Fantasy Authors Unplugged Featuring Mae Clair & Cusp of Night

My guest today in the Fantasy Authors Unplugged feature is author Mae Clair with her new book, Cusp of Night, which I’m also reading this week. Take it away, Mae!

Ghosts, Monsters and Myth: Cusp of Night by Mae Clair

I’m jazzed to be here today, sharing my latest release, Cusp of Night. A story with a past and present timelines, Cusp blends the Spiritualist movement of the 19th Century with a modern day thread that touches on ghosts and urban legend.

 

Ghost in Haunted House,Mysterious Woman in White Dress Standing in Abandon Building,Horror Background For Halloween Concept and Book Cover Ideas

 

I’m a huge fan of creatures and things that go bump-in-the-night. In 2013 and 2014, I took two trips to research the Mothman, a cryptid that featured into my POINT PLEASANT SERIES. For my HODE’S HILL SERIES, I needed a new creature. Rather than use an existing monster from folklore, I decided to create my own. I’ve always been fascinated by Spring Heeled Jack and borrowed elements such as leaping fences and scrambling over rooftops to create “the Fiend.”

In the history of Hode’s Hill, the Fiend is responsible for several horrific murders in the late 1800s. The creature’s body was never found. Its legend has morphed into the stuff of urban myth. In the present, the town honors the past with an annual Fiend Fest in which contestants dress in costume, hoping to achieve the top prize.

My main character, Maya Sinclair, is on her way home from the Fiend Fest when she witnesses an assault on the patriarch of the town’s leading family. Is the assailant someone dressed in Fiend attire, or the creature returned from the shadows to wreak vengeance?

Cusp of Night is a blending of past and present, dual plotlines which converge in the legend of the Fiend—and restless ghosts the centuries have been unable to disperse.

Ghosts, monsters and myth. Here’s the blurb:

Forli, Emilia Romagna, Italy: narrow dark alley in the old town – ancient Italian street at night with lampposts and cobbled pavement

BLURB

Recently settled in Hode’s Hill, Pennsylvania, Maya Sinclair is enthralled by the town’s folklore, especially the legend about a centuries-old monster. A devil-like creature with uncanny abilities responsible for several horrific murders, the Fiend has evolved into the stuff of urban myth. But the past lives again when Maya witnesses an assault during the annual “Fiend Fest.” The victim is developer Leland Hode, patriarch of the town’s most powerful family, and he was attacked by someone dressed like the Fiend.

Compelled to discover who is behind the attack and why, Maya uncovers a shortlist of enemies of the Hode clan. The mystery deepens when she finds the journal of a late nineteenth-century spiritualist who once lived in Maya’s house–a woman whose ghost may still linger.

Known as the Blue Lady of Hode’s Hill due to a genetic condition, Lucinda Glass vanished without a trace and was believed to be one of the Fiend’s tragic victims. The disappearance of a young couple, combined with more sightings of the monster, trigger Maya to join forces with Leland’s son Collin. But the closer she gets to unearthing the truth, the closer she comes to a hidden world of twisted secrets, insanity, and evil that refuses to die . . .

PURCHASE HERE

You can find Mae Clair at the following haunts:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Newsletter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Other Social Links

 

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34 comments

  3. Reblogged this on From the Pen of Mae Clair and commented:
    Today, I’m also a guest at P.H. Solomon’s blog for his Fantasy Authors Unplugged features. I’ve got a short post about the inspiration for my creature in Cusp of Night. If you get a chance as you’re roaming the blogosphere, give it a looksee. And check out P.H.’s wonderful Bow of Hart saga while you’re there. I’ve read the entire trilogy and highly recommend it for anyone who loves epic fantasy!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. That’s so good to hear, Teri. I wrote 18 separate posts for the tour in an attempt to make each one different. It was a lot of work, but I actually enjoyed doing it and exploring all those different facets of the book and the research behind it!

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

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