WELCOME TO MISS MAE

SAID THE SPIDER TO THE FLY

Available Feb. 4, 2009 in ebook and in print March 20.

A pre-release review from Cheri Jetton of Novel Editions

gives this story a four-star rating.

HL: I’m thrilled to welcome back to my Blog the talented Miss Mae. Miss Mae has already achieved great success with her wonderful romantic suspense ‘See No Evil My Pretty Lady, which was an intriguing twist on the Jack The Ripper story and an exciting and romantic tale in its own right, but today I am nearly as excited as she is because her long awaited second book ‘Said The Spider To The Fly is released today!


For those of you not familiar with the delightful Miss Mae, here’s a little bit about her.

Ms. Thomas enjoys writing humor and non-fiction articles. The Front Porch Magazine, Good Old Days, and WritersWeekly are a few of the publications where her work can be found. Under the pen name of Miss Mae, the Pure Southern Genteel author, her first book, “See No Evil, My Pretty Lady”, published by http://www.thewildrosepress.com/, earned highly acclaimed reviews and won the Find a Great Romance ‘Reader’s Pick of the Month’ award. MyShelf.com has listed, “See No Evil, My Pretty Lady” in their Top Ten Reads of 2008. With her experience as a best selling romance novelist, she’s headed a critique group for aspiring writers. Her second book, “Said the Spider to the Fly” by the same publisher, and “It’s Elementary, My Dear Winifred” by Class Act Books are both 2009 releases.

Congratulations on your release, Miss Mae, Perhaps we should give the readers a little taster first, with the ‘backpage blurb’!


MM: Mona Murphy returns to Copper Springs to attend her grandfather’s memorial service. His passing appeared ordinary enough—the official report stated he’d tripped and fallen down the staircase. Yet Preston Hitchcock, the insurance agent who’d sold a half million dollar policy to Mona’s grandfather days before the old man died, isn’t convinced, especially when bloody towels are discovered in the backyard.

And that’s only the beginning. Who is the hit-and-run driver who attempts to run Mona down? Why is her old boyfriend more ardent for her affections now than ever before? And why is Mona helpless to guard her heart from the devastating influence of Preston’s practiced lady-killer smiles?

Secrets Mona never knew existed in Copper Springs become exposed. But none is so revealing as the one she fights to hide—and the very one that might save her life.


HL: Oooh that Preston is quite a hunk! And what an exciting blurb, How could one resist not wanting to delve into the pages? Right let’s dive in and read an excerpt then!


“Ah.” Preston inhaled an appreciative sniff. “Strong coffee and warm doughnuts. What could be better?”


“Nothing at the moment,” she agreed, stepping beside him to the counter. After he paid for their order, Preston extended his hand to receive change from the cashier. A five-dollar bill slipped off his palm, fluttering to the floor. Mona bent and retrieved it, then paused, rubbing the currency between her fingers.


“Something wrong?” Preston threw her a sharp glance.


“No. Nothing.” She shrugged against the curious look the cashier gave her.


Folding the fiver, Preston stuffed it in a shirt pocket, a speculative expression in his eyes. “You sure?”


“Hey, I know you.” Recognition rang in the cashier’s voice. “Yeah. You’re the girl that helped a bunch of us find Terri Smith’s lost cat. We never figured out how you knew it was stuck in a drainpipe on Jeff Toombs’ property.” She flashed a toothy grin. “We reckoned you must have had a spiritual connection with the cat. You know, like a psychic or something.”


“Sorry, but you’re mistaken.” Mona twisted on her heel and strode to an empty table. She kept her gaze lowered as Preston settled the tray before her. The edge of his coat grazed her knees when he sat down, his broad-shouldered frame blocking the view of the cashier. Trying to ignore the goose pimples that swam down her arms, Mona stirred her coffee, catching the whispers that floated through the air.


“…I know that’s her…”


“…no one could find that cat, but she led us straight to it…”


“…heard say that she gets premonitions…”


How can she remember me? It was years ago.


People don’t forget, Mona.


She rubbed her forehead with cold fingers, fighting the urge to jump to her feet and rush away into the night. Preston’s chair squeaked as he distributed his weight evenly. Laying the Fedora on the tabletop with one hand, he reached for a sweet roll with the other.


“These doughnuts are almost sinful, but I can’t resist.” Icing oozed down his scarred fingers, and one by one, he raised them to his mouth, his tongue licking the sticky mess. Then he sank his teeth into the pastry, tearing off a large bite. He winked at Mona, speaking between sugar-glazed lips. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for these babies.”


“Don’t apologize. Enjoy.” Picking up a plastic fork, she cut her doughnut into small pieces. Preston chuckled. “It stands to reason that a gal who makes coffee wearing jeans and heels would eat a doughnut with a fork.”


“You have a problem with that, mister?” Her gaze lingered on a crumb stuck to the corner of his mouth. Without thinking, she reached over to brush it off, her thumb stroking his bottom lip. The contact sizzled a sensation so sharply pleasurable that she gasped.


HL: That’s really got me wanting to read more, Miss Mae – and I gather you’ve already had a rave review – I know Miss Mae’s a bit shy so I’ll just copy a bit of it here, shall I!


“Ms. Jetton, of Novel Editions says: “…This author has a marvelous sense of timing which keeps you turning pages even when the hour grows late…Miss Mae is definitely a writer to watch…”


You can read the whole review here:

http://noveleditions.com/noveleditions/?p=276


Wow, it’s great to receive a review like that, before the book was even published, isn’t it! Tell us what else you have in store for us, Miss Mae.


MM: “It’s Elementary, My Dear Winifred” is due to be released from Class Act Books, in April 2009


Here’s the Unedited Blurb:

Schoolmarm Winifred Merryweather guards her identity as the daughter of one of London's most notorious villains. Separating her life from his, she spends her lonely existence with her cat, Theodore, and meeting twice monthly at the estate of Lord Nelson Chatham, head of the local reading club. Losing herself in the pages of an absorbing mystery story tickles a delicious chill down Winifred's spine -- until the day that she and her group are forced to live through one.

Enter Remington Hawthorne, a newspaper reporter whose flirtatious charms thaw Winifred’s icy reserve. Thrown together in the midst of a chaotic adventure, can they complete the meaning of the clues before the tale reaches the page that reads, ‘The End’?


HL: That sounds fantastic Miss Mae can’t wait for the release of that one too! I know you’re quite a busy lady on the web, where can the readers expect to find you next?


MM: Feb. 10, I am scheduled for an all day Romance Party at Brenda Williams Yahoo Group. Join me—to keep me company!—and to learn more about “Said the Spider to the Fly”, read excerpts from “It’s Elementary, My Dear Winifred” and read excerpts/reviews about my best selling romantic mystery, “See No Evil, My Pretty Lady” a MyShelf.com’s Top Ten Reads for 2008! I’ll hold a contest and the winner will receive a free copy of “Said the Spider to the Fly.”


HL: Noted in my diary! I can certainly promise the lucky person who wins ‘Said The Spider To The Fly’ a thrilling and thoroughly enjoyable read (Yes, I was privileged to have a sneak preview folks, and it had me guessing all the way.)


Well many thanks for sharing your release day with us Miss Mae, it’s been wonderful having you here, and I wish you mega sales with ‘Spider’.

If you’d like to find out more about the talented Miss Mae, you can visit her at the following sites:

http://www.missmaesite.com/
http://missmaesite.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/monamurphy
http://www.myspace.com/missmaeauthor


(And Miss Mae got to choose the hunk for February, check him out in the right hand column, about half way down.)