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SEASIDE AUTHOR WONDERS: ‘WHERE IS THE BODY BURIED?’
Melissa Eskue Ousley unveils new paranormal thriller ‘Pitcher Plant’ at Beach Books
Astoria locations. The book debuted in
a young-adult boxed set that became a
bestseller in the UK. The novel was later
released as a single volume.
By HEATHER DOUGLAS
FOR COAST WEEKEND
One thing becomes clear after spend-
ing time with local author Melissa Eskue
Ousley: She is a very productive woman.
In addition to being a full-time academic
adviser at Clatsop Community College,
she is a mom, a freelance editor and an
award-winning novelist.
Eskue Ousley will soon unveil her fifth
novel at a Lunch in the Loft event at noon
Wednesday, May 17, at Beach Books in
Seaside. The $25 registration fee includes
lunch with the author and a copy of her
new book, “Pitcher Plant,” a novel set in
Seaside that, like many of the author’s oth-
er works, centers around the paranormal.
Though Eskue Ousley and her family
are Seaside residents, “Pitcher Plant” is in
no way autobiographical.
The inspiration came when she and her
husband, Chris Ousley, were looking at a
fixer-upper in Seaside.
“The book is based on an actual house
in Seaside, although I don’t want to reveal
the location to protect the new owners’
privacy,” Eskue Ousley said.
When they checked out the house, the
first thing they saw was a dead rat in the
kitchen sink.
“I thought, ‘Wow, that is really bi-
zarre,’” she said. “There was a story
behind the rat and this house; there are
little things that people leave behind. You
wonder: Who lived there? What was their
story? Because I’m a horror fan, I think,
‘Where is the body buried?’”
Delving into darkness
“Pitcher Plant” tells the story of Tawny
Ellis, a woman who spots a fixer-upper in
Seaside, and, with her husband, jump at
the chance to own a house at the beach.
The couple moves in, along with their
daughter, who begins to see an imaginary
friend that bears a striking resemblance
to the daughter of a drug-addicted woman
who squatted in the house when it was
vacant. Both former inhabitants have gone
missing.
While Eskue Ousley enjoys delving
into darkness, she has compassion for peo-
ple who have experienced real-life horrors
‘Risk-taker’
COLIN MURPHEY/THE DAILY ASTORIAN
Seaside author Melissa Eskue Ousley’s new book comes out
this month.
What: Lunch in the Loft: author Melissa Eskue Ous-
ley unveils her latest novel, “Pitcher Plant”
When: Noon Wednesday, May 17
Where: Beach Books (616 Broadway St., Seaside)
Price: $25 registration fee, includes lunch with
Eskue Ousley and a copy of her new book
such as drug addiction and homelessness.
In fact, she has a master’s degree in coun-
seling.
“One of the characters is schizophrenic,
but there is a supernatural piece within the
plot of ‘Pitcher Plant’: There’s a ghost,
but I also wanted the reader to question
which parts are supernatural and which are
psychological. It was important to leave
that somewhat open-ended.”
‘Escape through writing’
Eskue Ousley’s path to writing began
during a previous career while she was
doing academic research, which required
a lot of work with numbers, data and
analysis.
“It was interesting, but my brain needed
something else to think about,” she said.
“I love to write. It’s what I do for fun. I
could escape through writing.”
Eskue Ousley started out writing short
stories in college. Later, she was inspired
by a writers’ workshop in Cannon Beach.
She also serendipitously met a woman
from Portland — a “book shepherd,”
which is similar to a book agent but one
who focuses on a specific book or job.
Together, they created some propos-
als, which culminated in the opportunity
to publish her work with a small Pacific
Northwest press. Her first book, “Sign
of the Throne,” became the first book in
the Solas Beir Trilogy, a series that won
several awards.
Her last book, “Sunset Empire,” is a
fantasy set in Astoria that blends history
with local legends and features prominent
“Each job is a
chance for me to
improve my craft,”
she said. “Pitcher
Plant” is her fifth
book, “and I feel
that I’ve developed
as a writer. It was the
first time that I wrote
a full novel in first
person, and it was a
personal challenge for
me.”
Asked if she found
writing her first novel
intimidating, she said,
“I’ve always been
a risk-taker, and if I
want to do something,
I go for it. I don’t think
too much about it. The
first book I was writing
for myself, just to see
if I could. That sort of
writer’s high was driving
me — ‘Oh this is fun.’ I
thought it would be cool
to be published, but it
wasn’t my main motiva-
tor.”
Eskue Ousley teaches writing work-
shops and classes, and believes in giving
back to the community. For each copy
of “Pitcher Plant” sold the week after its
release, she will donate $1 of profit per
book to the community college’s Lives
in Transition program, which promotes
a supportive academic environment for
students overcoming life barriers.
Despite her positive attitude and can-do
work ethic, Eskue Ousley doesn’t mince
words about the challenging side of writ-
ing.
“Rejection: It’s half the job, really,” she
said. “You have to just keep putting your-
self out there, keep improving and stay
persistent. I’d rather put myself out there
and take the risk than never try.”