Monster Hunting: Yes, I Want Two of Them
And I won't complain about more.
WHAT ARE WE DISCOVERING THIS MONTH?
It’s not just about my books.
Michigan has TWO Nessies!
Vote in the poll.
My writing friend, Allie McCormack, has a book coming out in August. It’s a paranormal romance with djinn and shapeshifters. And not your usual shifters either! Reluctant Rogue has a Great Pyrenees shifter! You can find THE ENTIRE SERIES on Amazon.
A big congrats to Allie on her upcoming release! I can’t wait to dive back into your world.
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DO MONSTERS LURK IN THE GREAT LAKES?
It seems that when you have a giant body of water, you have mysteries lurking in its depths. We know about Loch Ness and its famous cryptid, Nessie, but did you know that the Great Lakes have not one lake monster, but TWO?
I’ve talked a little about THIS TOPIC, touching on Pressie, the cyrptid who lives in Lake Superior. My case was the Great Lakes are much better suited for lake monsters than itty-bitty Loch Ness.
For newbies, the first official sighting of Pressie was in the 1800s. A man fell off his yacht after hitting a rock and said a large beast attacked him. She got her name because she is sighted around Presque Isle River. Pressie is said to have a 15-foot neck and a foot-wide jaw. She likes to chase ships and can swim up to nine miles an hour. The most famous pic of Pressie is from 1977, and it’s, you guessed it, a bit blurry.
Bessie is a little more well-known cryptid than Pressie.
She resides in Lake Erie1 between Fort Erie and Cleveland, Ohio. The earliest sighting of this monster was in 1793 when the captain of the sloop Felicity startled a large creature while shooting ducks. He claimed the beast was rod-shaped and more than 16 feet in length. Later that year, another boat crew reported a similar snake-like animal.
The nickname Bessie was given to the cryptid by a Pennsylvanian newsletter in 1991. The editor had multiple reports of a serpentine monster in Lake Erie. She was described as a 30-50 foot-long reptile and as round as a bowling ball. The article chronicled sightings from 1960-1990.
1997 was the year that Bessie really got attention. A video and, once again, a blurry image of a creature surfaced. CNN.com even picked up the story! In the later 2000s, Great Lakes Brewery created a beer in honor of Bessie named the Lake Erie Monster Imperial IPA.
She is also the inspiration for the Lake Erie Monsters hockey team based in Cleveland, Ohio. And there is a $100,000 reward for the safe and unharmed capture of the cryptid that is still unclaimed.
BESSIE AND PRESSIE MAKE ME WONDER:
Do Lake Michigan and Lake Huron have their own cryptids as well?
Are you going to take a peek at ALLIE’S BOOKS?
My next email will drop into your inbox on July 28th. Keep your eyes peeled because I’m sharing an exclusive flash fiction story about a crazy cat lady!
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Thank you for reading.
Until next time, stay spooked!
~Patricia J.L.
Ohio might claim Bessie as theirs, BUT Lake Eerie does touch Michigan, so I think Michigan can share Bessie with Ohio. It’s the least they can do after we gave them Toledo for the UP.😜
So cool. I wrote a story about a creature in Lake Ontario. Who knows what lurks in the depths!
Fun! I didn't realize we had lake monsters of this side of "the pond" and I agree that the Great Lakes would be more hospitable than Loch Ness.