Murder They Wrote #FreeEbook #ShortStories #Anthology #Mysteries #WritingCommunity

Posted on February 25, 2022 by Mae Clair

Book banner ad for Murder They Wrote shows ebook lying on sweater, old watch nearby

Murder They Wrote is FREE through Saturday, 2/26

I’m pleased to have my short story, Winter Reckoning, among the tales in this anthology. A straight mystery set in Medieval England (no supernatural elements or the cryptids I favor), the story takes place at a holiday gathering in a snow-bound castle. Did I mention there’s a body, scheming nobles, plenty of suspects, and a killer to identify?

I hope you’ll join in the sleuthing! 🙂

BLURB:
Murder comes in 7 different genres. By 7 different authors.

Are you a fan of courtroom drama? In the anthology’s first story, Abraham Lincoln defends a friend’s son against a charge of murder.

For lovers of speculative fiction, Jason Fogg dissolves into mist to sneak through open windows and snoop for clues.

Book cover shows two figures in black silhouette in an empty room with large windows and curtains behind, gunman shooting victim in back

How about a cozy? Jazzi, Jerod, and Ansel discover a dead body while renovating a kitchen, dining room, and half bath.

Have a craving for a Regency? Lord Peregrine and his wife, Elizabeth, use their sharp minds and quick wit to solve a murder at a garden party.

Need a bit of literary fiction? A young, lonely widow must deal with the theft of a valuable butterfly collection.

And what about a little psychological horror? Twin sisters discover that their attic is haunted by not one, but two ghosts.

Last, but never least, the anthology concludes with a historical mystery. A young, newly married knight is accused of murdering his obnoxious host at a holiday gathering in his castle.

Murder They Wrote offers a variety of clever tales in which there are clues to be found, red herrings to avoid, and villains to unmask. And because each short story is a complete mystery, you can engage your detective skills a little at a time, or all at once as your mood dictates.

I’ve closed comments on this post, but hope you’ll. . .

GRAB A COPY FROM AMAZON

Book Tour Day 12: Things Old and Forgotten by Mae Clair #speculativefiction #magicalrealism #fantasy #newrelease

Posted on October 27, 2021 by Mae Clair

ebook of Things Old and Forgotten by author Mae Clair on top of ring of small gourds, and fall leaves and berries

Whew! Can you believe it? Today is the final stop on my blog tour for Things Old and Forgotten. What a whirlwind it’s been! I’ve had so much fun visiting my friends on the web. Thank you to everyone who popped in during a tour stop to say hello. I hope you enjoyed the excerpts I shared, and had as much fun as I did.

Today, I’ll be visiting Miriam Hurdle. Miriam is a lovely friend who shares a wide range of uplifting posts on her blog The Showers of Blessings—everything from amazing photos encompassing her family and gorgeous garden, to book reviews, travel posts, photography challenges, and slice of life thoughts. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), as well as an author of poetry, short stories, memoir, and children’s books. You can find all of Miriam’s work on her Amazon Author Page, including her latest children’s book, Tina Lost in a Crowd, and Songs of Heartstrings: Poems of Gratitude and Beatitude, a collection I found inspiring.

Miriam is so sweet, she contacted me and offered her blog after I already had my tour in place. How could I possibly decline such a generous offer, especially given Miriam is tour stop 12? Twelve just happens to be my favorite number. You see how that all worked out? Hop over and visit me at Miriam’s place. She is wonderfully supportive of others and would enjoy seeing you every bit as much as I would!

Book Tour Day 6: Things Old and Forgotten by Mae Clair #speculativefiction #magicalrealism #fantasy #newrelease

Posted on October 14, 2021 by Mae Clair

Book Things Old and Forgotten by Mae Clair set on large cool of rope on wooden floor with bottle of wine and small jars

Happy Thursday! Today is the end of the second week of my blog tour for Things Old and Forgotten. Today, I’m with good friend and Story Empire colleague, Joan Hall.

