We love the sparkle, the singing, the presents—and we especially love celebrating the books!
Jolabokaflod, the “Bookish” Holiday
The small Nordic island, with a population of only 329,000 people, is extraordinarily literary. They love to read and write. According to Rosie Goldsmith of the BBC, “The country has more writers, more books published and more books read, per head, than anywhere else in the world.”
Many Icelanders give books as Christmas gifts to celebrate Jolabokaflod, and from Christmas Eve until the New Year there is an unspoken reading frenzy.
Iceland’s National Treasures and High Literacy Rate
Fifty percent of Icelanders read more than eight books a year; 93% read more than one book a year (The Reykjavik Grapevine)
Reykjavík City Library, the largest public library in Iceland, welcomed 700,000 visitors in 2009 in a city of 200,000 people. Book loans totalled 1.2. million in the same year (Reykjavik UNESCO City of Literature)
And, of course, a book and a hot chocolate is a beloved holiday tradition for people around the world!
Jolabokaflod: A Christmas Tradition
Jolabokaflod or Yule Book Floodhappens once a year on Christmas Eve in Iceland. The flood begins with the release of a catalog of new publications from the Icelandic Publishers Association. And it is distributed FREE to each and every Icelandic home. The majority of books sold in Iceland are sold from September to early November, and of course, these books are in print. E-pubs are not given. This tradition of Jolabokaflod started in 1944 during WWII when many items and food were rationed to preserve the giving tradition of the holidays.
The Icelanders even have a popular TV show,Kiljan,that is entirely devoted to books. Authors appear on prime TV shows.Book readings and author events are treated like rock star events.
“In Iceland book lives matter in every sense of that phrase: The shelf-life of the book, the lives in the book, the life of the writer and the life of the reader. God bless the Jolabokaflod.”~Hallgrimur Helgason
How can you make Jolabokaflod a Christmas Eve tradition?
Christmas is such a busy time, and you may think, “I don’t have time for one more tradition!” Don’t worry—You’ve got an extra 12 days!
Design yourJolabokaflodtradition to fit your schedule. You can choose a different night to celebrate with a new book and hot chocolate! We like to crack open the spine of a new book during the 12 days of Christmas that follow Christmas day, giving us a reason to keep that holiday spirit alive until well into the New Year!
A Book You Love is The Perfect Gift for Jolabokaflod!
The Twelve Days of Christmas & Other Traditions From Around the World
Every year Jolabokaflod heralds the 12 Days of Christmas for us here at Chanticleer, where we love to celebrate for an extra twelve days after December 25th! Here’s what you might need to know:
The twelve days of Christmas run from December 26th until January 6th (Three Kings Day).
Some say the Twelve Days tradition is wishing good luck and cheer for each of the following months in the new year.
Others say the first six of the days are to pay homage to the previous year and six of the days that are in the new year bringing hope and glad tidings for coming times.
The Twelve Days of Christmas would be a welcome break for those who worked the land.
New traditions are beginning this year!
In Portugal, Kiffer and Andy’s new home, the 12 Days of Christmas is a tradition that starts on the 26th until Epiphany. Small groups of people go door to door in their neighborhoods singing songs, usually accompanied by instruments. Sometimes they are in traditional dress, sometimes not. They typically open with a song to ask the resident for food and/or drink, then continue singing about the birth of Jesus and sending good wishes for a happy new year. If a resident doesn’t treat the singers well or refuses to open his door, they may sing songs jokingly mocking them. If the singers are treated well, they will sing about how handsome and beautiful the hosts are and how generous and nice they are. (A great way to start the New Year!)
The Portuguese troubadouring does not take place until after Christmas Day and continues on to Three Kings Day also known as Epiphany.
We’d love to hear about your Yuletide Traditions!
Le Réveillon is our family’s (Kiffer & Argus) Christmas Tradition where we stay up on Christmas Eve way past midnight for the arrival of Père Noël” (Santa Claus) with a Christmas Eve Dinner that consists of a pretty table and multi-course, fancy meal that we share with friends and family. It’s always a good time with many precious moments to always remember throughout the years.
