Guest post – Mae Clair – The Keeping Place #newbook

February 28, 2024February 27, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 106 Comments

I’m very pleased to have the very talented author Mae Clair as a guest. She has a new book and would like to give you the details. If you have read Mae’s work, you know her books are wonderful. If you have not read her work, this might be a good time to start. Thanks for the visit, Mae. The post is yours.

Hi, John! Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog today. I’m delighted to be here, sharing my upcoming release The Keeping Place, a dual timeline mystery which is now available for pre-order! Most readers know me as someone who loves weaving urban legends and threads of the supernatural into my stories. The Keeping Place took an entirely different turn.

Well… there is a small thread that does involve an old town legend and a ghost, but nothing that takes center stage as in my other books. The story is more of a “quiet” mystery than I usually write.

In the tale, Nicole Seabrooke returns home after ten years of estrangement from her mother, Glory Larkin, who was once a B-movie-actress. A decade earlier, Nicole’s younger sister, Janie, vanished on a night Nicole was supposed to be looking after her. It’s always been believed Janie drowned in a nearby creek, but Janie’s remains have recently been discovered with new evidence suggesting homicide.

In the excerpt below, Jude Beck, Hornwood’s Chief of Police visits Glory and Nicole to ask about a bracelet he found which bears an unusual inscription. Janie wore a similar one.

EXCERPT:

Jude dug a clear bag from his pocket, placing it on the table. Nicole leaned forward to eye the contents—an old bracelet with tarnished silver links and an engraved plate. Her breath caught when the inscription registered.

“A foot in the past.” A stupid saying, or so she’d once thought. The phrase had never made sense to her, but it mattered to her sister. Heart thudding, she looked from the bag to Jude. “That’s the same line Janie had on her bracelet. I took her to Bottleneck to have it inscribed a few weeks before she went missing.”

Her mom made a soft sound, one trembling hand pressed to her lips. “You told me the bracelet was with Janie when she was found,” she said to Jude.

“It was. This is a different one.”

“Belonging to Hayden.” A hard edge crept into Glory’s voice.

“I don’t think so.” Jude’s expression was thoughtful. “This was clearly designed for a woman. It could be Cora’s, but the matching inscription to Janie’s bracelet throws another red flag in Hayden’s corner.”

“Have you talked to Cora?” Nicole asked.

“Not yet. First, I want to know what the inscription meant to Janie. I checked online, thinking it might have been a popular phrase at the time, or part of a quote, but there’s nothing remotely in the ballpark. She must have talked about it to the two of you.” He glanced between them.

“It was just some phrase she latched onto.” Nicole’s mouth was dry. Why hadn’t she paid more attention? She’d been so focused on the senior party and Vin, she’d barely had time for her little sister. She remembered whining to Glory when her mom insisted she take Janie shopping for the bracelet.

“Glory?” Jude prodded.

“I…” Her mom lowered her head, fingers working at massaging her temple. “I don’t remember anything special about it.” Her mouth drew down, cutting crevasses in the corners. Heavy lines pregnant with shadow that left her skin ashen by contrast. “I was busy with Movie Night, and…”

An unexpected swell of protectiveness flowed over Nicole when she floundered.

Glory Larkin had never been an average mother. She loved the limelight too much, but looking at her now—mussed hair, streaked mascara, and trembling hands—Nicole was overcome by a sharp-edged knot of love and pity. Surprisingly, love was still there, stronger than she’d imagined, buried under years of distance, layers of hurt.

“I wish I knew more.” Glory raised teary eyes to Jude, her mortification evident. “I know a mother should be able to—”

“You have to understand Janie was a collector.” Nicole jumped to her mom’s defense. “She was always latching onto some new idea or trinket. Remember her notebooks?” She talked faster, feeling Glory’s gaze, wanting to lift the burden of embarrassment from her without understanding why. “Janie used to keep lists of things that interested her. And she’d pick up stray baubles. Junk. She used to scour the railbed behind the Boone Line shack looking for cast off trash.”

“What are you saying?” Jude asked.

Nicole wet her lips, conscious that Glory studied her openly. “I loved Janie, but she was peculiar. She might have heard that phrase—a foot in the past—or read it in a book and it became her new mantra. It’s just the way she was.”

