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Calisa Rhose with Mae Clair on Tuesday Round Up
Osiyo~
Welcome one and all! Grab a beverage of choice, something sweet and sinful. No-no, not the men. What’s the matter with you? You know the hands-on rules… The guest gets first pick! 😉 Take a comfy seat for another, or a first, spin in the Round Pen.
I’m thrilled to welcome my wonderfully talented guest today, Mae Clair, who is sharing her book, TWELFTH SUN, with us!
Please show Mae some real Ranch love! Thank you for visiting again, Mae!
Before I get to the nosy 5-3-4 part of this interview, tell us a bit about you.
Hi, Calisa! Thanks for inviting me to the Ranch today. I live in Pennsylvania, am married to my high school sweetheart and have been creating stories since I was six. Since writing doesn’t pay the bills (yet!) I work full-time as a marketing professional for an independent real estate firm. I’m a cat fanatic, love old photographs and have an avid interest in folklore, cryptozoology and American history.
I almost went into real estate a few years ago. What an exciting occupation. Okay, I’ll begin with five questions, then follow with three more, and end with four final ones.
My writing area at the moment is a corner of the couch in my living room. What does your writing space look like?
LOL! That’s a loaded question as hubby and I are currently in the process of remodeling my den from the floor up. We completely gutted the room and it’s getting a full makeover. I’m even going to add a corner electric fireplace when it’s done (I can’t wait to use it come autumn). In the meantime, I’m wedged into the corner of our spare room with two rooms of furniture piled around me (everything from my den has been moved into the spare room along WITH the spare room furniture). At the moment, the area where I write looks like a cyclone hit it. Stuff everywhere!
I can well imagine! I have a shed we’re working on making into an office and right now it’s a jumbled mess. I can’t wait to get it cleaned and fixed up! 🙂
For a lot of writers it’s a life-altering event coming up with titles and character names. Others it comes as naturally as breathing. Which is it for you?
Most of the time I do great with character names (I always have several percolating, waiting in the wings), but titles are a challenge. I was fortunate with both WEATHERING ROCK and TWELFTH SUN in that I actually had the titles before I started the stories. Probably the only two times it’s ever happened.
So maybe you only need to write those whose titles speak to you since those are the sellers? 😆
What advice would you offer aspiring and new writers?
Be prepared to be exhausted, LOL.
Right? I’ve long learned sleep is way overrated. LOL
Okay, being serious….everyone says not to give up and keep trying, and that’s pretty much what you need to do. Through rejections, impossible deadlines, juggling too much on your plate and yes, exhaustion, because there’s an abundance of that.
You need to be a whack-a-mole. Every time you get knocked down, you have to pop up and dive back into the game. Sooner or later, the powers-that-be with the mallet are going to run out of juice. 😉
Unfortunately, that is so true, Mae. The constant shift of the industry makes me often scratch my head and ask ‘what next?’ So, what do you think it takes to be a successful author at the moment?
I’ll answer that with a quote from Stephen King: “Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”
It isn’t enough to write a great book and have it accepted, you have to constantly market too, which can take a toll — especially when you’re juggling family commitments and (often times) another job.
When I’m feeling down and have that insane moment of “why-am-I-doing-this?-I-should-toss-in-the-towel,” I remember that quote, dust myself off, and tackle whatever hurdle stands between me and my dream of being a professional writer.
Great quote from SK. Who would you like to meet in the publishing industry- dead or alive- and why?
Mark Twain. A brilliant man and a great humorist. It think it would be a blast as well as a learning experience to spend an afternoon chatting books and writing with him. Imagine how entertaining! Charles Dickens would be a close second.
Those are wonderful choices. It’s time for 3 in 1! I’ll ask the questions and you answer them in one word. 😆
Favorite animal? Cat
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter? Summer
Favorite food? Lobster
Well done! 🙂
Okay, Flash four. Ready?
What are you working on now?
A romantic mystery called ECLIPSE LAKE. It involves two estranged brothers, a free-spirited photojournalist who falls hard for one of them, and an unsolved missing person’s case.
Ooh, I do love a good mystery! I’ll be watching for that one!
