Mae Clair – Myth, Monsters, Folklore #RRBC

Published on by Jan Sikes

The Tragedy of the Silver Bridge by Mae Clair

Silver Bridge Marker

On the bitterly cold day of December 15, 1967, rush hour traffic was at its peak when the Silver Bridge connecting Point Pleasant, West Virginia to Gallipolis, Ohio, abruptly collapsed. Thirty-one cars fell into the icy waters of the Ohio River, resulting in forty-six deaths. To this day, the collapse of the Silver Bridge is considered one of the worst bridge catastrophes in U. S. history.

 An eye-bar suspension bridge that was built in 1928 and named for the color of its aluminum paint, the Silver Bridge was designed in a time when the heaviest vehicles on the road were Model T’s and small coupes. Fast-forward to 1967 when the red light on the Gallipolis side of the river failed to change. Traffic stalled on the bridge, backing up into Point Pleasant. The combined weight of so many cars and tractor trailers undoubtedly contributed to the tragic collapse. Witnesses to the event reported hearing a loud “boom” seconds before the bridge plummeted into the water.

Later analysis revealed the disaster was caused by a small defect in a single eyebar—a straight metal bar with a hole at each end connecting to other bars in the chain. When eyebar 330 on the Ohio side failed, it resulted in a chain reaction that made the structure fold like a deck of cards. In less than sixty seconds, Point Pleasant’s beloved bridge was gone.

It’s this sad history that is the starting point of my new mystery/suspense novel, A THOUSAND YESTYEARS. Each of my main characters lost a family member in the bridge collapse. Fifteen later, Eve Parrish and Caden Flynn are still haunted by those events. Eve returns to Point Pleasant to settle her deceased aunt’s estate and in the process unearths a sinister danger that dates back to that tragic day.

 A THOUSAND YESTERYEARS

AThousandYesteryears_hires

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…

New York Times bestselling author Kevin O’Brien had this to say about A THOUSAND YESTERYEARS: 

“A THOUSAND YESTERYEARS is masterful, bone-chilling fiction that begins with a real-life tragedy on December 15, 1967: the Silver Bridge collapse in Point Pleasant, West Virginia.  46 people died.   Author Mae Clair has seamlessly woven fact, fiction and creepy urban folklore into one intense thriller.  The gripping story focuses on two witnesses to the disaster—fifteen years later.  Both Eve Parrish and Caden Flynn lost loved ones in the catastrophe and still carry the emotional scars.  After a long absence, Eve returns to Point Pleasant to bury her recently-deceased aunt, face some old ghosts, and reunite with her one-time “impossible-crush,” Caden.  But when Eve begins to investigate her aunt’s death, she’s plunged into danger and a nightmare world where scary urban legends are very real.  Full of suspense, A THOUSAND YESTERYEARS will keep you guessing, gasping and turning the pages for more.”

Intrigued?

A THOUSAND YESTERYEARS is available from:

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Yesteryears-Point-Pleasant-ebook/dp/B0138NHJ4A

B & N
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-thousand-yesteryears-mae-clair/1122454905?ean=9781601837776

Kobo
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-thousand-yesteryears

Google Play
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Mae_Clair_A_Thousand_Yesteryears?id=kY9KCgAAQBAJ&hl=en

iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-thousand-yesteryears/id1050516745?mt=11

Kensington Publishing
http://www.ekensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/32298

 

Author Bio:

Mae Clair

Mae Clair has been chasing myth, monsters and folklore through research and reading since she was a child. In 2013 and 2015, she journeyed to West Virginia to learn more about the legendary Mothman, a creature who factors into her latest release.

Mae pens tales of mystery and suspense with a touch of romance. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and numbers cats, history and exploring old graveyards among her passions. Look for Mae on her website at MaeClair.net where you can sign-up for her newsletter.

 Connect with Mae Clair at the following haunts:
Website
Blog
Twitter (@MaeClair1)
Google+
Facebook Author Page
Amazon Author Page
Sign up for Mae’s newsletter:
Newsletter Sign-Up

 

 

 

46 thoughts on “Mae Clair – Myth, Monsters, Folklore #RRBC”

  2. You painted this historic tragedy with your usual flair. I felt like I was living it myself! For those who haven’t read this book, you need to! I am looking so forward to the next book in the series! Well done Mae, well done…

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  3. Hi Mae, I’m currently reading Eclipse Lake and am very impressed by your writing style. I’ll soon be reading A Thousand Yesteryears! Congratulations on an intriguing blog tour. And, a special thank you to Jan for sponsoring…..

