Wednesday Spotlight with Miss Mae

Hello and welcome back to Wednesday Spotlight! Oliver and I took a little summer break for the month of June and sailed to the Greek Isles! But now we are ready to resume our Wednesday interviews. Many of you are fans of today’s guest. With no further ado, let’s have a warm welcome for my good friend, the one and only Miss Mae!



Thunderous applause explodes as the sweet Southern Bell sachets through the rose arbor and onto the verandah. Looking fresh and lovely in a sundress and sun bonnet, Miss Mae blows kisses and hugs her friend.

Sharon: How’s it going, Miss Mae? Keeping cool in these dog days of summer?



MM: Absolutely, no! I’m perishing in Georgia’s heat! (Miss Mae snatches off the sun bonnet to vigorously fan herself with the straw brim.)



Looking bronze and polished from his month in the islands, Oliver saunters out, leisurely pushing the silver caddy brimming with refreshments. Clearing his throat, he pours the rich robust coffee into dainty floral cups, sets out a platter of chocolate brownies, fudge and petite Devil’s Food cakes. Catching Miss Mae’s eye, he snaps her crisp linen napkin and folds it as tight as an accordion. Casting her a wicked wink, he rolls up the sleeves of his white shirt and pumps his biceps, sporting his new tattoo, a pair of tumbling dice.



Sharon: He’s been wanting to get a tattoo for some time now, and when we passed the tattoo parlor, I double dared him to do it. He whined like a girl and made me hold his hand.



MM: Let me see that tattoo, Oliver. (Miss Mae gives a critical squint to said artwork.) Hmm, that resembles a bottle of Grandpappy Beauregard’s elixir.



Sharon: LOL Let’s chat a bit about your latest book, The Mishaps of Gumdrop Island. Sharon holds up her copy. Or better yet, why not read the blurb?

MM: Allow me. Miss Mae clears her throat, and reads aloud: ‘Adventurer Sir O. Yuri Wiseguy-eh to the rescue! After convincing a lost damsel she must leave No place In Particular and come away to his Marshmallow Mansion on Gumdrop Island, (what is that crazy music that plays whenever those three words are spoken?), she enters the world of Yuri’s confectionary plantation. His oddball staff, as varied in character as a box of assorted chocolates, adds their own flavor of delicious nuttiness. When Yuri realizes his newest arrival is cousin to Mort the Mothball Millionaire, the quest is on to sail to Moldy Corners.

But why do those spooky, sharp beaked vultures watch from the fence railing?’



Sharon: Tell us a bit about the setting, the genre, and the interesting cast of characters.



MM: Before I begin, have you ever wondered where all the chocolate that people consume originally came from? And I don’t mean the supermarkets, either. They had to get it from somewhere. So, okay, I’ll allow they purchased it from factories. But where did those factories get the chocolates, or jelly beans, or licorice sticks? They all came from a wonderful isle named Gum Drop Island. The confectionary plantation is owned by Sir O. Yuri Wiseguy-eh, and he has a…um, ahem…unique…assortment of staff. Moose, who eats more chocolate than he helps to produce; Cuddles, who will fight any manner of beast to protect her little darlings; Telly, the fastest artist a palette ever saw; Ms. Whales, the authority on Ways of Civilization, and several others who, last but not least, is Heathcliff the possum.



Sharon: I must admit when I read it, not having a clue what it was about, I was pleasantly surprised. But given your fertile imagination, it’s easy to see how you spun this delightful tale for children of all ages. When I read it, I found myself going back in time to those lazy days of summer when the kids in the neighborhood played all day long, not by the power of the Internet, but by the power of the imagination. Don’t you agree that times were better back then, Miss Mae?



MM: I really do, Sharon. Childhood was nothing more than laughter and games in those days. Remember hopscotch on the sidewalks, paper dolls, and jacks? I usually didn’t pass beyond my threesies, but oh, the challenge of trying!



Sharon: I was never very good at jacks but died trying! Now, back to the story. I love the names you chose like Gumdrop Island, Marshmallow Mansion, the Good Ship Lollipop and so many more. Tell us why or how you selected them?



MM: When I decided the story would center around chocolate (have I mentioned chocolate is my most favorite thing in the whole world, by the way?), I knew it was important to have names that referenced and appealed to the sweet tooth in all of us!



