Interview with Mariah Lynne, Author of The Love Gypsy

My fellow Wild Rose Press author, Mariah Lynne, has stopped by for an interview today and to share a look at her time travel romance, The Love Gypsy, from The Wild Rose Press. Hi, Mariah, and thanks for being my guest! Tell us a little about The Love Gypsy.

Florida homicide detective Brianna Breeze can’t seem to catch a man unless she handcuffs him! So her best friend decides to take matters into her own hands and tricks Brianna into seeing the Love Gypsy, a time traveler’s friend noted for her extraordinary matchmaking skills.

When a tall, muscular man wearing jeans, a black leather jacket and slicked back 50’s hair bursts in on her first visit, Brianna is bewitched. Despite the gypsy’s warning not to get involved with him, Brianna can’t get him out of her mind – even though she more than anyone knows the pitfalls of romancing a stranger.

A present day murder, a mysterious vintage car from in the past, and a smoking gun complicate the puzzle. Brianna doesn’t know if her lover from the past is a murderer, or a savior, but she’s willing to risk time travel to find out.

What inspired this story?

The character of Raya the gypsy came to me one day. The more I thought about her, the more I wanted to write about her. She is kind, beautiful at middle age, and not psychic, although she does possess the gift of insight. Her main passion is to help find true love for those who can’t.

What are your writing goals for this year?

I would love to finish another Love Gypsy story. The present love story centers on a contemporary police detective who has trouble finding a man. She meets her match but he’s from the past. The next heroine will be from a time past, the 1700’s, of royal blood and will have had too many men in her life to see true love even when it smacks her in the face.

Where is your favorite place in the world?

That is a tough question. For natural beauty, I’d have to say the big island of Hawaii and the gulf coast island I live on. Paris is my favorite city. You are surrounded by romance. It’s in the air. Let’s not forget the magnificent museums and bakeries (chocolate croissants!) And then there’s Venice with her narrow canals boasting beautiful old buildings. I would love to visit Venice during their winter carnival.

How do you come up with ideas?

My new story came from a visit several years ago to Chatsworth, the royal estate of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire in England. Their lovely home filled with antiques and the massive gardens inspired me to write about the duchess in the Love Gypsy story that I am working on now. People I meet and places I visit are always an inspiration to me.

What is your favorite food to cook or eat?

Chocolate definitely tops the list! My favorite food to cook is Italian. My father came to the US from Naples, Italy. I enjoy using old family recipes.

Who introduced you to the love of reading?

My father would read to me nightly. He was a teacher of languages including Latin before he opened his own business. He encouraged us to read and learn as much as we could.

These are a few of my favorite things:

1. My husband who encourages me to write.

2. Dogs…any kind any age. I served on the board of directors for a no-kill shelter a few years back and have a ten year old shelter adoptee who performs magic tricks.

3. Laughing with friends and family! We can never do too much of that.

Excerpt:

I stepped back a little, sat on the edge of the bed, and inched the left side of my skirt higher. I slipped the ruffled garter with the gun down over my ankle. Dom focused on my deliberate act. I dropped the gun on the floor near the side of my single bed where I could get at it easily and stood up. I walked over to him, pulling the thin straps of my silky dress off my shoulders. As I let the dress slither to the floor, I watched as Dom’s gaze took in my body. Moving in closer, he pulled me to him. His lips met mine and he edged us toward the bed. I didn’t fight the idea. My body trembled, eager to melt in his strong arms.

Bio:
Mariah Lynne always had writing on her radar but it took her a while to get there. Growing up in New Jersey, she graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in English education. After teaching junior high for two years, she went to work for a small daily paper as a copy- reader in the newsroom. She and her husband decided to move to a Florida Gulf coast island while they were still young enough to enjoy the outdoor lifestyle. Jobs were scarce on their island so they each went into business. Mariah opened a video and home entertainment center. She was active in her national trade association serving as a regional chapter president for six years. During that time, she wrote weekly entertainment columns and reviews for two of the island’s newspapers. She also freelanced, ghostwriting autobiographies of successful Realtors for a national yearbook.
She loves where she lives and enjoys watching the dolphin and manatees frolic in the lagoon behind the island home she shares with her husband and ten year old shelter adoptee Max. THE LOVE GYPSY published by The Wild Rose Press, a time travel romance, is her first book.

Website: MariahLynne.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mariah-Lynne/295721153858612

You can buy The Love Gypsy at: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=177_139&products_id=4917