A Sunny Day Sunshine Award, Mae Clair

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Mae Clair

It’s a sunny day when my friend, Calisa Rhose, nominates me for the Sunshine Award! This is a fun award that bloggers give to other bloggers “who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere.” What a great thought, and how lovely to be included among the ranks. Thank you, Calisa, for thinking of me!

If you haven’t moseyed over to Calisa’s ranch, you’ll find it filled with sunshine and friendly chatter! Calisa is one of my sister authors at Lyrical Press and a wonderful writer. The welcome mat is always out at her ranch. She loves visitors, so be sure to drop by. You’ll see for yourself why she earned a Sunshine Award.

The rules of the Sunshine Award are as follows:

Thank the person who gave you the award in your blog post (thanks, Calisa!)
Answer the questions below
Pass the award to 10-12 deserving and inspiring bloggers, inform them and link to their blogs.

So, here are the questions:

Favorite color: This is always a toss-up between green and blue, the colors of earth, sea and sky. At the moment, I’m partial to blues and have to go with royal blue.

Favorite animal: Cat! I adore felines.

Favorite number: 12

Favorite non-alcoholic drink: Coffee in the morning, water any other time of day. I constantly have a glass of iced water beside me.

Facebook or Twitter: Twitter. Facebook and I do not play nicely together. I’ve been planning a blog post on that for a while, LOL.

Your passion: My hubby, of course! Assuming, we’re not talking about that kind of passion then writing, reading and learning in general..

Giving or getting presents: Both. I’ve pulled off some pretty cool surprises in the giving department, like the time I surprised my husband with a John Deere tractor for his birthday.

Favorite flower: Roses, the flower of romance. Red is my favorite but I love them all—white, pink, yellow, blush orange and all varieties of colors.

And now I’d like to pass this award on to the following outstanding bloggers:

Sheri de Grom
Debbie Peterson
Cd Brennan
Jane Wakely
Jessi Gage
Lorraine Paton
Laura Lee Nutt
Stanalei Fletcher

Thanks for bringing a bit of sunshine with your blogs, ladies!

Did You Know? 40 Quick Facts about Mae Clair

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Mae Clair

My friend, Jane Wakely, invited me to her blog today to share 40 quick facts about myself. I’ve got to say it was a heck of a lot of fun, like a rapid-fire personality quiz.

So if you’re intrigued by such revelations like my favorite song, TV show, word, and whether I prefer dressy over casual, or pencil over pen (among a cornucopia of other riveting facts), please drop by and tell me what you think of my choices.

You can find me at http://janewakely.blogspot.com/2013/04/fantastic-forty-mae-clair.html

Wizards with Words: Calisa Rhose and Risk Factors

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Mae Clair

Welcome Word Wizard fans!

Today, I have my friend and Lyrical Press sister, Calisa Rhose dropping by. It’s always a pleasure to feature her on my blog, and I’m happy to have her back with her new release, RISK FACTORS.

She’s on tour through April 11th, so be sure to grab the complete list of stops by clicking the banner below, or the tour schedule link Calisa provides at the end of our interview. For extra fun, she’s doing a giveaway too!

You can check out my 5-star review for RISK FACTORS on Amazon. In the meantime, I invite you to learn more about Calisa, her characters and the heartwarming story she created in this contemporary romance.

~ooOOoo~

Hello again, Mae! How fun this is! I just love your blog!

Please start by telling us a bit about yourself and how long you’ve been writing.

Calisa Rhose is an Okie, born and bred, through and through, and proud of it. While growing up, when she wasn’t on the back of a horse, she could be found with pen and paper in hand. Her writing career began with poetry in her younger days. Then she discovered Rock-n-Roll and cute musicians. Poetry turned into stories of romance and dreams. These days she lives with the same man who convinced her to take a romantic journey with him almost 30 years ago. After raising three strong daughters she spends her days loving their granddaughters, hoping for a boy someday, and writing. When she’s not writing, you can find Calisa putting on her editor hat and working to help other published and aspiring writers.

She is working on more projects with her favored contemporary cowboys, first responders and firemen.

Find Calisa at her website/blog http://calisarhose.wordpress.com

Twitter@CalisaRhose,
Facebook/Calisa Rhose,
Goodreads
and Amazon

~ooOOoo~

Your new contemporary romance, RISK FACTORS, was released on March 4^th by Lyrical Press. I love the cover. It feels so romantic and breezy. Tell us about the plot.

