Hello!
I’m Jennifer McMahon, and I write creepy books (a few of them have been New York Times bestsellers!). I’m planning to use Substack as a place to share news and keep folks updated on new books, upcoming events and what I’m working on. But it will also be a place for me to share thoughts on the creative process, what’s inspiring me, books I’m loving, tips on writing, why I love horror and more. I might even share the occasional new piece of fiction, and will definitely be doing some book giveaways! And please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see here. The nitty gritty behind the scenes novel writing stuff? Tips on writing your own fiction? Also, for those of you with experience with Substack, know that this all new to me so if you’ve got tips, I’d love to hear them!
My thirteenth novel, Stay Buried, will be out this August and it’s a folk horror novel with a queer protagonist, that I’m really excited to share. Here’s a bit about it:
1919: Frankie O’Massey has always been the black sheep of isolated Boone’s Ferry, Vermont. Her uncle, Dr. Thomas Endicott, has been training her in the science of medicine, something the townspeople are wary of. When a mysterious illness strikes the town, and the community suspects supernatural forces, the two desperately search for a logical explanation. Patient zero seems to be the town’s knackerman—a recluse who collects dead and dying farm animals to make use of their parts.
2016: Siblings Ashley and Malcolm lost their mother two years ago. When their grandmother dies, they inherit a property in Boone’s Ferry—a place they’ve heard of but their grandmother has always refused to talk about—and embark on a trip to their ancestral home. The idyllic town is full of autumnal décor, picturesque farmland, and small-town charm. But some of the townspeople aren’t very welcoming—and they have some unsettling traditions, like leaving offerings to a vengeful spirit four times a year.I started working on Stay Buried back in 2016, when the idea of a poorly-understood disease spreading like wildfire, upending lives and creating societal chaos seemed like something I could only imagine. I completed a rough draft pretty quickly, but something just wasn’t working, so I moved it to the back burner and focused on other projects, as I so often do. I had just started to revisit it when COVID-19 hit, and suddenly the idea living through a deadly epidemic felt a little too close home—so I set it aside again. When I went back to it this time, everything fell into place, and I think the time is finally right for this story.
You can preorder your copy now, if you’d like!
Thanks so much for being here, and happy reading!
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