Joan and I both share a passion for old legends and folklore. If you’re not already familiar with her blog, I encourage you to hop over and click the follow button. She shares excellent book reviews, moon folklore and superstitions, Mystery Mondays and more. As an author, she tells tales of mystery and romantic suspense. I highly recommend her Driscoll Lake Series and her newest release, Cold Dark Night, book one of her new Legends of Madeira Series. You can find all of Joan’s titles on her Amazon Author Page.

While visiting with Joan today, I’ll be sharing an excerpt from my short story, A Once and Future Life, a tale of magical realism that plays off the legend of King Arthur. If you have a moment while roaming around the blogosphere, pop over and SAY HELLO!

Pre-order: Interludes 2 by Harmony Kent @harmony_kent

Posted on August 6, 2020 by Mae Clair

Today, I’m hosting my friend and Story Empire colleague, Harmony Kent, who is here to share her upcoming release, Interludes 2. I know you’ll roll out the red carpet for her! 🙂

Thanks so much for having me over at your place today, Mae.

Hi everyone. It’s great to be visiting with you all.

While I’m here, I’d like to talk about my latest book, Interludes 2. This is a book of short erotic romance fiction. As with the original Interludes (which you can find HERE), the book contains 10 short stories, with the first tale totalling 1,000 words, the second one totalling 2,000, and so on up to 10,000 words in the final story.

For each story, I used prompt cards from a great creative tool called Storymatic. Here’s what the set gave me to work with:

person with a very poor memory, b) daydreamer … c) person with a tail … conflict = first day of school

A and B relate to the main character. C relates to the secondary character. And the final prompt gives us the conflict.

From the above set of prompts, I came up with Initiation—a contemporary romance in 6000 words.

A pretty daydreamer arrives for her first day at university. A brutal initiation, and a man with an unusual issue, leave her reeling. Strange, the places you find true love.

Excerpt from Initiation:
Distracted, Willow failed to respond. She’d been idly watching his tight butt, and then a strange bulge had caught her attention. What the hell? Did he need to wear some kind of incontinence pad? Willow stifled a giggle. Probably, he’d made a hash of tucking in his shirt tails. As they walked through the crowded and noisy foyer, she imagined that Anders was an alien in disguise and that the bulge came from him having to fit a tail into his tight jeans. Another giggle bubbled up, and this time it escaped.

Anders stared at her and raised his brows interrogatively.

Willow sought a plausible excuse. ‘Um, sorry. I get nervous in … in a crowd. And this is all … so …’

‘New?’

‘Yeah. That.’

He gave her another stare and then pressed the button to call the lift. The car held a maximum of only four people, and those estimates always seemed on the optimistic side. Hence the two of them and her bulky suitcase made for a cozy fit. Willow tried to look anywhere but at Anders. Her heart rate sped up, and her breaths came in shallow pants. What was up with her? He was just a guy. Granted, a hot one, but still only a regular bloke.

I had so much fun writing this one, and I hope you’ve enjoyed this little teaser. I’d love to hear what you think via the comments at the bottom of the page. Thanks for stopping by.

Author Bio
After spending around thirteen years as an ordained Buddhist monk, living in a Zen Buddhist temple, and six years after a life-changing injury following a surgical error, Harmony Kent returned to the world at the tender age of forty.

Now, she is famous for her laughter, and has made quite the name for herself … she’s also, um, a writer … and fairly well known for that too. She’s even won a few awards. Harmony lives in rural Cornwall with her adorable husband, ever-present sense of humour, and quirky neighbours.

Harmony is passionate about supporting her fellow authors.

PRE-ORDER INTERLUDES 2

Interludes 2 Blurb

From author, Harmony Kent, another best-selling collection of short erotic fiction that will tickle more than your taste buds and wet [sic] more than your appetite.

With a range of genres and styles, this book has enough steam for everyone.

WIGGING OUT—contemporary romance in 1000 words. Two strangers. A crowded platform. A collision. And a wig on the floor.

STORM CHASER—ménage à trois in 2000 words. A sabotaged tire. A raging storm. Passion mounts.

MOON-STRUCK—shifter romance in 3000 words. Trapped on a ship orbiting the moon, a horny astronaut falls for a hunky author who has a secret.

