Need a Little Magic in Your Life?

~ Judi Lynn

It’s October, time to reach for stories with a little magic, and one of my favorite authors (both as a writer and as a blog friend) wrote a collection of short stories that I grabbed the minute the book came out. Mae Clair’s writing has a certain elegance I admire. I’m happy she agreed to visit my blog today to tell you about THINGS OLD AND FORGOTTEN. Take it away, Mae!

Hi, Judi! Many thanks for hosting me today and allowing me to share my newest release with your readers. Although my preferred genre as an author is mystery and suspense, most of my work includes an element of myth, the supernatural, or a beastie from urban legend. With Things Old and Forgotten, I’ve chosen to focus on magical realism, fantasy, and yes—creatures of myth and the paranormal.

The title relates to various elements of the book, including unique spins on the legends of King Arthur, Robin Hood, and Taliesin. Tales harken back to the day (erm, decade) when I wrote fantasy, speculative fiction, and magical realism almost exclusively. You’ll discover redemption in the desert, a man in need of a ghost confessor, courage when facing a deadly leviathan, and a sorcerer whose power wanes with the dawn.

The title of the book comes from a poem I wrote many years (erm, decades) ago which explored my love for things old and forgotten—a passion I’ve had since childhood. I won’t repeat the entire poem here, just these few verses.

If I build a mountain from memories alone,
there is no Phoenix to rise from the pyre,
no rebirth of vision on Icarus’s wings,
nothing to recall Camelot’s fire.

Taliesin sang in the halls of kings,
Tristan waited for a sail of white,
Merlin played our hearts like strings,
but Arthur held the candle’s light.

Beneath the moon the fen lies barren,
Taliesin’s ballads forever survive,
the bard weaves magic in ancient tales,
keeping things old and forgotten, forever alive.

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.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

As with any collection of short fiction, selecting a few stories here and there is perfect for a lunchbreak or coffee time. And don’t forget relaxing with a glass of wine in the evening or a short tale to wind down the day. 

Thanks again for hosting me Judi. 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. Thank you again for helping me celebrate today.

US
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HP4Q6QC/r 

UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09HP4Q6QC/ 

Connect with Mae Clair at BOOKBUB and the following haunts:

Amazon| BookBub| Newsletter Sign-Up
Website | Blog| Twitter| Goodreads| All Social Media

Published by Judi Lynn

https://writingmusings.wordpress.com/ http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5023544.Judith_Post @judypost on twitter Author Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JudiLynnwrites https://www.bookbub.com/authors/judi-lynn

46 thoughts on “Need a Little Magic in Your Life?”

    1. Joan, I remember another writer once telling me (waaaay back in the day) that poem only made sense if the reader understood the folklore I was referring to. Probably why I tucked it away and forgot about it. I like to think it was kismet that it languished all this time, waiting to give its name to my short story collection, Things Old and Forgotten.

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thanks, Priscilla. I can’t tell you how many titles I considered and discarded. Nothing seemed to fit, and then I remembered that old poem. A match made in heaven, LOL!

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  5. Congratulations, Mae, and thank you, Judi, for hosting. I loved the collection of stories and Mae’s poem is beautiful – forever alive. YES! 😊

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    1. Thanks, Jan. The poem is ancient, but many of the stories are old tales, too. The title just seemed the perfect fit when it came time to name the collection. I just love legends and “things old and forgotten.”

      Liked by 1 person

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  8. I love where the title came from and the poem to go with it! Very fitting for the book and I’d enjoy reading the whole poem 🙂
    Thanks for hosting, Judi!

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Thanks so much, Denise. The original poem was fairly lengthy and a bit unwieldy. Another writer once told me it only made sense to someone who understood the various legends and myths I addressed in the poem. Pfff, right? 😀

      I really liked these three verses because they addressed several of the characters I used in my stories.

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  10. Okay, I already know how much I’m enjoying this beautiful book, Mae, but now I’m longing to read more of your poetry, too. I LOVE those lines you included above! And I am going to read more of Things Old and Forgotten tonight, no matter how tired I am at the end of the day! I’m dying to get back to it!

    For anyone who hasn’t already gotten this one, you really owe it to yourself to grab it right away. Mae has always had a way with words that pulls me into her books, but this one just might be the most beautifully written to date. And that would be saying a LOT, believe me!

    Judi, thanks for hosting Mae today, and Mae, another great stop on your tour. Still wishing you HUGE success with this one. You’ve earned it! 🤗💖

    Liked by 2 people

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    2. Marcia, I love your comments, even if they make me blush, LOL. You have no idea how thrilled I am that you’re enjoying this one so much. Between the form being short stories, and the tales falling in genres different than what I normally write, I wasn’t sure how the collection would go over. Comments like this have me thinking maybe I’ll visit these genres again. THANK YOU!

      Liked by 2 people

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      1. I definitely think you should have a Things Still Old and Forgotten in your future. You have a gift for short stories, for sure. (Heck, I can’t even write short BLOG comments! 😂) I’d definitely be first in line to grab another anthology. And I’m glad my being honest about it makes you blush! 😄

        Liked by 2 people

  11. My pleasure, Judi, and btw, I just moved books 1 and 2 of your Muddy River series UP on my Kindle. Here’s hoping I can get back into my normal mode of reading every single night again. (And during lunch and/or the occasional afternoon break.) I have so many good books calling me!! 😄

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      2. I’m looking forward to enjoying it, Mae, and I’ll have you to thank for reminding me it was HIGH TIME to read it, too!! I get so many books on my Kindle, I sometimes forget about them, and this is one I definitely wanted to get into. 🙂 It’s up front again, yay!

        Liked by 2 people

      1. Thanks, Judi! I’m so glad you enjoyed the book, and appreciated just how twisted that character really was. He was a lot of fun to write. And thanks for the BookBub recommendation, too! I really appreciate that! 😊

        Liked by 2 people

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