In horror, queer characters are often the first to die, reduced to disposable sidekicks or two-dimensional stereotypes in the story. But what happens when LGBTQ+ voices take the reins of horror and reshape the narrative on their own terms? Authors Jessie Rose and RE Bunch are doing just that with Slay the Lake, a horror book festival that celebrates diverse voices in a genre that hasn’t always embraced them.
On April 19, 2025, they’ll bring together 14 LGBTQ+ horror authors at The Final Girl Bar in Kenosha where fans can meet the authors, grab some chilling reads, and even get their fortunes read by Ten Cups Tarot. The event also raises funds for LGBTQ+ Center Lake County, blending a love of the macabre with a mission for inclusivity.
With Slay the Lake approaching, I talked to Rose and Bunch about the growing landscape of queer horror, the inspirations behind their own haunting tales, and how they’re fostering a more inclusive space for both readers and writers of the genre.
Wisconsin Frights: Slay the Lake is more than just a book festival—it’s a platform for amplifying LGBTQ+ voices in horror. What inspired you both to create this event, and what impact do you hope it will have on the local literary and horror community?
RE Bunch: Horror has come a long way, but still has a way to go. Often women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ characters have their death serve as a morality lesson on social norms. Or they are seen as expendable characters, the whole construct of a “final girl” is riddled with problematic expectations. While it is exciting to see so many emerging LGBTQ voices in horror take control of their stories, Jessie and I both see a continued need to celebrate these writers, especially in these political times where trans and other members of the LGBTQ community are the target of dangerous rhetoric.
Jessie Rose: Yes, we love our trans community and support you. We’re also indie authors who support indie authors. I’m a strong believer in lifting up your community with you and that’s the experience I’ve had in the artistic communities I’m part of. RE and I have both been fortunate to connect with groups like the Streetz Artz Alliance in Illinois, Spooky Frog Events in Milwaukee, Studio Moonfall Bookstore in Kenosha which hosts the Kenosha Book Festival and Bobzbay Books down in Bloomington. I want queer authors and BIPOC authors to know you’re welcome in that community. We want you there.
What I love about being indie is that we can create our own events and spaces, we don’t have to wait for someone else to do it. I really want queer people and allies to come to Slay the Lake and enjoy the great food, drinks, and community. Even in horror, there is joy. I really wish I could get people to understand that when you cut off people and things that are different, it hurts you, too. You’re missing out on amazing authors, artists and good storytelling. My priority in 2025 is to celebrate queer authors, artists, musicians and support our local community. It’s a dark and uncertain time, but we love you. We’ve got you.
The horror genre has a complicated history with representation, often reducing marginalized characters to tropes or victims. How do you see events like Slay the Lake helping to reshape or expand the genre’s inclusivity and diversity?
Bunch: Thank you! It is tough to get many authors and readers to have a conversation around these tropes and victimization of the marginalized communities. We love horror, but it has not always loved us back. We hope Slay the Lake, and other events that celebrate marginalized creators of the horror genre, aid in connecting fans with these stories, reshaping these tropes, and helping to evolve the horror genre. It’s adapt or die out here, and if we do not have honest conversations about how we have hurt each other then we cannot move forward. We cannot heal these wounds in our art, and we hope Slay the Lake at least begins a meaningful introspection on these dynamics so we can continue to create new scares with appropriate consideration to cultural and sexual identities.
Rose: One of the reasons I wanted to organize this event is because I’m not seeing many queer authors and authors of color at events that I attend as an author. I want to encourage all marginalized authors to apply for book festivals, horror markets, and book fairs. Please apply and let me know how I can help. I know this can be hard because people have been discriminated against and excluded for so long, but there are organizers who genuinely want you at their events. There are readers who need to see your work. Some organizers I’ve spoken to say they aren’t getting these applications in—but it’s understandable because it takes time to build trust within marginalized communities. We all need to do better about advocating for inclusion and speaking up when we see or hear about discrimination at every level–now more than ever. If you are applying and you have cis/straight/white friends who are being accepted into events and you aren’t, tell them to advocate for you and to ask the organizers to let them share their table. Readers want to meet you and there’s money to be made at these events. You should be included.