++++

As in most dual timeline mysteries, The Keeping Place delivers a mystery in the present as well as the past. I hope the blurb will tempt you further:

Even if it means killing again.

++++

Thanks again for hosting me today, John. I appreciate the opportunity to share The Keeping Place with your readers. I’ve held onto this novel for two years, uncertain how I wanted to publish it. As an author, I naturally like every book I’ve written, but The Keeping Place is my personal favorite—perhaps because it’s so different in tone from my other mysteries.

I still utilize dual timelines, but rather than having centuries between them, my timelines are separated by a mere ten years.

It’s my sincere hope readers will enjoy the story.

RELEASE DATE IS MARCH 5^TH

PRE-ORDER FROM AMAZON

Connect with Mae Clair at BOOKBUB and the following haunts:

The Last Drive Tour – with Mae Clair

January 5, 2023January 4, 2023 ~ John W. Howell

Today is the third stop on The Last Drive tour, and I’m so pleased to be with Mae Clair.

Here is the link to Mae’s post today https://wp.me/p2dMh0-4rn

Mae was one of the fellow members of Story Empire who convinced me to do a sequel of Eternal Road. I will always be grateful to her for pushing me in the right direction.

As you may know, Mae is a very talented writer and has published four standalone novels, two series (three books each), four novellas included in four anthologies, and one co-authored book. So if you are keeping track, that’s fifteen books and included in four short story collections. Mae loves to write, and her productivity demonstrates that love. You can see them all on her Amazon Author’s page

Mae’s Bio

A member of the Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers, Mae is also a founding member of the award-winning writing blog Story Empire. She has achieved bestseller status on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble, with several of her novels chosen as book club selections. Mae writes primarily in the mystery/suspense genre, flavoring her plots with elements of urban legend and folklore. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate about cryptozoology, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail, and cats. Discover more about Mae on her website at MaeClair.com

I’ve closed the comments, so you don’t have to think of two things to say.

Thank you, Mae, for helping spread the word.

Things Old and Forgotten – New Book by Mae Clair

October 7, 2021October 6, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 91 Comments

“Hi to everyone. I know we normally have a post today.”
“Why aren’t we today, Lucy?”
“We have a special guest author Mae Clair, and the Boss is using our time to introduce her new book.”
“So we get the week off?”
“I think that’s how it works.”
“You really should look into the camera.”
“I thought I was. Oh well, here’s the Boss.”

I am so pleased to have Mae Clair on Fiction Favorites today. Mae and I are teammates on Story Empire, and I have known Mae almost as long as I have been blogging. She is a very talented writer and has composed a set of short fiction stories for your enjoyment. Here is Mae to explain her latest.

Hi, John. Thanks for hosting me today and allowing me to share my newest release with your readers. Things Old and Forgotten is a collection of short fiction that includes stories in several genres—magical realism, fantasy, speculative, even two that touch on mild horror.

As a fan of legend, I’ve always loved tales of chivalry. Robin Hood ranks among my favorite of all time. I have a small collection of books and a decent DVD collection devoted to “the hooded man.” Naturally, I couldn’t resist putting my own spin on the myth. Among the stories in Thing Old and Forgotten, you’ll find a very different Sherwood.

Below is a short excerpt from Robin of Sherwood. In this scene, John Lyttle, Marian, and Will Scarlett are in hiding, waiting for Robin to signal he has gained entrance to the Sheriff of Nottingham’s holding cells.

EXCERPT:
“I don’t trust him.” John Lyttle crouched in the darkness with his companions. Across the street, Robin darted for the police station. “He’s only doing this because we have his brother and I took his gun-thing.” As he spoke, his hand fell to the weapon tucked inside his waistband. Smith & Wesson, their captive called it, but the words meant nothing to him. Once, long ago, he’d seen something similar on a moving picture screen that survived the Purge. He knew the weapon was more accurate than a bow, capable of killing from greater distance.

Will grunted. “Reasons don’t matter if it nets us the Perimeter.”

John’s attention shifted to Marian. “You’re quiet.” She was Norman herself, the daughter of a rich lord from a neighboring shire. Disillusioned with that life, she’d joined up with the Saxons a year ago. Her loyalty was unquestionable, but John couldn’t help noticing the way she looked at Huntington.

“People can change.” Her gaze held challenge. “Aren’t I proof of that?”