I love the cover too, Mae!

Love, like life, is not without risk.

Veterinarian Vivian Dane has purchased her uncle’s practice in the tiny town of Wales, Missouri, where most residents still doubt her ability to treat their pets. But Viv is used to being considered less-worthy than her predecessors. After all, her parents are world-renowned wildlife vets, and most everyone is unimpressed she’s chosen to not follow directly in their footsteps. Now Connor, a patient’s owner, and is hot for Viv, but clearly doesn’t think she’s dating material because he has a daughter…who he believes no woman is good enough for.

Being a perfect dad is EMT paramedic Connor’s life focus. He can’t seem to stay away from sexy Doctor Viv, but attraction is as far as he’ll ever let it go. His mother abandoned him, leaving him to be raised in the foster system, and then his wife abandoned both him and their daughter. He absolutely will not risk bringing another woman into his little girl’s life and having her feel the hurt of being left…again.

Forfeiting is easier than attempting and failing. So why does Viv feel compelled to prove she’s a sure bet for Connor and his daughter? Can Connor trust Viv–and himself–enough to play the possibilities?

CONTENT WARNING: Happy-ever-after mixed with four-legged friends.

A Lyrical Press Contemporary Romance

I love the backgrounds you created for the characters, especially Conner. And a single dad always makes my heart melt. You chose to set it in a small town in Missouri. Any particular reason?

Not really. I didn’t want Oklahoma for this one but I still needed to retain that southern-y country feel and Missouri is such a beautiful state. It sounded perfect. Of course, during edits last year I thought I might change the main city in it, Joplin, because between the writing and sell of RF there was that horrific tornado that wiped out the hospital I modeled mine after in the book. In fact the whole city was damaged so badly I felt bad even having it in the story, but it fit, so I kept it.

Wow, I didn’t realize, but perhaps your book can serve as a tribute. Do you have a favorite scene in the novel? What makes it special for you?

I have a few favorite scenes, Mae. But one is in a hotel room after a bad scene with Viv’s parents. Viv is trying to get through her sad bubble by dancing and…well, I’ll let you read it. LOL

Ooh, it was awesome. I remember that scene! Stepping away from the H/h for a moment, who is your favorite secondary character in the book and why?

Definitely Connor’s daughter, Janna! She keeps a ‘few’ pets and they are quite a bunch. She’s a charm and was fun to write, though I do wish I’d given her more in the book.

I loved Janna. She really added to every scene she was in. Now let’s talk technique–Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to write?

Um, when I can? Lol I never know when things will go in any direction other than productive, but early mornings, after checking emails, if I’m not working on edits. If that’s the case, then I do edits (for others, not mine) in the morning when I’m fresh and able to focus. I usually get my most writing done in the evening after dinner and homework is over.

As writers, we’re often asked if we’re plotters or pansters (or somewhere in between), but I know many authors also differ in how they create scenes. So…do you write in a strictly linear fashion or do you hop around and produce scenes and chapters out of sequence as they come to you?

First, I’m a linear pantser. I write from A-Z in a rough draft and then I go back and layer all the emotion, sensory aspects and such once the first draft is complete. If I happen to think of a scene that would be better in another place in the wip, I’ll write it and put it in a file until I need it.

When you’re not writing (or reading) what do you enjoy doing?

I love my horse and pampering him with a bath, brushing or riding him in warmer weather. I spend time with family watching movies or going places, visiting friends and family.

Please share a few of your favorite authors and book titles.

Oh boy. I hate this question because I have so many and I can never remember the names or titles but one of my favorite is Nora Roberts and her Key Trilogy. I also like Vonnie Davis. Hilariously talented author for WRP and a lovely friend. It really doesn’t matter which of her books you pick up, no matter what genre, you are guaranteed a laugh and often a tear. I’m sure, once I have time to read it, I’ll love Weathering Rock and you’ll become a favorite too!

How sweet! What do you have in your cache of WIPs that we can look forward to in the future?

Well, I’ve been trying to pull my fireman through a wip, but that seems to be on hold again. I’m working on a story, tentatively titled Winter’s Song, about Brie Collins, a woman whom life has not been great to but she still tries to maintain a positive attitude, and her one wish is meet the man of her dreams. She has had a tough life and as an adult the challenges seem to keep coming at her, knocking her off balance and threatens to be the end of her. My hero, Zane River, is an orphan with a chunk of pain he wears like body armor. He’s made it to the top of the world through his music, but with a singular goal to beat the one place that mistreated him and made his childhood a living hell. Little does he know he will be put to the test and forced to think of someone other than himself and his goals. Or that he’ll fall in love along the way.