There has been a big push to challenge harmful tropes in horror and amplify marginal voices in recent years. I recently read The Black Girl Survives in This One, a horror short story collection by Black authors, and it was the first time in a while I felt genuinely scared by a story. The stories aren’t new, but they are fresh and have often been overlooked in the past. I’m happy those stories and voices are getting the attention they deserve. One of the Slay the Lake authors I’m really excited to meet is Milwaukee writer and filmmaker Mikey Cody Apollo. She writes dark poetry about mental illness, menstruation and black womanhood. Those are topics that are scary to a lot of people and I love that she dives in to explore them completely. I love meeting artists who are able to celebrate and embrace their identity. Phrique (/frēk/) is another author who embodies that. I met him at a horror book festival and he is so damn cool, like a character walking out of a horror comic book into real life. He’s also really sweet, though he probably doesn’t want me to tell anyone that. The first thing I said after meeting him was, “If I ever have a book festival, Phrique is the first person I’m inviting.” So it’s kind of part of the dream coming true that he said yes and wanted to participate. He oozes horror and his stories are wild! Extreme horror, a little campy, a lot of homicidal drag queens but also very dark and full of heart. I’m excited about his new book Scissor Me Timbers. Ruth Anna Evans is also a great author and respected cover designer in the horror community. She writes a lot of boundary pushing medical horror and has an anthology of childbirth horror called PUSH! to be released in April, so we are pleased she’ll be joining us. We’re really lucky to have so many great authors at Slay the Lake.
The Final Girl is the perfect venue for this event. How did your partnership with the bar come about, and what makes it an ideal setting for Slay the Lake?
Bunch: Jessie is really to thank for this idea! She is local to Kenosha, and approached Chelsea, the owner, after a drag bingo one evening. The Final Girl is such a fantastic place, with so much wonderful art and horror-goodness. It’s LGBT owned, and also hosts the Kenosha Library horror book club. It just made the most sense to start here.
Rose: I wouldn’t be doing this without RE’s help and encouragement. I wanted to do a horror book fest for a while and read an article about The Final Girl coming to Kenosha last year and knew it was perfect. It sounded like the coolest venue ever. I immediately messaged the owner, Chelsea, and asked if she’d be interested in doing a horror book fest. I think she was like, yes, but let me open first! I asked three months before the bar opened! I just circled back around to it recently while talking to RE and attending Granny Drag Bingo hosted by a famous local drag queen, Ester Flonaze. Ester has worked hard to make Wisconsin more inclusive as the first drag queen to perform at the Wisconsin State Fair and the first modern drag queen to perform in the Waukesha County Fair’s history. Her message of encouraging people to open their minds and hearts is something that really resonates with us. It’s wild to me that drag scares people when it’s so much fun! The Final Girl is for everyone, but it is a very welcoming safe space. Chelsea has been a pleasure to work with and does a great job connecting with the local community. You can tell she’s put love in every detail of the bar. The areas you can see that most are in the food, the many community events she hosts, and in the horror-themed artwork that fills the bar—the murals in the main bar area are by Emily Aston, an art teacher in Milwaukee. The art in the event room was done by Sean Segurdson from Thorium Tattoo, it’s floor to ceiling horror movie monsters. It’s so cool!! I can’t wait for the attendees and authors to see it.
Slay the Lake raises funds for LGBTQ+ Center Lake County. Why was it important for you to include a charitable component, and how do you see horror as a vehicle for fostering community and social change?
Bunch: The LGBTQ+ Center Lake County is an organization that is local to me in Illinois, and I love their hands-on approach to creating a space for the community to thrive in. While it is small, it creates a big impact on our lives. They have been tracking all the aggressive executive orders, and holding space for all of these big feelings that we are all feeling right now. In times of political and economic uncertainty, the horror genre explodes with so many great nightmares. It follows and reports on the anxieties of society. We felt it made sense to include a local charity because they are out there fighting real monsters and combating the terrors of society every day.
The Midwest is a haunted place. It holds a lot of hypocrisy, kindness, religious fervor, weirdos, and culture.
Both of you infuse your work with distinct regional and thematic flavors—Jessie with your gritty thrillers and RE with your midwestern gothic. How does your connection to the Midwest influence the atmosphere and tone of your horror?