THE CLUB—contemporary romance in 4000 words. An invitation and a host, who is so much more than he seems, bring excitement, enticement, and a choice to make.

NUDIST CAMP—contemporary romance in 5000 words. An older woman. A younger man. A gossip discovers their secret tryst. What will happen when it all gets laid bare?

INITIATION—contemporary romance in 6000 words. A pretty daydreamer arrives for her first day at university. A brutal initiation, and a man with an unusual issue, leave her reeling. Strange, the places you find true love.

THE INCOMER—contemporary romance in 7000 words. A divorced beekeeper has spent her whole life in or around her local village. Then a city-slicker architect comes to town. When two worlds collide, a big bang is sure to follow. Can you have a frenemy with benefits?

DOWN AND DIRTY—contemporary romance in 8000 words. On the run from a sadistic ex-husband, Ellie flees to a remote mountain town and takes a job in the mines. Wary of men, she resolves to keep herself aloof, but mother nature has a way of having the last word and will, quite literally, make the earth move if she has to.

REUNION—contemporary romance in 9000 words. A school reunion looms. Not wanting to arrive sad and single, Molly talks her long-time friend Adam into going with her. While the music plays, the sparks fly.

SOUL MATES—supernatural romance in 10,000 words. A bereaved woman seeks solace in remote woodland. All too soon, she discovers that she’s not as alone as she’d expected. And her heart isn’t the only one that needs to mend.

READER ADVISORY: This book contains explicit sex scenes and language hot enough to melt your book. For mature readers only.

____________________________________________________________________________

Thanks for visiting and checking out Harmony’s upcoming release. I think it’s so intriguing that she used Storymatic for this collection. Don’t forget to share her news with the buttons below!

Book Review: Black Crow Speaks @FrederickAnder2 #shortstories

Posted on August 21, 2019 by Mae Clair

In my post yesterday, I mentioned having read a third book last week but not having the time to write a proper review. Black Crow Speaks is a book I have been patiently waiting —okay, not so patiently—to release. The author shies away from promotion so I wanted to make certain I gave it the attention it deserves. I know I will be reading many of the stories in this collection over again.

First some background . . .

I started following Frederick Anderson’s blog a few years ago and was immediately enthralled by his gift of storytelling. I’ve been hoping (I even did some pestering) that he would cobble a collection of short stories together for a book. When I realized he had released Black Crow Speaks, I was ecstatic. This intelligent, literary, diverse, often bizarre, but always riveting collection of tales is not to be missed!

Let me explain the crow of the title—Black Crow shows up at various times throughout the book to discuss everything from neighbors (blackbirds), immigrants (seagulls), family matters, homelife, kids, the wife, temptation, getting old, and social matters. Given Fred is British, I can get away with the expression “bloody brilliant.” Crow has a unique take on life.

book cover for Black Crow Speaks by Frederick Anderson shows a large black crow with book title beneath Here’s a sample from Corvid Values, my favorite crow story. Crow speaks first, followed by Fred.

He fidgets uneasily, preening a troublesome mite from his breast feathers. “S’pose. Yes and no. There’s the immigrants, see?”

He hasn’t lost his capacity to surprise: “Immigrants?”

“Yeah. You must have noticed – fousands of ‘em. Same every winter, innit? They comes flockin’ in just because they reckon there’s free food and everyfin’. They takes all the best bits and we don’t get a look in. Bleedin’ gulls!”

“Oh, the seagulls! The bad weather drives them in from the coast. The westerlys don’t trouble them so much, then? They can fly into the wind, can they?”

“Well, they work harder, don’t they? They work all the bleedin’ time, them!” He fluffs furious feathers. “They don’t even go to roost, most nights. And…and!” He squawks his emphasis; “They eat almost anyfin’. Jus’ anyfin’!”

“Surely there’s enough for all? I haven’t noticed you losing weight over the winter before.”

“Ah. Ah! But I don’t demean meself, me! You won’t catch me turnin’ over house rubbish like a – like a bleedin’ fox, for fox sake!”

