J.P. Choquette's Blog, page 4

Are you a fan of gothic suspense? Guest Post

Make anything Gothic with black and white filters. Really pleased to have been a guest at Tracy Reader Dad's blog recently, where I'm sharing more (yes, MORE) about Gothic suspense. Please stop by and check out the post. Leave a comment and you might be the one lucky winner of a digital copy of Let the Dead Rest! :) 

the Great Book hunt of 2018

I'm excited to share The Great Book Hunt of 2018 with all of my local readers. What IS the GBH? Check out this 2-minute video to get all the details. 

Visiting Cemeteries: A Guest Post on Taphophilia

Remember my post on taphophilia recently? Well, I recently explored the topic in greater detail on Kay's Reading Life, a fun and very busy book reading/review site that you might enjoy. I love Kay's approach to her blog and always learn something new and interesting there. You can check out my guest post, "Do You Have Taphophilia?"  now. 

published! Let the Dead Rest now available

Let the Dead Rest is now available for sale! Pick up your copy on:  Amazon Other digital retailers like iBooks, Kobo, Playster, etc.Or buy a hard copy on  Amazon  or Barnes & Noble Be the first in your circle to read the book--snap a picture of you doing so on  Instagram , Facebook or  Twitter  and tag me, and I'll give you a shout out in my next vlog! 

As always THANK YOU for reading and for your interest in my stories. It's an honor to take you along on every new (creepy) adventure.     :) 

Suspense Books I'm reading, Short stories I'm writing

Suspense I'm reading:  Whew! Are you struggling as I am right now with the heat and humidity? In Vermont, we normally enjoy green, cool'ish summers, full of rainy days, sunny days and very often, a mix of the two in the same 24-hours. Not this year! This summer has been hot...really hot for our northern climate, and extra muggy too. I have to admit--this is my least favorite weather. This and the sub-zero temperatures that we often get in January and February. But then at least you don't feel guilty for not going outside! I'm definitely a 60s and 70s degree kinda girl and LOVE autumn and spring. 

Despite the weather (or because of it?), I've been able to lose myself in some great suspense books lately. I just finished The House of Closed Doors by Jane Steen.  As you know, I don't do book reviews here on the blog, only recommendations. I really enjoyed this novel. It's historical fiction (as you probably guessed from the lovely cover) and I did a little blurb about it recently in my video newsletter.  I found The House of Closed Doors to be a great mix of family drama, history, and mystery. Check it out for yourself via the author's website, on Amazon or your local indie bookstore.  I've just delved into Ruth Ware's, The Death of Mrs. Westaway. I first fell in love with Ruth's work when I heard the audio version of her book The Woman in Cabin 10. I thoroughly enjoyed it and when on to read more books by this author. This is my fourth Ruth Ware novel and I have not been disappointed! 

The Death of Mrs. Westaway follows a 20-something woman, "Hal" Westaway who works as a (skeptical) psychic, following in her deceased mother's footsteps. When Hal receives a letter notifying her that her grandmother has died and that she is a beneficiary, Hal is perplexed. Her grandmother has already died, so clearly this letter is a mistake.

Still, she's excited (Hal has serious money problems) but also filled with unease. While this woman wasn't her actual grandmother, Hal journeys to the estate anyway. It's a dark, creepy place swamped with magpies--the perfect Gothic setting. :)  There she meets her "family" a mix of dark and light characters, each with their own mysterious issues...

Have you heard of this book yet? Want to check it out? Learn more about it via the author's website, on Goodreads, or snag a copy on Amazon or at your local bookshop.  Suspense I'm Writing:  I have to admit something here and now: I've never been a fan of short stories. I don't like reading them. Just when I'm getting really into the story, it's done. I don't like writing them. Very often it's harder to condense a story into 2000-10,000 words than it is to flesh out a full novel. 

But, I do love to try experiments. And one of my newest is playing with short stories in between writing novels. I wrote one recently called, Runaway Train, for a contest (the first I've entered in many years--still just as nerve-wracking as I remember!). And now I'm working on one that has a working title of The Mansion. (Original title, I know.) I'm learning some fun facts about slang of the 1920s, as both stories are set there--not on purpose, it just turned out that way. Here are a few of my favorite slang terms from the Roaring 20s: Sinkers are donutsBearcat is a fiery, spirited womanBerries means something pleasing or good "That's just berries, darling!"Dewdropper is a slackerGasper is a cigarette"Let's blouse!" is the same as "Let's get out of here!" You can read a list of 59 other 1920s slang terms via this fun article on Thought Catalog.  

What are you reading this week? Or what's in your #TBR pile that you can't wait to start? 

What's the deal with victorian death jewelry?

image credit Victorian death jewelry. Never heard of it? Don't worry, you're not alone. The Victorians had some pretty strange ideas about things: like eating arsenic, which was supposed to make you have more beautiful skin. 