Bunch: I have always lived in the Midwest but have traveled quite a bit. I’ve been to like 30-ish states, but I prefer to drive when I can. You see so much more, and the experience is surreal. You can really wrap your head around it when you fly everywhere. Those experiences of driving from state to state are what inspire me most. For me, everyone is writing about the coasts but no one is talking about the desolation in plains. The Midwest is a haunted place. It holds a lot of hypocrisy, kindness, religious fervor, weirdos, and culture. It’s sleepy, hardworking, and unassuming on the surface, but once you get your fingers into the soil it really comes to life.
Rose: I am from the southern U.S. and haven’t released many stories set or influenced by the Midwest yet. It’s totally a mental block. I’ve been here a while, but I feel like I’m still getting to know the place. I loved going to cemeteries in Alabama as a kid and exploring. As a teenager, we’d go all out dressing in black prom dresses and ordering cakes to have witchy little tea parties and sleep in the local cemetery. If there were ghosts there, they were very inviting. Those were places that felt comfortable to me. But I had an experience at Graceland Cemetery in Chicago—which I love and recommend that everyone visit. It’s a gorgeous park and a great place for a picnic. There’s an eerie little girl in a glass box, a private island, all sorts of Chicago architects’ graves, mausoleums, and interesting monuments. I was chilling like I did in the cemeteries back home, I found the perfect tree, put my earbuds in, and opened a notebook to write. I suddenly got this strong vibe like, “Nope, this is not your place. You’re a visitor.” So I politely put my notebook away and enjoyed the fresh air. I’ve been nervous to release any work about this area without fully exploring it since then. I have a story set in Northern Wisconsin in the Bayfield and Apostle Islands area, but I can’t finish it until I visit there. I just feel like as a transplant to the state I need to do that to be respectful. (Even though Atomic Love is set in Los Angeles and I’ve never been there. It doesn’t really make sense, but in ADHD logic it does!). Part of my family is from Chicago, though, and that’s something I’ve definitely been mining for stories. Most of my stories are about trauma, so maybe I just don’t want to jinx myself here. I always moved around a lot so I think committing to a story here would mean really putting down roots and that’s scary.
Horror often thrives on exploring human vulnerability, and your works tackle themes like domestic violence, family trauma, and other real-world horrors. How do you strike a balance between creating visceral, unsettling fiction while also addressing deeper social commentary?
Bunch: I know I tell on myself in my writing. Much of my horror is rooted in lived experiences, for better or worse. I try to be mindful of how people in different stages of their healing journey might react to these stories. I’m not a fan of exploitative horror, or horror that caters to those who are only interested in the genre for the graphic, extreme violence of the genre. I think that authenticity comes through in my writing so when there is extreme violence, then it is done purposefully and not casually.
Rose: Those things tend to come together at the end of a story for me. As an ADHD pantser, I love the journey and magic of storytelling. When an idea hits, I let the story guide me. If you write what you know, those threads and themes you care about weave themselves in organically. I shape it from there. If I sat down to write a story “that says something about domestic violence” it would be forced and terrible. Atomic Love is set in the 1980s heavy metal scene and I left a lot of the really uncomfortable scenes in because as much as I love that genre of music, I’d witnessed many of the musicians and fans make a joke out of domestic violence. I wanted to show the gritty dark side because it should frighten people. I did get pushback on that from a female editor who said “people are tired of seeing violence against women.” I said no to those edits, because our society is okay with men inflicting violence against women, but doesn’t want women to talk about it. I wanted the main character to take control of that narrative and tell her story. It has resonated with readers. A therapist recommended the book to a client and the client left an abusive relationship. That made the time and effort I put into that book worth it. I grew up in the American South so I have a fountain of generational trauma to draw from. I wish I could write happy stories with happy endings but it’s not what I know.
Your self-publishing journeys reflect the growing trend of indie horror authors carving out their own spaces. What have been the biggest challenges and rewards of being independent authors, and how do events like Slay the Lake support other indie creatives?
Bunch: Marketing and getting reach online has been a challenge of mine. I find the most support and community when I do author and art events. I think these indie events really are an act of resistance against corporate consumerism and helps readers meet authors who understand them on a personal level because they are their neighbors most often.
