Rest, Recover, READ

I love making plans and setting goals. My monthly aspirations usually include books I want to read, words I want to write, places I want to go, and various types of exercise I want to incorporate into my schedule. However, after having major surgery at the end of June, my July plans looked a little different. With no yoga classes allowed and very few places I could go, I found myself with a new set of goals: Rest, relax, recover, recuperate, and… READ! Thankfully, books are on the list of approved items when you’re stuck in bed for a few weeks, and I took advantage of the extra time on my hands. I read six books in July. While they weren’t all winners, three of them definitely distracted me from my discomfort and helped me heal.

My well-loved copy bought from a used bookstore

1. Highway to Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore

This is the third book in Rosemary Clement-Moore’s Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil series. In this installment, Maggie (who’s still coming to terms with her supernatural powers) and her best friend (who’s also a witch) are on their way to a spring break getaway when car trouble gets them stuck in a small Texas town where cattle are being killed by a mysterious beast. There’s a rumor that the deaths are due to the mythical Chupacabra, but Maggie’s worried they have something much more familiar on their hands: a demon.

Highway to Hell is a fun, snarky, paranormal romp through a rural ranch. The book is equal parts creepy plot, small town atmosphere, and witty dialogue. It’s got just the right amount of YA angst to make the characters’ relationships both hilarious and relatable. My only complaint about this third book is that it’s the last one. I desperately wish Rosemary Clement-Moore had kept the adventure going because I’d gladly follow Maggie and her friends anywhere.

Although you probably don’t have to read the first two books to enjoy this one, you should anyway because they’re all terrific. Start with Prom Dates from Hell and get ready for some otherworldly fun.

Image from Goodreads since I don’t have my own copy

2. My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

When I sat down in front of the fireplace in December 2017 to read My Lady Jane, the first book written by these clever ladies, I had no idea what sort of treat I was in for. The Jane books, and now the Mary books, take readers on romantic rides through alternate versions of history and literature in which wrongs have been corrected, villains have been thwarted, and also some people can turn into animals.

My Contrary Mary tells the much-altered story of Mary, Queen of Scots. Like all novels by the “Lady Janies,” the book is told from three different perspectives: Mary, her betrothed Francis, and Ari, daughter of famed seer Nostradamus. The three of them have to overcome everything from suspicious deaths and murder plots to secret identities and the awkwardness of finding oneself married to her best friend when she’s only sixteen. Plus, there are potions, disguises, and lots of modern pop culture references mixed in.

In these historical, magical, humorous, LGBTQ-friendly, YA love stories, all the right characters live happily ever after. I find them delightful. Picture the movie A Knight’s Tale. Now picture the movie A Knight’s Tale wearing your favorite sweatshirt and having a heart-to-heart with its best friend. That’s what these books feel like to me: silly, weird, funny, comfy. Predictable, but pleasantly so.

Although I read the first couple of books in print, I have since started listening to the audio versions, and I highly recommend them. Fiona Hardingham did an excellent job with the narration of this one.

The cover is one of the many things I love about this book.

3. Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia

A friend sent me a copy of Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts to read while I was recovering, and I’m so glad she did. I’d never heard of this book before, but I swear Kate Racculia wrote it just for me.

Vincent Pryce (with a Y) is an eccentric billionaire obsessed with haunted objects and Edgar Allan Poe. When he dies, he leaves a cryptic obituary written in his owns words inviting anyone and everyone to participate in a treasure hunt to earn a portion of his vast fortune. The players we follow in this exciting game are:

  • Tuesday Mooney, a researcher haunted (literally) by the ghosts of her past;
  • Tuesday’s friend Poindexter (Dex) Howard, a lost soul who has buried his theater-loving, drag-wearing heart to earn a living in finance;
  • Dorry Bones, a teenage girl with a dead mother and a distracted father who lives next door to Tuesday (thus earning the nickname “Nextdorry”).

