My subconscious got busy solving a problem for me. I hadn't been happy with the climax of my horror novel but wasn't sure how to fix it. Then I had a nightmare of sorts, & it gave me a fabulous idea of how to rework the ending ! 😲🥂🍾 #subconsciousmind #EricaJurusAuthor #horror #thesummerdoor

From Draft to Published “Writing the last page of the first draft is the most enjoyable moment in writing.” Nicholas Sparks…... https://ericajurus.ca/2026/06/02/from-draft-to-published/

What happens after that first, horror-filled draft is written? Learn about the blood that goes into whipping that book into shape for publishing 😲😉in tonight's blog post. ericajurus.ca/page-blog-po... #exciting #horror #thesummerdoor #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #ejroadsblog #booksky

Yahoo! I finished the book late on Friday night 🍾, so my hubby took me out to dinner on Saturday to celebrate. So what happens next? Find out on tomorrow's blog post 🙂 #exciting #newbook #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #horror #thesummerdoor #batonrougeoakville #ejroadsblog #authorlife

Good thing I'm a night owl by nature. By the weekend, I WILL have the first draft finished!!! 🔨😐 #authorlife #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #horror #thesummerdoor #storytelling

We'll see what happens 😲Be ready for anything! #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #horror #thesummerdoor #booksky

To borrow from The Music Man, we got trouble, right here in Llithfaen, with a capital T! I'm glued to my laptop, writing the last few chapters of The Summer Door - they're a doozy. #exciting #newbook #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #horror #thesummerdoor #storytelling #authorlife #booksky

On hiatus this week to finish the book “You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.” — Jodi Picoult Like the storm that brought Dracula to the shores of England, a storm of evil is descending on the town of Llithfaen. I'm down to the last few chapters that will decide the fate of…

Dracula arrived on the shores of England in a raging storm, and a storm of evil is descending on the town of Llithfaen. The final few chapters are being written, so I won't be doing a full blog post this week. #WorldDraculaDay #storytelling #horror #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #authorlife

I have the Key to Erebor! I will find Smaug's horde & the Arkenstone! Here's to all of us who celebrate imagination & adding some fun to our daily lives. (Key & collector's book in author's collection) #geekprideday #thehobbitanunexpectedjourney #wellness #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #authorlife

" 'My dear fellow," said Sherlock Holmes, as we sat on either side of the fire in his lodgings at Baker Street, 'life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent.' Here's to the greatest literary detective ever to grace the page! #sherlockholmesday #EricaJurusAuthor

Today celebrates one of the world's finest beverages. Tea is an important food crop that supplies millions of jobs around the world. Check my IG feed for a description of everything in this photo. www.instagram.com/ejroads/ #InternationalTeaDay #wellness #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads

Why reading a good book is better than ever The Wandering Companies shall know of your journey, and those that have power for good shall be on the watch. I name you Elf-friend; and may the stars shine upon the end of your road! Tolkien, J. R. R.. The Lord of the Rings The literary world has taken…

Forget all the weird news - there's never been a better time to read a good book! Studies show that getting lost in a novel is extraordinarily good for your health & cognition. More in tonight's blog! ericajurus.ca/page-blog-posts/ #getcaughtreadingmonth #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #ejroadsblog

I wanted a new book stand for displaying my new horror novel, and my hubby was inspired by my sample photos for the creepy house in the novel. Do you think it will attract enough attention?😉 #ejroadsevents #newbook #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #authorlife #horror #thesummerdoor #storytelling

Not feeling well today; a good day to do research for my novels/blog/newsletter. With a mug of tea, of course; a new one I'm trying out, blend of Darjeeling, Nepal, Keemun, Jasmine, Gunpowder. The mug is from the eerie Serpent Mound park in Ohio. #authorlife #tealover #EricaJurusAuthor #booksky

I'm concentrating this year's appearances around genre-specific events: - dReadCon dark fiction convention - Frightmare in the Falls horror convention - Pages & Pleasures romance convention - new novel is a spicy horroromance. #booksky #ejroadsevents #newbook #EricaJurusAuthor #horror #thesummerdoor

