MARIAH LYNNE

A SPECIAL VALENTINE

Anglesey moat and castle in the heart of town- Wales.

Think St. Valentine’s Day has a lock on love? For most of us, this holiday does, but not for the Welsh. If you visit reading her compelling story, you’ll understand why.
Dwynwen, a 5^th century Welsh princess, was the most beautiful of King Brychan Brycheiniog’s twenty-four daughters. She fell head over heels in love with a handsome local young man named Maelon Dafodrill and the pair hoped to marry.
Tragedy, however, soon shattered their dreams when they learned they could no longer be together.
It seems that King Brychan had already arranged for the princess to marry another man, a prince. Maelon, of course, took the devastating news to heart; Dwynwen, broken-hearted and hoping to avoid this arranged marriage, fled into the woods to weep and pray to God for guidance. An angel visited her during her sadness giving her a sweet potion that would make her forget momentarily about Maelon while this same angel froze him in a thick block of ice.
God then answered her prayer and conferred on the princess three wishes. For her first wish, she asked that Maelon be thawed. Her second wish pleaded for God to help all true lovers; while the third asked that she never marry. Once all of her wishes were granted, Dwynwen, whose name means “she who leads a blessed life”, was so grateful, she became a nun and set up a convent on Llanddwyn Island, a scenic tidal island off the coast of Anglesey in North Wales. The picturesque ruins of her church remain on this small island and are visited by lovers of all ages during the year. They remember her favorite saying “Nothing wins hearts like cheerfulness.”
St. Dwynwen’s Day is by far the most romantic day in Wales, more so then Valentine’s Day which the Welsh celebrate as well. There are special cards, romantic dinners, and many hoping to propose present a most unique gift to their intended, a love spoon. The tradition of the love spoon is an old one, many think going back to men of the sea, who carved their beloved spoons of wood each with a specific intricate design on the handle. Keys, for example, are symbolic of a man’s heart. They then gifted the love spoon on St. Dwynwen’s Day to the woman they hoped to marry. This lovely tradition still holds true today with gifts of intricately carved spoons and spoon jewelry.
A few years back, I was fortunate to visit the beautiful island of Anglesey where my husband gifted me with a lovely love spoon necklace with a heart on its handle. Most recently, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle received love spoons during a recent royal visit to Cardiff, Wales. As we approach Valentine’s Day, let’s remember the date matters little, the gifts differ, but it’s the love in our hearts that really counts.
***
Prior to visiting Anglesey, I visited my friends in Darbyshire, England. They took me to the most beautiful royal residence in Derbyshire called Chatsworth, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. The manor house, surrounded by gardens, boasts over thirty rooms all furnished with valuable antiques and works of art. As we toured this lovely estate, my mind wandered wondering what life as an 18^th century duchess would have been like.
A few years later, I began to write THE DUCHESS’ NECKLACE. Of course her fictional manor was influenced by my visit to Chatsworth. My duchess, Amelia, does not fit the role of a royal woman of her time. She is feisty refusing to marry and relinquish her royal authority to a husband.
She soon meets and seduces a handsome young Time Traveler who steals her jeweled necklace, proof of her royal title. He Travels to the present to sell the jewels; she, with the help of a gypsy seer, follows hoping to find the scoundrel, kill him, and retrieve her title, but something called love gets in her way. Amelia is faced with the most difficult decision of her life. Love in the present or wealth and power in the past?

Love Spoon

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MARIAH LYNNE

WHO NEEDS PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES?

A great story, a vivid imagination, and strong characters can transport you to distant times and beautiful places without ever leaving the comfort of home. Time Travel is better than air miles, has no screeners rummaging through your luggage, and no uncomfortable seats. Just open the first page and off you go!

I became hooked on Travel when I first saw the Way Way Back machine on Mr. Peabody and Sherman. How wonderful to be able to visit ancient Rome or medieval England perhaps meeting strong warriors and benevolent kings. I love history and writing a story with part of it in the past gives me the opportunity to research and learn about local customs, ways of life, and even the rules of romance at that time.

In THE DUCHESS’ NECKLACE (Satin Romance-release date May 31, 2017), my duchess, Amelia Augusta Ethrington, Her Grace the Duchess of Abbington, is fourth in line for the British throne. 18^th century royal marriages were less about love and more about standing and property. Amelia refuses to marry not wanting to relinquish a smidgeon of power to a husband. Because of this, she has one night stands with traveling nights and younger men seeking favor to quench her desires. She’s too modern a woman for 18^th century rules and needs a modern man who will accept her for her intelligence, independence and feistiness. She needs a man from the present. When circumstances in her life go awry, she finds one by chance through Time Travel.