Add in Pryce’s lovely young widow (who definitely knows more than she’s telling), members of the Arches family (another group of high-drama billionaires who supposedly had a feud with Pryce), and various other related characters, and you get a charming melting pot of unlikely heroes, ruthless villains, and a few people just trying to figure out who they want to be.

Over the course of a few weeks, the characters track down clues, investigate leads, and try to work out the puzzle of Pryce’s mysterious invitation before meeting at his funeral, a costume party on Boston Common on the third Friday in October, where the winners will be revealed. The book takes place all over the city of Boston, which should make it extra fun for readers who live there.

This novel checked so many of my favorite boxes. Smart, compassionate, likable characters? Check. Multiple points of view? Check. Mysteries, puzzles, and treasure hunts? Check. Ghosts? Check. Edgar Allan Poe, Ouija boards, friendship, cats, and references to 90s music and TV shows? Check, check, check, check, check. When I finished it, I just sat staring for a few minutes with a goofy smile on my face. My husband walked by and asked if I’d just finished a good book. He said I had that “afterglow.” (Ha ha! He knows me well.)

Although I ADORED Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts, I don’t necessarily recommend it to everyone. To truly love this book, you need to like quirky characters, have more than a passing acquaintance with Edgar Allan Poe’s work, and be okay with not every mystery being tied up in a nice neat little bow. If that sounds like you, get yourself a copy ASAP.

I want to thank whoever invented public libraries.

All three of these novels provided the lighthearted, amusing, engrossing plots I was looking for this month. But there’s no need to wait for an illness or medical procedure to knock you off your feet. These books can be enjoyed anytime! I’m doing well and getting back to a regular routine. August’s goals look a lot more familiar, with yoga classes, word counts, lots of outings, a little travel, and of course, plenty of time to read.

What’s next on your reading list?

Poetry and Healing

The Poetry Society of Texas’ 2023 A Book of the Year arrived in my mail a couple of days ago. The collection of winning poems from the 2022 monthly and annual contests includes two pieces by me. “Upon Running into a Former Sweater at Goodwill” won the Old South Prize, and “Eating the Watermelon Moon” won the Anthony Dickson Memorial Award.

I’m really happy both of these poems found a home. The one about the sweater has always gotten a laugh at readings, and I like the fact that behind the silliness, there’s a deeper meaning about letting go of the past and not falling back into old habits or bad relationships. And the watermelon moon poem is just one of those weird little pieces that came to me mostly formed. I’ve played with the structure of it over the years—longer lines, shorter lines, word placement—but the words themselves never really changed. I love the imagery and how it appeals (hopefully) to the reader’s senses.

Despite how happy I am to see these two poems in print, receiving this book also gave me a creepy feeling.

I submitted my entries to the PST annual contests last August from my husband’s hospital room where he was being treated for a strange illness. (He’s fine now.) In November, I received the news that two of my poems had won prizes while I was in my mom’s hospital room where she was recovering from unexpected surgery. (She’s fine now.) When the copy of the 2023 A Book of the Year arrived at my door last week, I had just returned home from the hospital where I had surgery. (I’m recovering well and will be fine soon.)

The coincidences of these events initially sent a shiver down my spine. Some people might see the connection as a bad omen, linking the poems to illness and stress and negative experiences. Some might vow not to enter the PST contests this year.

But, after thinking about it, I don’t see things that way.

Editing and submitting poems and barely meeting the deadline for submission was a great distraction for me during those first couple of days in the hospital with my husband. Back then, we still didn’t know what was wrong with him. No one did. I had so little control over anything at that time, it was nice to be able to focus on something concrete while he was sleeping and I was waiting for answers.

Sharing the news with my mom about my poems winning awards was another happy distraction during her difficult ordeal. I read her my poems while she was still loopy from her medication, so she may not have a vivid memory of them, but it was still nice, for just a moment, to think about poetry instead of pain.

And having a book of poetry show up at your door is never a bad thing, especially when you’re currently stuck in bed with plenty of time to read.