What are you sharing today?
My current romantic mystery, TWELFH SUN.
Blurb:
The hunky young PhD knows all about seduction, but what does he know about love?
Reagan Cassidy is settled in her life. She has a thriving interior design firm, an upscale condo, two cats, and a goldfish. As a favor to her uncle, she agrees to team up with his marine archeologist friend to validate and retrieve a nineteenth-century journal, reputedly that of a passenger aboard the doomed schooner Twelfth Sun. Finding a hunky twenty-five-year-old coming out of the shower in her hotel room wasn’t part of the deal, but it’s hard to complain…
Dr. Elijah Cross is cocky and he knows it. He enjoys trading barbs with the lovely Reagan. Barbs, and some innuendo. He can tell she’d rather get back home to her business than stick around for the extended treasure hunt they’ve been talked into, but he’s fine with the situation. At least, until the “clues” start getting personal.
Reagan finds Dr. Gorgeous is as skilled in matters of the heart as he is behind the lectern. Throw in a series of clues which mean more to Elijah than he’ll explain, several odd-ball competitors out to win the journal, a saboteur, and a lavish seaside mansion, and Reagan has enough trouble keeping her head straight, let alone her heart.
WARNING: Younger man, older woman, nautical riddles and romance.
EXCERPT:
Reagan glanced at her watch. She’d dragged herself from bed hours before any civilized person should be up, for the sole purpose of meeting Elijah Cross. The marine archeologist was already ten minutes late–not a brilliant way to begin a working relationship. She’d learned through firsthand experience many of her uncle’s friends were as unreliable as they were eccentric. Foolishly, she had hoped Dr. Cross wouldn’t fall into the same category.
Resigned to passing the time, she added hot water to her tea. From the corner of her eye she spied movement at the door of the cafe. A man stepped inside, shaking rain from his jacket. The door banged shut behind him, ensnaring her full attention. He wore a battered black fedora and worn jeans with scuffed dock shoes. There was something oddly familiar about him. He turned slightly and she caught his profile, realizing he was the man from room ten. Self-conscious, she looked away, hoping to sink through the floor. He spoke briefly with the hostess and then headed in her direction.
She tensed. What were the odds of encountering him now when she was scheduled to meet Dr. Cross, a highly-respected and, no doubt critical, academic? How would it look to her uncle’s friend if he walked in on a conversation revolving around naked men and the color of her undergarments?
Chagrined, she bowed her head over her teacup. Her hair spilled forward, concealing her face behind curtains of red-gold. With any luck he’d go away. With any luck, he’d leave her alone.
“Hi.”
Reagan raised her head fully convinced mischievous imps had tracked her to Shipwright Landing and were even now performing rituals of bad luck. “Hi.” She pressed her lips together. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m expecting someone.”
“Yeah, I know.” He grinned. “You’re Reagan Cassidy.”
She blinked. She’d given the hostess her name only because she was expecting Dr. Cross and neither had any idea what the other looked like. She certainly hadn’t expected the woman to share her name with any longhaired Lothario who asked for it. “The hostess told you.”
He nodded. Removing his hat by the crown, he dropped it on the table. “Some storm.” He shrugged out of his jacket and hooked it over the back of the nearest chair. “Good thing it’ll be over soon.”
Reagan watched flabbergasted as he sat across from her and picked up a menu. “Excuse me.” Her voice rose sharply, edged like a knife. “I didn’t invite you to sit. I told you I’m expecting someone.”
“Yeah, I know.” He flashed that same irritating grin. “I’m Elijah Cross.”
***
Where can we find you and your books?
You can find Mae Clair at:
Twitter (@MaeClair1)
Facebook Author Page
TWELFTH SUN is available from:
Where will you be next?
Tomorrow, I’ll be visiting Jennifer Lowery’s blog for character interviews with Elijah and Reagan from TWELFTH SUN. It should be a lot of fun. Who knows what they’ll say – especially Elijah 🙂
Do you have a question for your visitors?