Her Time Travel, however, began not for finding love but for seeking revenge and settling a score. A deceptive Traveler from the present romances her only to steal her necklace, her sole claim to title and standing before returning to the present. She Travels to get her necklace back: finding love is a side benefit but with that benefit comes a choice. Will she choose love in the present or her life of wealth and privilege as a duchess?

The character of the Duchess evolved from a trip to Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, England. As I walked through the long hallways and visited the regal rooms, I wondered what life as an 18^th century royal was like. I then imagined what kind of woman my fictional duchess would be. I prefer my heroines to be independent and feisty like homicide detective Brianna Breeze in my first novella THE LOVE GYPSY (The Wild Rose Press). I imagined how she would react to murder, a man from the past, and romance. In SHADOWS ACROSS TIME (Satin Romance), the character of the wizard was inspired by a visit to Chenenceau Castle in France. The castle boasts an apothecary also used as a poison room; it seemed a most delightful place for a villain to frequent. The heroine, Danielle, is kidnapped and taken back in time only to meet a handsome knight she hopes can save her from her destiny.

Hope you Travel to meet Brianna, Danielle, and now Amelia.

www.MariahLynne.com

Twitter: @MariahLynne1

BUT FOR THE LOVE OF CAMELS

A TRUE HOLIDAY TALE

My dog Max could have worked for Santa Claus. He had a pair of fuzzy antlers with jingle bells, loved Christmas, and adored people. Max would drool at the sight of us decorating the tree. We loved fresh trees and so did he. He never had an accident; never confused it with being outside, but always perused the branches for any soft ornaments he could grab.
Once the tree was decorated and the tree skirt in place, he would lay under the lights and take a nap. That's great for a toy breed, but Max was a seventy pound Humane Society special. He was so cute I didn't stop him.
Max loved to get presents and opened his own gifts but he wouldn't stop there. If you had a present on your lap, you were in danger of having the wrapping shredded and ribbon pulled. We loved him, so we let him have fun. We had fun just watching him. Seeing a trend here?
When he was one, he and a good friend named Ron stayed home while my husband and I went into work for a few hours. Ron was a carpenter who did many projects for us. He was crazy about Max so I left thinking "What could possibly go wrong?"
I came home first. Ron had already left. Once inside the house, I went over to check the tree for water. I placed a low table next to the tree to display my mother's nativity scene. The manger setting was old; it came from Italy and she received it from her mother. The figures were in paper- mache and hand painted. Of course some of the paint had come off the faces, but I treasured it nonetheless. When I glanced down at the nativity, something was missing. I did a quick mental inventory. Two camels, original to the set, weren't there. How could that be? I looked on the floor. I found bits and pieces of the dark brown substance used for the camels all around the table.
Ron, I thought."That Ron must have knocked them over. How could he? Those belonged to my Mom and my grandmother." I was so upset, I picked up the phone and called him. Did I ever give him an earful? I remember yelling into the phone..."How could you do that? You weren't even working near the tree. You know how much I treasured that set. That was my mother's." I was in tears, but Ron was patient and didn't respond in kind. He asked one leading question. "Have you seen Maxwell?"
"Max. No. He's nowhere to be found." I picked up a large piece of the broken camel and tiptoed into the bedroom. There he was hiding or trying to hide on my husband's side of the bed. He only hid like this when he knew he did something wrong. I held what was left of one of my treasured camels and called out to him."Max, did you do this?" He put his head in his paws and rubbed his eyes. Yep. Mystery solved. He must have tried to get them, but luckily knocked them over in the process.
Of course I was upset about my mother's camels, but I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose. He probably was looking for a new toy (he loved to play) and I left the low hanging fruit. My fault. I sat on the bed and called him over. I showed him the piece again and said"bad." He understood; but I said 'bad" because he could have ingested the substance or choked and I could have found him in a very different condition. Max was more important than any camel or decoration. He was my "furry ball of love" as my neighbors described him. I called him over and hugged and kissed him content he was safe and okay.
Besides, Christmas was two days away and I knew he'd be in good enough shape to hide under the dining room table poised at my friend Jim's seat. Max loved Jim and Jim was a soft touch. "No people food" would be my mantra, but somehow I know Max got a taste of turkey or a bit of sweet potato from Jim. If I could wish upon a star, I would wish they both could be with us at dinner this year, that I could remind them of the "rules",but they both have passed on. I lost Max last June at 14 1/2 and Jim a few years ago.

As I decorate and plan for the holiday, of course I think of my furry elf and how much fun we had. I miss him more than ever, but I have many cherished memories of his love, his mischief, and our

fun I'll always treasure.
Remember. Cherish your loved ones. Tell them how much you care and how important they are to you. Your time together is as "fragile "as my camels. Don't let anything or anyone make you forget that.

I wish you all the happiest of holidays and best wishes for 2017.

