Cate Masters: Mae Clair brings Myth and Magic to Halloween!

Cate: Please welcome Mae Clair to my special Halloween celebration. Mae, please tell readers a little bit about yourself.

Mae: Thank you for inviting me to your blog today, Cate! I’m a mystery/romantic suspense author based in Central Pennsylvania and married to my high school sweetheart. I have a passion for folklore, myth, and cats, though not necessarily in that order. Alas, I’m presently cat-less, having lost “Onyx” in 2012, the year my first novel was published. I do hope to have a new feline companion soon. I miss how Onyx would linger nearby when I was writing—often distracting me with a stroll across the keyboard or a tail in front of the computer screen, LOL.

Cate: Aw, Onyx sounds like he was a sweetie. Cats always feature prominently during Halloween, too. What do you love most about the holiday?

Mae: Pumpkins! I love the whole creepy-fun atmosphere of the holiday, but there’s something about a fat orange pumpkin that brings out the kid in me. I also love that it’s the one time of year where most people embrace an element of make-believe. The night is rife with magic, whimsy and goosebumps.

Cate: Perfectly put. :) Do you have a favorite memory of a Halloween past?

Mae: I remember a costume I had with glitter and sparkles that looked like something out of a Cinderella movie. I think it drizzled that night and my friends and I had to carry umbrellas as we went house-to-house, but it was still so much fun, and I adored that costume. I also have fond memories of my parents making popcorn balls to hand out to trick-or-treaters. Of course that was back in the day of homemade treats when Halloween was very innocent (showing my age here!)

Cate: Those were the days. Have you ever had an unusual experience you couldn’t explain?

Mae: I’ve had a few “goosebump” moments over the years, none of which have concrete explanations, but the one that truly stands out for me doesn’t involve hauntings or ghosts. When I was six I saw a UFO. It’s still plain as day in my head….a green cloud that covered the ground in a halo of greenish light. I was on the front porch when it happened. Not long afterward, there were people wandering the sidewalks talking about strange lights in the sky. I remember a woman telling my father “the sky looked like it had a tale.” I’m spinning some of those memories into an upcoming series I’ll be releasing involving the Mothman, UFOs, and Men-in-Black.

Cate: How creepy-cool! What frightens you the most?

Mae: Most things supernatural. I love folklore and myth, and didn’t mind heading into the “TNT” (a dense wooded area) to learn about the Mothman, but you won’t find me exploring a haunted house, using a Ouija board, or watching a movie like the Exorcist *shudder*

Cate: Never touch a Ouija board! lol Ever gone on a ghost tour? Or ghost hunting on your own?

Mae: Nope. Stuff like that creeps me out. What if something followed me home, LOL?

Cate: Tell us about your latest release, and where readers can find it online.

Mae: MYTH AND MAGIC is a romantic suspense/mystery novel set during Halloween. It involves bizarre happenings taking place at a secluded corporate retreat. Readers get to experience all of the elements of Halloween—hayrides, dressing up in costume, a lavish Halloween party, trick-or-treating, pumpkins, Halloween decorations, and plenty of shivers and goosebumps. In celebration of the Halloween holiday, the e-book version of MYTH AND MAGIC is on sale now through 11/4 across all online book retailers for just $.99.

Cate: Care to share a blurb or excerpt?

Mae: I would love to. Thank you for asking! Here’s the blurb:

AS CHILDREN THEY PLAYED GAMES OF MYTH AND MAGIC…

Veronica Kent fell in love with Caith Breckwood when they were children. As a teenager, she was certain he was the man she was destined to marry. But a traumatic event from Caith's past led him to fear a future together. He left Veronica, hoping to save her from a terrible fate. Twelve years later, Caith, now a P.I., is hired to investigate bizarre incidents at the secluded retreat Veronica manages. Returning to his hometown, Caith is forced to face his nightmares—and his feelings for the woman he’s always loved.

THEN ONE DAY THE MONSTERS BECAME REAL.

After the callous way Caith broke her heart, Veronica isn’t thrilled to see him again. But strange occurrences have taken a dangerous toll on business at Stone Willow Lodge. Forced to work together, Veronica discovers it isn’t ghostly apparitions that frighten her, but her passion for a man she has never forgotten. Or forgiven. Can two people with a tarnished past unearth a magical future?

Cate: This one's on my TBR list! What inspired you to write about the theme?

Mae: I’ve always loved mysteries and tales of haunted houses. When I was a kid, there was a house in the neighborhood that everyone said was haunted….that is, the kids. The adults, of course, were clueless. I remember how spooky that was. How we would gather and tell tales, speculating about the ghosts and witches inside. With MYTH AND MAGIC, I wanted to recapture that creepy feeling of “what if’s” and a sense of shadowy danger. I also really wanted to write a tale set during Halloween. J

Cate: Anything else you’d like to share?

Mae: Thank you so much for having me here to share in the Halloween celebration on your blog. I truly enjoyed the interview and hope that your readers will enjoy the mystery and suspense of MYTH AND MAGIC!

Buy Links for MYTH AND MAGIC