I’ll be giving away a Kindle or Nook copy (winner’s choice) of TWELFTH SUN to one commenter. Just answer the following question and be sure to leave your email address:
I love books with a beach or coastal setting, which is why I chose to set TWELFTH SUN there. What are some of your favorite settings for a novel?
Thank you so much for playing along, Mae! That cover is both mysterious and sexy. I’ve always been a sucker for men with longer hair! 😉 Love it! Wishing you much luck with your book and writing. I hope you’ll come visit again one day. I’ll be reading readers’ responses to this question. 🙂
Thanks for having me, Calisa. It was a blast!
Bio: Mae Clair
Mae Clair opened a Pandora’s Box of characters when she was a child and never looked back. Her father, an artist who tinkered with writing, encouraged her to create make-believe worlds by spinning tales of far-off places on summer nights beneath the stars. She snagged the tail of a comet, hitched a ride, and discovered her writer’s Muse on the journey.
Mae loves creating character-driven fiction in settings that vary from contemporary to mythical. Wherever her pen takes her, she flavors her stories with conflict, romance and elements of mystery. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate about writing, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail and cats.
Discover more about Mae on her website and blog at www.MaeClair.com
As usual, you’ve been a fun and super guest, Mae!
Dodadagohvi~
Calisa Rhose presents ~ UnCover Monday ~ Covers
UnCover Mondays on The Ranch!!! This feature is only to highlight authors–not to sell books (though if you see one you want to buy I’m sure the authors won’t mind ). Enjoy this weeks’ covers to ogle and explore. If there is one provided, you can follow the artist links by clicking each book cover that has an artist linked to learn more about the amazing creators of these beautiful covers. I think they deserve fair mention since they helped create the book! As always, click the author website links to find out more about them. Be sure to return on alternate Mondays for some amazing banners and video trailers by authors!
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TITLE: Twelfth Sun
AUTHOR: Mae Clair
WEBSITE/BLOG: www.maeclair.net
GENRE: Romantic Mystery
PUBLISHER: Lyrical Press
COVER ARTIST: Renee Rocco
RELEASE DATE: August 5, 2013
The hunky young PhD knows all about seduction, but what does he know about love?
Reagan Cassidy is settled in her life. She has a thriving interior design firm, an upscale condo, two cats, and a goldfish. As a favor to her uncle, she agrees to team up with his marine archaeologist friend to validate and retrieve a nineteenth-century journal, reputedly that of a passenger aboard the doomed schooner Twelfth Sun. Finding a hunky twenty-five-year-old coming out of the shower in her hotel room wasn’t part of the deal, but it’s hard to complain…
Dr. Elijah Cross is cocky and he knows it. He enjoys trading barbs with the lovely Reagan. Barbs, and some innuendo. He can tell she’d rather get back home to her business than stick around for the extended treasure hunt they’ve been talked into, but he’s fine with the situation. At least, until the “clues” start getting personal.
Reagan finds Dr. Gorgeous is as skilled in matters of the heart as he is behind the lectern. Throw in a series of clues which mean more to Elijah than he’ll explain, several odd-ball competitors out to win the journal, a saboteur, and a lavish seaside mansion, and Reagan has enough trouble keeping her head straight, let alone her heart.
WARNING: Younger man, older woman, nautical riddles and romance.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
TITLE: Thoroughly Modern Amanda
AUTHOR: Susan Macatee
WEBSITE: www.susanmacatee.com
GENRE: Time travel romance
PUBLISHER: The Wild Rose Press
COVER ARTIST: Debbie Taylor
RELEASE DATE: December 19, 2012
Believing anything is possible, magazine reporter Amanda Montgomery dreams about being a modern woman in a nineteenth century world, much like her exceptional step-mother. But society expects well-off young ladies to focus on finding a suitable husband and raising a family. And then Jack appears–with no past and unconventional ideas. Does he hold the key to another century as well as her heart, or is she destined to stay in her own time?
Construction worker Jack Lawton wants to preserve an old home that’s scheduled for demolition. But when he sneaks inside for a final look, a loose beam falls on the head, and upon waking, he finds himself in the arms of a beautiful woman. His only problem–he’s no longer in the twenty-first century. Can he find his way back home?