Mariah Lynne
ROMANCE THAT TRANSCENDS TIME
Please watch my SHADOWS ACROSS TIME VIDEO on www.MariahLynne.com

Please watch my SHADOWS ACROSS TIME video on www.MariahLynne.com

KANDY KANE

WELCOME TO THE HIGHWAY CAFE BLOG TOUR - Dec. 5th, 6th and 7th

Holiday Greeting,

Merry Christmas. Hope all your wishes come true. I know first hand Santa’s waiting to make that happen. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Kandy Kane and I’m an elf in Santa’s North Pole workshop. I know what you’re thinking a girl elf? Well we do exist and even work harder than the boys.

My job is a dream making all the candy for your stockings…chocolates…mints…canes…jelly rings…yum. Of course I have the help of twenty other girls. We love our work, maybe a little too much, because we have to watch our waistlines and stop tasting our treats.

When we work, we all love to listen to Jingle Bell Rock. It’s happy, lively, and its peppy pace makes us sing while we dip the cherries in chocolate or pour chocolate into Santa molds.
I make candy canes. Just by my name, I bet you guessed that’s my specialty but my favorite snack is Christmas sugar cookies and hot chocolate. They add just the right amount of variety to my diet. I'm very sweet.
I've made a lot of friends here. I'm a secret Santa this year for my buddy Pinky. That's Dr. Pinky Twinkleton, Santa's vet. She watches out for all the animals at the North Pole, but keeps an extra watchful eye on Santa's reindeer especially this time of year. I made some delicious candy apples for her and put apples on carrot sticks for all of Santa's team. After Christmas, Pinky takes Santa's reindeer team to Alaska for a vacation to rest from their all night ride and refresh themselves at The Reindeer Spa.

Holiday recipe. EASY BUT DELICIOUS MANDARIN ORANGE CUPCAKES

HOLIDAY RECIPE

Since I make candy from scratch all year, I like really simple recipes. All you need is:

1 box white cake mix

Add ingredients listed on box (egg whites, butter, etc.

1 can mandarin oranges in juice –add for liquid instead of milk or water

Stir with mixer until ingredients are thoroughly mixed

Pour into cupcake trays and bake at 350 degrees

Frost with vanilla frosting

While you munch on one of my cupcakes, I’d like to introduce you to Mariah Lynne’s newest book:

SHADOWS ACROSS TIME

Imagine being kidnapped and transported back in time to a 16^th century French castle.

Danielle deForet, a beautiful rare antiques dealer, is tricked into completing an appraisal on a rare French piece, when to her surprise its owner casts a spell sending them both back to 1559. Danielle learns she is the crucial link for a royal spell and finds herself guarded by a handsome knight, Aidan. They soon fall in love, and he plans a risky escape.

Georgina, once a seer, now a mannequin in Danielle’s shop, was turned to wood by that same wizard. Her body stilled, her mind sharp, she is the lovers’ only hope to escape. If she intervenes, and the wizard finds out, he will stop at nothing to make his spell succeed, even if it means destroying Georgina, Danielle, and Aidan.

Tagline: How far would you go for love?

BUY LINK: https://www.MariahLynne.com

FEBRUARY IS FOR LOVERS

Love is in the air. Valentines, flowers, and heart shaped candy. It's a new year, a new beginning, and a renewed recognition of what's most important to us. As my wise mother always told me; health and love.

I am lucky to have a loving and caring husband, and a fourteen year old dog named Max who that many years ago was my Valentine gift. Both surround my world with humor, encouragement, and loads of love.

I took Max out for his walk this morning and he met up with the gorgeous Golden Girls, two sister Golden Doodles who are infatuated with him. One came close and gave him a lick.
The other waited patiently for her turn. Of course, he loved it.
His tail wagged a mile a minute.
Max and the Golden Girls prove that we don't have to be carbon copies to fall in love. My father was an immigrant and my mother born here. Different talents, their love lasted a lifetime. I am a disorganized creative type, while my husband is organized and very good in business and sales, but in how we treat others and giving back to our small community we agree.
In SHADOWS ACROSS TIME, two lovers from different periods in history, who speak different languages, and have different customs meet under extreme duress and fall in love.
Their love is tested by a wizard out to destroy them in order to keep favor with his queen and by an impossible and dangerous escape where they must trust their fate to total strangers.
This month, show your significant other how much you care. Your Valentine's love should not be reserved for one day, one month, or one year, but forever.

