Halloween and Old Houses by Mae Clair
My thanks to Gemma for allowing me to take over her blog today. I’m excited to be here with my romantic suspense/mystery novel, MYTH AND MAGIC, which is currently on sale for $.99. This is a story set at an old lodge with an infamous past. It includes a strong Halloween theme which (as a writer) was a lot of fun to play around with.
I thought for this post, I’d take a lot at:
13 Reasons Why I Love Old Houses
1. They have character and are usually enhanced by yesteryear touches like imposing staircases, “keeping cupboards,” massive hearths, window seats, and wide plank wooden floors (to name a few).
2. Old houses evoke a sense of history and the whimsy of days gone by.
3. Many come with legends attached—perfect for sleuthing into shadowy occurrences that still haunt the present.
4. They’re an ideal setting for mysteries with their creaking floorboards, winding staircases, and towering windows.
5. As a child, I lived in an “old” house for a short time and have fond memories of exploring its many nooks and crannies.
6. When writing a novel, it’s easy to tuck a secret passage into an old home for the hero or heroine to find.
7. Many times old homes are nestled in secluded settings, adding to their aura of mystery.
8. Written into a novel, and old home can easily become a character itself, embellished with personality.
9. Old homes, rumors of hauntings, and Halloween naturally go together.
10. I work in real estate and have personally visited many old homes, some dating back to the 1700s. I’m always transported to another time whenever I step inside an older property, wondering about the people who lived there and the events that took place.
11. Snap a photo in an old home and you may discover “orbs” floating in the photograph. Spooky!
12. If old houses could speak, think of the tales they could tell!
13. An old home, complete with an infamous legend in its past, became the perfect setting for my Halloween-themed, romantic suspense novel, MYTH AND MAGIC.
My thanks to Gemma for allowing me to take over her blog today. I’m excited to be here with my romantic suspense/mystery novel, MYTH AND MAGIC, which is currently on sale for $.99. This is a story set at an old lodge with an infamous past. It includes a strong Halloween theme which (as a writer) was a lot of fun to play around with.
I thought for this post, I’d take a lot at:
13 Reasons Why I Love Old Houses
1. They have character and are usually enhanced by yesteryear touches like imposing staircases, “keeping cupboards,” massive hearths, window seats, and wide plank wooden floors (to name a few).
2. Old houses evoke a sense of history and the whimsy of days gone by.
3. Many come with legends attached—perfect for sleuthing into shadowy occurrences that still haunt the present.
4. They’re an ideal setting for mysteries with their creaking floorboards, winding staircases, and towering windows.
5. As a child, I lived in an “old” house for a short time and have fond memories of exploring its many nooks and crannies.
6. When writing a novel, it’s easy to tuck a secret passage into an old home for the hero or heroine to find.
7. Many times old homes are nestled in secluded settings, adding to their aura of mystery.
8. Written into a novel, and old home can easily become a character itself, embellished with personality.
9. Old homes, rumors of hauntings, and Halloween naturally go together.
10. I work in real estate and have personally visited many old homes, some dating back to the 1700s. I’m always transported to another time whenever I step inside an older property, wondering about the people who lived there and the events that took place.
11. Snap a photo in an old home and you may discover “orbs” floating in the photograph. Spooky!
12. If old houses could speak, think of the tales they could tell!
13. An old home, complete with an infamous legend in its past, became the perfect setting for my Halloween-themed, romantic suspense novel, MYTH AND MAGIC.
Ooh, Mae, those are great reasons. I have a halloween story coming out soon and the house did become a character in the book. Creating stories around 'unusual' occurrences is fun. And I'm with you on the nooks, crannies, and secret hidden passages or compartments. You did it so well with the Stone Willow Lodge. I loved the history you wove into the book about the lodge.
Keep reading for a little more about about Mae's new book, Myth and Magic
Blurb for Myth and Magic:
AS CHILDREN THEY PLAYED GAMES OF MYTH AND MAGIC…
Veronica Kent fell in love with Caith Breckwood when they were children. As a teenager, she was certain he was the man she was destined to marry. But a traumatic event from Caith's past led him to fear a future together. He left Veronica, hoping to save her from a terrible fate. Twelve years later, Caith, now a P.I., is hired to investigate bizarre incidents at the secluded retreat Veronica manages. Returning to his hometown, Caith is forced to face his nightmares—and his feelings for the woman he’s always loved.
THEN ONE DAY THE MONSTERS BECAME REAL.
After the callous way Caith broke her heart, Veronica isn’t thrilled to see him again. But strange occurrences have taken a dangerous toll on business at Stone Willow Lodge. Forced to work together, Veronica discovers it isn’t ghostly apparitions that frighten her, but her passion for a man she has never forgotten. Or forgiven. Can two people with a tarnished past unearth a magical future?
Excerpt:
Veronica suppressed a chill. The familiar creaks and groans of the old lodge had stopped, replaced by unnatural stillness. She felt trapped, confined behind her desk, a target for a faceless assailant lurking outside. The hair prickled on the nape of her neck, sending a string of goose bumps down her arms. Crossing to the door, she held her breath then paused on the threshold, listening for telltale signs of intrusion.
