The Cusp of Night, on #LisaBurtonRadio

Welcome all you spiritualists and mediums. You’ve landed on Lisa Burton Radio, the only show that brings you characters from the books you love. I’m your host, Lisa the robot girl, and my very special guest today is Maya Sinclair. “Welcome to the show, Maya.”

“Thanks, Lisa. It’s nice to be here. I always enjoy listening to your show.”

“My bio says you’ve moved recently.”

“Yes, to a small city in Pennsylvania called Hode’s Hill.”

“Any specific reason for the move?”

“I needed a fresh start after…well—I had a car accident that shook me up pretty badly.”

“That sounds awful.”

“I don’t remember a lot about it. They tell me I was clinically dead for a period of two minutes and twenty-two seconds. That number will stick in my head forever.”

“I’ve heard of people seeing things when they have an experience like that. Were you aware of what was happening?”

“Only that there were others there, too. I was in the Aether—an old Spiritualism term for the limbo between worlds. The home I’m renting belonged to a woman who conducted séances for a living in the late 1800s. As a result, I’ve learned a little about the practice of Spiritualism since learning about Lucinda.”

“Lucinda?”

“Lucinda Glass, the Blue Lady of Hode’s Hill. She was apparently well known in her day. There were a lot of strange things that happened in Hode’s Hill back then, including The Fiend.”

“I’m afraid to ask who—or what—that is.”

“Some kind of devil-creature who stalked the town in the late 1800s. Several deaths were blamed on him. All pretty gruesome from what I’ve heard. He terrorized the town for several weeks. Then one night, a group of armed men chased him onto the Old Orchard Truss Bridge where he was shot and swept away by the river. The history kind of grew into an urban legend and now, every June, the town holds a festival with music and food. Some people even dress up as the Fiend.”

“That sounds like fun.”

“I thought so, too. But when I was walking home after the first night of the festival, I saw it—him—the creature. Whatever you want to call him in an alleyway.”

“I thought you just said there were a bunch of people dressed up as the Fiend. You know, maybe a drunk, taking a whizz.”

“Yes, but this creature was real. I could feel it. It was so massive, and…sorry. Sometimes, it’s hard for me to think back to that night. The creature attacked Leland Hode.”

“Hode as in Hode’s Hill?”

“The same. Leland’s family founded the town, and he and his son, Collin, run Hode Development. The police tried to tell me I’d seen someone in a mask, but it wasn’t long before other attacks led people to think the Fiend had returned for real.”

“Your poor thing, I’d think you would start locking your doors and staying inside.”

“I might have if not for the hauntings.”

“Wait, what hauntings?”

“The spirit of Lucinda Glass never left her home. After the Fiend attack on Leland, she made her presence felt several times in my house. I was terrified.”

“What did you do?”

“Several friends helped me out, including Collin. That’s when I started learning about Spiritualism. The whole thing seemed like a mess—Lucinda, the Fiend, Leland—but I knew I couldn’t walk away, even if getting to the bottom of the mystery meant delving into a séance.”

“It does sound like some of those people and events could be connected.”

“I’m learning the past and present are very much connected in Hode’s Hill. That includes me, and the two minutes and twenty-two seconds when I was clinically dead. They say everything happens for a reason, so I feel I’m where I’m supposed to be.”

“I wish you the best of luck, Maya. Any last comments for our listeners?”

“Just to say thanks for having me as your guest. It was fun to be here, and I hope some of the people tuning in will be intrigued enough to check out my story.”

“You can learn more about Maya and The Fiend, in the book, Cusp of Night, by Mae Clair. I’ll post all the deets on the website after I go off the air.

“Don’t forget to use those sharing buttons today. It really helps my guests, and I know Mae and Maya would do it for you, when your character appears on the next Lisa Burton Radio.”

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BLURB
Cusp of Night

Recently settled in Hode’s Hill, Pennsylvania, Maya Sinclair is enthralled by the town’s folklore, especially the legend about a centuries-old monster. A devil-like creature with uncanny abilities responsible for several horrific murders, the Fiend has evolved into the stuff of urban myth. But the past lives again when Maya witnesses an assault during the annual “Fiend Fest.” The victim is developer Leland Hode, patriarch of the town’s most powerful family, and he was attacked by someone dressed like the Fiend.

Compelled to discover who is behind the attack and why, Maya uncovers a shortlist of enemies of the Hode clan. The mystery deepens when she finds the journal of a late nineteenth-century spiritualist who once lived in Maya’s house–a woman whose ghost may still linger.

Known as the Blue Lady of Hode’s Hill due to a genetic condition, Lucinda Glass vanished without a trace and was believed to be one of the Fiend’s tragic victims. The disappearance of a young couple, combined with more sightings of the monster, trigger Maya to join forces with Leland’s son Collin. But the closer she gets to unearthing the truth, the closer she comes to a hidden world of twisted secrets, insanity, and evil that refuses to die . . .

Now available at all major book retailers at:

http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/36371

 

You can find Mae Clair at the following haunts:

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