Winter’s Song sounds fantastic, and I love the names of your characters! I’ll cross my fingers the writing goes smoothly and we can look forward to its release in the near future. And now some quickies:

Favorite movie: Hope Floats
Favorite snack item: Anything chocolate
Favorite color: Dark green
Favorite number: 2
Favorite TV show: NCIS or CSI:NY
Dawn or dusk: Dawn
Coffee or tea: Coffee
Dream vacation spot gifted to you by a fairy godmother, all expenses paid: Ireland

That was fun! How about sharing an excerpt from RISK FACTORS?

EXCEPRT:
It was close to five o’clock and Viv wanted to go home. Winter hadn’t reached the Midwest yet, but from September through October the temperatures often dipped and dove sporadically, before diving for the long winter ahead. There’d been a slight chill in the air that morning and she hoped for a few more weeks of warmth before harsh weather moved in.

She looked forward to a hot soak in the bathtub, but Skittles was due for pick-up first. Connor had assured her he’d pick her up, or have his father get her before five. She glanced at her watch again. Four-fifty-six. She didn’t mind staying late if she needed to; it would be a shame to leave the nervous animal alone another night.

She opened the small closet to put the dust mop away.

“Hello.”

With a start, she spun and her hand caught the broom handle on her way around. Gasping, she grabbed uselessly, horrified as the cleaning tool flew sideways from the closet. In slow motion she saw it shoot out against Connor’s shoulder and fall with a sharp snap onto the tile floor.

“Oh! I’m so–so sorry! Are you hurt?” Instant heat rushed up her neck and she bent to reclaim the errant broom to shove into the closet. She slammed the door and leaned against it on a sharp breath.

“I’m fine. You worried your killer broom might attack again? You might consider putting a lock on the door,” he said with a crooked smile.

Puzzled, Viv looked around and realized with total humiliation how it appeared she’d trapped the broom inside the closet–when in actuality, she wanted to climb through the door beside the instrument and hide.

“Of course not. That would be silly. I didn’t expect you right now.”

“It’s two minutes of five. I told you I’d be here for Skittles. Is it too late?”

Right. The skunk. “No. I’m sure she’s more than ready to go home. Do you have the pet carrier to put her in?” She probably didn’t need to ask when Connor stood empty-handed before her.

He lowered his head and she knew he’d forgotten it, fought back a smile at his forgetfulness. “Sorry. I drove straight from work and didn’t think about it.”

“No worry. I have one you can borrow.” Which meant he’d have to see her again. She’d definitely need to see him again.

“Thank you. I’ll bring it back tomorrow.”

“Oh, there’s no rush. I keep a few on hand for emergencies.” She led him back to the cage where the skunk still huddled, and got a carrier while he opened the cage to retrieve his daughter’s pet. As he lifted the black fur ball out, Viv set a pink case next to him.

He hissed under his breath and almost let the animal loose. Viv opened the cage and held it upright for him to lower the skunk down inside and shut the door. Once he stood with the pet taxi, she detected a smear of red on one finger.

“She bit you?” Skunk bite, rabies, germs…

“It’s fine. When she’s scared she tends to nip a warning like a cat.” Connor’s lack of care concerned Viv, however.

“I should clean it with antiseptic before you go.”

“I’ll tend it when I get home.”

“But, it may have germs…get infected.”

“It’s not the first time, and her rabies vaccination is current. Thank you, but it’s not necessary.”

Viv stopped by a cabinet on the way to the front reception area to grab ointment and a Band-Aid.

~ooOOoo~

BUY RISK FACTORS AT:
Lyrical Press, Inc.
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

That was fun, Mae! Thanks again for having me.

At the end of this tour I’ll be picking one winner to gift either a signature rose rock for a USA winner or a $10 GC of choice (Kindle or Nook) for one overseas or in Canada. Either winner will also get a PDF copy of Risk Factors!

The more you stalk me and comment, the greater your chance to win on April 8^th. I’ll announce the winner on the 10^th. Thank you for joining me on this fun journey’s end and good luck to all!