Sharon: They sure do! Did you always have such a vivid imagination, and if so, did you and your cousins and friends often act out plays and movies?



MM: I greatly appreciate the comment about my “vivid imagination”, but you know, I don’t think I do. To me, I’m as ho-hum as this fly choking in my lemonade. (Miss Mae flicks the critter out of her glass with an accurately aimed swat.) But when all we kids got together I was a follower (I was the youngest, so this was the safest route). I don’t recall that we acted out any movies. Our evenings were usually spent with playing ‘tag’ or ‘frozen statues’.



Sharon: Will there be more of the adventures of Sir Yuri and Captain Bootlegs and the inhabitants of Gumdrop Island?



MM: I’m going to see how interest is regarding this first episode before I decide. Personally, I hope so. I want to know what happens since they’ve now reached Moldy Corners!



Sharon: I must admit to reflecting on the game Candy Land. Did this have any impact on your story?



MM: I never played that! You’ll have to tell me about it, it sounds delicious!



Sharon: We’ll save that for another day, but it was a fun and delicious game. Now, tell us what kind of message you would like to teach young kids today through The Mishaps of Gumdrop Island?



MM: To not be afraid to laugh, and that it’s okay to be nothing but downright silly at times.



Oliver comes out with his copy, holds it up and smiles a beguiling smile. “If I might be so bold as to request an autograph, Miss Mae?”



MM: I thought you’d never ask! But for this especial event, I have a fitting autograph helper. (Miss Mae reaches into her beach bag and unveils -- Heathcliff! Grinning from ear to ear, the possum dazzles Sharon with his dagger sharp row of pearly whites and then proceeds to ink his paw and stamps it upon Oliver’s book. Oliver, blinking at the creature’s attire of trenchcoat and fedora, takes a careful step backward.)



Sharon: Sweet! Okay, Oliver, if you can stop pumping your biceps and watching the dice tumble, might I bother you for dessert?



Snatching up his copy of the book, Oliver strolls off whistling. He returns later with chocolate cream pie slathered with whipped cream. With great theatrics, he slices it and feeds Miss Mae a bite.



MM: Mmm, yummy. Oh! Sorry, Oliver! Was that your finger?



Sharon: Well, sadly, Miss Mae, this brings us to the end of our hour together. Before you go, tell us where readers can purchase The Mishaps of Gumdrop Island and all of your books.



MM: Right now, The Mishaps of Gum Drop Island is ebook at Smashwords, but I’m working to get it into print. (bows at the whistles and hoots of approval) Here is the link at SW: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/18182 And my other books, my romantic mysteries, can be purchased in print at Amazon, B&N, and other retailers, and in ebook form at Smashwords.



Sharon: Thank you so much for such an entertaining story, and for being our first guest after summer break. Wishing you loads of sales and all good things.



MM: Thank you, Sharon. I’m so glad you enjoyed your visit at Gum Drop Island. Wait! What’s that music?



Miss Mae is an award winning, best selling author. “Said the Spider to the Fly” has consistently rated outstanding reviews and has won the esteemed title of Best Book of the Week for The Long and the Short of It Reviews and from The Romance Studio. It can be purchased both in digital format and in print. “When the Bough Breaks”, a young adult coming-of-age is the first from Whimsical Publications. Not only has this book generated top reviews, it’s also won a Best Cover of the Month award, and won the 2009 P & E Readers’ Poll in the YA category.



The highly acclaimed “It’s Elementary, My Dear Winifred” won a 2009 Top Ten Read at MyShelf.com. It’s slanted for a late summer re-release from Whimsical Publications, with the second in the “Dear Winifred” series planned to be finished late 2010.



Her first book, “See No Evil, My Pretty Lady” had previously only been available as a digital book. Now it can be purchased from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and CreateSpace. Visit her website (http://www.missmaesite.com) for the links.



Miss Mae also enjoys writing humor and non-fiction articles. Besides her monthly contributions to the ezine American Chronicle, some of her publications can be found in The Front Porch Magazine, Good Old Days, and WritersWeekly.



She is the moderator of The Sweetest Romance Authors Yahoo Group, a group of romance authors who guarantee their stories adhere to a G-rating. Visit our blog at http://thesweetestromanceauthors.blogspot.com



For reviews: Please visit Miss Mae’s website at www.missmaesite.com