Rose: Self-publishing is hard work, you are doing everything—writing, editing, covers, marketing, ads, networking, events—hopefully paying for help when you can afford it. I love the control it gives me of my career. My other favorite part is the community and I think that’s something trad authors probably haven’t had as much of in the past. They seem really shocked at how much promotion still falls on them. Before publishing, I joined online groups and did endless reading and research. I emailed Donovan Scherer at Studio Moonfall Bookstore in Kenosha and asked if he would carry my book and he said to bring it over. He’s the artist/author who puts out the annual Color of Kenosha coloring book which features many of our local businesses. He’s one of the biggest indie author supporters in the industry. His entire store is filled with his spooky art and books by local indie authors and everyone should visit it! From that experience, I did the Kenosha Book Festival and went to the big 20 Books indie author conference in Vegas. Chatting with Donovan in the store and meeting other authors gave me the confidence to reach out and apply for more events. Now, when I think, “Oh, I’ll never get into that event,” I make myself apply for it. I really want to stress to new authors to not let bookstores and organizers who don’t support indies discourage you. It’s heartbreaking when you’re so excited to share your work and bookstores and festival organizers in your own community aren’t interested. There are organizers who actively work to bring opportunities to you. Make sure to support them back. The biggest con for me as an indie author is information overload. It’s a business so you’re constantly having to stay on top of ads and trends. This career requires the ability to pivot and try new things. It’s great that we get to be part of creating this industry as it’s evolving, and creating opportunities for ourselves and others when traditional publishing was so mired in gatekeeping. The difference and what I think drives those folks mad is that we indies are willing to toss those old mindsets and “rules” aside and share info with each other. We see each other as community and not competition. I love that. The horror genre is especially supportive of indie authors, so that helps.
I didn’t know about those stories. It really affected me as an author starting out because I was worried by including queer characters that my work would be shelved in the back and not seen.
Many horror fans grew up consuming stories where LGBTQ+ characters were underrepresented or misrepresented. Now, we’re seeing a wave of queer-centric horror that reclaims and redefines the genre. What horror stories, films, or authors have inspired or influenced your own writing?
Bunch: I remember when I was younger, like highschool-aged, I liked Carmilla better than Dracula. I’ve been really into Eric Larocca’s work lately. I am a big movie watcher. I probably will say May, was a movie I watched when I was too young but have loved it for years. I also love Jennifer’s Body, Suspiria, The Perfection, and I Saw The TV Glow.
Rose: Queer horror authors have always been here, but I had no clue when I was younger. I grew up in Alabama in the 1980s & 1990s, if those books were in stores at all, they were buried in a far back corner of the erotica section and the nearest bookstore was forty-five minutes away. I didn’t know about those stories. It really affected me as an author starting out because I was worried by including queer characters that my work would be shelved in the back and not seen. Yet, those characters and themes kept appearing in my stories. That was back when I still thought of myself as straight or an ally. I remember my husband reading a draft and saying, “I’m just waiting for the gay characters to show up.” And it was true, they were always there! Luckily I found him and his mother and our friends who are very supportive. But I grew up in a strict, Pentecostal household where I got slapped for saying the word lesbian so I wasn’t about to ask for a book by a queer author when existing was going to cause me to burn in hell for eternity. I wish I had access to the books that are available now when I was younger. Reading Hell Followed With Us by trans horror author Andrew Joseph White resonated so deeply for me that I cried reading it and I’d never cried reading horror before. (I also cried reading American Rapture by CJ Leede so it’s probably a religious trauma, too).
He’s not a horror author, but I have to give a shout out to Augusten Burroughs, his memoirs are filled with humor, but deep down, it’s horror and trauma. He really influenced my writing by not being afraid to write about dark, taboo topics and pushing boundaries about alcoholism, family trauma, abuse, etc. that we weren’t supposed to talk about. That honestly, still makes straight people feel really uncomfortable. I found a copy of Running with Scissors in this creepy old building my friend David and I used to explore in the dark with flashlights. Reading that book changed my life as a person and writer. It was the first time I felt seen and the moment I realized: I have stories to tell, too.