As a special bonus, I’ll be pooling all my blog hosts and the one with the most comments on their blog for my post will also win one of the same prizes as the winners! They need your help to win! Please note, this also includes my two hosts before today, so I’d appreciate if you check my official blog tour schedule and give them a chance to win by going to their blogs too.

I’d like to ask your readers what they like to see in a heroine?

Another Stop Along the Way, by Mae Clair

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Mae Clair

Happy Sunday, everyone!

I’m kicking my day off by scrambling over to Laurie’s Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews and trotting out WEAHTERING ROCK again. Because it’s a paranormal blog and WEATHERING ROCK is a paranormal romance, I decided to do a giveaway too. Nice fit, right?

So, if you still haven’t picked up your copy featuring a hunky Civil War colonel who is also a werewolf, now’s your chance. Hop over and comment for your chance to win a Kindle or Nook copy.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Roaming Again, by Mae Clair

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Mae Clair

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of sharing the cover for my upcoming release TWELFTH SUN and I’m still glowing from the thoroughly awesome support everyone gave me. Thanks so much! You guys rock!!

Today, I’m roaming again and am off to visit the Tome Tender blog where I’m doing another interview on WEAHTERING ROCK. I know it must seem like I inherited genes from the Energizer Bunny or that I exist on a diet of Red Bull, but my schedule comes without the benefit of caffeine. Scary, huh? Imagine what I’d be like wired on an energy drink, LOL.

Of course, none of you see the thoroughly exhausted me who crawls into bed at night and wants to send the alarm clock soaring to Jupiter when it starts shrieking at me the next morning.

On the plus side, it’s FRIDAY! And that’s always a Snoopy Dance kind of day

Off for a Visit, by Mae Clair

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Mae Clair

I’m off galivanting today. If you get a chance, please drop by the blog of Kyra Jacobs, who was gracious enough to invite me over for a chat and a short interview.

Kyra is the author of the upcoming Lyrical Press release, ARMED WITH STEELE. Her blog, Indiana Wonderer, is a delightful place to hang out. While there, I’ll be chatting about some of my favorite subjects including writing, reading and…Caleb DeCardian.

I hope you get a chance to swing by and say hello.

May your day be everything romantic and rewarding!

Heartbreaker Blog H0p

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Mae Clair

Hello and welcome! I’m happy to be participating in the Heartbreaker Blog Hop. As someone who is a diehard romantic in real life, the month of February and, especially, Valentine’s Day are times I treasure. I think the latter was made for romance writers. We’re always dreaming up heroes who break hearts on the way to an HEA. What is it about these guys that attract us?

Almost 300 bloggers have giveaways and posts about those men we love! But that’s not all…

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!
Everything but the Swag Pack is open to international giveaway.
How cool is that?

In addition, I’m doing a giveaway and will be awarding two copies of my
time-travel/paranormal romance novel, WEATHERING ROCK,
(Kindle or Nook copy, winner’s choice).

You can find a complete list of all the participating authors and bloggers here.

My lead character knows a thing or two about breaking hearts. My heroine, Arianna Hart, has a lot to overcome if she wants a future with the book’s hero, Caleb DeCardian. Not only is he from another century, a former colonel for the Union army during America’s Civil War, but he also turns into a werewolf every full moon. Two hurdles that definitely put a damper on a budding romance.

Blurb:
Drawn together across centuries, will their love be strong enough to defeat an ancient curse?

Colonel Caleb DeCardian was fighting America’s Civil War on the side of the Union when a freak shower of ball lightning transported him to the present, along with rival and former friend, Seth Reilly. Adapting to the 21st century is hard enough for the colonel, but he also has to find Seth, who cursed him to life as a werewolf. The last thing on Caleb’s mind is romance. Then fetching Arianna Hart nearly runs him down with her car. He can’t deny his attraction to the outspoken schoolteacher, but knows he should forget her.

Arianna finds Caleb bewildering, yet intriguing: courtly manners, smoldering sensuality and eyes that glow silver at night? When she sees Civil War photographs featuring a Union officer who looks exactly like Caleb, she begins to understand the man she is falling in love with harbors multiple secrets–some of which threaten the possibility of their happiness.

Finding a decent guy who’ll commit is hard enough. How can she expect Caleb to forsake his own century to be with her?

Excerpt:
That strange luminescent glow glinted on the surface of his eyes, flaring pure silver when he looked at her. “I was studying the moon.”

