They came from the lake. Hungry for knowledge and BLOOD. Local authors Jessie Rose and RE Bunch proudly present, Slay The Lake: LGBTQ+ Horror Book Fest at Soundgrowler Brewing Co. in Tinley Park, Illinois on November 15, 2025 from 12PM-5PM.
The horror genre is one of the fastest growing genres with some of the most prolific authors of our time. Horror is a genre that closely follows current topics and is often a reflection of social values and changing attitudes. Slay The Lake: LGBTQ+ Horror Book Fest is an event for authors and allies of the LGBTQ+ community, and it also raises funds for LGBTQ+ Center Lake County. Rose and Bunch are looking to spread their love of horror with their local community while promoting a more inclusive environment for creatives to thrive in.
Slay The Lake is a book fest built on optimism–as all good horror is. It is the hope that while things are dark and scary, anyone can survive this. That the character will overcome, giving courage, grace, comfort, and space for readers to face their own monsters. The LGBTQ+ community is historic for its ability to find moments of joy and celebration in the face of adversity. Rose and Bunch hope to carry on this courageous spirit and invite you to come to Slay The Lake!
About Jessie Rose
Jessie Rose writes dark thrillers, horror and tales of love gone wrong. Jessie grew up in Alabama, moved to Chicago and made a home in Southeast Wisconsin near Lake Michigan. Their debut novel Atomic Love, a psychological thriller about domestic violence, set in the 1980s L.A. heavy metal scene, was published in 2019. Rose’s serial killer thriller Least Likely Suspect was released in 2024.
They write LGBTQ+ horror and fantasy under the pen name Finley Rose. Jessie is a graduate of Northeast Alabama Community College & City University of New York.
About RE Bunch
RE Bunch is a girl, writer, and skeleton with eyes from Chicago, Illinois. She is best known for her award-winning novella THE BY-BLOW PROMISE LAND (The BookFest 2024), short story collection PHOBIAS, fiction chapbook NEXT OF KIN, and most recent novel RED HORN. She placed third in Southern New Hampshire University’s Fall Fiction Contest for her story SLEEPING BEAUTY. She blends elements of magical realism and midwestern gothic to craft macabre tales that horrify and enchant readers. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing and English at Southern New Hampshire University.
When RE Bunch is not writing, she is carving and pressing linoleum prints, painting, and playing with dogs.