Does he really want to?
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TITLE: The CEO Gets Her Man
AUTHOR: Anne Ashby
WEBSITE: www.anneashby.com
GENRE: Sweet Contemporary
PUBLISHER: The Wild Rose Press
COVER ARTIST: Tina Lynn Stout
RELEASE DATE: April 15, 2013
Ensuring her company’s success is Debra Laurie’s life. But when she goes undercover to investigate a failing hotel in southern New Zealand, she finds her confidence crumbling. Masquerading as a waitress is a disaster—especially when the hotel’s assistant manager is a former rugby star she once had a crush on.
Jase McEwan is struggling to keep the hotel afloat. An unpredictable manager, ridiculous demands from the head office, and employee unrest are problems enough. Now a haughty new waitress is causing mayhem in the restaurant—and in his heart.
Determined to be impartial, Debra sets out to discover if Jase is responsible for the hotel’s drastic situation. But the more she investigates, the more she likes his work—and the more their attraction sizzles. Before long, Jase has turned Debra’s world upside-down. But what happens when he learns the new waitress is really his CEO?
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TITLE: Magic of the Loch
AUTHOR: Karen Michelle Nutt
WEBSITE: www.kmnbooks.com
GENRE: Paranormal/mystery/romance
PUBLISHER: The Wild Rose Press
COVER ARTIST: Rae Monet
RELEASE DATE: August 2012
Michaela Grant travels to Scotland for a holiday, knowing this vacation is her last. A medical condition threatens her life and any chance of a future–until she meets Alan MacLachlin, a man forced to exist between two worlds.
Alan is the legendary Loch Ness Monster. Once every fifty years he returns to human form in search of his soul mate, the one woman who can break his curse. He believes he has found forever with Michaela, but to claim it he must figure out how to save her life.
Michaela and Alan vow to take what time has to offer, but another threat looms. A sinister shape shifter with a vendetta against Alan is making Loch Ness his personal hunting ground. Now he’s threatening Michaela. Alan must discover who the shifter is and stop him before it’s too late.
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TITLE: Rhuul’s Flame (Realms of Possibilities – Book 1)
AUTHOR: Nulli Para Ora
WEBSITE: www.nulliparaora.com
GENRE: Fantasy/Sci Fi Romance
PPUBLISHER: Liquid Silver Books
RELEASE DATE: May 27, 2013
Of all the species of the twelve realms, Rhuul is unique. The product of two races who despise each other, he is reviled by his family and unwelcome in his homeland.
Exiled, he finds himself in a new realm with beings he’s never seen before. They’re not important; only his destiny is. Driven to prove his worth, he seeks to rule a realm of his own. Nothing will stand in his way, and no one will change his focus. Or so he thinks.
When a mysterious woman calls out for help through his dreams, he searches her out. When they meet, she’s unlike anyone he’s ever encountered. Can they set aside their beliefs to work together? Can love bloom when their ideals are exact opposites?
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TITLE: Long Gone (New Beginnings #4)
AUTHOR: Christina Freeburn
WEBSITE/BLOG:
www.theselfrescueprincess. wordpress.com
GENRE: Inspirational Romantic Suspense
PUBLISHER: Desert Breeze Publishing
COVER ARTIST: Jenifer Ranieri
RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2013
Eve Darling won’t allow a repeat of the past. Eight years ago, her boyfriend convinced her to place their baby for adoption with his older brother. Once the adoption was finalized, the ‘love of her life’ abandoned her. When the brother announces his intent to run for governor…and adopt a new child…Eve decides to reveal the man behind the public facade. When no one believes the story, Eve turns to skip-tracer Alexander Stratford to unearth the truth, and stop another woman from being used by the Fallows.
Alex is stunned when Eve Darling shows up and requests help. The woman who once accused him of murder now accuses another man. Alex refuses to be used to damage another person. When Eve is attacked, Alex rushes to her aid– and a quick decision alters lives forever. Can anyone ever truly love him…when he can’t like the man he’s become?