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  4. Really interesting to learn more about the Silver Bridge tragedy, Mae. In my hometown of Plymouth we have an iron bridge completed in 1859, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel to carry the railway from London and Bristol into Cornwall. Various factors meant that there could only be a single track so signalling was always key for the structure to take 2-way traffic.
    The trains in Brunel’s day were much slower anyway than in modern times, but due to the age of the bridge it’s continually receiving maintenance and there’s a 5 mph speed limit when a train goes onto the bridge – hopefully it’ll hold up for another 100 years or so, as it’s beautiful to behold, especially now it’s been restored to it’s original light grey livery in the latest refurbishment.
    Thanks for having us over Jan 🙂

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  5. A tragic story, but another great post, Mae! Sorry I’m so late getting to this stop. Hope you’re having an awesome tour 🙂

    Jan, thanks for being such a great host for Mae 🙂

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  6. Thanks for hosting Jan.
    Another great post Mae. I’m sad to hear about the Silver Bridge, I had not heard of that before reading this. It’s very tragic.

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  7. The collapse of that bridge must have been a heart wrenching experience, very chilling! I want to believe that the victims of that accident, those who died, did not feel much pain, as they didn’t see it coming. What a disaster it must have been… Thank you Jan for hosting her.

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  8. Mae, I had never heard of the Silver Bridge or the tragic collapse until I read your novel. It’s sad that we take so many things for granted, as I’m sure the people on the bridge that night never expected such an occurrence.

    Read and loved your book and I look forward to the next in the series.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Joan, thanks so much for letting me know how much you enjoyed it. I so appreciate hearing that and knowing you’re looking forward to the next in the series.

      It was really difficult reading about the Silver Bridge tragedy. I learned about each and every one who was on the bridge that day…those who survived and those who lost their lives. It’s especially hard when you think the whole collapse came down to a single eyebar failure.

      Thanks so much for visiting me on my tour, and for reading my book! 🙂

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      2. All of my previous releases were built around fictional towns, Jan. This was a whole new area, but it appealed to me so much I see myself doing it again, I’m a sponge when it comes to learning. I hope to soak up more location research for future releases!

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    2. Thanks, John. I found the research riveting. So much folklore, history and tragedy is tied up in this one. It has me focused on doing more of these types of books in the future after the series is done.

      Liked by 1 person

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    2. Thanks for stopping by to check out the post, Craig. I loved combining the speculative elements with threads of history and folklore. I have an entire notebook filled with data on the research that went into this novel ….and I had such a blast doing it!

      Liked by 2 people

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    2. Hi, Tammy! Thanks so much for popping in on my tour. I’m delighted this one appeals to you and that you’re interested in reading it. You and I share a love of the mythical 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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  14. People give little thought to our infrastructure. I was born and raised in Western PA, and most people know that Pittsburgh has more bridges than any city in the world except Venice. We think about them more than most people do. If even a crucial bolt fails, you’ve got a catastrophe on your hands. I read and loved your book, Mae, but it’s so sad that the idea came from something that could have and should have been prevented. Great post.

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    2. You’re so right about that, Staci. As an interesting side note, the movie The Mothman Prophecies (starring Richard Gere) was filmed on location in Pittsburgh. The Silver Bridge of Point Pleasant was already gone (the movie was filmed in 2003) but they needed an area nearby that had a similar bridge and chose Pittsburgh. Thankfully, that city never had a like disaster,

      Thanks for your comments on the book, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

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  15. Having read all Mae Clair’s novels, I can tell you that, in my opinion, her writing is soaring up.
    In A Thousand Yesteryears, with the character development, with the descriptions of places and situations – that add so many dimensions to the story – I felt as if I were one of her characters watching from the sideline.
    Wishing the author best of luck with finding tons of fans! She deserves it.
    Carmen

    Liked by 1 person

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    2. Aww, you are so sweet Carmen. I so appreciate your support and am thrilled you have seen the progression in my writing as I’ve switched genres. I’m delighted you found the book so engrossing. Thanks so much for your awesome support!

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  16. It’s amazing how one little piece can bring the whole thing down. Reminds me of the 35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis a few years back. What fun to do that research, then build a story around it. I’m enjoying your tour, Mae!

    Liked by 1 person

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    2. Thanks for following the tour, Julie!

      It’s amazing what can cause destruction. Pigeons were know to roost beneath the bridge for decades, and it’s believed their droppings (plus weather) added to the corrosion that caused the eye-bar to fail.

      Supposedly there were swarms of birds in the air that night as if “nature was upset.”

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  18. Pingback: The Tragic Collapse of the Silver Bridge by Mae Clair | From the Pen of Mae Clair

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