Red Eyes and Winged Beasts #SomethingWickedTour @StoryEmpire

Published on by Joan Hall

Hey, everyone. I am so excited to kick off Story Empire’s Something Wicked Tour. The six Story Empire authors are visiting one another this week to talk about our books. For a complete list of today’s stops, click here.

Today I have the pleasure of hosting the lovely and talented Mae Clair. She’s here to talk about the legend of the Mothman and her book A Thousand Yesteryears. So, without further ado, here’s Mae.

Red Eyes and Winged Beasts

Hi, Joan’s readers! It’s fun to be here today kicking off my first stop of Story Empire’s Something Wicked Blog Tour.

October is a fun time that brings plenty of shivers as we draw closer to Halloween, our mind naturally drawn to things that go bump in the night. Sometimes, however, those things are seen rather than heard.

As an example, I offer one of the first original sightings of the Mothman.

dark road disappearing into the distance at night, trees line either side

On the night of November 16, 1966, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Wamsley, along with Mrs. Marcella Bennett and her baby daughter Teena were on their way to visit Ralph and Virginia Thomas. The Thomas family lived near the TNT, an abandoned WWII munitions site located outside of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. It was on TNT grounds that Roger Scarberry, his wife and friends were chased by a giant winged creature the night before.

When the Wamsley’s and Marcella Bennett arrived at the Thomas home, they discovered Ralph and Virginia were out for the evening. They stayed a short time, chatting with the Thomas’ three children, Rickie, Connie and Vicki, then headed back to their car.

Before they could reach the vehicle, a figure slowly rose from behind it. Marcella Bennett described the thing as being big and gray, larger than a man, “with terrible glowing red eyes.” She was so terrified by the creature she dropped her daughter and froze, hypnotized by what appeared to be a winged, headless being. Raymond Wamsley scooped up the little girl (who was not hurt), snared Marcella and, along with his wife, raced back into the house. They quickly secured and bolted the door.

Within seconds, they heard a noise on the porch. Two red eyes appeared in the window, staring through the glass. The women and children broke into a panic, and Wamsley frantically called the police. By the time the authorities arrived, the creature was gone. It would not, however, be the last time it was seen. Between 1966 and 1967, there were over 100 Mothman sightings.

While writing A Thousand Yesteryears, I had the Wamsley/Beneet sighting in the back of my mind when spinning a plot thread that involves one of my main characters. A house by the TNT, red eyes staring through the windows…they both play into a tragic occurrence that affects the life of Caden Flynn.

To meet Caden, and the other characters who populate my Point Pleasant, I hope you’ll give A Thousand Yesteryears a try. The novel is the first in my Point Pleasant Series but it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone. The book—which New York times Bestselling Author, Kevin O’Brien called “Masterful, bone-chilling fiction…one intense thriller”—is a blend of fact and fiction based on historical events.

Banner ad for A Thousand Yesteryears by Mae Clair features the night sky over an old farmhouse

BLURB:
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…

UNIVERSAL PURCHASE LINK

Connect with Mae Clair at BOOKBUB and the following haunts:

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

bio box for author Mae Clair

48 thoughts on “Red Eyes and Winged Beasts #SomethingWickedTour @StoryEmpire”

  2. Excellent background, Mae. Loved this entire series. You did a fantastic job with the story, characters and setting, the latter being a specific area with which I’m familiar from childhood memories. Enjoyed this one very much.

    Liked by 2 people

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    2. Thanks, P.H. It’s always a huge plus when someone who knows the area compliments the books. I’ve had a number of Point Pleasant residents do the same, and it was such a pleasure. Apparently all that research and the trips I made paid off! 🙂

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    2. That’s so kind of you to say, Jacquie. Thank you!! The creature was first sighted in 1966, but the sightings kept up until the bridge fell in December of 1967. After that–poof!–no more Mothman sightings (queue Twilight Zone theme) 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

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    1. Oh, that’s great to know, Robbie. I appreciate your interest. This series has always been special to me because of the on-location research I did…including visiting the very creepy TNT! Thanks for your wonderful support!

      Liked by 1 person

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  5. Wow, Mae! That is a chilling account of a Mothman sighting! I absolutely LOVED your Point Pleasant series! Each book was one I could not put down. It’s great to see you here, and thanks, Joan for hosting Mae! You gals have fun today!

    Liked by 2 people

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    2. I’m so glad you enjoyed the series, Jan. Thanks so much for dropping by to support me during the Something Wicked tour. Joan is such a wonderful host, and testimonials like yours really make writing worthwhile. {{hugs}}

      Liked by 2 people

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  6. Sounds eerie and page-turning, just the type of novel I enjoy 🙂 It was already on my TBR list and I can’t wait to read it. ☺️

    Liked by 2 people

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    2. Oh, Yay! That has me doing a Snoopy dance, Tessa. I tend to break into them without warning 🙂

      I’m thrilled you like the sound of it, and hope you enjoy the story. I dumped a ton of research into this book, including two trips to the actual locations in the novel, and speaking with some of the locals. It was a wonderful experience.

      Liked by 1 person

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  7. I’ve read the last two books in the series, which were fantastic, but have no idea how I read them out of order. I have this one waiting on my Kindle. I love hearing these true stories – they can really spark some ideas. They sparked a whole series for you, Mae!

    Liked by 2 people

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    2. The stories and history behind the Mothman legend are riveting, Teri. There were so many I came across while researching the history and folklore.A Thousand Yesteryears is the book that started it all. Would you believe it was a NaNo project? I think I was so enraptured with my research, it was fairly easy to rip through that word count 🙂

      When you get a chance to read it, I hope you enjoy the tale. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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  8. I devoured this series. Three books, three days of reading. I couldn’t consume the content fast enough. I adored Caden. Masterfully done, Mae. You know I love cryptids and mysteries. Your blending of fact, fiction, and the foggy area between is brilliant.

    Thanks for hosting, Joan.

    Liked by 2 people

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    2. Such a lovely testimonial. You make me blush 🙂
      Thanks so much for those kind words, and you know I’m thrilled you loved the series. This one has always been special to me, probably because of all the research that went into it. But I also became so attached to the characters, especially Caden. Comments like this make writing worthwhile!

      Liked by 2 people

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  11. Really enjoyed this series, and reading about one of the first sightings of Mothman! Great post! 🙂 ❤

    I'm so far behind after the events of the last two weeks, I'm sharing each of these tour posts before stopping to comment–except this one, because Mae is my PenderPal, and I had to wave at her! *me, waving Mae, with an extra wave for Joan* Good one, ladies! 🙂 ❤

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Woohoo! So glad to have you back online. And I’m honored you’re pausing to comment, my Pender Pal 🙂 Thanks for sharing and following the tour. I think I owe you an email. I have to remember to check that other account, LOL.

      So glad you enjoyed the series!

      Liked by 2 people

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    2. Thank you so much, Priscilla. I really appreciate that compliment!!

      I loved writing the Point Pleasant series and made two trips to the actual locations I used in the book–including the TNT. Which is freaky even in the daylight, LOL.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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