They also had a macabre fascination with death and the rituals that surrounded it. Actually, I and a lot of other people find these sort of interesting-bordering on fascinating--but "death jewelry," was new to me. There were pieces of jewelry made in black, like the rose brooch above (for sale on ebay), but also jewelry made with hair of the deceased, or made to hold a lock of a loved one's hair. 

This article on Gizmodo's site is fantastic and will give you a great overview of Victorian death jewelry. Short on time? Here are a few facts that I found most intriguing: Death jewelry was especially important because at the time there were no photographs. These pieces were used as a token to remind you of your loved one...who couldn't be viewed while flipping through the family photo album.   While black was the typical color of death jewelry in the Victorian age, white enamel was often used to remember an unmarried woman or a child. Pearls were also used often to remember children.   Hair from the deceased was frequently used in mourning/death jewelry.  It might be added to a locket and worn around the neck, or to a ring that a woman would wear daily. It was also sometimes used to create fobs for pocket watches (or added to the existing materials in the fob). This was especially popular with men.  ​
What do you think? Creepy, sweet or somewhere in between?

I find it interesting that some of these customs are coming back into vogue. Ashes from a loved one can now be added into glass products like paperweights, rings or pendants. There are lots of ways to memorialize your departed loved one or friend. Read more via this article on 23 Remarkable Things to Do With Ashes to Honor Your Loved One. 

July 2018 Suspense Book Recommendations & my reading room

My "new" reading room...complete with hand-me-down everything. Had to share a picture of my "new" reading room (OK, it's a corner of my office). I nabbed a free bookcase last week and partnered it with another, older bookcase I inherited. Added in my grandmother's recovered (and super comfortable) chair and voila! A new reading nook. My kid pointed out that I need more books. Just what every bookworm dreams of hearing! 

This week I'm doing something a little different: video book recommendations. You can check out my newest video on YouTube. I discuss two great suspense books I recently read and two more on my TBR list. Where's YOUR favorite place to curl up with a good book? 

Celebrating Indie Authors this Independence Day

Happy Independence Day! If you know a veteran or someone currently serving in the military, why not thank them this week?

In my own bookish version of this theme, I'm celebrating a couple of wonderful indie authors. Read the full newsletter here with book recommendations for two stellar indie authors, Kathryn Guare and Steve Robinson. 

Taphophilia: Do you have a Love of CEMETERIES?

image credit If you "suffer" from a love of cemeteries, there's a word to describe your condition: taphophilia. When a friend recently sent me a link to this great post, "6 Ways for Writers to Find Inspiration in a Graveyard,"  I was grateful. I love visiting cemeteries and graveyards and don't hesitate to admit it. 

One of the most interesting things I've learned lately about gravestones, particularly those in Victorian times, is the symbolism that the stones featured. It's almost like a secret code. I appreciate how cool Victorians were in their interest in the deeper meaning of things. Flowers, for instance, had their own secret languages. So did color in dress...

But getting back to symbols on gravestones, here are some of the more popular symbols. Did you know that a broken column meant a life cut short? Or  that a circle represented eternity while a broken flower indicated a sudden death? Ivy symbolized the memories of the deceased that would remain evergreen, while a bird in flight symbolized a spirit going toward heaven. One flying down meant being "with the Holy Spirit." In ancient Egyptian times, a serpent represented life and health. You can learn more about the symbols on gravestones on the  BBC website  or this blog, Cemetery Travels. 

Suspense Book Recap: Wicked River

I have to admit something here and now: I wanted to like this book. I read another book by Jenny Milchman, Cover of Snow, and really enjoyed it. I was honored to share space over at Kingdom Mysteries with Ms. Milchman recently. And I love, love, love suspense novels set in the great outdoors. This one, Wicked River , combines two of my passions: suspense and survival stories in one. 

So what were my thoughts on this novel, set in the neighboring New York state? I loved it! 

Not only did Ms. Milchman deliver a well-thought out story full of twists and (sometimes very) unexpected turns, but she also had a cast of really interesting and well-developed characters. The suspense was taut. The action was prevalent. And there was ample opportunity for the reader to wonder, "what ELSE can possibly go wrong?" just before the bottom fell out...again. 

Want to learn more? Here's a description of Wicked River from the author's website: 

"Six million acres of Adirondack forest separate Natalie and Doug Larson from civilization. For the newlyweds, an isolated, back country honeymoon seems ideal: a chance to start their lives together with an adventure, on their own. But just as Natalie and Doug begin to explore the dark interiors of their own hearts, as well as the depths of their love for each other, it becomes clear that they are not alone in the woods.

Because six million acres makes it easy for the wicked to hide. And even easier for someone to go missing for good."

Highly recommend this great book, Wicked River, which you can find via the usual online shopping channels, your local library or your favorite indie bookstore. Enjoy!