed up as the raven and read a poem (you know which one) to my fourth-grade classmates. They were not impressed.

Best Edgar Allan Poe Cake Ever

Back then, my biggest fears were vampires, reanimated cats, and gym class. Today, as the mother of a young child, I am frightened by climate change. What is happening now. What will happen if we don’t make changes soon.

Normally, I’d be wearing Sorel boots instead of Kiva sandals by now, but it was 64 degrees today and last week, temperatures were in the eighties. If that’s not scary, I don’t know what is.

When the talented writer and editor, Michel Lee Garrett, asked me to contribute to BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE: Crime Fiction Incited by the Songs of The Talking Heads, I wrote an eco-horror story called “Slippery People.” Set in Bayfield, Wisconsin, it takes place during the late 1800s, a period of abundant natural resources and railroad expansion. What’s so interesting about eco-horror is that people are threatened and threatening in these tales−as is nature.  

My story begins with Guy Underhill, a snake oil salesman, who is on the run after being questioned by the police about his landlady’s disappearance. Guy rides the train to the end of the line and disembarks in Bayfield, a wealthy Victorian resort town. While Guy believes there’s a sucker born every minute, this time he may have chosen the wrong mark.  

I’ve been vacationing in Bayfield for more than 25 years and my husband grew up sailing there during the summer months. Bayfield sits perched on red cliffs high above the shores of Lake Superior. The views are magnificent and many of the Victorian gingerbread houses still stand in testament to the town’s glory days.

Bayfield’s Fall Colors

Environmental concerns are nothing new, and even the mighty Lake Superior suffered the environmental effects of the Second Industrial Revolution. In 1835, improvements to the Welland Canal in Ontario opened the floodgates to invasive species like the parasitic sea lamprey that slithered their way into the Great Lakes region. With their razor-sharp teeth, sea lampreys latch on to lake trout or whitefish and don’t let go. The sea lamprey decimated the commercial fishing industry in Lake Superior in just a few decades.

Mist on Lake Superior

There is a sea lamprey exhibit at the Bayfield Maritime Museum where you can view these hideous creatures up close and personal. It’s not a display for the faint of heart but it made me think the sea lamprey, also known as the vampire fish, might be a wonderfully gruesome addition to my story.

I hope readers will think so too!

Lake Superior at Sunset

GIVEAWAY: I’m giving away a copy of Burning Down the House to a lucky winner upon its release in early 2024. To enter, let me know which hideous creature you most adore. The winner will be announced tomorrow. US and Canadian entries only.

Which hideous creature do you most adore?

SYNOPSIS

Burning Down the House cover art by Mary Siniscalchi

The story, “Slippery People,” is a period piece set at the tail end of the 1800s that examines the unforeseen consequences of capitalism’s so-called “progress” — following a conniving con man on a journey that slowly reveals itself to be more than it appears on the surface.

Please check out all the great mystery stories in BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE: Crime Fiction Incited by the Songs of The Talking Heads. This charity anthology will benefit the fight against climate change. To be published in early 2024 by Shotgun Honey.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Sister in Crime award winner Jessica Laine writes contemporary crime fiction and horror with a Latin twist.Her work has been published in the Anthony-nominated anthologies, Land of 10,000 Thrills, Trouble No More, Murder-A-Go-Go’s, and Pa’ Que Tu Lo Sepas. A proud member of the Crime Writers of Color, she tweets @msjessicalaine. Learn more at https://jessicalainebooks.com/.

32 thoughts on “Guest Chick: Jessica Laine + GIVEAWAY”

  1. Your raven costume got me laughing, Jessica. Congratulations on your story “Slippery People” in the Burning Down the House anthology—sounds fun! For me, my monster was a “trollbie” (half troll and half zombie) in my soon to be launched book for middle-graders, The Trouble with Trollbies Adventure. And thanks for the jump start to my morning!

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      1. Thanks, Jennifer! The new cover favors the “cute” side of trollbies. Fun stuff and I’m excited to see how the book does once in shows up in the correct categories with the right keywords in place.

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  2. Can’t wait to read the new story, Jessica! While I don’t exactly adore it, I have to tip my hat to the anglerfish. Having that little “light bulb” on its head to attract prey is devilishly ingenious.

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  3. I think the raven costume is brilliant. Congrats on the anthology. I’m also not a huge horror fan, so I’m not sure I have a favorite hideous creature. Although I once saw an octopus in full light. He was so beautiful – all purple and blue, not the dull black and brown that are usually shown. Does that count?

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  4. Jessica, these pictures are amazing! The first one looks like a painting.

    I’m like Jen – not a horror person. When I was a kid, I went with friends to see the revival of a Vincent Price movie. In the first scene, someone opened a suitcase and there was a head inside. I ran screaming out of the movie and sat in the lobby until it was over!

    But I do love Gothic horror. I think THE HAUNTING is one of the best movies ever made. Not only have I watched it a million times, I went to a 50th anniversary showing where Russ Tamblyn, one of the original stars, was interviewed. So to answer your question, my favorite horror creature is one that’s unseen: the creature haunting Hill House.

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    1. Elephant seals ARE cute!

      Jessica, those are lovely photos! I just got back from Oregon where it was autumn, but when I got back to Colorado, it wasn’t. I fear we’re not going to have autumn colors this year … although I guess brown is technically a color.

      I used to love reading horror, until I had kids. Then it was a big nope. And as for creatures, a few years back we had this weird stuff appear in our yard randomly and quickly. I found out it was called “Dog Vomit Fungus” because that’s exactly what it looked like. But when you poked it with a stick—which of course every curious writer does—it was crunchy like meringue. Fascinating stuff. Disappeared as quickly as it came.

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  6. Jessica, your story sounds GREAT and your photos are all kinds of gorgeous!

    I’m also a big horror fan (I still crush hard on Stephen King) and think the sea lamprey looks ready-made for the genre. SHUDDER

    I’m legitimately afraid of many sea creatures (so big! so toothy!), but my favorite to fear remains the shark. What can I say–Jaws (both the book and the movie) set the tone!

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  7. Eek, all of these horrifying creatures! I’m probably not the best person to ask about favorite hideous beings, b/c I don’t really have any, ha. But I was temporarily charmed a while back by those adorable, oh-so-playful gremlins that you can’t feed after midnight. Then they’re not quite as adorable. But your story sounds truly awesome, Jessica–congrats!

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  8. Not a fan of horror here–I get too darned scared! If I used to get nightmares after watching the TV show “Mannix” as a teenager, which shows you what a wimp I am. (And don’t get me started on how scare “Black Mirror” is–yikes!)

    Thanks so much for visiting the Chicks today, Jessica, and congrats on the story in “Burning Down the House”! This long-time Talking Heads fan is looking forward to reading it!

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  10. Great post. As someone who writes paranormal mysteries but has ALWAYS wanted to write horror, I envy you. Maybe I’ll get started soon.

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