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Things Old and Forgotten

10/10/2021

56 Comments

 
Hello blog friends. I've a treat for you. It's my pleasure to welcome colleague and award-winning author Mae Clair to my site today. Mae is one of the founders of Story Empire, a writers' organization of which I'm proud to be a member. 

Her latest book, Things Old and Forgotten, just hit the Amazon shelves, and all who have read it trumpet its creative genius. I've almost finished the collection of stories, and I'm in awe. I think you will be as well. 

Let's hear from Mae.
​                                                                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Hi, Gwen. Thanks for hosting me today and allowing me to share my newest release with your readers. Things Old and Forgotten is a collection of short fiction that includes stories in several genres—magical realism, fantasy, speculative, even two that touch on mild horror.

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Resurrecting Merlin, one of the stories I’ve included has been rambling around in my head for decades. In various ways it’s influenced some of my longer works, including my current WIP. A story of brothers with a toxic bond, it’s the tale of a man unable to let go of the past or the brother he both loathed and adored. In the excerpt below Alec is speaking to an otherworldly confessor. The first section is set in the present, the second is a memory from his past.
​

EXCERPT:

“When did Sebastian die?” The phantom shifted, stirring the reek of the Netherworld to life.

“I can’t remember.” Alec glanced away, dropping to a seat at the lip of the cave. The .38 dangled from his limp fingers.

“Did you kill him?”

The question opened something black and unholy. He lurched to his feet. “I promised we’d never be separated.” His voice was shrill, combative. He shrank from the tone, confused by the lash of words. “I didn’t kill him.” His gaze strayed to the revolver in his hand, and he blanched. With a curse, he sent it spinning end over end into a tangle of briars. “I didn’t kill him.”

****
The dark-haired boy approaches the coffin. The face framed by white satin is smooth and serene, an angel’s visage graced by a halo of golden hair. The boy hesitates, staring at the face of his brother, the face of his Merlin. He shuffles past, ushered forward by an aunt he hasn’t seen in three years and a cousin he never knew he had. His mother sobs into a lavender handkerchief, streaked black with mascara. He marvels that he should notice this as he takes a seat away from the others. His feet swing above the floor, barely touching.

“Poor child.” His uncle whispers to a woman with auburn hair. “They say he fell from a tree-fort, playing with his brother.”

The dark-haired boy bows his head, secreting a smile. He remembers how thrilling it felt to be the aggressor. How exhilarating to shove Sebastian to the ground. He is thinking of Merlin and trolls when Sebastian’s voice sidles into his head.

“I’m coming back for you, Alec. You swore an oath. You said we’d always be together.”

He lurches to his feet, but no one notices his distress. Hushed conversation continues around him. Jittery, he funnels through the crowd, winding his way to the casket. It is only cold flesh that greets him when he beholds his brother’s still form.

And yet the voice returns, creaking like a rusty seesaw.

“You swore an oath.”

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BOOK BLURB:

A man keeping King Arthur’s dream of Camelot alive.
A Robin Hood battling in a drastically different Sherwood.
A young man facing eternity in the desert.
A genteel southern lady besting a powerful order of genies.
A woman meeting her father decades after his death.

These are but a few of the intriguing tales waiting to be discovered in Things Old and Forgotten. Prepare to be transported to realms of folklore and legend, where magic and wonder linger around every corner, and fantastic possibilities are limited only by imagination.

                                                                     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thanks again for hosting me today, Gwen. In honor of my love for autumn—a fantastic time to curl up with a book--Things Old and Forgotten will be on sale for .99c through October 31st.

PURCHASE LINKS:  Amazon US   Amazon UK

Connect with Mae Clair at BOOKBUB and the following haunts:
Amazon| ​Amazon UK| BookBub| Newsletter Sign-Up
Website | Blog| Twitter| Goodreads| All Social Media
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56 Comments
Harmony Kent link
10/12/2021 03:15:50

I loved this book! Bravo! Great post, Mae. Best of luck with this latest release :)

Gwen, thanks for sharing! :)

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Mae Clair link
10/12/2021 05:44:29

I'm delighted to hear how much you enjoyed the book, Harmony. Thanks so much for letting me know and for the best wishes! :)

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Gwen Plano
10/12/2021 06:29:11

It was a pleasure sharing Mae's latest, Harmony. I finished Things Old and Forgotten last night and will add my 5-star review shortly. Wonderful read!

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Priscilla Bettis link
10/12/2021 04:15:12

Good excerpt. I am enjoying the book. Congratulations to Mae on such a wonderful collection!

