Welcome to the beach, Mariah! I know how beautiful it is in
your area, so I’m honored to have you here at the opposite corner of the state.
We’ll take a walk along the water’s edge while we wait for our guests.
Thank you for the visit Sandy. The sea air is always so refreshing
and invigorating. If we‘re lucky we may see a couple of playful dolphins on our
walk and certainly beautiful blue herons and snowy white egrets. I love living on
the water and always include the Gulf coast area in everything I write. Ft.
Myers proper was the setting for the Love Gypsy, while Duchess Amelia visits
Ft. Myers as well as Sanibel Island.
I’ve never had a time-travel author on the beach. It’s a
fascinating trope. What first drew you to write about time travel?
I always fancied the idea of traveling through time. As a little
girl, I loved Peter Pan, marveled at how he could fly to another world and take
Wendy and the boys with him. Sherman and Peabody were favorites on TV. Later
on, much later, I loved “Back To The Future” on the big screen as well as The
Time Traveler’s Wife on my bookshelf just to name a few. It’s a fun way to
learn about different periods in history while still being able to have all the
modern conveniences like a microwave, a dishwasher, a computer, and a big
screen TV just to name a few. If there were a real “Time Machine”, I’d love to
take it for a test drive!
If you were to travel in time, where would you like to go
and who would you like to meet?
In this instance, I would not go too far back in time. I
guess to the late 1940’s early 50’s. It’s more about whom I’d like to meet. (Sounds
a bit like the Woody Allen film “Midnight in Paris” doesn’t it?) Anyway, I
would love to have tea with Dame Agatha Christie. Of course we would talk about
her writing, especially Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, what triggered the
inner detective in her, what inspired these two amazing characters, and how she
intellectually constructed her “murders.”
When Amelia, (from THE DUCHESS’ NECKLACE), travels to the
future, what does she find most unusual?
She is puzzled by our style of dress, short in the skirt and
higher in the neckline, as opposed to long skirts and plunging necklines. The
idioms of our English confuse her a bit as do the modern conveniences of a car
rather than a carriage (she calls them horseless carriages) while the telephone
amazes her not to mention her understandable fear of using an elevator.
What’s the one thing Ryan, (in the future), finds most
unusual about her?
She keeps trying to tell him that she is from another time,
but being a man influenced by science and math, he finds that difficult to
swallow. He is so attracted to her good qualities, her sense of humor, her love
of animals, her kindness that he lets her idiosyncrasies about modern
conveniences and discussion of a different time slide.
Everyone is dying to hear what advice you’d give about
writing. Give us your biggest DO and biggest DON’T.
Do keep writing and trying to
learn as much as you can about your craft. Go to conferences, get advice from
multi-published authors, join a writing group like a local chapter of RWA.
Don’t give up even if you receive a rejection. You have to believe that you can
improve your story enough to get it published. Don’t rush through your work.
Take your time and make sure that you are happy with the finished project.
People are starting to gather, curious about THE DUCHESS’
NECKLACE. I guess we’d better let them in on what it’s about.
Amelia Augusta Ethrington, eighteenth century Duchess of
Abbington and fourth in line to the English throne, is considered by society an
old maid at thirty-two. She refuses to marry and relinquish her authority to a
husband. Instead, she finds romance in trysts with strangers. Amelia’s claim to
her duchy is embodied in the form of an intricate and valuable necklace, The
Abbington Jewels. But an unscrupulous time Traveler wishing to steal the jewels
and sell them at future prices seduces her, catching her off guard, and
snatches the necklace.
Amelia must risk everything to Travel with the aid of a gypsy seer to find the scoundrel, kill him, and retrieve her necklace before her jealous male cousins lay claim to her duchy. Complications arise after she meets Ryan Redstone, a museum appraiser sent to acquire the jewels. Amelia finally falls in love but knows she must focus on her quest to regain both her necklace and title. The Duchess is faced with the most difficult decision of her life. Love in the present? Or defending her honor in the past?
Amelia must risk everything to Travel with the aid of a gypsy seer to find the scoundrel, kill him, and retrieve her necklace before her jealous male cousins lay claim to her duchy. Complications arise after she meets Ryan Redstone, a museum appraiser sent to acquire the jewels. Amelia finally falls in love but knows she must focus on her quest to regain both her necklace and title. The Duchess is faced with the most difficult decision of her life. Love in the present? Or defending her honor in the past?