The true gift of the holiday season!
As always, there is much to do, but I have given myself permission not to worry about the cookies that need to be made, the presents that must be wrapped, and calling on friends and family dear to my heart to wish them Happy Holidays. These are all traditions I treasure, and Jolabokaflod is one more tradition I’m happy to add to that mix! – Kiffer
Leave a comment! We would love to hear about your holiday traditions!
Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays and Yuletide Greetings from the team at Chanticleer Book Reviews!
From Kiffer, Andy, David, Dena, Scott, Anya
We will start posting our Twelve Days of Christmas articles starting on December 26th.
We love the sparkle, the singing, the presents—and we especially love celebrating the books!
Jolabokaflod, a Bookish Holiday
Jolabokaflod, an Icelandic tradition of gifting and reading books on Christmas Eve, began in 1944 when Iceland gained its independence from Denmark during World War II. Paper was one of the few products under rationed during the war, so bookish friends and family began sharing their love of books as a substitute for traditional gifts. Known as a nation of “bookaholics,” Iceland has a great reading culture, with over half the population being avid readers of at least eight books a year, according to a study conducted by Bifröst University in 2013.
The holiday, which translates roughly into English as ‘the Christmas book flood’, coincides with the retail cycle each year during the Christmas season.
Ever since Jolabakaflod was first celebrated the Icelandic book trade has published a catalogue called Bókatíðindi, or ‘Book Bulletin,’ in English. It is sent to every household in the country in mid-November during the Reykjavik Book Fair, and people use the catalogue to order books for their favorite people.
These gifts of books are given on December 24th and, by tradition, everyone begins reading the books they receive almost as soon as they are given, often while drinking hot chocolate or alcohol-free Christmas ale called jólabland. There is also a blend of two of Iceland’s most beloved drinks: Malt (a malty sweet soda) and Appelsin (orangeade). First pour the Appelsin into a a glass and add the Malt for a fizzy, festive non-alcoholic drink. If you pour the Malt first, then the foam from it will overflow the glass when the orangeade is poured in. Some consider this the most proper drink to celebrate Christmas in Iceland.
A Book You Love is The Perfect Gift for Jolabokaflod
How can you make Jolabokaflod a Christmas Eve tradition?
Christmas is such a busy time, and you may think, “I don’t have time for one more tradition!” Don’t worry—You’ve got an extra 12 days!
Design your Jolabokaflod tradition to fit your schedule. You can choose a different night to celebrate with a new book and hot chocolate! We like to crack open the spine of a new book during the 12 days of Christmas that follow Christmas day, giving us a reason to keep that holiday spirit alive until well into the New Year!
The Twelve Days of Christmas & Celebrations Around the World
The twelve days of Christmas run from December 26th until January 6th (Three Kings Day).
Some say the Twelve Days tradition is wishing good luck and cheer for each of the following months in the new year.
Others say the first six of the days are to pay homage to the previous year and six of the days that are in the new year bringing hope and glad tidings for coming times.
The Twelve Days of Christmas would be a welcome break for those who worked the land.
In Portugal, the 12 Days of Christmas is a tradition that starts on the 26th until Epiphany. Small groups of people go door to door in their neighborhoods singing songs, usually accompanied by instruments. Sometimes they are in traditional dress, sometimes not. They typically open with a song to ask the resident for food and/or drink, then continue singing about the birth of Jesus and sending good wishes for a happy new year. If a resident doesn’t treat the singers well or refuses to open his door, they may sing songs jokingly mocking them. If the singers are treated well, they will sing about how handsome and beautiful the hosts are and how generous and nice they are. (A great way to start the New Year!)