Poetry is healing. The fact that these poetic experiences showed up when I needed them is not a sign of something sinister, but rather a gift for which to be grateful. There’s no jinx on this collection of poems. I look forward to reading it and submitting more of my work to PST this August.

Here are my two poems from the Poetry Society of Texas’ 2023 A Book of the Year, along with a drawing I did to go with the second one. Enjoy!

Upon Running into a Former Sweater at Goodwill

It’s always awkward seeing it there
lounging on the rack with the other clothes.
You instantly recognize the familiar wear and tear,
the pen mark on the pocket and the slouchy way 
it shrugs one shoulder off the hanger.
But there’s something different about it too—
Wasn’t it more faded than that?
Hadn’t its sleeves stretched out from overuse?
And if not, why did you ever give it up?
You blush at your next thought and glance around,
but no one suspects the truth—
that you two used to live together,
knew each other’s curves intimately.
You’re embarrassed by your desire
to take back this former love, bring it home, 
reintroduce it to the laundry schedule.
Don’t.
It hasn’t changed as much as you think.  
You won’t even be home again 
before you notice its old flaws.
Remember how high maintenance it was?
Too good for the washing machine,
always demanding a date with the dry cleaner?
Deep down you know it no longer fits.
It’s best to just keep walking.

© Carie Juettner

Eating the Watermelon Moon

The Cheshire Cat's 
smile tonight 
is red and juicy, 
his black seed 
teeth embedded 
deep in the flesh 
of the fruit 
hanging over 
the horizon. 
No wonder 
the rain tastes 
so sweet
and the clouds 
smell of pink 
cotton candy. 
I reach up through 
the warm drips 
for a slice of heaven, 
my lips aching 
to kiss 
the sky's grin. 
I run my tongue 
over craters pooled 
with deliciousness. 
Tonight I feast 
on lunacy.

© Carie Juettner

*

May you and your loved ones be well. And if you’re going through something tough and looking for a distraction, I recommend a little poetry.

Spooky America News: A Cover Reveal & Interview!

Greetings, ghost story fans! I have some fun news to share.

First of all, I normally like to encourage people to get outside, enjoy nature, breathe some fresh air, and go exploring. But it is HOT down here in Texas right now. 🥵 Like, dangerously hot and also extremely humid. The combination makes me feel like this –> 🫠 every time I go outside. So if you live in my part of the world, now is a good time to put outdoor adventures on hold and stay inside reading a book or watching a little TV. I have a couple of recommendations for you.

First, if you live in North Texas, I suggest you tune in to Texas Today this Friday, June 23, at 11:30AM on NBC (KXAS channel 5) to hear me chat with Kirstin Dickerson about my most recent book in the Spooky America series, The Ghostly Tales of Dallas. This collection of true stories about haunted places in the DFW area is perfect for kids 8-12 years old who like reading about ghosts while also learning some local history. And you don’t need to wait for campfire weather to enjoy it. The book is a great addition to air-conditioned summer sleepovers, too!

If you’d like a copy, you can check your local bookstores or order from your favorite online booksellers, but you can also get a signed, personalized copy from me. Just send me an email through my contact page, and we’ll work out the details. The books are $12, including shipping.

Here’s a photo from my interview with Texas Today. No, they did not tell me to wear orange. I color-coordinated by accident!

For those of you who have already read The Ghostly Tales of Dallas and are still hungry for more spooky stories, I have good news. My next book, The Ghostly Tales of Delaware, comes out on August 7th! Let me tell you, The First State was really fun to write about. No matter where you live, if you like reading scary stuff, this collection of creepy characters will not disappoint. The book includes ghosts, witches, haunted churches, haunted bridges, and even a swamp monster. 😲

Check out the cover:

If you can’t wait, you can pre-order The Ghostly Tales of Delaware online, and it will arrive at your door on August 7th. But if you’d like a signed personalized copy of this book, let me know and I’ll reserve one for you that you can purchase directly from me a little later in August.

In the meantime, stay cool and stay alert. Some ghosts lurk where you least expect them… 👻