I love the intrigue! Give us a little sample.
It
didn’t take long for his carriage to reach the riverfront. We stopped. Ryan
leaned over and kissed my cheek whispering in my ear.
“Let’s
go back to my room. It’s just upstairs. You can tell me what your secret is in
private. I trust you and hope you trust me.”
Ryan
helped me out of his carriage. We climbed the one flight of steps up to his
room. Once inside, I sat down on the bed and stared out the window before
giving him a serious look.
“This
is not how I planned to tell you. I hoped to wait until we saw if the necklace
was genuine. You must listen to me before passing judgment. I hope that you
will still want to keep me in your heart afterward. ”
Ryan
closed the drapes before sitting down next to me.
“Amy,
how could I help but keep you in my heart no matter what your secret is?”
He
squeezed my hand as I touched his lips with the gentlest kiss. Ryan filled me
with a deep passion. I was ready to reveal my desire for him. I hoped he felt
the same way.
I
knew what I wanted and decided to show him how I felt in a special manner.
Standing up, I slowly removed Starr’s silk floral sash and placed it around his
neck. I stepped back to dance the seductive dance of the gypsy women who camped
outside my childhood manor house grounds. They had always looked graceful, bracelets
jingling, ribbon colored skirts twirling as they turned and twisted by their
campfire in the moonlight. They seduced traveling knights and lesser royals
hoping for romantic trysts out of their coin. *I had heard the gypsies’
haunting songs and desired to get a better look. I became quite good at
sneaking out night after night, hoping not to get caught. I watched them dance,
hiding in some nearby bushes. One night, a beautiful gypsy spotted my hiding
place and grabbed me. To my surprise, she had me stand and taught me their
dance.
I
wanted my necklace but strange as it sounds, I wanted Ryan more. I removed my
blouse first, touching his face with its soft perfumed cotton. I *swirled,
kicking off my shoes and stepping out of my skirt. I seduced him, taking off
each undergarment until I stripped myself bare. His face flushed with
reluctance but finally gave in. He stared at my naked body, his eyes
intoxicated with passion. I have been with enough men to know he liked what he
saw. Holding onto my hand, I pulled him up and helped him disrobe. His body was
as muscular as a bull’s. We lay down together. His touch was gentle, making my
body desire him more. We made sweet love until we became so tired, we both fell
asleep. Our nap was all too brief. Ryan was the first to wake up. He whispered
my name, “Amy, wake up sweetheart.”
I
stretched remembering where I was and what I needed to tell him. My feelings
for him now made it complicated.
It sounds like a great read in any season. Our guests can
find it by going to
BUY LINK TO PUBLISHER:
BUY LINK TO AMAZON:
BUY LINK TO BARNES AND NOBLE:
We’re all fascinated. Everyone wants to get to know you
better.
Ever dream of traveling through
time? Mariah Lynne does. She writes stories that take her readers along on
exciting journeys. Travel to distant times and beautiful places with strong-willed
independent heroines whose memorable tales will entertain with twisted plots
that dabble in the paranormal. Both of
her novellas, THE LOVE GYPSY and THE DUCHESS’ NECKLACE, fit that description to
a T.
A Graduate of Syracuse University,
Mariah lives on a beautiful Gulf Coast Island in Florida. She is a member of
The Southwest Florida Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America. When she
is not writing, she enjoys swimming, traveling and spending time with her
husband and dolphin hunting dog, Max.
http
Website: www.MariahLynne.com
E-mail: MariahLynneAuthor@yahoo.com
Twitter:@MariahLynne1
You’ve been a terrific guest, Mariah, and THE DUCHESS’
NECKLACE sounds fascinating. I hope you’ll come back for more parties in the
future.
Thank you inviting me. I enjoyed
our visit on the beach today. I know Her Grace Duchess Amelia enjoyed her visit
to Sanibel Island as well. (Say what you like here)
Before everyone runs off, feel free to ask Mariah questions
or give a comment below. Thanks for coming to the party!
Great interview, ladies! Mariah The Duchess' Necklace sounds so intriguing! Best of luck. Tweeted/shared. Barb Bettis
ReplyDeleteThanks for helping get the word out Barbara.
DeleteThank you for a fun day at the beach!
DeleteMariah