The Portuguese troubadouring does not take place until after Christmas Day and continues on to Three Kings Day also known as Epiphany. In Spain and many Latin American countries, gift giving is done on January 6th, while the gifts Santa Claus brings to children are opened on Christmas Day. In Italy, La Befana visits their homes on January 5th. She likes to be left a glass of wine and some antipasto, instead of Santa’s cookies and milk and the children find her gifts the next day.
I’d love to hear about your Yuletide Traditions!
Le Réveillon is our family’s (Kiffer & Argus) Christmas Tradition where we stay up on Christmas Eve way past midnight for the arrival of Père Noël” (Santa Claus) with a Christmas Eve Dinner that consists of a pretty table and multiple courses fancy meal (typically 8 courses), friends and family, and good times to make precious memories.
As always, there is much to do. And, I have given myself permission not to worry about the unwrapped presents, cookies that need to be made, and calling on friends and family. I have more than twelve more days! And sometime in the new year of 2025, I am going to celebrate Jolabokaflod. – Kiffer
We would love to hear about your holiday traditions!
Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays and Yuletide Greetings!
We will start posting our Twelve Days of Christmas articles starting on December 26th.
From left to right we have Michael Shannon as Captain Beatty and Michael B. Jordan as Guy Montag in the screen adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451
It’s still here because it still happens
Banned Books Week, celebrated during the last full week of September, brings authors, publishers, readers, educators, and activists together to underscore the importance of intellectual freedom and our constitutional right to access information. It’s an event that serves as a platform to advocate for free expression and to highlight the detrimental effects of censorship.
The Effects of Banning Books
Banning books not only limits access to diverse perspectives but also stifles critical thinking and discussion. When we silence voices, we miss out on the chance to engage with different experiences and viewpoints and leaves underrepresented people isolated and oftentimes ostracized due to a lack of understanding and empathy for the struggles, triumphs, and complexities of others.
Banned Books Week is an annual event first organized by the American Library Association (ALA) in 1982. It shines a light on the many books that have been challenged or banned in schools and libraries, and it reminds us of the vital role literature plays in shaping our understanding of the world and who we are as people. We are still advocating for these rights forty-two years later.
Fighting Book Bans in the Golden Age of Russian Literature
Bans have been used put into place since Biblical times, but a more modern version is found in Imperial Russia. It’s an interesting point in history when skilled authors used fiction as a way to subvert censors and challenge the structure of their societies through the written word.
Russian writers, the great storytellers of the “Golden Age” of literature (18th & 19th century), were masters of observation during a time when their society was rapidly changing. Western ideas brought back with soldiers from the Napoleonic Wars provided Russian citizens the freedom of thought for the first time in their long history as a monarchy. In a matter of a few years the Russian intelligentsia absorbed the knowledge of over three hundred years of Western Enlightenment and became the catalyst for conversations on the rights of man and the role of church and state in the lives of their citizens. Suddenly, a feudal society’s eyes popped open from a deep sleep and they realized their dreams of freedom were real and within reach.
The great Russian writers–top row from left: Stepan Skitalets, Fyodor Chaliapin, Yevgeny Chirikov; bottom row from left: Maxim Gorky, Leonid Andreyev, Ivan Bunin, Nikolay Teleshov.
The Russian people were in a position to expand their knowledge base exponentially and soon conversations heard in the salons and receiving rooms of St. Petersburg, Russia’s cultural capital at the time, had become passionate with talk of the “rights of man”. Influence the church and state had over the middle class decreased and their power over the people began slipping away. The common man gained the ability to ask his own questions and decide his own fate for the first time in Russian history, and as they sipped their vodka they began to speak of revolution.
And a few wrote.
Government censors, focused solely on traditional news sources, weren’t quick enough to pick up on the messages behind fictional plots and this gave writers a way to move the private conversations they were having out into the mainstream. As a result, Russian literature stands to this day as some of the most important novels in our society, regardless of where your origins lie. By examining the human condition with compelling narratives these great Russian writers succeeded in questioning the way we live and think about our lives, and all under the watchful eyes of those who would have banned those same ideas if presented as non-fiction.