Some creep’s playing a game. He probably saw Kelly’s article and thought it would be fun to scare me.
It was working.
Before the incident with the dog, Stone Willow’s cook, had sworn she’d seen the ghost of Warren Barrister standing on the basement stairs. Veronica had heard eerie sobbing during a routine check of the vacant third floor two days earlier. Whether the occurrences were supernatural or contrived, they were mounting and unquestionably spooky.
Forcing herself to stay calm, she crept down the hallway, her tread light by nature. As a child, Merlin had compared her to a fairy queen, saying she looked the part with honey-kissed hair and green eyes. They’d been enraptured by myth and magic in those days, unaware there were real monsters in the world. Monsters like the men who’d murdered Trask and destroyed Caith’s life.
Shaking the memories aside, she stepped into the lobby. All looked as it should be. The back of the check-in desk was visible, webbed in patches of velvety shadow. Towering glass windows hugged a cathedral ceiling, crisscrossed by thick wooden beams.
I left something in the fireplace, the caller had said.
Veronica hugged the collar of her bulky green sweater closer and padded across the waxed floor toward the stone hearth. She was still several feet away when her mind processed the sight.
A charred, cracked lump, broken by knobby protrusions of white, burned on top of the stacked logs. Something popped with the sound of cooking meat.
Choking on terror, she stumbled backward with a scream.
A severed human hand was swaddled within the dancing flames.
~ooOOoo~
AS CHILDREN THEY PLAYED GAMES OF MYTH AND MAGIC…
Veronica Kent fell in love with Caith Breckwood when they were children. As a teenager, she was certain he was the man she was destined to marry. But a traumatic event from Caith's past led him to fear a future together. He left Veronica, hoping to save her from a terrible fate. Twelve years later, Caith, now a P.I., is hired to investigate bizarre incidents at the secluded retreat Veronica manages. Returning to his hometown, Caith is forced to face his nightmares—and his feelings for the woman he’s always loved.
THEN ONE DAY THE MONSTERS BECAME REAL.
After the callous way Caith broke her heart, Veronica isn’t thrilled to see him again. But strange occurrences have taken a dangerous toll on business at Stone Willow Lodge. Forced to work together, Veronica discovers it isn’t ghostly apparitions that frighten her, but her passion for a man she has never forgotten. Or forgiven. Can two people with a tarnished past unearth a magical future?
Excerpt:
Veronica suppressed a chill. The familiar creaks and groans of the old lodge had stopped, replaced by unnatural stillness. She felt trapped, confined behind her desk, a target for a faceless assailant lurking outside. The hair prickled on the nape of her neck, sending a string of goose bumps down her arms. Crossing to the door, she held her breath then paused on the threshold, listening for telltale signs of intrusion.
Some creep’s playing a game. He probably saw Kelly’s article and thought it would be fun to scare me.
It was working.
Before the incident with the dog, Stone Willow’s cook, had sworn she’d seen the ghost of Warren Barrister standing on the basement stairs. Veronica had heard eerie sobbing during a routine check of the vacant third floor two days earlier. Whether the occurrences were supernatural or contrived, they were mounting and unquestionably spooky.
Forcing herself to stay calm, she crept down the hallway, her tread light by nature. As a child, Merlin had compared her to a fairy queen, saying she looked the part with honey-kissed hair and green eyes. They’d been enraptured by myth and magic in those days, unaware there were real monsters in the world. Monsters like the men who’d murdered Trask and destroyed Caith’s life.
Shaking the memories aside, she stepped into the lobby. All looked as it should be. The back of the check-in desk was visible, webbed in patches of velvety shadow. Towering glass windows hugged a cathedral ceiling, crisscrossed by thick wooden beams.
I left something in the fireplace, the caller had said.
Veronica hugged the collar of her bulky green sweater closer and padded across the waxed floor toward the stone hearth. She was still several feet away when her mind processed the sight.
A charred, cracked lump, broken by knobby protrusions of white, burned on top of the stacked logs. Something popped with the sound of cooking meat.
Choking on terror, she stumbled backward with a scream.
A severed human hand was swaddled within the dancing flames.
~ooOOoo~
Buy Links for MYTH AND MAGIC…Just $.99 through 11/4/2015
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
iTunes
Kensington Publishing
Google
All Romance eBooks
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
iTunes
Kensington Publishing
All Romance eBooks
Mae Clair Bio
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.
Mae loves creating character-driven fiction in settings that vary from contemporary to mythical. Wherever her pen takes her, she flavors her stories with mystery and romance. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate about cryptozoology, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail and cats.
You can find Mae Clair at the following haunts:
Website
Blog
Twitter (@MaeClair1)
Google+
Facebook Author Page
Amazon Author Page
Kensington Books Author Page
Goodreads
Pinterest
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.
Mae loves creating character-driven fiction in settings that vary from contemporary to mythical. Wherever her pen takes her, she flavors her stories with mystery and romance. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate about cryptozoology, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail and cats.
You can find Mae Clair at the following haunts:
Website
Blog
Twitter (@MaeClair1)
Google+
Facebook Author Page
Amazon Author Page
Kensington Books Author Page
Goodreads
RSS Feed
