June 9, 2015

Guest promo (XCIV) Myth and Magic Release Day and Review

                                               
ZsaZsa Bellagio – Like No Other: A Fresh New Start

I am delighted and proud at the same time to host today talented author and lovely friend, Mae Clair. Proud as she chose my blog for the release day of her latest novel
                                                MYTH and MAGIC.
Please, read attentively as Mae has a tempting offer for readers, and I add my review of her captivating novel. Without delay here's Mae.

If you enjoy romance, mysteries, and suspense, I invite you to take advantage of my limited time offer for ECLIPSE LAKE. Grab your Kindle copy, June 8 to June 10 for FREE. This is a stand-alone full-length novel of old wounds, buried secrets, and sweet romance.It’s not part of a series, so you can enjoy the complete tale.

BLURB FOR ECLIPSE LAKE:
Small towns hold the darkest secrets.

Fifteen years after leaving his criminal past and estranged brother behind, widower Dane Carlisle returns to his hometown on the banks of sleepy Eclipse Lake. Now, a successful businessman, he has kept his troubled past a secret from most everyone, including his seventeen-year-old son.

But memories in small towns are bitter and long.

Ellie Sullivan, a nature photographer for a national magazine, has a habit of ping-ponging across the map. Her latest assignment leads her to Eclipse Lake where she becomes caught up in the enmity between Dane, his brother Jonah, and a vengeful town sheriff. When freshly-discovered skeletal remains are linked to an unsolved murder and Dane’s past, Ellie is left questioning her growing attraction for a man who harbors long-buried secrets.

(Here's a link to the review I posted in May, this year for Eclipse Lake. It is worth your time and money, trust me.My review   )

I hope you enjoy ECLIPSE LAKE and ask only that when you’ve finished reading you’d leave an honest review on Amazon. Authors love hearing what readers enjoyed about our novels (even what didn’t work). It’s a favored reward J



I’d also like to ask for your support in the release of my brand new Halloween-themed romantic suspense novel, MYTH AND MAGIC. There’s nothing like a little October spookiness for weaving a touch of magic into your summer.

BLURB FOR MYTH AND MAGIC:
Love and danger intertwine

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?


My Review

                Stone Willow Lake, according to legend, burns with fire when fate is sealed. And the lake burned with fire one magic evening, for Veronica. Yet, things had a different turn than the one she'd expected. Twelve years later, she’s skeptical regarding Caith arrival, yet questions the way her heart speeds when he looks at her.

Myth and Magic was a fabulous reading experience. Fast-paced and fluent, witty and moving, filled with twists Myth and Magic kept me hanging on to each word.  It is filled with love, hope, and suspense.

                A series of strange and shocking events – the ghost of a veiled woman, a severed hand in the fireplace, a butchered dog on the bed of a guest – lead to a two fold investigations: paranormal and detective. 
                But is the paranormal investigator really interested in finding out the truth, or are his motives for offering his services deeper and darker? As about the private investigator that has a connection to the place, his arrival at Stone Willow Lodge triggers a storm of feelings—suspicion, disdain, hate from some of the inhabitants, joy, tenderness and love from others.

Myth and Magic is a mix of detective story full of suspense, (some pages remind the reader about the atmosphere in Agatha Christie’s novels), with emotional romance. The suspicion that looms over many of the characters involved kept me glued to the pages and made me want to see what is the mystery behind the odd happenings.

A  kidnapping went wrong seventeen years ago, at Halloween, will resurface at the anniversary of Trask’s death, and sets in motion a series of events culminating with a new kidnapping. I will not enlarge as it’s only fair for other readers to discover themselves who’s who in the story.

Apart from the sizzling romance between Ron and Caithelden, that at times had me eye-rolling with frustration and wanting to kick them, and apart from the odd happenings at Stone Willow Lodge, another interesting part is the atmosphere in Breckwood family. The author, Mae Clair, has this special gift of introspection into family life, and this makes the book an emotional story that has been cleverly crafted into an engaging and uplifting read. Caithelden, Aren, Galen and Merlin are interesting characters. Four brothers, named after knights and a wizard, who are as different as the fingers in one’s hand.
One of the themes in Mae Clair’s multi layered novels, and which I enjoy, is father – son relationship. The family dynamics is present in her previous books -- Weathering Rock ( Caleb DeCardian – Rick), in Eclipse Lake ( Dean – Jessese). In Myth and Magic it is a twofold relationship. Caithelden – Stuart, on the one hand, Caithelden - Derrick on the other. The relationship is  deftly developed by the author, and shows the intricacy in  family life, points to the generation gap that can be overcome if there’s a will.
I like books that make me think, the ones that make me work to understand the characters and what they go through, because you can’t really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. And Myth and Magic is one perfect example.

Myth and Magic isn’t just a contemporary romance, with detective threads, it is a story about life--its heartbreaks and celebrations. My rating:




Release day for MYTH AND MAGIC is June 9. It’s available from all of these bookstores:

Purchase MYTH AND MAGIC and grab your copy of ECLIPSE LAKE for free. You get TWO full-length books of suspense, mystery and romance for under $4.00! Either way I hope you will enjoy the free book. Both stories plus their characters hold special places in my heart.

Thank you for your support and I’d love to hear from you!You can find me at any of the following haunts:
Twitter (@MaeClair1)
Google+

About Mae Clair:
                               

Mae Clair opened a Pandora’s Box of characters when she was a child and never looked back.  Her father, anartist who tinkered with writing, encouraged her to create make-believe worlds by spinning tales of far-off places on summer nights beneath the stars.
Mae loves creating character-driven fiction in settings that vary from contemporary to mythical. Wherever her pen takes her, she flavors her stories with mystery and romance. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate about cryptozoology, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail and cats.

5 comments:

  1. Hello, my friend. THANK YOU so much for sharing my release day with me. Your review made me smile and filled me with great joy that you enjoyed the book so much. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and helping me spread the word about Myth.

    I love writing about families and relationships, spinning story threads from them that weave into the central plot. So glad you enjoyed the depth of my characters.

    Thank you again. You are a wonderful friend and I truly value all of your support! :)

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    Replies
    1. You made me blush, Mae!
      I am glad you enjoyed the review, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel.
      I THANK YOU!

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  2. Wonderful review, Carmen. Now I'm even more excited to start on the story.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, do it. You'll find it to your liking, I'm sure.
      Thank you for dropping by and leaving a comment, Stanalei!

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    2. Stanalei, thanks so much for checking out Carmen's review and visiting her blog (I love her posts about Romanian folklore!). So glad to hear you're looking forward to Myth!

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