She wasn’t certain she wanted to venture in that direction. Moonlight and a handsome man were a notoriously fatal combination. “I’ve always thought full moons were magical.”

He gave a skeptical snort. “It’s not full, it only looks that way. It’s already started to wane. You just can’t tell by the naked eye.” He tugged at his collar. Sweat clung to his cheeks, prompting him to thumb open another button on his shirt.

The inky material gaped on his chest. A traitorous part of her mind wondered what it would be like to free the remaining buttons. She could almost feel the heated touch of his flesh beneath her fingertips as she slowly worked her way to his waist.

Disturbed, she jerked her hand from his. A hot flush crept up her neck.

“You can tell the difference?” She shot a doubtful glance at the moon. It made her think of long-ago legends: fairy glades, nameless winged creatures and werewolves.

“The moon and I are well acquainted.”

He leaned into the banister, his leg casually brushing hers. She tensed at the informal contact, surprised when it streaked through her like a bolt of lightning. Weak-kneed and stunned, she tried to retreat.

“Annie, don’t go–” Caleb caught her hand.

“Don’t call me that.”

“It suits you.” Towering over her, he stepped closer, his eyes mirroring the smoky blue of the night-dusted sky. “I think we were supposed to meet.” His voice grew low and husky, sending a shivery chill up her spine.

She wet her lips, trying to retain her composure. It was impossible to think straight when he stood so near, his presence engulfing her in a sizzling wall of heat.

“Caleb…”

He bent closer and threaded his hand into her hair, his fingertips lightly pressing her scalp. A dizzying shiver of sensation cascaded through her. She barely had time to register the feeling before his mouth closed over hers, possessive and eager, leaving her breathless.

View Book Trailer for WEATHERING ROCK

Buy WEATHERING ROCK at:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Lyrical Press
iBooks

To enter my giveaway, and to be entered for the grand prizes during the hop, comment below WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS. Moderation is on, so if your comment doesn’t appear immediately, don’t be alarmed. I promise it will show up. At the end of the hop, I will draw two winners through random.org and announce the results on my blog.

And, although I’m not making it mandatory, I’d really appreciate a “like” on my Facebook Author Page, and I invite you to sign up to follow my blog by email should you feel inclined

Would you give a guy who broke your heart a second chance or would you write him off as yesterday’s bad news?

Mae Clair: Liking the Liebster

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Mae Clair

Last week, I had the pleasure of being nominated for the Liebster Award by the wonderful Jessi Gage. Jessi has recently released a fantasy romance called WISHING FOR A HIGHLANDER that I highly recommend. I’ve fallen in love with her hunky hero, Darcy, a 16^th Century Scot who comes to the aid of a 21^st Century pregnant museum worker when she’s transported to his era. Visit Jessi’s blog to learn more about her and her delightful novel. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

So how does the Liebster Award work? Here are the rules:
Thank the person who nominated you (thank you, Jessi!).
Post eleven random facts about yourself.
Answer eleven questions asked by the person who nominated you.
Think of a new set of eleven questions and nominate eleven others to answer them.

My eleven random facts:
1. I love gypsy-style clothing
2. My nickname in high school was “Starchild”
3. I have a bizarre fear of bears
4. I am madly in love with the character of Aloysius Pendergast, created by authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

: From a party a few years ago (my hair was a lot shorter). That’s my aunt with me. I can always count on her to be a dancing partner!

5. Someday I would like to buy a Jaguar (the car, not the animal!)
6. I prefer small gatherings to large parties
7. I can’t whistle
8. I love to be outside when it’s warm and windy
9. I’ve always loved vegetables, even as a kid
10. I am an avowed ‘cat person’
11. I love, l-o-v-e, LOVE to dance!

Jessi’s eleven questions:
1. Who was your idol growing up?
I had several…Michael Landon, Paul McCartney, David Soul, David Hedison and David Cassidy. Hmm…guess I liked a lot of Davids!

2. Who motivates you to be the best you can be?
My husband. I’m good at motivating myself most of the time, but when I hit a wall, he’s the one who helps me over it.

3. What’s your favorite morning ritual?
Coffee! It used to be tea until hubby and I discovered Keurig.

My office. Decorated with balloons and bags of chips!

