Erica Jurus - dReadCon Author Spotlight

DreadCon is celebrating its second year, and we’re grateful to have you with us!

Tell us a little bit about yourself, what books we can expect to see at dReadCon, and where we can find you on social media.

I’m an indie author of a blend of dark urban fantasy and sci-fi. My Chaos Roads trilogy lived in my head for a long time, and I finally let it out into the world during the pandemic. In the novels, I speculate about how much of what we call ‘history’ is true, and how much might be quite different. The epic finale was published at the end of May this year, and I had a blast launching it at Niagara Falls Comic Con. I’m thrilled to bring all three books to dReadCon: Through the Monster-glass, Into the Forbidden Fire, and Out of Time, along with related merchandise. I can be found on my blog (https://ericajurus.ca/page-blog-posts/), Facebook (www.facebook.com/ericajurus.ca), Instagram (www.instagram.com/ejroads/), Pinterest (ca.pinterest.com/roads0137/), BlueSky (bsky.app/profile/ejroads.bsky.social), and Goodreads (www.goodreads.com/author/show/36911756.Erica_Jurus).

Why is DreadCon important for horror and dark fiction authors?

There’s a very large community of people who would live Halloween 365 days a year if we could – the mystery, the eeriness, the upending of social norms. We appreciate any avenue to express ourselves and bathe in a little darkness for a few hours. As an author of dark fiction I’m absolutely delighted to be part of this Con!

Do you have a favourite character you have written? If so, what book are they in and will it be at dReadCon?

I loved writing Charon, the ancient Greek ferryman to the Underworld who, in my novels, has ticked off his father, Erebus, and now has to ferry travellers on the Roads, a system of mysterious passageways to other dimensions. He began in my mind as a relatively minor character, but quickly developed a life of his own. He’s old and crusty but amenable to bribes, and has a soft spot for my heroine, Romy. He shows up in the second book and grumbles persistently all the way to the end of the trilogy.

If readers take away one thing from your books, what do you hope it is?

The sense that there’s so much about our own history that we don’t really know. I did a lot of research and had fun playing with a version that could be true... I hope my readers, after they finish, wonder if maybe some of it is 😉

What's the strangest thing you've ever Googled while writing a novel?

The physiology of lizards and whether they would, in a slightly different form, make good librarians.

If you could co-write a story with any famous monster (Dracula, Frankenstein, etc.), who would it be?

Dracula, hands-down. I’ve always had a thing for vampires, and I’d love a direct peek inside Dracula’s head during our collaboration (with the proviso that I’d still be alive afterward).

What makes a truly unforgettable villain or monster in dark fiction?

The best villains and monsters are relatable in some way, perhaps even sneakily likeable. They have to be three-dimensional to resonate. The bulk of the CGI monsters in recent movies leave me cold – they all have weird headgear and want to DESTROY THE UNIVERSE. My villain is a polished, wealthy philanthropist on the surface, very seductive and charming. What’s underneath the skin is quite different. His offers to help my heroine are genuine, but will destroy her soul if she accepts.

Where do you find inspiration for unsettling or eerie scenes in your stories?

What could be lurking in the shadows – things that skitter away if you get too close? I’ve always loved Halloween season, when we swing towards the thinning of the veil between worlds, and when every chill breeze feels like someone reaching out from the grave. As you can tell, I have a vivid imagination. My mother was born in Transylvania (true), so I come by that honestly.

What advice would you give to new writers trying to break into the genre?

Learn how to paint pictures with words. Read great poetry and fiction. If you can make your story truly live inside your readers’ heads, so that they don’t want to return to the real world, you’ve done your job.

How do you approach world-building in dark fiction?

For me, the world in a book has to be fully-crafted. I create an extensive backstory, most of which doesn’t actually appear in the books, but it makes my world(s) rich and cohesive. It makes me crazy when a ‘world’ in a fantasy novel seems to be about the size of Ontario, as if a piece of a planet had broken off and started floating in space. Whatever I choose to include from my backstory has to make sense, to be logical to the story, even if it’s fantastic or paranormal.

Do you have any writing rituals that help you get into the mindset for writing dark fiction?

No, my mind lives there 90% of the time. On occasion, as needed, I emerge and do sunshiny things. My hubby thinks I am a vampire.