Celebrating the Freedom to Read and Write
During Banned Books Week, libraries, schools, and bookstores host a variety of events to celebrate the freedom to read. Read-alouds and panel discussions highlight the significance banned books, and social media campaigns are now engaging audiences online, encouraging them to share their favorite banned books, quotes, and personal stories.
How You Can Get Involved
Read a Banned Book: Pick up a book from the list of frequently challenged titles. Some notable examples include To Kill a Mockingbird, The Catcher in the Rye, and The Hate U Give.
Support Your Local Library: Visit your local library and participate in Banned Books Week events. Libraries often provide resources and information about the challenges they face.
Raise Awareness: Use your social media platforms to spread the word. Share posts about your favorite banned books and why they matter to you.
Engage in Conversations: Discuss the importance of free expression with friends, family, and colleagues. Encourage open dialogue about challenging topics often found in literature.
Advocate for Change: Get involved with local advocacy groups that support intellectual freedom. Attend school board meetings to voice your support for diverse literature in schools.
Banned Books Week serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of free expression and the need to protect the right to read whatever we want to read. By celebrating literature that has been challenged or banned, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering an inclusive society that values diverse perspectives. So, let’s turn the page, open our minds, and embrace the stories that challenge us to think critically and compassionately about the world around us.
If you are interested in reading books that challenge beliefs and ideas, we suggest these title:
Tsarina’s Crown By Jerena Tobiasen Hemingway Awards First Place Winner
Jerena Tobiasen delivers a sharp, first-rate novel in Tsarina’s Crown,first installment in TheNightingale and Sparrow Chronicles,capturing a precise panorama of Russian politics and British espionage during a delicate period in time.
The year is 1915 and Simon Temple, a young naval officer aboard the RMS Guardian— a British Royal Navy Ship— patrols the North Sea for questionable communications and marine activity. Months later, he is entrusted by the British crown to serve as a liaison on a covert mission in Petrograd, Russia. Simon is careful not to blow his cover as a young aristocrat while he is thrust into the world of international politics, the ruthless Russian Revolution, and becomes caught right in the middle of two powerful royal families.
Remedy for a Broken Angel by Toni Ann Johnson is an intense examination of the troubled personal histories of two beautiful and talented women of color.
Their stories are told in alternating chapters which reveal the mother’s and her daughter’s attempts to reclaim and understand their broken pasts. Each chapter is a revelation into the pain and damage caused by unknown family secrets. Both women struggle with a legacy of shame and self-blame for the price they’re paying for never hearing the truth. Each must learn the lessons found in past years of failure to communicate.
America’s Forgotten Suffragists By Nicole Evelina Nellie Bly Awards Grand Prize Winner
Comprehensive in its own right, America’s Forgotten Suffragists by Nicole Evelina is an essential addition to the canon of women’s suffrage and first-wave feminism.
Equal parts local history of women’s right to vote in the nineteenth century and biography of Virginia and Francis Minor, America’s Forgotten Suffragists illuminates the story of a wife-and-husband feminist duo who were the first to fight for women’s suffrage at the Supreme Court level.
Seeing Glory by Bruce Gardner is a sweeping, thought-provoking Christian historical novel of the American Civil War. The novel portrays the critical roles of family ties and religious faith in shaping personal attitudes and actions towards the horrors of slavery and the war itself.
Spanning the era from the famous abolitionist John Brown’s Pottawatomie Massacre in 1856 through the end of the war nine years later, Seeing Glory focuses on the gut-wrenching conflicts over slavery and the southern way of life faced by David, Emma, and Catherine Hodge, fictional siblings, raised on a wealthy plantation in Virginia.
She Had Been a Tomboy: Raising a Transgender Child, a Mother’s Journey by Sandra Bowman is a deeply revealing memoir about a protective mother who watches her sensitive child grow into someone who is familiar, yet new.