4. Fudge or salty snacks?
Salty. I’m addicted to chips. Several years ago on my birthday, my staff at work filled my office with small bags of Middleswarth chips. They were everywhere–on my desk, my file cabinet, the bookshelves, windowsills. Needless to say, my chip addiction is well known

5. Beer or wine?
Wine, but it has to be dry.

6. What’s the biggest challenge you face as a blogger?
Making time. I love to blog and rarely lack for content/ideas. It’s just squeezing the hours from a day that is usually overflowing to begin with.

7. What’s your favorite season?
It used to be spring, but I find myself leaning more toward summer these days.

8. Where do you go to get away from stress and regroup?
I don’t necessarily have a place as much as a mindset. I like to read or work on a WIP. In warm weather, I love relaxing on my back porch and deck.

9. If you’re a writer, how many books do you aim to write per year? Are you making your goal?
Two books per year. So far so good, but it’s hard with juggling a full-time job.

10. Who’s on your ereader right now?
WISHING FOR A HIGHLANDER by Jessi Gage! LOL!

11. If you look out the window right now, what do you see?
A large white cross. It’s on the church in a field behind my house.

My 11 questions for my nominees:
1. What was your favorite book as a child?
2. What famous person from history do you admire most?
3. If you could have a superpower, which would you choose?
4. Who is your favorite fairytale character and why?
5. When it comes to movies, what is your favorite genre?
6. Who was your teenage celebrity crush?
7. Would you describe yourself as an introvert, extrovert, or somewhere in between?
8. What was your favorite subject in school?
9. What is your favorite board game?
10. What is your favorite form of social media?
11. Would you rather spend a lazy day at a secluded beach soaking up the sun, or a day in a tourist town that offers numerous attractions?

From the ‘Starchild’…my senior year of high school, LOL!

And my nominees are:
1. Donna Cummings
2. L.J. Kentowski
3. Loni Flowers
4. Sheri de Grom
5. Lorraine Paton
6. Calisa Rhose
7. Susan Koenig
8. Emma Meade
9. Mackenzie Crowne
10. Debbie Peterson
11. Renita Pizzitola

I’m looking forward to seeing your facts and answers, ladies! Thanks again to Jessi Gage for the nomination. I enjoyed participating. This was a lot of fun!

Vampires vs. Werewolves H0p: Which do You Prefer?

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Mae Clair

Welcome to the Vampire vs. Werewolf Hop where participating authors and bloggers will be discussing those sexy creatures of the night and giving away prizes. You can find a complete list of participating authors here.

As someone who enjoys a good paranormal romance, I readily admit a fondness for both night prowlers. Do I have a preference? Hmm …there are plenty of sensual, smoldering vamps out there but, if I had to choose, I’m definitely partial to the guys with a lunar attachment.

It started many decades ago with my older sisters watching a show called Dark Shadows. I was the annoying grade school kid but, even at six, was enraptured. Sure, the star of the show was vampire Barnabas Collins, but I was infatuated with Quentin Collins, tortured smoldering werewolf. A connection was born.

Today, many stories favor shifters and wolf packs which I do enjoy. But, to me, there is nothing more tragically romantic than the original werewolf legend in which lycanthropy was a curse. I love the idea of a single individual struggling against the power of something he or she can’t control. That was the concept I used when writing WEATHERING ROCK, my time travel/paranormal romance about a Civil War colonel transported to modern times.

Let me share the blurb:

Drawn together across centuries, will their love be strong enough to defeat an ancient curse?

Finding a decent guy who’ll commit is hard enough. How can she expect Caleb to forsake his own century to be with her?

Intrigued? I hope so! I fell in love with Caleb while writing this story and would love to share his tale with you.

Finally, in closing, I hope you enjoy these snippets of folklore related to werewolves:

Most people know that being bitten by a werewolf will transform you into one at the rise of the first full moon. It’s also common legend that someone can willingly become a werewolf through the use of sorcery or by making a pact with the devil. But here are a few less commonly known ways of getting your (were)wolf on:

Being the seventh son of a seventh son Through cannibalism (can I get an ewwww on that one, please?) If you’re Catholic, failing to go to confession for a 10-year period By drinking from the track or footprint of another werewolf By drinking water haunted by the dead By eating a wolf’s brain (second ewwww!)

Now for my giveawawy: Comment below WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, and tell me what most attracts you to werewolves. I’ll select a winner through random.org at the end of the hop and award an ebook copy of WEATHERING ROCK, Kindle or Nook (winner’s choice). I also invite you to like my Facebook Author Page and/or follow my blog by email by using the subscription option in the top right corner of the side bar. Either ‘twould make me wolfishly happy!