Chastised, John fell silent. He refocused on the street, scanning for sentries. Across the way, Huntington’s long hair looked ghostly in the darkness. “Damn Norman’s pale as cream.” He scratched his beard. “What’s taking so bloody long?”

Scarlett’s glance was black. “What I’d like to know is where’d he get the key?”

“Where do you think?” Marian’s gaze flashed between them. “He had dinner with the sheriff. A good thief takes advantage of every opportunity.”

“Thief?” John snorted what he thought of the idea. “He’s an aristocrat, woman. If you’d stop making calf-eyes at him, you’d see he’s friggin’ nobility.”

BOOK BLURB:

A man keeping King Arthur’s dream of Camelot alive.
A Robin Hood battling in a drastically different Sherwood.
A young man facing eternity in the desert.
A genteel southern lady besting a powerful order of genies.
A woman meeting her father decades after his death.

These are but a few of the intriguing tales waiting to be discovered in Things Old and Forgotten. Prepare to be transported to realms of folklore and legend, where magic and wonder linger around every corner, and fantastic possibilities are limited only by imagination.

The book sounds excellent, Mae. All the best to you, and I hope everyone gets a copy

Thanks again for hosting me today, John. In honor of my love for autumn—a fantastic time to curl up with a book—Things Old and Forgotten will be on sale for .99c through October 31^st.

PURCHASE LINK

Connect with Mae Clair at BOOKBUB and the following haunts:

Today I’m with Mae Clair on Her Blog

September 24, 2020September 23, 2020 ~ John W. Howell ~ 48 Comments

Today I’m with Mae Clair in Pennsylvania with a new excerpt of Eternal Road – The final stop. Come on over. Here is the link

https://wp.me/p2dMh0-3Do

A little about Mae in her words

“They say everyone has a story to tell. I wrote my first childish “masterpiece” at six and was immediately bitten by the writing bug. Since then, I’ve been composing nonstop, and have dabbled in multiple genres over the years, writing everything from fantasy, westerns, and horror to inspirational fiction, romance, and sci-fi.

It took me a while to find my niche, but I’ve settled comfortably into the mystery/suspense genre. I have a passion for folklore, myth, and urban legends and that attraction often factors into my writing. You’ll find threads of archaic tales, cryptids, and mysterious places woven throughout many of my novels.

Professionally, I am a member of the Mystery Writers of America, the International Thriller Writers, and a past president of the Central Pennsylvania Writer’s Organization. I’m also proud to be one of the founding members of the award-winning writing blog Story Empire.

If I’m not camped out at my keyboard or have my nose buried in a book, I’m likely looking up blurry images of cryptids on Google, sorting through vintage photographs, or imagining life as a cat. In closing, I leave you with:

12 Weird and Stupid Facts about Me

My favorite number is 12. Surprised aren’t you?
Although I only have one cat (Raven), I suffer from OCD—Obsessive Cat Disorder
I saw a UFO when I was 6 (don’t laugh!)
I’ve taken two trips in search of the legendary Mothman
I’m passionate about folklore, urban legends, and cryptozoology
I enjoy watching bats soar overhead at twilight
If I had a superpower, I’d choose the ability to fly
I have a bizarre fear of bears
I like exploring old graveyards
I’m fascinated by American history and earth sciences
My favorite color is blue
As riveting as they are, these facts are subject to change”

Banners for Hode’s Hill – Her latest series

Views of the Neighborhood – Guest Post by Mae Clair

June 3, 2018May 31, 2018 ~ John W. Howell ~ 131 Comments

I know it is a little odd to see a guest post on the day I usually run a Views of the Neighborhood. I’ve done this for two reasons. 1. My friend Mae Clair is launching a new book and I want to help spread the word. 2. I am in Phoenix this weekend with no opportiunity to capture some sights there. So I am proud to turn my blog over to Mae Clair.

Many thanks for having me as your guest today, John! I’ve been making the rounds with my new mystery/suspense release, Cusp of Night, a book that uses dual timelines and elements of the supernatural.

For the past timelines, I delve into aspects of Spiritualism in the late 19^th Century. This was a time when sham mediums were so common many of them advertised their services in the classified ads of local papers. People were intrigued by oddities, flocking to any traveling circus or sideshow, lured by promises of seeing three-legged men, conjoined twins, or bearded women. Is it any wonder they believed someone could breach the Aether and connect with spirits in Summerland?