“Oh, really? I seem to recall…”

“Never mind what you ‘seems to recall.’ Never mate, never! I’ve got my pride”

I treat him to one of my penetrating inquisitorial looks. “They’ve been raiding the bins at the back of the Pizzeria, haven’t they? That’s one of your favorite haunts, isn’t it?”

The crow hunches his wings and dips his head. I cannot remember seeing him so annoyed. “That place is a place for crows, gettit? Crows! Respec’able birds, mate. I got a right to that place!”

First, let me point out that no one—no one—does accents like Frederick. The ones he spins in this book are spot on. Second, the message of this story hits with a thunderclap at the end. The first time I read it, it stayed with me for days.

But the crow only makes up a few stories in this collection. As the preface says you will meet “a crow with wisdom we call could learn from, an airline pilot who qualified by correspondence course, an enthusiastic accordion player with a portal to the universe under his dining table, tales of fairies and goblins and ghosts within the machine.”

There are plenty of humans too—some who face heartbreak, others who find their lives altered in unexpected ways. Twists and surprise endings abound. Scene setting is off the charts with descriptions that are sometimes lyrical, other times gritty and raw. Every story brings something unique, but I must make special mention of Birdie, A Visitation from Mary, Goblins, Gloves, Reincarnate, Siobhan, and The Newquay Train. Wow. Just…WOW!

If you like smart, witty, and riveting fiction, don’t pass this collection by. I can’t recommend it highly enough. The great thing about short stories is you can read a few at a time or many at once. However, you read them, do read them. 5 Walloping, glittery, gargantuan stars!

PURCHASE FROM:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

You can find Frederick’s blog HERE if you’d like to give a looksee as to what else he gets up to. I’m presently enjoying a novel he has been serializing, but he’s hinted there is short fiction around the bend and Crow will return. You have no idea how happy that makes me!

Thanks for checking out this special review today. Given I’ve been badgering Frederick to publish this book, I am more than happy to help promote such a fabulous collection.

Welcome Harmony Kent with Moments #RRBC Author

Posted on March 30, 2017 by Mae Clair

Today I’m happy to welcome Story Empire author, Harmony Kent to my blog. This is her first time appearing here, so I hope you’ll give her a nice welcome as she shares the news of her upcoming release, Moments.

Hello, everyone, Harmony Kent here. Welcome to my book release blog stop at Mae’s place. Today, I’m celebrating the upcoming release of my eighth book! Moments is a collection of short stories and poetry and brings together much of my imagination that has been scattered around for a while, lols. I’d like to take a moment to thank Mae for her support in helping me to promote my newest collection of stories. It comes out on April 14^th, and the preorder links are listed at the end of the post 🙂

About the book:

Come.

Take a moment to delve into tales from the dark side, have fun with fantasy, dabble in dystopia, and court danger in a little science fiction.

These tales touch upon death, grieving, war, fresh starts, hope, courage, change, choices, and encouragement.

And then, after all that, you’ll find the poems.

From the lonely echoes of an empty house to the soaring heights of unexpected love and joy and learning to live as free as clouds and water.

For each of us, a moment encompasses a lifetime and, yet, passes in but the blink of an eye. In but a moment, everything can change. And in this very moment, life beckons in all its potentiality.

When the shadows fall, what will you do?

Excerpt:
(From ‘Twenty-Niner)

The pounding in my skull wakes me. I rather wish it hadn’t. Not much, at least that I can think of, can be worse after a night of over-indulging than waking up next to a stranger.

Unable to recall his name.

Or how we met.

And—perhaps, most important of all

—why he’s dead.

That realisation snaps me out of my hung-over fog. With a groan, I roll onto my side and push myself upright. Once I have my feet on the floor, I prop my elbows on my knees and cradle my head in my hands. Please, please, please tell me that I didn’t do it again.

Is it too much to ask for a normal life? A normal relationship? A normal lifespan?

