bookrelease – Author D.L. Finn

I’m excited to welcome Mae Clair to today’s special book:

Many thanks for hosting me on your blog today, and allowing me space to chat with your readers, Denise. I’ve just rolled out a new mystery/suspense novel called Cusp of Night I’m excited to share. A book that uses dual mysteries—one set in the past and one in the present—the story also contains elements of the supernatural and urban legend.

My character in the present is Maya Sinclair, a woman who has recently relocated to the town of Hode’s Hill to accept a job as a reference librarian. The move comes at a good time because in many ways she’s starting over. Several months in the past she was the victim of a near fatal car accident. For two minutes and twenty-two seconds she was clinically dead. That time span plays a key element later in the story, but for now I want to hover on those numbers.

old fashioned clock face superimposed at end of road , lightning flashing down from sky

Did you ever click on your cell phone or look at the clock and have a perfect trifecta of numbers greet you? Think 1:11, 2:22, 3:33, 4:44, 5:55. I always get a little thrill when that happens. For some reason, 4:44 is a sequence I catch frequently. Maybe that’s why my favorite number is twelve. Hmm. I never made that connection until writing this post.

Like most writers, I’m a wordsmith. I tolerate numbers, but I’ve never had a love affair with them like I have with words. All of that aside, there’s something magical about 4:44 and its cousins. I don’t know if those perfect moments mean something—serendipity?—but I couldn’t resist playing off the thought in Cusp of Night. For Maya Sinclair, in her rented brownstone, the past comes calling at 2:22 AM. Not only her past, but that of a woman who once resided there and died over a century ago. A woman whose spirit has yet to move on.

Intrigued? I hope so. 😊

Here’s the blurb for Cusp of Night. I hope you find it captivating reading, whatever the time!

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

Please welcome today’s guest: Lizzie Chantree and her new book “Ninja School Mum”! Launch date: January 30, 2018. Available for pre-order! (I ordered my copy!)

BOOK BLURB:

Obsessive-compulsive school mum, Skye, is a lonely elite spy, who is running from her past whilst trying to protect the future of her child. She tries hard to fit in with the other parents at her son’s new school, but the only person who accepts her unconventional way of life is new mother, Thea.

Thea is feeling harassed by her sister and bored with her life, but she suspects that there is something strange about the new school mum, Skye. Thea has secrets of her own and, although the two become unlikely friends, she hesitates to tell Skye about the father of her own child.

Zack’s new business is growing faster than he could have dreamed but, suddenly, he finds himself the owner of a crumbling estate on the edge of a pretty village, and a single parent to a very demanding child. Could he make a go of things and give his daughter the life she deserved?

When three lives collide, it appears that only one of them is who they seem to be, and you never know who the person next to you in the school playground really is.

Quick Author Q&A

What made you think of the concept for Ninja School Mum?

When I was on the school playground, I used to notice how different all of the parents were and how many skills they had to use, to work their way trough the excitement of a usual school day with their children. This set me thinking about a school mum who was trying to blend into this environment, who had a very unusual background.

What’s the best money you’ve spent as a writer?

The best money spent is on a proofreader, unless you are traditionally published, where the publisher handles this. Proofing and editing is of paramount importance.

What do you do for fun?

I paint huge colourful landscapes and jog by the sea with my dog.

When did you decide to become an author?

I didn’t really decide, I just began writing stories that evolves into books. After the first manuscript was completed, I couldn’t wait to begin all over again with a new story.

5 Fun facts about Lizzie:

Fact 1. I have just taken up running and am really not very good at it. It’s more of a jog/walk/jog senario.

Fact 2. I love any kind of food you eat with your hands, like nachos, or fajitas. It’s messy and creative.

Fact 3. I am allergic to chocolate and possibly coffee, as it makes me want to jump around the room. Chocolate makes me pass out!

Fact 4. I studied graphic design at college and also shop fitting and display and design. This is very useful for book marketing.

Fact 5. I am a trained silversmith. I can make bespoke jewellery and made the Swarovski crown for Miss Southend–on-sea to wear at the Miss UK final.

Award-winning inventor and author, Lizzie Chantree, started her own business at the age of 18 and became one of Fair Play London and The Patent Office’s British Female Inventors of the Year in 2000. She discovered her love of writing fiction when her children were little and now runs networking hours on social media, where creative businesses, writers, photographers and designers can offer advice and support to each other. She lives with her family on the coast in Essex.