Don’t panic if your comment doesn’t appear immediately. Moderation is on, but I promise your remarks won’t be lost and will materialize as soon as I check in.

Happy hopping!

Buy WEATHERING ROCK at:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Lyrical Press
iBooks

And, if you’re a vampire girl, my friend and fellow author, Deborah Palumbo just contacted me. She was too late to participate in the hop, but she would like to offer a free Kindle copy of her book, THE UNDEPARTED. If you’ve already commented, on a previous post I did during the Vampires vs. Werewolves blog hop, you’re included for Deborah’s giveaway. She’ll contact her winner directly at the end of the hop. Check out this wonderful cover and blurb for THE UNDEPARTED, book 1 of THE UNDEPARTED SERIES!

Blurb:

Cassandra is trying to figure out if she was actually bitten by a vampire and whisked away to his castle or if it was a very vivid dream, one which has left her to contemplate her own sanity.

Unknowingly, she is the only mortal to resist the vampire’s bite and capture the heart of the most powerful vampire that ever existed; the one who began the entire race of the undead, Quentin Castle.

For ions Quentin has felt nothing but the lust for blood. But Cassandra has awakened something in him that he had forsaken a millennium ago; he is determined to win this beautiful woman by mortal means rather than by the vampire’s bite. But will he be able to suppress his natural instinct? Will he be able to prove to the skeptical Cassandra that he is a vampire and not an imposter, a wannabe? What hideous thing will he do to prove that he is a vampire, prove that he isn’t using some kind of parlor trick, some Houdini magic, and that he is the real thing?

As evidence mounts on Quentin’s behalf and she can no longer deny her encounter was real and not a dream, will Cassandra be able to resist his evil charm and convince her boyfriend, police officer Mike Lapp and best friend Lucy that vampires really do exist and she’s being stalked by one?

To expedite their liaison, Quentin devises a scheme to blackmail Cassandra by setting up her boyfriend for a murder he didn’t commit. Cassandra must surrender herself to Quentin for her boyfriend’s sake and wait for Mike to scale the walls of the vampire’s castle and rescue her. But when her boyfriend arrives, she’s in for the shock of her life. People are not always what they seem to be.

Guest Post: Skibo Castle by Jessi Gage

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Mae Clair

Yes, it’s the Vampire vs. Werewolf Hop. You can find a complete list of participating authors and bloggers here. To be entered in my giveaway for a Kindle or Nook copy of my paranormal/time travel romance, WEATHERING ROCK (which features a hunky werewolf) follow this link.

BUT WAIT!!!

Before you leave, I also want to introduce another type of hero for this blog post–highlanders!

My sister author from Lyrical Press and critique partner, Jessi Gage, has just released a fantasy romance, WISHING FOR A HIGHLANDER that I want to share. Jessi has dropped by to tell us about Skibo Castle (wouldn’t that be a cool place for a vampire or werewolf to hang out? Or even a hunky Scot)? And now, I’m happy to turn my blog over to Jessi Gage.

~ooOOoo~

Thanks so much for having me, Mae. It’s been wonderful getting to know you as a fellow Lyrical author and a critique partner over the past few months. Your blog is a favorite stop of mine for your Mythical Mondays and Wizard with Words features. I’m so honored to have a spot to showcase my new release with Lyrical Press , WISHING FOR A HIGHLANDER.

WISHING FOR A HIGHLANDER is a historical paranormal romance in which a single and pregnant museum worker accidentally wishes herself back in time and is forced to marry a Highland warrior with intimacy issues. The blurb and info are below, but what I really want to share is some of my research in writing WISHING FOR A HIGHLANDER.

I love Castles. On a trip to Ireland and Scotland with my husband I had the wonderful opportunity to tour many castles. Some were intact. Some were in ruin. I delighted in them all. My favorite was Edinburgh Castle because of the sheer amount of history contained inside its museum, including The Honours of Scotland, the nation’s crown jewels.

I needed a castle in WISHING FOR A HIGHLANDER, because Melanie and Darcy needed a safe place to flee to and work out some of the issues keeping them from consummating their marriage. I chose Skibo Castle purely for its fairy-tale beauty and its not-too-distant location from where I chose to put Darcy’s northern village of Ackergill.

Choosing Skibo Castle was one of those serendipitous writing moments when things all come together and fall into place without my planning it (because, really, I couldn’t have planned anything this amazing. I’m not THAT good).