I pray, dear reader, that you’re not a Twenty-Niner. That your birthday doesn’t fall on the 29^th of February. That you don’t age four times slower than everyone else. Or suck the life out of other folks to do it.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Pre-order from Amazon US or Amazon UK

Author Bio and Links:

Indie Author Harmony Kent is an award winning multi-genre author. Her publications include:

The Battle for Brisingamen (Fantasy Fiction) AIA approved
The Glade (Mystery/Thriller) AIA Approved/BRAG Medallion Honouree / New Apple Literary Awards Official Selection Honours 2015
Elemental Earth (YA Fantasy Fiction)
Polish Your Prose: Essential Editing Tips for Authors (Writing/Editing) New Apple Literary Awards Top Medallist Honours 2015
Finding Katie (Women’s Fiction)
Slices of Soul (Contemporary Poetry)
Interludes (Erotic Romance short stories)
Moments (Short Stories and Poetry)

As well as being an avid reader and writer, Harmony also offers editing, proof reading, manuscript appraisal, and beta reading services. As well as reviewing and supporting her fellow indie authors, Harmony works hard to promote and protect high standards within the indie publishing arena. She is always on the look out for talent and excellence, and will freely promote any authors or books who she feels have these attributes.

For all books available from Harmony, check out her author pages at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Book Trailer videos: Harmony’s trailers.

Website: http://harmonykent.co.uk

Twitter: @harmony_kent https://twitter.com/harmony_kent

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HarmonyKentOnline

RWISA Author Page: https://ravewriters.wordpress.com/meet-the-authors/author-harmony-kent/

The Experimental Notebook of C.S. Boyack II with Lisa Burton #RRBC

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Mae Clair

Guess what, gang? I’ve got a special guest today.

Lisa Burton, robot girl extraordinaire, and the personal assistant of author C. S. Boyack has dropped by to tell us about Craig’s latest book. For those of you who may not know Lisa, she made her debut in Craig’s novel Wild Concept and has been helping him around his writer’s cabin ever since. Lisa is currently on tour for Craig with a jam-packed schedule, so I was delighted to snag one of her stops. Please welcome Lisa as she shares a bit about Craig’s latest book and how it came about.

~ooOOoo~

Thanks for having me back, Mae. It’s great to get away from the writing cabin on occasion. You asked me to talk about the appeal of short stories. I think it’s nice to get a little bit of history behind them.

Short stories were once very popular. They were published in newspapers and magazines, and publishers readily sought them out. Even bigger publishers would put out the occasional anthology or collection.

When newspapers and magazines started to fail, so did short stories. Big publishing wanted novels, and series of novels, more than short fiction. The Internet, and the age of Amazon gave them a new lease on life though.

There have been some great short stories over the course of time. Movies were made, based upon a short story. I remember a great old black and white film called The Oxbow Incident, that said it was based on a short story. And we all know the legs The Legend of Sleepy Hollow took on. The Twilight Zone was really nothing more than short fiction, made for the television screen, and those stories were pretty darned good.

Today, we’ve been trained to read things in 140 characters or less. People want shorter content that respects their time. I don’t think novels will ever die, but short form stuff seems to be gaining in popularity. People can read an entire story during a coffee break.

My author, Craig, has a new collection of short fiction out. It’s called The Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack II. This includes short stories and micro-fiction across a range of speculative genres. There’s a little bit of paranormal, one that passes for fantasy, and some science fiction too. There are two murder tales in there, that aren’t exactly speculative. Craig made sure this book had more stories in it, so those who expect only spec tales can consider these two as free extras.

Book cover for The Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack II is rustic brown with gold alchemy rings

It’s important to Craig that I tell everyone it’s only 99¢. This is to encourage people to take a chance on it. Maybe they haven’t read Craig’s work before, or they would like to check out some short stuff. At this price, they get their money’s worth if even one of the stories clicks for them.

Part of my job as spokesmodel for Craig’s books is traveling around and talking about the stories. Another part involves handing out my posters. We try to make a couple of posters for each book. With a collection, like this one, we have to pick and choose.

This one is from a short story called Career Move. It doesn’t reflect the entire story, but just gives a hint.

Drawing of sexy blond woman in heels on a pier doing a backhanded wave to a sea-serpent that has two men clutched in tentacles. Election signs are sinking in water

We thought it was funny with the big election only a few months away. Your readers should feel free to use it as a background on their PCs, laptops, or whatever.

