Mae Clair – The Book Diva's Reads

A Thousand Yesteryears (Point Pleasant #1) by Mae Clair
ISBN: 9781601837806 (paperback)
ISBN: 9781601837776 (ebook)
ASIN: B0138NHJ4A (Kindle edition)
Publication date: April 26, 2016
Publisher: Lyrical Underground

Behind a legend lies the truth…

As a child, Eve Parrish lost her father and her best friend, Maggie Flynn, in a tragic bridge collapse. Fifteen years later, she returns to Point Pleasant to settle her deceased aunt’s estate. Though much has changed about the once thriving river community, the ghost of tragedy still weighs heavily on the town, as do rumors and sightings of the Mothman, a local legend. When Eve uncovers startling information about her aunt’s death, that legend is in danger of becoming all too real…

Caden Flynn is one of the few lucky survivors of the bridge collapse but blames himself for coercing his younger sister out that night. He’s carried that guilt for fifteen years, unaware of darker currents haunting the town. It isn’t long before Eve’s arrival unravels an old secret—one that places her and Caden in the crosshairs of a deadly killer…

Point Pleasant, West Virginia was a small idyllic town on the river across from Ohio until tragedy struck before Christmas in 1967. Just weeks before, there were multiple sightings of the presumed supernatural creature known as the Mothman. After the Silver Bridge collapsed and dozens of lives were lost, many in the town felt the Mothman was a sign of the coming disaster. Eve Parrish was only a child and her entire life was turned upside down, losing her best friend and father in the collapse. After the burials, Eve’s mother quickly moved them to Pennsylvania. Eve and her mother never even returned to visit Eve’s paternal aunt or check on the status of the Parrish Hotel. Eve returns to Point Pleasant after her aunt’s death with the goal of selling the Parrish family home and the hotel. Her return coincides with new sightings of the Mothman and several murders. Her family’s home is vandalized and she’s not sure where to turn. Fortunately, her best friend’s brothers are still in town. Maggie had a crush on Caden Flynn as a child and finds herself still attracted to him as an adult. Caden resigned from the local sheriff’s department and now works as a contractor. He’s quickly hired by Eve to repair the Parrish family home. This once idyllic town is now devastated by the loss of a riverboat manufacturer and highway construction that seems to have left the town behind. Eve naturally turns to Caden to help work out what happened to her family’s home and uncover the secrets left behind by her aunt. Along the way she also uncovers Caden’s secrets. Is it possible for Eve and Caden to uncover the whole truth and past secrets, no matter where it might lead?

I found A Thousand Yesteryears to be a fast-paced read. Ms. Clair blends elements of the supernatural, paranormal, folk legend, suspense, and a bit of romance. There’s a lot more going on in this story than just the repairs to the Parrish home and a return home. There are bad guys, worse guys, and secrets people are willing to kill to protect. There’s also tons of family angst and drama with both the Parrish and Flynn families. As a West Virginia native, I’m always interested in reading stories set in West Virginia or written by West Virginians. The Mothman legend is viewed by some as the local equivalent of the Loch Ness monster and by others, as just a folk legend told to keep wary kids out of certain areas. Is there any truth to the Mothman stories? I don’t know but A Thousand Yesteryears provided a nice twist to this local legend and tied it, as many locals did, to the tragic Silver Bridge collapse. A Thousand Yesteryears is the first book in the Point Pleasant series by Ms. Clair and the second book, A Cold Tomorrow is set to release in December 2016. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series so I can find out what happens next.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. I was not paid, required, or otherwise obligated to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Read an excerpt:

“The phone might be on the fritz,” Eve said as she carried Doreen Sue’s glass to the sink. “I’ve been getting a lot of strange calls with screeches and clicks. I had the phone company check it out, but they couldn’t find anything wrong with the line.” Whatever their verdict, she still wasn’t convinced the odd calls weren’t the fault of an electronic malfunction.

“Screeches and clicks?” Doreen Sue paused mid-dial, pressing the receiver to her chest. “I’ve heard that happens sometimes when a family member dies.”

Eve rinsed the glass with water, then set it in the drain board to be washed later. Something cold slithered down her back. “Excuse me?”

“Your Aunt Rosie.” Doreen Sue bobbed her head as if the answer was obvious. “She might be trying to communicate with you.”

Eve started to laugh, then quelled the instinctive reaction when she noted Doreen Sue’s expression. The woman wasn’t joking.

“Spirits often try to converse through electricity and everyday instruments like TVs, lights, and phones. I know it sounds silly, but I follow all of that stuff…horoscopes, psychics, UFO theories.” A wave of her hand said she took only half of it seriously. “I’ve seen some strange things around here, especially by the TNT. I’ve never seen the Mothman, but I remember reading an article about a medium who was convinced her dead husband tried to communicate with her through phone calls. She heard things like amplifier feedback, insect noises, and strange clicks whenever she answered the phone.”