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Mae Clair link
10/12/2021 05:44:59

Thanks so much, Priscilla. I'm thrilled to hear you're enjoying the stories!

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Gwen Plano
10/12/2021 06:29:55

Thank you for visiting and commenting, Priscilla. Mae is masterful.

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Pat Garcia link
10/12/2021 04:57:04

Hi Mae,
I think I wrote my comment on the wrong post. I will try to repeat.
Congrats on your new release. I love writing short stories. They are a challenge and a joy. I also love reading them. Alice Munro and Joyce Carol Oates are two of my favourites. So, I look forward to taking the time to sit down to read yours.
All the best.

Hi Gwen,
Thanks for hosting Mae. Please delete my comment that I wrote on the wrong blog post.
All the best.

Shalom aleichem

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Mae Clair link
10/12/2021 05:46:53

Hello, Pat. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I enjoy reading (and writing) short stories as well. I mostly do longer works--novellas, and especially novels, but it was a delight to work in a shorter form. I'm glad to hear you're looking forward to reading my collection and hope you enjoy all the tales. Many thanks!

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Gwen Plano
10/12/2021 06:33:17

Hi, Pat! It is a pleasure hosting Mae, and I hope to be doing the same for you some day. I just finished Mae's book and loved it. Aleichem Shalom

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CS Boyack
10/12/2021 05:04:05

Good to see Mae presented here. I’m currently reading this, and enjoy every tale so far.

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Mae Clair link
10/12/2021 05:47:27

That's awesome to hear, Craig. Many thanks for visiting and letting me know how much you're enjoying the stories!

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Gwen Plano
10/12/2021 06:35:16

I just finished last night and will post my congratulatory review very soon. Thank you, Craig.

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Joan Hall link
10/12/2021 05:05:22

I just finished this book and like all Mae's work, I highly recommend it. Thanks for hosting today, Gwen, and best wishes for success, Mae.

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Mae Clair link
10/12/2021 05:48:07

Thanks for that wonderful comment, Joan. I'm so happy Things Old and Forgotten is being well received!

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Gwen Plano
10/12/2021 06:36:49

Like you, Joan, I finished reading it last night, and I highly recommend it. I'm so happy for Mae. 😊

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Jill link
10/12/2021 05:12:16

Thanks for hosting Mae, Gwen. I'm so happy for her!

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Mae Clair link
10/12/2021 05:48:59

I'm so excited to have a new release out, Jill. It's positively wonderful to have so many supporting the tour. Many thanks!

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Gwen Plano
10/12/2021 06:37:48

Thank you, Jill. I'm so happy for Mae as well.

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Staci Troilo link
10/12/2021 05:37:17

The Arthur and Merlin myth is one that always captivated me. I loved your take on it. Congratulations on a great story and wonderful collection, Mae.

Gwen, thanks for hosting.

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Mae Clair link
10/12/2021 05:50:36

Thanks so much, Staci. I've always been riveted by Arthurian legend. I loved experimenting with that mythology in this collection. I'm so glad those stories stuck with you!

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Gwen Plano
10/12/2021 06:39:45

It's a pleasure hosting, Staci. Thank you for sharing your experience of Things Old and Forgotten. There are several stand-outs in the collection and the whole collection is truly wonderful.

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Mae Clair link
10/12/2021 05:53:02

Gwen, thank you so much for hosting me today. The post is gorgeous and I love the additional graphics you added. What a treat! I'm honored to be here!

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Gwen Plano
10/12/2021 06:40:57

Always a pleasure, Mae. My heartfelt congratulations on Things Old and Forgotten. I finished the collection last night and loved it. 💗

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Mae Clair link
10/12/2021 10:32:08

That has me so happy, Gwen! I love hearing that :)

john howell link
10/12/2021 06:57:18

All the best, Mae. Thanks to Gwen for hosting.

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Gwen Plano
10/12/2021 07:37:23

Thank you for the visit and good wishes, John.

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Mae Clair link
10/12/2021 10:32:52

Many thanks for the well wishes, John. Much appreciated!

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Jan Sikes
10/12/2021 07:36:46

I enjoyed this story and the many others in this eclectic collection! It is such a great example of Mae's amazing storytelling abilities!! Thank you for featuring her today, Gwen. I highly recommend this book!