Bringing a dream bookstore to life It was the bookstore of my dreams – literally. White shelves zigzagging in and out along the walls, on a raised perimeter just a couple of steps above the central space. A treasure trove of wonderful books of all kinds, from fiction to historical. Tables in the…

Have you ever had a recurring dream for years? Mine was about a bookstore. For 'Get Caught Reading Month', I'll tell you more about this marvellous dream & how I made it real on the page. ericajurus.ca/page-blog-po... #fantasybookstores #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #ejroadsblog #booksky

Today we celebrate one of the greatest storytellers in TV history: Rod Serling & his landmark series The Twilight Zone. Innovative, thought-provoking & unforgettable plots have influenced many writers. (Background photo taken during a storm) #NationalTwilightZoneDay #EricaJurusAuthor #booksky

Wishing Sir David Attenborough a very happy 100th birthday. Guiding light in preserving the natural world my hubby & I have spent our lives exploring. Photo taken in the Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya. Fervently hope future generations can enjoy. #happybirthdaydavidattenborough #EricaJurusAuthor

If writers/haunters/filmmakers hit a 'sweet spot' of just enough fear to make us clutch our partners/friends but not run away screaming, we enjoy the rush. So that's my job as a writer: to push you to that level. 😁 #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #storytelling #horror #authorlife #thesummerdoor

My hubby asked me how the book is going; I said that horror is trickier to write. Its effects are more psychological, more insidious; I have to consider what should be revealed at which point. I'm loving writing this book, but the process is very different. #EricaJurusAuthor #horror #thesummerdoor

Be like a writer: Stop and smell the lilacs When I was growing up, we had a lilac shrub in the back yard, and each spring my mother would clip panicles of the lavender flowers and bring them inside. Sitting in a vase in the living room, they would fill the house with scent. The smell of things is…

Yesterday I was out enjoying local gardens, esp. the lilac garden. Tourists stopped only to take a quick photo, missing the entire point: the scent. Tonight's post: why we need to stop, smell & embrace a complete experience. ericajurus.ca/page-blog-posts/ #EricaJurusAuthor #ejroadsblog

How great is it that we can celebrate such an amazing sci-fi series! Having tea in our R2D2 mug, of course, with a little ring of macaron moons (courtesy of a local bakery) 😁 #maythe4th #starwarsday #scifi #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads

I'm so grateful to my readers who take the time to post a review or send me comments. It truly means the world to me to hear that you're enjoying the books! #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #authorlife #horror #thesummerdoor #urbanfantasy #epicfantasy #scifibooks #whattoreadnext #storytelling

Are mirrors dangerous? I busted a mirror and got seven years bad luck, but my lawyer thinks he can get me five. Steven Wright Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody… How do you feel about mirrors? Are they annoying…weird…creepy? We’re in the final week of Halfoween. It’s also Folk Horror Week, something…

Counting days to Halfoween Night/Beltane/night before Walpurgisnacht. Also Folk Horror Week! Tonight we look into the shadows, & find haunted mirrors (think terrifying "Bloody Mary" folk legend). To be read with the lights on. #Halfoween #folkhorrorweek #ejroadsblog #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads

Our weather has alternated cold & rainy with wonderfully foggy. Perfect time to have over-the-top hot chocolate with pumpkin chocolate chip cookies instead of afternoon tea. I feel it was great motivation for writing 😉🎃 #Halfoween #relaxation #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #horror #storytelling

As a writer, you know the flowers are there, but sometimes you really have to work at coaxing them out. #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #authorlife #horror #thesummerdoor #urbanfantasy #epicfantasy #scifibooks #storytelling

I loved books so much I taught myself to read at the age of 4 & began writing my own stories later. Proud to now have my novels in libraries for many to read. Books offer not just journeys but ideas! Spend an hour today to just sit & read. #WorldBookDay #BookDay #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads

Photo taken high in the Andes Mountains in Peru. I was mesmerized by the mountains' shapes & upthrusts & colours. In air that clear, the sky was a pure, piercing shade of blue. Heart-shattering if future generations aren't able to see the same wonders! #EarthDay #travel #EricaJurusAuthor