This moving narrative tells the story of her two children: how they were born and how they grew. She Had Been a Tomboy hops from one period of the children’s lives to another, showing how the elder child matures and how the female within slowly blooms into being, little by little revealing herself.
But the long journey to realization and understanding of self was not easy, nor was it gentle.
Open a banned book this week and prove you are a champion for the freedom of thought during Banned Books Week!
Thank you for joining us for this Writer Toolbox Article
There is so much to learn and do with Chanticleer!
From ourBook Award Programthat has Discovered the Best Books since the early 2010s to ourEditorial Book Reviewsrecognizing and promoting indie and traditional authors, Chanticleer knows your books are worth the effort to market professionally!
When you’re ready,did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services?We do and have been doing so since 2011.
Our professional editors are top-notch and are experts in the Chicago Manual of Style. They have and are working for the top publishing houses (TOR, McMillian, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, Simon Schuster, etc.).
If you would like more information, we invite you to email us at info@ChantiReviews.com for more information, testimonials, and fees.
We work with a small number of exclusive clients who want to collaborate with our team of top-editors on an on-going basis.Contact us today!
Chanticleer Editorial Services also offers writing craft sessions and masterclasses. Sign up to find out where, when, and how sessions being held.
A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service, with more information availablehere.
And we do editorial consultations for $75. Learn morehere.
Fear often tells us where to use caution, to play it safe, and how to know what’s best. Our favorite way to get a scare is from the books we love to read.
What are the Spookiest Genres?
Knock knock…it’s the villain from the last book you read
Well, there can be plenty of honest debate on the subject. For us, we often find the Paranormal, Suspense, and High Stakes Thrillers are the creepiest stories.
And we can’t forget Southern Gothic—shudders and chills even in a hothouse environment! More on that tomorrow on All Hallows Eve!
Leading the pack is the modern masterpiece Dracul by J.D. Barker and Dacre Stoker featuring vampires including Dracul himself. Dracul is everything horror can and should be. It doesn’t rely on gore, but rather captivating storytelling; and yet, the terror and intrigue are unrelenting.
Of course, we’ve said before that the reasons we like to be scared range anywhere from wanting that rush of dopamine that fright can offer, to better understanding the terrors of modern-day society. What better way to do that than reading some hair-raising literature?
Recommended Reads to Scare you and Make you Think from Chanticleer!
First Place Winner of the Shorts Awards, the art in this is reminiscent of Alice inWonderland, but the focus is much more on depression and anxiety, two of the most difficult things for us to confront in the world.
In the Underwood by Kourtney Spadoni is a memoir in graphic novel form, a thoughtful and gentle story about a young girl struggling with mental health issues, and learning how to keep them at bay as she grows up.
What if Alice’s adventures in the strange and fabulous Wonderland were the result of a mental health crisis instead of a story?In the Underwood draws metaphors inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and evokes the mood of Robert Frost’s classic poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”
Author Spadoni relates with a simple narrative and delicate art style how as a child she was prone to severe bouts of anxiety, leading to her crying uncontrollably in her classes and avoiding other children in social situations. Now that can be scary!
A current Short Lister for the 2022 Cygnus Awards, Hartlove’s tale follows a trans woman’s experience fighting the eldritch beings of H.P. Lovecraft. The cover makes it clear! This book will give you the tingles! A great book for social commentary.
Sarah, a transgender schizophrenic teenager, has spent the past seven years in a psychiatric ward. When all her symptoms of schizophrenia disappear after receiving a special necklace from a nurse, she must learn to live in a world that moved on without her, in The Insane God by Jay Hartlove.
She receives strange visions of two opposing gods in battle with each other, which Sarah and her brother Nate work together to understand. The reality of these visions threatens to endanger the lives of everyone on Earth unless they change the course of an eternal battle.
The Insane God touches on topics such as mental illness, mental health, gender identity, and racism.
This Global Thriller First Place Winner was actually written before the COVID-19 pandemic, with eerie echoes into the future of a pandemic apocalypse that focuses on one woman’s mission to reunite with her family.