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Gwen Plano
10/12/2021 07:48:22

It's always a pleasure to feature a New Release, especially that of a friend. Thank you, Jan! I'm looking forward to showcasing your latest as well. 😊

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Mae Clair link
10/12/2021 10:33:43

Thanks so much for adding your thoughts about Things Old and Forgotten, Jan. I so appreciate your enthusiasm. I'm delighted you enjoyed the stories!

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D.l. Finn
10/12/2021 10:10:33

Another great story and excerpt! I did enjoy this read a lot :) Thanks for hosting, Gwen xo

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Mae Clair link
10/12/2021 10:34:28

That is wonderful to hear, Denise. I'm so happy you enjoyed the stories. Thanks for sharing here today!

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Gwen Plano
10/12/2021 10:42:20

Thank you, Denise. It's a pleasure hosting Mae. Like you, I enjoyed her collection very much.

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Judith L Post (Judi Lynn)
10/12/2021 10:15:02

I loved this story. Family can be a curse and a blessing. The "angelic" brother sure screwed with his younger sibling. But all of the stories in your collection were good, Mae. Thanks for featuring her today, Gwen.

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Mae Clair link
10/12/2021 10:35:41

So glad you enjoyed all the tales, Judi. This story started decades ago for one of my local writing groups. I was glad to finally flesh it out and let it see the light of day. Thank you for your wonderful comment and for visiting!

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Gwen Plano
10/12/2021 10:43:48

Thank you, Judi. I read a story, sometimes two, every evening and finished the collection last night. What a great read. 😊

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Jacquie Biggar link
10/12/2021 15:32:31

Eww, creepy! What goes around comes around, I guess, lol.
Looking forward to reading this one, Mae!

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Mae Clair link
10/12/2021 16:17:18

This one does have a bit of a creep factor to it, Jacquie. A smidgen of Halloween reading, LOL.
So glad you're looking forward to the tales. Thanks for visiting with me and Gwen today!

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Gwen Plano
10/13/2021 06:16:32

Thank you for visiting, Jacquie. I've finished the collection and there's a spectrum of genres represented. Delightful read for sure!

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Elizabeth Gauffreau link
10/12/2021 16:22:47

The part of the excerpt in italics sent a chill up my spine . . .

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Gwen Plano
10/12/2021 19:11:11

I felt that same errie chill, Liz. Thank you for visiting. 😊

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Mae Clair link
10/13/2021 06:03:56

LOL! Goal accomplished. Thanks so much, Liz!

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Flossie Benton Rogers link
10/12/2021 18:57:43

Ooh, Mae, this one brings on the chills. Congratulations on a successful release!

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Gwen Plano
10/12/2021 19:12:15

Thank you for visiting, Flossie. I'm so happy for Mae. 😊

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Mae Clair link
10/13/2021 06:04:46

Thank you, Flossie! I'm excited about Things Old and Forgotten. I'm so glad you dropped by to visit!

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Marie link
10/13/2021 02:11:15

Loved this book, and trust me when I say it’s hard to pick a favorite. And Mae is simply lovely. Thanks for featuring her, Gwen!

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Miriam Hurdle link
10/13/2021 03:44:32

Creepy story, Mae!. This excerpt made me feel I want to read the book soon. Thank you for hosting, Gwen!

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Mae Clair link
10/13/2021 06:06:03

That's good to hear, Miriam, LOL! This is one of the two stories in the book that carry a definite creep factor. It's probably one of the oldest, too! :)
Thanks for following along on my tour. Great to see you here!

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Gwen Plano
10/13/2021 06:18:25

Thank you for visiting, Miram. I know you'll love the collection as there's a story for all seasons and interests. I'll be posting my review today. 💗

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Teri Polen link
10/14/2021 15:39:22

I really like this excerpt, Mae - might be my favorite one. Thanks for hosting, Gwen!

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Gwen Plano
10/24/2021 09:35:32

It was a delight to host Mae. Thank you, Teri. And the book -- a great read! All the best to you. 😊

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Yvette M Calleiro link
10/15/2021 16:53:49

Wow! What an excerpt! You had me completely enthralled. Well done, Mae. I look forward to reading more. Thanks for sharing her book with us today, Gwen. :-)

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Gwen Plano
10/24/2021 09:36:42

Thank you, Yvette. Like you, I loved the excerpt -- and the book. It was a great read, with imagess that are hauntingly beautiful. 💗

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mark bierman link
10/17/2021 04:42:25

Mae is an auto buy author for me. I've got this one one the kindle!

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Gwen Plano
10/24/2021 09:37:24

Thank you, Mark. She's a great writer, and I loved this collection of stories. 😊

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