Here’s what I mean. In researching Skibo Castle, I found out it was the place Madonna married Guy Ritchie in 2000. This is something my transplanted modern-day heroine might have remembered, so I could write her as being somewhat familiar with the castle. Not only that, but Skibo Castle was home to steel magnate Andrew Carnegie before he came to the US as a Scottish immigrant. As it happened, in the first chapter, before Melanie gets whisked to late-medieval Scotland, I have her working in a museum, putting together an exhibit on Scottish Immigrants. It was all too easy to write her as having great familiarity with Skibo Castle and its history, making the setting that much more vivid for the reader (I hope).

But I didn’t plan any of it! It just happened to fall perfectly into place, and is one of those little blessings that make WISHING FOR A HIGHLANDER the most magical thing I’ve ever written. Here’s the blurb for WISHING FOR A HIGHLANDER:

While examining Andrew Carnegie’s lucky rosewood box, single-and-pregnant museum worker Melanie makes a tongue in cheek wish on the artifact–for a Highland warrior to help her forget about her cheating ex. Suddenly transported to the middle of a clan skirmish in sixteenth-century Scotland, she realizes she should have been a tad more specific.

Darcy, laird in waiting, should be the most eligible bachelor in Ackergill, but a cruel prank played on him in his teenage years has led him to believe he is too large under his kilt to ever join with a woman. He has committed himself to a life of bachelorhood, running his deceased father’s windmills and keeping up the family manor house…alone.

Darcy’s uncle, Laird Steafan welcomes the strangely dressed woman into his clan, immediately marrying her to Darcy in hopes of an heir. But when Steafan learns of her magic box and brands her a witch, Darcy must do what any good husband would–protect his wife, even if it means forsaking his clan.

WARNING: A pregnant museum worker, a sixteenth-century Scot, and a meddlesome wishing box.

Excerpt from WISHING FOR A HIGHLANDER:

Size might have its advantages when it came to fighting, but those few boons fell far short of making up for the problems it caused. Being the biggest and the strongest had gotten him into far more trouble than it had gotten him out of. Swallowing his regret for how careless he’d been with her, he sought to determine whom she belonged to, whom, saints forbid, he might owe.

“Whose wife are ye, then? Not a Gunn’s or I wouldna have had to rescue you from one.”

“I’m not married,” the lass said. “And thank you for the rescuing, by the way. I can’t believe I dropped the dirk. Stupid.” She shook her head.

His heart warmed at her thanks. He didn’t hear many kind words from the lasses and would take what he could get, even from a dishonored woman who had caught a bairn out wedlock. Oddly, he didn’t think poorly of her. Whether it was her worried brow, her guileless, soft mouth, or her vulnerable size, he had not the heart to condemn her.

He didn’t even mind so much that she found him distasteful for his size, although talking with her now, she didn’t seem overly upset to be in his arms. He endeavored to keep her talking, keep her distracted from her disgust.

“Ye never answered my first question,” he said. “Who are you? And where are ye from if ye’re no’ English?”

“Ugh. I don’t know. Is there an answer that won’t get me burned at the stake or locked up in a ward for the hopelessly insane?”

Like most things out of her mouth, that had been a peculiar answer. “Ye could try the truth,” he offered, slowing his pace since he heard Archie’s voice not far off.

“No,” she said flatly. “I couldn’t. At least not the whole truth. How about we just go with my name, Melanie, and with the honest fact that I’m a long way from home and I have no idea how to get back.” Her green eyes pierced his. “I’m afraid you might be stuck with me, Darcy Keith.”

Thanks again for having me Mae! It’s been a pleasure getting to know you as a fellow Lyrical sister, a CP, and a friend. More details on WISHING FOR A HIGHLANDER and on the blog hops I’m participating in (prizes, people!) can be found on my blog and website.

Buy links:
Lyrical Press
Amazon
Barnes N Noble

Follow Jessi Gage on Twitter

Jessi Gage Bio
Jessi lives with her husband and children in the Seattle area. In addition to writing paranormal romance, she’s a wife, a mom, an audiologist, a church-goer, a Ford driver, a PC user, and a coffee snob. Her guiding tenet in her writing is that good triumphs over evil, but not before evil gives good one heck of a run for its money. The last time she imagined a world without romance novels, her husband found her crouched in the corner, rocking.