Nicole Mabry draws from her own life, the impact of a deadly snowstorm, and the subsequent shutting down of the subways to create Past This Point, an action-packed dystopian novel featuring a strong woman who seeks a way out of a world gone mad.
Karis Hylen is working in New York City a massive snowstorm shuts down the city. A total quarantine of the city becomes quarantine for half of the nation.
This suspenseful novel took home a Clue First Place Win for its intricate story where the killer and detective are already acquainted.
The Mask of Midnight by Laurie Stevens centers on a game of cat and mouse, made sinister and horrifying by the intricate plots of a murderer.
When L.A. Police Detective Gabriel McRay arrests serial killer Victor Archwood, known as the Malibu Canyon Murderer, he has no idea that the killer has some serious vengeful plans directly involving him. Archwood is a most clever, resourceful “mouse” who confounds McRay, the Los Angeles Police department, the L.A. district attorney, and an entire jury through skillful lawyering and a commanding interpretation of the evidence. Despite what appears to be an airtight case against a mass murderer, a jury finds him not guilty.
2022 CIBA DEADLINES FOR OCT 31
OZMA – Fantasy Fiction
Global Thrillers – High Stakes & Lab Lit
Paranormal – Supernatural Fiction
The only thing scarier is not entering!
Chanticleer Editorial Services – when you are ready
Did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services?We do and have been doing so since 2011.
Tools of the Editing Trade
Our professional editors are top-notch and are experts in the Chicago Manual of Style. They have and are working for the top publishing houses (TOR, McMillian, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, Simon Schuster, etc.).
If you would like more information, we invite you to email Kiffer or Sharon at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com or SAnderson@ChantiReviews.com for more information, testimonials, and fees.
We work with a small number of exclusive clients who want to collaborate with our team of top-editors on an on-going basis.Contact us today!
Chanticleer Editorial Services also offers writing craft sessions and masterclasses. Sign up to find out where, when, and how sessions being held.
Beware! Beware! Tis the season of the great All Hallow’s Read!
What if, instead of giving sugary sweets and candy to each other for Halloween, we gave each other a scary book? That’s what All Hallow’s Read is all about!
A Blank Page! The Writer’s Greatest Fear!
That was an idea Neil Gaiman came up with in 2010 to try and change the focus of Halloween a little bit more scary and a little less cavity-inducing.
Good Omens
Neil Gaiman is a wonderfully prolific author of the weird, spooky, and plain fun. Probably best known for his works, Stardust, Good Omens, and American Gods, all of which have been converted to the screen, Gaiman’s most frightening work is perhaps in his short story collections like Fragile Things and Trigger Warning. He also is the author of the Sandman Series, which was the inspiration for the TV show Lucifer.
For the first All Hallow’s Read, Gamain released an audio short story called “Click Clack the Rattle Bag” which you can listen to in the video below. IF YOU DARE…
Of course, when we heard of this, we couldn’t help but think of Jolabokaflod, the Icelandic tradition of the Yule Flood where books are given for Christmas that we celebrate every winter.
On the theme of spookiness, why do we like to be scared?
The Toys are inside the house!
There are many reasons for this, but it seems to come down to a few key things:
A quick fright can release dopamine, which feels good
Being scared with a group can be a bonding experience
Frightening media can be a way to critique the status quo
Now, one of the key elements to all the fear-inducing possibilities out there – books, movies, haunted corn mazes, and more – is that we know, on some level, that we are actually safe in these situations. That safety net is key in being able to enjoy fear.
That Feel Good Feeling
Honestly, we don’t know much about the exact science behind fear feeling good, so we’ll simply refer to this excerpt from a Psychology Today article:
When we get scared, we experience a rush of adrenaline and a release of endorphins and dopamine. The biochemical rush can result in a pleasure-filled, opioid-like sense of euphoria. Coupled with this, when we are reminded of our safety (i.e., the safety net), the experience of fear subsides, and we are left with a gratifying sense of relief and subsequent well-being.
