Hi, I’m Mae Clair, brand new to Book Brew, and I’ve just released my third title, a romantic adventure novella, SOLSTICE ISLAND.
I’ve had a love affair with mythical creatures ever since I was a kid. As an adult, that passion spread to include “cryptids” . . . usually considered “monsters” in our modern world.
Cryptids are creatures that may exist but have not been proven to exist. There is even a pseudo-branch of science devoted to their study, known as cryptozoology. Two famous examples of cryptids are the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot.
Can you imagine going on a cryptid hunt with a sexy charter boat captain?
In SOLSTICE ISLAND, my heroine is an amateur cryptozoologist who is searching for a mythical beast known as the Sea Goliath. Her quest takes her to Solstice Island and charter boat captain, Daniel Decatur.
Daniel is all too familiar with cryptozoology, as his parents were noted experts in the field, and were tracking the Sea Goliath when their boat mysteriously vanished nineteen years earlier. He’s reluctant at first, but it isn’t long before Rylie convinces him to aid her in her search for the creature . . . a quest that leads them to the secret treasure of Solstice Island.
Writing this tale allowed me to combine my love of myth and romance. Adding adventure to the mix was a fun and exhilarating experience. I don’t actually see myself hopping on a boat to track down a sea creature with a fondness for gobbling up ships, but I had a blast writing about it.
Here’s a short excerpt to whet your appetite. Rylie has just met Daniel and is attempting to charter his boat, a proposition that isn’t working as well as she’d hoped:
~ooOOoo~
“I’m busy too,” Rylie snapped. “If you don’t want double your usual fee, I’ll find someone who does.”
That stopped him. It was still early in the season. Double would get him off to a good start before the Memorial Day customers kicked in. He could use the upfront cash. Business stood to be less this year thanks to Gus Claremont’s vindictive slander.
Recalling last season’s accident sent a phantom twinge of pain through the deep scar on his back. Best not to think of that now
Grimacing, Daniel shoved the wretched memories aside. He hooked his thumbs into the belt loops of his faded jeans and turned to face the woman on his deck. She stood with her arms crossed, her expression sour. The sunglasses were perched on top of her head now, revealing eyes the color of honey, smoldering with agitation.
“Well?” She didn’t stamp her foot but tapped it restlessly. He had to admit she was cute, despite looking indignant and quarrelsome. Maybe he’d misjudged her. She appeared to have backbone even sporting those oversized Gucci sunglasses.
He shrugged, not wanting to come off as eager. “What are we fishing for?”
“Does it matter?”
“I have to allow for rigging and bait.”
“You won’t need either.”
He frowned. “Look, lady, I’m not a tour boat. If you’re in the market for a sunbathing cruise, Keel Beach isn’t the place.”
“I’m not interested in a tan. I need you to take me to these coordinates.” She pulled a creased slip of paper from her pocket and thrust it at him. “Can you do it or not?”
Daniel unfolded the paper, mentally gauging the location. Something cold and ugly crawled through his gut. “This is Solstice Island.”
~ooOOoo~
I hope I’ve intrigued you enough to hop over to Amazon, where you can purchase SOLSTICE ISLAND for $.99 by clicking here
I enjoyed participating in Book Brew today and am happy to connect at the following haunts:
Twitter (@MaeClair1)
0 Comments