What lurks in the fog? Fog: “a weather condition in which very small drops of water come together to form a thick cloud close to the land or sea, making it difficult to see” Cambridge Dictionary Not long after I graduated from university, I worked on a funded project at a horticultural research…

Is there anything better to add instant atmosphere and mystery to a story? Tonight's blog is a look at one of my very favourite weather conditions: fog! ericajurus.ca/page-blog-po... (All images are created by me without the use of AI) #fog #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #ejroadsblog

Magic can be good...or bad. Who's using it for what in the world of the Chaos Roads? The answer will reveal itself to my protagonist soon. #exciting #newbook #horror #urbanfantasy #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads

Creating cursed places – inspiration from Dark Shadows “If I could speak the language of rabbits, they would be amazed, and I would be their king. I would be kind to my rabbit subjects. At first.” Rajesh Koothrappali, Big Bang Theory Have you ever played a Simulator game? One where you create a…

Cult 1960s soap "Dark Shadows" was my first introduction to a creepy town, & it inspired my fictional town. One of the rewards of writing paranormal & horror books is that you can create any eerie setting you want. 😁Learn more in tonight's blog post! ericajurus.ca/page-blog-posts/ #EricaJurusAuthor

If I could say anything to a budding young writer, it would be these three things. #EncourageAYoungWriterDay #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #horror #urbanfantasy #epicfantasy #scifibooks #whattoreadnext #storytelling

The Lovecraft Legacy “…he had had an unprecedented dream of great Cyclopean cities of Titan blocks and sky-flung monoliths, all dripping with green ooze and sinister with latent horror.” The Call of Cthulhu, H.P. Lovecraft We’re going to begin April/Halfoween with a creeping whisper rather than a…

Writing inspiration comes in many forms. For myself, & many other writers & filmmakers, it came from author H. P. Lovecraft. What made Lovecraft's stories so powerful? Find out more in tonight's blog post. ericajurus.ca/page-blog-po...

Currently, the eerie town of Llithfaen is celebrating its annual Strawberry Festival, which coincides with the Summer Solstice. A mysterious black-striped tent has appeared in Chimera Park. Things are about to get weird...er. #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #newbook #horror #urbanfantasy

April fun in a crazy world Why are you looking at a graphic of Halloween stuff above? Because I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of the world at the moment! It’s finally Spring, and I want to have some fun after a long and stressful winter. April is “Halfway to Halloween” month – also…

If, like me, you're heartily sick of hearing bad news, I suggest turning April into a vacation from reality. More in tonight's blog! ericajurus.ca/page-blog-posts/ & in my April newsletter (sign up on my website) #halfoween #wellness #EricaJurusAuthor #ejroadsblog #horror #urbanfantasy

Belated Tolkien Reading Day. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" made me want to begin creating & writing worlds of my own. A photo of the home of the greatest heroes in Tolkien's tales, Hobbiton, from the New Zealand film set. #TolkienReadingDay #writerinspiration #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads

March Madness in Bookland 'But I don't want to go among mad people,' said Alice. 'Oh, you can't help that,' said the cat. 'We're all mad here.' Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll Do you also feel as if we’ve all tumbled down a rabbit-hole into a strange world where nothing makes sense? When I was…

Well, like the Hatter in Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland", who went mad from the toxic chemicals in his hats, the book industry has finally tipped over the fine line. Where will it end?! Find out more in tonight's blog post. #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #ejroadsblog #chaos #bookindustry

When you grow up with a house like this in the area, it feeds your gothic imagination 😮 Is it any wonder I began writing eerie stories? More details in my April newsletter; sign up on my website, ericajurus.ca. #writerinspiration #gothic #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #horror #urbanfantasy

In my Chaos Roads trilogy, today's one of only 4 days in the year in which portals between the Fae world & the human realm are open. A change of seasons, but a dangerous time in the town of Llithfaen. ericajurus.ca/books/ #EricaJurusAuthor #ejchaosroads #horror #urbanfantasy

I've always been a story writer, since I was a child. As time went on I had this persistent idea for a book series stuck in my head. I had ideas for other books, but this one kept pushing, adding more & more layers, until finally I said, Fine, I'll write it! ericajurus.ca/books/ #ejchaosroads