Group Fright
Eek!
This one may seem counterintuitive but think about it: When you go to a haunted corn maze with a group, part of the joy is getting to overcome the challenges and hardships together.
There’s also the habit of taking a date to the movies. While it’s true your sweetie might clasp your arm for support and protection, that feeling of heightened intensity, coupled with safety and relief, can definitely help both people feel close.
Critiquing the Status Quo
“We need to talk about your behavior”
Thinking of ghosts and haunting, so often brings up the ideas of someone who has been wronged. Eve Tuck and C. Ree going into this beautifully in their piece “A Glossary of Haunting,” but for those who aren’t looking to get into intense academic discourse today, there’s a quicker version of this from USC News:
Stories of ghosts are prevalent in most societies and often carry cultural implications. In the United States, they feature prominently in connection with slavery and the mistreatment of native tribes, like the trope of the American Indian burial ground as an explanation for supernatural events.
Samhain – The History of Halloween
Origins of Halloween date back to the ancient (for about 2,000 years) Celts’ festival of Samhain (pronounced SAH-win). The Samhain pagan religious festival was observed on October 31st until for about 3 days to six days—mid-point between Fall equinox and Winter Solstice. Anyone committing a crime or used their weapons during the festival faced a death sentence. Mischief and mayhem that did occur (tricks) were blamed on fairies, imps, and other worldly beings.
It was believed that during this time that the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead blurred. The festival marked the beginning of the coming winter and the end of the harvest season. In the 7th century A.D., the Catholic Church tried to blend the ancient Celtic rites with All Saints Day. Again, in 1000 A.D., the church tried again to supplant the ancient festival with All Souls Day on November 2nd. But, ancient rites are hard to extinguish. Sources: History.com
Ancient Samhain — Keep those fires lit!
Now that we have a little primer on why we like being scared, let’s get into some book recommendations!
PLAGUE
By C.C. Humphreys
Captain William Coke lives as a thief with a conscience, in C.C. Humphrey’s historical thriller,Plague. Never loading his pistol with anything more than powder, he carefully selects his victims from the wealthy and the pompous. But he soon walks into crimes far more horrific than robbery.
Captain Coke and Dickon, a rescued street urchin, never expected to find their marks slaughtered on the road to London. Coke has never seen a killing like this, not even on the battlefield fighting to restore his king to the throne in the English Civil War. Pitman, a thief-taker, is likewise shocked by the brutality of the murders supposedly committed by the highwayman he has come to see as a gentleman bandit. Now, Pitman will stop at nothing to find Coke, who has become known as the Monstrous Cock after the notorious murder.
PULSE and PREJUDICE: The Confessions of Mr. Darcy, Vampire
By Colette L. Saucier
First Place Winner in Chatelaine Awards
As a wealthy member of the landed gentry, Fitzwilliam Darcy has obligations in Colette Saucier’s mashup,Pulse and Prejudice: The Confessions of Mr. Darcy, Vampire.
Darcy must secure a suitable match for his younger sister, maintain his cool facade of indifference, and live as quietly as possible. He refuses to consider marriage for himself due to his unusual “affliction.” Forced to live a shell of his former existence for the past six years, Darcy relies on his valet, Rivens, for his every need. He shuns most company because Darcy is a vampire. So, when his close friend, Charles Bingley, insists that Darcy accompany him to a country ball, Darcy is loath to accept. When Bingley meets and is immediately captivated with Jane Bennet, Darcy suspects the Bennets are fortune seekers, interested only in finding wealthy matches for the five Bennet daughters, including the fiery Elizabeth, Jane’s sister.
A frantic, distraught father pounds on a bolted chapel door in a small country hospital…. A tiny, two-day-old infant cries in peril…. A deranged grandfather sees demons in every shadowy corner.