Some mediums of the day were magicians, others genuine, still others, charlatans. The frauds were deft in plying their trade and used multiple trick to swindle their customers. Below are just a few of the most popular: Victorian woman holding candlestick looking out rainy window.

A medium would research the background of “sitters” who planned to attend their séances. This included visiting cemeteries to learn family ancestry and asking seemingly innocent questions of townspeople to garner inside information.

Mediums often had trap doors and sliding panels installed in the rooms they used for séances. This allowed assistants, made up with costumes and wigs, to appear from the darkness in the guise of spirits summoned from the grave.

Other times, a medium might use balloons, painted with faces. These would bob from the darkness on invisible wires or would be held by assistants cloaked head to toe in black. Sitters would take the ghostly representatives as the embodiment of departed loved ones.

A skilled medium—many had honed their trades as magicians or ventriloquists—could throw their voice to make a disembodied balloon (or other object) seem a spectre from beyond the grave.

Cheesecloth was often used to create “ectoplasm.” Mediums concealed this in their mouth or other body cavity (yes, even intimate ones) to produce ghostly manifestations. In later years, mediums would strip nude, allowing themselves to be probed to make certain nothing was hidden anywhere. The skilled still had a way of getting around these examinations.

A medium easily produced “table tilting”—a common trick spirits employed to announce their presence—through use of a hook attached to a belt or a foot. Invisible wires were common ploys to produce everything from ringing bells and chimes to having objects soar through a dark room.

Charlatans knew what they were doing, but Lucinda Glass, the medium in my book, had to learn the tricks of the trade to rise above the circumstances of her birth. She’s mentored by a man who is determined to make her the toast of society. Unfortunately, not all turns out as planned.

Here’s the blurb:

Banner ad for cusp of Night, a mystery/suspense novel by author, Mae Cllair BLURB
Recently settled in Hode’s Hill, Pennsylvania, Maya Sinclair is enthralled by the town’s folklore, especially the legend about a centuries-old monster. A devil-like creature with uncanny abilities responsible for several horrific murders, the Fiend has evolved into the stuff of urban myth. But the past lives again when Maya witnesses an assault during the annual “Fiend Fest.” The victim is developer Leland Hode, patriarch of the town’s most powerful family, and he was attacked by someone dressed like the Fiend.

Compelled to discover who is behind the attack and why, Maya uncovers a shortlist of enemies of the Hode clan. The mystery deepens when she finds the journal of a late nineteenth-century spiritualist who once lived in Maya’s house–a woman whose ghost may still linger.

Known as the Blue Lady of Hode’s Hill due to a genetic condition, Lucinda Glass vanished without a trace and was believed to be one of the Fiend’s tragic victims. The disappearance of a young couple, combined with more sightings of the monster, trigger Maya to join forces with Leland’s son Collin. But the closer she gets to unearthing the truth, the closer she comes to a hidden world of twisted secrets, insanity, and evil that refuses to die . . .

PURCHASE HERE

bio box for author, Mae Clair

Cusp of Night by Mae Clair – Cover Reveal

March 1, 2018 ~ John W. Howell ~ 59 Comments

Today I’m very happy to be part of Mae Clair’s cover release announcement for Cusp of Night. Check the links and you’ll soon see the talent of Mae Clair. All her books are terrific.

Cusp of Night
by Mae Clair
Release Date: June 12, 2018
Mystery> Thriller & Suspense > Paranormal

book cover for Cusp of Night, a mystery/suspense novel by Mae Clair

BLURB:
Recently settled in Hode’s Hill, Pennsylvania, Maya Sinclair is enthralled by the town’s folklore, especially the legend about a centuries-old monster. A devil-like creature with uncanny abilities responsible for several horrific murders, the Fiend has evolved into the stuff of urban myth. But the past lives again when Maya witnesses an assault during the annual “Fiend Fest.” The victim is developer Leland Hode, patriarch of the town’s most powerful family, and he was attacked by someone dressed like the Fiend.

ADD TO YOUR GOODREADS LIST

Connect with Mae Clair at the following haunts:

Promotional banner for author Mae Clair with bio and author photo, spooky house as header in wash of red