The new Interview with the Vampire TV series is perfect. I loved Anne Rice’s books growing up, but I hated that so much of Lestat and Louis’ relationship in the IWTV book was written in subtext. That’s something that irked me my entire youth—and I didn’t understand why it bothered me so bad until later when I started unpacking my own identity as a queer person. The new TV series knocked that out of the park. The actors are phenomenal and it’s gay as hell. I love it. I think about the dialogue in that show daily. There’s an argument in season 2 that kills me. It’s so good. And Louis being a Black Creole gay man in New Orleans in the Jim Crow era added depth and room for that character to grow that Rice’s version didn’t have. Segregation laws depicted in the show only ended sixty years ago—which our country currently seems determined to forget. Real conditions were worse than what is portrayed in the show. Those laws may have ended in the 1960s, but I grew up in a southern sundown town in the 1980s that I’m pretty sure is still a sundown town. The Alabama history books in my elementary school referred to “happy slaves” and the KKK had rallies at a pond I could see from the window of my childhood home, bonfires and all and they’re still there. But they’re here too, they’re just wearing different hats. History is easily erased by oppressors so it’s important that we document these moments in art. The same lies I was taught as a child about Black people are being used against transgender and queer people now. Aging Claudia up and allowing her to explore her femininity and a queer relationship was also a good choice. I love seeing videos of young Black creators reacting to that show. There’s so much joy in it. It definitely opened the books up to a new audience and different interpretations. Anyone who dismissed it because of the changes is really missing out. Ask RE, I will talk about this show for hours. But it’s just so validating to finally see those beloved characters fully out in their queer, dark, flawed and bloody beauty.
That leads me to this – representation is so important. My kid is LGBTQ+ and asks me for stories with characters like her. She’s not a horror fan yet, but there’s so many really sweet, wholesome queer-themed books out there now that she adores. Because of things she’s seen on the news, she’s truly worried that someone will take her books away or that she won’t have access to the books she wants to read when she’s older. So, we’re reading books for older kids together and I’m trying to collect others to give her peace of mind. It’s so sad that it’s a real fear.
We’re lucky that we have a phenomenal public library system in Wisconsin with a treasure trove of diverse books to share. I’m so glad Kenosha Public Library reached out to join us and that they are interested in further expanding their horror catalogue. Libraries were my safe space as a kid and we must preserve that for our children, especially kids like mine who just want to be seen.
Horror often provides catharsis by allowing readers to face their fears in a safe space. For LGBTQ+ readers specifically, how do you hope your stories—and the works showcased at Slay the Lake—resonate with their own experiences or offer them a sense of belonging?
Bunch: I hope that the readers can feel seen and celebrated during Slay the Lake. We want to celebrate the readers as much as we want to celebrate all of the incredible talent that is coming together for one night. Horror is ultimately the genre of optimism. No matter how bad things get, there is a way through it. We can all show up to support each other so we can find a new way through these difficult times.
Rose: I hope the readers meet the writers and hopefully see themselves represented and supported in these amazing, talented stories. I hope they will be inspired to write and publish their own work. Every person at this event is someone who said no to the gatekeepers and pushed on with their story.
Slay the Lake feels like it has the potential to become an annual or recurring event. Do you have any future plans or hopes for expanding it, collaborating with more authors, or bringing LGBTQ+ horror to even larger audiences?
Bunch: We’ll see 🙂 Jessie has been so incredible with promoting and marketing this event. It’s a real labor of love to create an event at any scale, and we have talked about a future event. Right now, we are hoping to spread the word and enjoy Slay the Lake on April 19th, and hopefully find a way to keep it going in the future.
Rose: Definitely check out our full list of authors and attend the event on April 19th from 3PM-8PM. It supports an important cause and celebrates the community and a local business. The food and spooky atmosphere at The Final Bar are great. We’ll also have an attending drag queen arriving around 5PM for photos. Our favorite tarot reader, Tegan of Ten Cups Tarot will be there all day to read your cards. There’s something for everyone at Slay the Lake!
Slay the Lake LGBTQ+ Horror Book Fest is happening April 19th, 2025 from 3-8pm at The Final Girl Bar in Kenosha.
For more info, visit www.slaythelake.com