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TITLE: Blood Moon on the Rise
AUTHOR: Lauren Smith
WEBSITE/BLOG: www.theleagueofrogues.blogspot.com
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
PUBLISHER: Fast Foreword
COVER ARTIST: Laura Cummings; Fast Foreword
RELEASE DATE: May 29, 2013
Tamara wants nothing more than to protect the world from deadly paranormal creatures. Well, maybe she wants a little more than that. But the man she craves—Nicholas Rubin—is strictly off limits.
For years, Nicholas has been her loyal partner, helping to defeat murderous werewolves and take down unruly vampires. Nicholas has always given Tamara his protection, friendship, and support. The only thing he hasn’t given her is his love. A relationship between Tamara and Nicholas is forbidden by ancient law, and the consequences could be deadly.
But when a powerful Sorceress threatens both their lives, Tamara has a choice to make: Give into her feelings for Nicholas, and risk her life. Or take a chance on Nicholas, and receive his love—at a price.
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TITLE: The Ring That Binds
AUTHOR: Linda Carroll-Bradd
WEBSITE: www.lindacarroll-bradd.com
GENRE: Historical romance
PUBLISHER: Prism Book Group
COVER ARTIST: Joan Alley
RELEASE DATE: December 11, 2012
Widow Celina Innes, a dress shop owner in the small 1886 mining town of Aspen, Colorado, struggles to run her shop and live down her late husband’s bad choices for the sake of her four-year old daughter, Keena. She made the mistake of following after one man’s dream of striking it rich and has sworn not to do it again.
Co-owner of Toussaint’s General Store, Mikel, watches this proud woman run a successful business but wishes he could make her life a little easier. He has to be contented by slipping treats to the child in hopes of pleasing her mama. When illness strikes the child, Celina turns to Mikel for help and they work together all night to get past the crisis, deepening their friendship. But when the crisis is over, Mikel disappears from Aspen and Celina learns he is seeking to increase his stores.
How could she have been so wrong about the man? Can a woman sworn to put down roots and a man looking for more riches find happiness?
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TITLE: Demon King’s Desire, Elemental Sisters
AUTHOR: J.L. Sheppard
WEBSITE: www.JLSheppard.com
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
PUBLISHER: Cobblestone Press
COVER ARTIST: Fiona Jayde
RELEASE DATE: January 18, 2013
When Jenna Jenson is attacked by a man whose supernatural abilities supersede her super hearing, strength and abnormal reflexes, she is rescued by the demon king, Lucas Thaler and powers she never knew she possessed are revealed. She discovers she is part of a new breed of immortals prophesied to evolve that could either save or destroy human life.
After a war in his demon plane and home that killed his entire family, Lucas has dedicated his life to combating Malum Inmortalis, whose goal is to rule immortals and mankind. The evil he has battled for centuries and his purpose is deferred when he hears Jenna’s voice, the woman he has been waiting for centuries, the woman he’s been dreaming of for centuries, his fated mate.
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TITLE: Marriage Bargain (Paradise Pines Series)
AUTHOR: Paisley Kirkpatrick
WEBSITE: www.paisleykirkpatrick.com/
GENRE: Historical western
PUBLISHER: Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc.
COVER ARTIST: Gwen Phifer
RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2013
The dusty trail of a wagon train leads west, but Darrah Benjamin finds it a pathway to love and forgiveness when an arranged marriage becomes much more than a convenience. Wagon scout Chase challenges her determination with his promise — she’ll give him her heart and invite him to her bed before they arrive at their destination. Darrah will shape her own destiny and claim a woman’s spirit along the way.
Charles Danforth, a scout known as Chase, leads a wagon train of emigrants west through plains plundered by murderers. As an undercover agent of President Polk, he has sworn to stop the massacres. Darrah’s inadvertent comment gives him the clue he needs to achieve his assignment. His Sioux blood brother helps Chase end the killings, but almost ruins Chase’s chance of winning Darrah’s heart with his mischief.
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To see YOUR cover here visit my UnCover Monday page for detailed instructions:
https://calisarhose.com/ranch-guests/un-cover-monday-cover-reveal/
I write contemporary and paranormal romance, with sensuality as the key ingredient and spice for kick.
Pen of The Dreamer 