The opening scene read like something out of a young parent’s nightmare. Will their child be healthy? Will they grow up to be successful? Will the child be safe in their grandparents’ arms? Questions that any new mother and father ask themselves. In Garvin’sOphelia’s Room, the answers are terrifying.
JUST DIE
By E. Alan Fleischauer
First Place in Paranormal Awards
E. Alan Fleischauer’s lead character holds the power of life and death in his fingertips in the new crime thriller, Just Die.
How would you react to holding the fate of the living in your bare hand? Recovering from his own near-death experience, retired financial advisor Jake Silver attempts to understand his new powers after a stint in the hospital. When he points his bare finger and utters well-worn words, the object of his attention instantly dies.
The Adventure of the Murdered Midwife
By Liese Sherwood-Fabre
First Place Winner in M&M Awards
The game is afoot! It’s years before Sherlock Holmes’ ponderings from 221B Baker Street. Sherlock is a teenager when challenged to solve his first case,The Adventure of the Murdered Midwifeby Liese Sherwood-Fabre.
The stakes are among the highest. Sherlock’s beloved mother is the accused killer when he and his infamous brother Mycroft are summoned home from their boarding schools. The family reunites to a single purpose. They must prove Violette Holmes’s innocence. They soon discover that proving her innocence will not be enough to restore her standing in the court of public opinion. They can only clear her name by also finding the actual killer. That investigation involves a dangerous pursuit that requires detailed observation, logic, and action. Young Sherlock Holmes will also need to watch his back.
The protagonist and all-around decent guy, Boone Daniels, is in a heap of hurt in JW Zarek’s new Young Adult novel,The Devil Pulls the Strings.
One would think being plagued by an evil spirit wendigo since age six would be enough inconvenience to last a lifetime, but when Boone jousts with his best bud at a Ren Faire and accidentally deals a mortal blow, the hurt he experiences suddenly lands on a sliding scale of 1 to 1 million. And Boone Daniels becomes a millionaire, so to speak.
WRITING IS MURDER: An Emlyn Goode Mystery
By Susan Lynn Solomon
First Place in M&M Awards
A perfect seasonal read, Susan L. Solomon’s mystery,Writing is Murder: An Emlyn Goode Mysterydelivers a witty, intuitive red-headed writer who has many connections in her community, a handsome police detective-maybe-lover, a mouthy cat who keeps her grounded, and a Wiccan BFF whom she can trust with her most profound concerns. And, of course, magical abilities inherited from her ancestor, Salem’s legendary accused witch Sarah Goode, adds layers of mystique.
When Roger Frey interrupts Emlyn Goode battling her recalcitrant muse, she can’t be upset. Roger, aka Police Detective Roger Frey, her next-door neighbor and sometimes sleep-over boyfriend, stumbles on the hunt for coffee, a good-morning kiss, and a sympathetic ear, in that order. He’s bored at work and wants to complain.
When you’re ready,did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services?We do and have been doing so since 2011.
Our professional editors are top-notch and are experts in the Chicago Manual of Style. They have and are working for the top publishing houses (TOR, McMillian, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, Simon Schuster, etc.).
If you would like more information, we invite you to email Kiffer or Sharon at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com or SAnderson@ChantiReviews.com for more information, testimonials, and fees.
We work with a small number of exclusive clients who want to collaborate with our team of top-editors on an on-going basis.Contact us today!
Chanticleer Editorial Services also offers writing craft sessions and masterclasses. Sign up to find out where, when, and how sessions being held.
A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service, with more information availablehere.
And we do editorial consultations for $75. Learn more here.
If you’re confident in your book, consider submitting it for a Editorial Book Reviewhereor to one of our Chanticleer International Awardshere.
And remember! Our 10th Anniversary Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC22) will be April 7-10, 2022, where our 2021 CIBA winners will be announced. Space is limited and seats are already filling up, so sign up today! CAC22 and the CIBA Ceremonies will be hosted at the Hotel Bellwether in Beautiful Bellingham, Wash. Sign up and see the latest updates here!
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