Thanks again for the invitation. Is there any fun shopping around your neck of the woods?

~ooOOoo~

Shopping! Oh, yes. That’s a girl after my own heart. My husband tells me I consider shopping a sport, LOL.

Lisa, thanks for dropping by and sharing the background on Craig’s book. Gang, I have to tell you I was a beta reader on this collection and it’s a 5-Star gem. I snatched up a copy as soon as it was available. You can find my review on Amazon. I have my favorites (The Last Flight of the Rocket Men, Documentary, Magpies) but the star for me is Holo-Barkers, a short little mirco fic that’s sheer brilliance.

This book is a cabinet of curiosities waiting to be discovered, and at .99c it’s a steal. Go confiscate a copy now!

~ooOOoo~

Purchase The Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack II HERE

Connect with the author at the following haunts:
Blog
Twitter
Goodreads
Facebook
Craig’s books on Amazon

Cover Reveal and Pre-Order: The Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack #Speculative Fiction #MicroFic

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Mae Clair

Wow! You can grab your copy of this book for just $.99 by pre-ordering from Amazon today!

I positively love cover reveals and this one is AWESOME! It was created for C. S. Boyack’s new release, The Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack, by talented designer, author, and blogger Rachel Carrera. I think it’s an fabulous cover for what promises to be an intriguing book of short stories and micro-fic. What a perfect match!

I think the cover speaks to all of the wonderful oddities that surely await within, much like opening a cabinet of curiosities.

BLURB:
A speculative fiction selection of micro-fiction and short stories. These were designed to be short reads for your commute, coffee break, and other times when readers are pressed for time. This book contains a bit of science fiction, some fantasy, and paranormal stories.

And Craig’s personal message: “I’m excited to see short fiction returning in popularity. I hope you will enjoy these stories as much as I did.”

And don’t forget the best part:

You can pre-order your copy of The Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack for just $.99. I’ve already grabbed my copy from Amazon. Snatch yours up here!

Connect with Craig at the Following Haunts:
Blog
Twitter
Goodreads
Find all of Craig’s novels here

Cover Reveal: The Bench by Susan Koenig

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Mae Clair

My friend, Susan Koenig, will soon be releasing a work of short fiction and poetry. I’m happy to participate in her cover reveal for THE BENCH. Wouldn’t you love to be relaxing in this gorgeous setting? Looking at the cover transports me to another place!

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Using in a unique style of storytelling that sets the tone for the book, the first entry tells a bench’s 60 year history in six stanzas of 100 words each.

For the imaginative reader who loves words and appreciates variety, The Bench includes something for everyone whether you’re seeking the powerfully evocative, the unabashedly strange or simply wish to be entertained.

Take a break on a bench, a bus, or anyplace. Relax. Ignite your senses.

You never know whom you’ll meet.

A man might enthrall you with his life story or a thoroughly modern vampire might regale you with his stand up comedy routine.

Cast your eyes to the garden and explore the magical colours of love between a flower and a butterfly.

Better yet, tune into the person standing just outside your peripheral vision reciting poetry and concentrate, you may hear the lingering strands of the last dance, or a symphony in words.

Original, concisely woven storytelling, that at the end allows your mind to conjure up its own images, interpretations and conclusions.

AUTHOR BIO:
I wish to thank all the writers I’ve met online for fueling my addiction.

Susan Koenig started writing fiction when she retired from a boring government job in 2009.

She is an occasional poet and has been featured in a local online literary magazine. Sue is a regular contributor to a monthly Haiku site as well as a consistent participant on a writing challenge which weekly tests her creativity.

In 2012 Sue published a short story, Nineteen Hundred, the prequel to her current novel in progress, The Soul Collector’s Second Chance.

Sue’s home is Southwestern Ontario, Canada, where, when not writing, she and her camera take junkets to explore new ideas for incorporation into her writing.

~ooOOoo~

Watch for upcoming release of THE BENCH on March 1, 2014! In the meantime, you can connect with Susan Koenig at her blog haunt, SassySpeaks