Eve felt her face drain of color. After talking to a disembodied “thing” in an igloo at the TNT, she should have no problem believing her dead aunt was reaching out to her. She’d sat in the living room only days after arriving and voiced that wish aloud. Aunt Rosie, I wish I understood what was going on. I wish there was some way you could talk to me. The phone calls had started not long afterward. Fluke or answer to her request?

Meet the author:

Mae Clair has been chasing myth, monsters, and folklore through research and reading since she was a child. In 2013 and 2015, she journeyed to West Virginia to learn more about the legendary Mothman, a creature who factors into her latest release.

Mae pens tales of mystery and suspense with a touch of romance. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and numbers cats, history and exploring old graveyards among her passions.

Look for Mae on her website at MaeClair.net.

Connect with the author: Website | Twitter | Google+ | Facebook

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A Cold Tomorrow (Point Pleasant #2) by Mae Clair
ISBN: 9781601837813 (paperback)
ISBN: 9781601837783 (ebook)
ASIN: B01DHWAC4G (Kindle edition)
Publication date: December 20, 2016
Publisher: Lyrical Underground

Where secrets make their home…

Stopping to help a motorist in trouble, Katie Lynch stumbles upon a mystery as elusive as the Mothman legend that haunts her hometown of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Could the coded message she finds herald an extraterrestrial visitor? According to locals, it wouldn’t be the first time. And what sense should she make of her young son’s sudden spate of bizarre drawings—and his claim of a late-night visitation? Determined to uncover the truth, Katie only breaks the surface when a new threat erupts. Suddenly her long-gone ex-boyfriend is back and it’s as if he’s under someone else’s control. Not only is he half-crazed, he’s intent on murder…

As a sergeant in the sheriff’s office of the famously uncanny Point Pleasant, Officer Ryan Flynn has learned to tolerate reports of puzzling paranormal events. But single mom Katie Lynch appears to be in very real danger—and somehow Ryan’s own brother, Caden, is caught up in the madness, too. What the skeptical lawman discovers astounds him—and sends him into action. For stopping whatever evil forces are at play may just keep Katie and Caden alive…

Author Mae Clair returns to Point Pleasant, West Virginia in the second book of her Point Pleasant series, A Cold Tomorrow. To some in Point Pleasant, Katie Lynch had a difficult childhood. She and her sister were raised by a single-mother that most people think enjoyed the company of men a little too much. Katie knew that her mother was a hard-working business owner and someone that always provided nutritious meals for her daughters and tried to provide all that they needed, if not wanted. When Katie’s older sister disappeared, most people assumed that she was “wild” and had run away. Now everyone knows that Wendy Lynch had been brutally murdered and buried outside of town all those years ago. Now a single mother herself, Katie is interested in providing a loving and stable home for her son, Sam, working hard at the Parrish Hotel, and growing her friendships with Eve Parrish and Sarah Sherman. Just when Katie thinks things are starting to settle down in Point Pleasant, she comes across a local conspiracy theorist in his car on the side of the road exhibiting very strange behavior. Afterward, she realizes she can’t describe the officer that came upon the scene and the name she remembers isn’t the name of any officer on any local police force. Adding to Katie’s sense of unease, her ex-boyfriend has been spotted in town and is apparently out to get Officer Flynn, and her son’s behavior is a bit strange and oddly familiar after he sees a “green cloud.” If that’s not enough, there are animals being found with strange deaths, the Mothman has been seen again, a local killer has disappeared from a closed room in a local mental facility, and a strange “man in black” is in town. What, if anything, ties these events together? Will Katie and Ryan Flynn be able to uncover the answers before something tragic occurs?

I found A Cold Tomorrow to be a fast-paced and intriguing read. If anything, Ms. Clair has raised the intrigue-quotient and paranormal-factor with this book. There’s a lot more suspense, paranormal thrills and chills, and I can’t wait for the next installment. I like that we get to see the continuing relationship between Eve and Caden, as well as watch the burgeoning relationship between Katie and Ryan. Ms. Clair has provided us with more information on the origin of the Mothman and the men in black (no, I won’t tell you any more about either, read the book!). As I’ve previously stated, as a West Virginia native I’m always on the lookout for books set in West Virginia or written by West Virginians to read and this series has provided hours of pleasure. I’ve enjoyed reading about this real town and folk legend, combined with the fictional lives and events in these stories. If you enjoy paranormal romantic-suspense (with an emphasis on the paranormal) then you’ll definitely want to read A Thousand Yesteryears and A Cold Tomorrow. If you’ve already read A Thousand Yesteryears, then I urge you to grab a copy of A Cold Tomorrow to read. My only regret with this series is that I have to wait until the Summer of 2017 for the third installment, A Desolate Hour, to find out what happens next.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes via NetGalley. I was not paid, required, or otherwise obligated to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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