Mariah Lynne
www.MariahLynne.com
SHADOWS ACROSS TIME

THE CHRISTMAS DOLL

One Christmas, a long time ago, I was a little girl who loved her dolls. I had clothes for them, accessories, and some even had their own little beds in my room. I always thought every little girl had a doll. Never dreamed anything different.
It was the Sunday before Christmas and my father took me to church service after Sunday School to see a special choir of children from an orphanage in Rome. They were in the US to visit and perform at several churches along the East Coast.
Some of the families like mine volunteered to take a child home for dinner. The week before, my mother asked to see a photo of the young lady because she wanted to buy some clothes for her to take home. When I looked at the photo, I saw a skinny eight year named Marianna. We were the same age and the same height. We both had dark curly hair and dark brown eyes. Except for where and how we lived, and the fact that I was chubby, we could have been sisters.
I was excited to have Marianna come for dinner and happy that my mother bought her clothes. After we ate Sunday lunch, I took her into my bedroom to see and play with my toys. Her eyes grew huge and began to tear up. I understood a little Italian enough to get the just of a conversation. She walked over to my window bench where my dolls "lived" and picked one up and hugged it.
The doll named Anna was one of my favorites. Dressed in a pink and white gingham dress, she had blonde hair I could comb. Marianna hugged Anna and refused to let her go. She said she never had a doll before, let alone one as "bella" as this one.
Well I was not a happy camper. I yelled at her, "Let let Anna go. That doll is mine." She refused and asked me to please give Anna to her. That made me more upset. Enough so my father heard me and came in to see what was wrong.
I told him about Anna and how she was not going anywhere. He walked over to Marianna and had her give him the doll. He then said in Italian that he knew I would be happy to give it to her. After all, I had so much...a good home, loving parents, and many other dolls. He handed it back to her and she hugged him like he just gave her the world.
I watched in silence thinking I never realized how lucky I was. I too went over and hugged Marianna. She taught me a a most important lesson about giving and love I will never forget. This holiday season we should all care about those less fortunate and try to help in whatever manner we can.
Best wishes for a happy holiday season. I hope you spend it with family and friends.

Mariah

SHADOWS ACROSS TIME

Oh What A Knight

Ever daydream about being kidnapped? You’re swept away by a total stranger to a romantic place, leaving behind those dirty dishes, your new puppy throwing up on your best decorative rug, and the insurmountable to-do list. Where would you like to be taken?

France? Paris, perhaps? Chenonceau Castle has always been my dream. About ten years ago, after watching an episode of the Travel Channel featuring three castles in the Loire Valley, Chambord, Cheverny, and Chenonceau, I was hooked. My husband entered the family room reading a newspaper when I pointed to the TV. “We’re going there.” And so we did. All three royal residences were magnificent, but there was something extra special about Chenonceau.

Perhaps it was the imposing gray white structure with blue turreted roofs, or the rose colored bedroom with its canopied bed and carved fireplace, maybe it was the manicured gardens, or best yet how the waters of the River Cher flowed underneath the castle. The “Chambre de Secrets”, rumored to be Catherine de Medici’s secret hiding place for poisons, true or not, peaked my writer’s imagination.

In my newest novel, SHADOWS ACROSS TIME, my strong-willed heroine, present day antique dealer Danielle deForet, is tricked into completing an appraisal on a rare French piece, when her client, a sinister wizard, whisks her back to 16^th century France and you guessed it, Chenonceau. Danielle is held captive in a room resembling the rose bedroom awaiting her dismal fate as a crucial link in a spell for the queen. The wizard selects a brave young knight, Sir Aidan, to guard her. A most handsome knight, Aidan and Danielle soon fall in love and he plans a risky escape.

Chenonceau is known as the “Chateau de Dames”, because three strong women contributed to its longevity. Built in 1513 by Katherine Briconnet, King Henry II purchased it after her death from her son and gifted the castle to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. (Why is it always the mistress?) She added the arched bridge that crossed the river as well as the gardens that still surround the structure. To her misfortune, she made the castle so beautiful that when the king died, Catherine de Medici, his widow with the alleged poison room, desired to own the chateau forcing Diane out. Madame Dupin later protected Chenonceau from being destroyed during the French Revolution. With all these formidable women in mind, I knew Danielle had to be just as strong and just as resolute if she hoped to foil the powerful wizard’s plan.

My heroine is beautiful, smart, and determined. The more I imagined her story, the more I knew Chenonceau was the perfect backdrop. I visualized Danielle traveling up the exterior staircase, visiting the opulent throne room, and meeting the wizard in a fictionalized version of the poison room. She was brave as she walked in disguise eager to escape off the arched bridge to meet her lover on horseback. Their swashbuckling adventure, the journey of their lives through the thick forests to be sheltered by resisters, begins here.

Now, it’s your turn. Danielle, and Aidan, along with a sinister wizard and cunning gypsy seer await your visit to Chenonceau in SHADOWS ACROSS TIME available in print and e-book.

Mariah Lynne

Romance That Transcends Time

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A SPECIAL VALENTINE

Love Spoon

MARIAH LYNNE

WHO NEEDS PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES?

BUT FOR THE LOVE OF CAMELS

KANDY KANE

Oh What A Knight

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