1. I hear you have a dog in your novel. Tell us about your book…OR let your dog do the honors. 😉

Hi everyone. My name is Sam, and I’m the dog in Mariah’s latest romance, Paws For Christmas. As you can tell by my photo on the cover, I’m big, furry, and very happy. Mariah named me for her late, real-life dog Sam, who she said was so sweet she loved him to pieces! Like my namesake, I’m lovable, smart, and can sniff out when someone needs love.

When the book opens, I’m lost and need help finding my owner. I must be the luckiest dog ever, because I wander into Jessica Munroe’s yard as she is putting up Christmas decorations. I am dirty and cut up because I had wrangled my way out of my master’s car after a bad crash. I ran from the accident because the flashing lights scared me.

Jessica Munroe is a beautiful freelance writer, but she looks sad and distracted. One look at me, and I sure took care of that. I later found out that just two weeks earlier she had had to put her best friend–her dog Mazy–to sleep and her ER doctor fiancé had left her for his nurse.

My story takes place just before Christmas on a small, beautiful Gulf Coast island just like the one Mariah lives on. Despite visiting tourists, the island is just a small town where everyone knows each other.

Jessica takes me to her vet where they find an ID tag while combing out my matted fur. I get a nice bath, and Jessica’s vet exams me. She suggests I be put in a shelter until my owner can be located. Jessica will not hear of it, especially right before Christmas, so she takes me home and we do some computer research of our own. Well, she does all the research; I just lay at her feet and stare up at her in love. Once she finds the name of my owner and what happened to him…well, let’s just say, it’s up to me to give this story a happy ending!

Love,
Sam

P.S. Side effects of reading Paws For Christmas are a happy heart, an uplifted spirit, new confidence in the future, and a smile on your face!

Paws For Christmas Buy Links:

Amazon: Paws For Christmas – Kindle edition by Lynne, Mariah. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ AmazonSmile.

Barnes and Noble: Paws for Christmas by Mariah Lynne | NOOK Book (eBook) | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

 

2. Mariah, why did you add Sam to this book?

I’m a dog lover and animal lover. [See photo left with a sled dog puppy.] All my heroines–no matter what genre–have pets. I served as a director for a county-wide no-kill shelter for three years and always remember the sage advice my brother gave me when I was a girl: “Always try to save a life by adopting a shelter pet.”

We adopted our Sam [see above right] when he was just under one year old, and he must have felt completely lost like the Sam in the story because his owners had abandoned him. I’d like to tell you more about him.

My dog Sam was part German shepherd, part Golden Lab, and part comedian. From the moment his golden brown eyes met mine, I knew I was in for a heck of a ride. Sam was ninety pounds, full of energy, curiosity, and spunk. He didn’t have a mean bone in his body unless, that is, you threatened to harm his family. I watched him lick a baby’s feet and swim in a lake with baby ducklings.

I thought I’d share a short Christmas memory:

We alternated years visiting family for Christmas, and that was our year to cook. It was a beautiful snowy day, the kind Sam loved to frolic in. After I stuffed the turkey and put it in the oven, I asked Sam if he wanted to go outside again to play. But evidently the aroma coming from that roasting pan sent Sam’s nose and stomach into a frenzy. He kept sniffing the air and stayed in the kitchen, not wanting to miss anything turkey.

When it was time to eat, I placed the wonderful food into serving dishes. Sam watched attentively, but since he’d had a hearty breakfast, I was sure it was just curiosity. As my husband carved the turkey, we heard loud slurping noises coming from the kitchen. I got up to see where the noise was coming from. Did I leave the water running? Was something dripping? No, but I did leave the turkey pan on the extended oven rack to cool.

I walked into the kitchen to see him slurp up the remaining juices in the roasting pan. Thank goodness I had already strained the small bones to make gravy. He looked at me with those huge brown eyes and wagged his tail, not skipping a second of slurping. I didn’t know whether to laugh or scold him. You guessed it. I laughed and gave him a big hug. My husband always said I would make a terrible dog obedience trainer.

Sam lived to be fifteen, enjoyed a happy life, and we shared many more wonderful memories together. That’s why he was my inspiration for the character of the dog in Paws for Christmas.

 

3. What other books have you written?

I write contemporary romance, cozy mystery, and Time Travel adventure. My latest cozy mystery, A Gem Of A Murder, is set on a Gulf Coast island called Seabliss Island and has a dog in it named Spike.

A Gem Of A Murder Blurb:

A sleepy Florida Gulf Coast beach town suddenly comes alive as two best friends–local merchant Mariah Linley and island psychic Moonbeam–find themselves in the middle of some pretty strange business. The two novice sleuths are drawn into a web of murder, deception, and drugs that stretches as far west as Mexico and as far south as the Keys.

A Gem of a Murder is a cozy mystery set in 1986 and laced with a little romance. With a backdrop of stunning locations, the story will take you on a memorable vacation without ever leaving home! So grab your sunscreen and park that imaginary lounge chair in the sand under swaying palm trees. But watch your back. There’s a murderer on the loose!

Amazon Buy Link For A Gem Of A Murder: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SVSPC83

My last Time Travel adventure-romance is The Duchess’ Necklace, and the story also has a dog.

The Duchess’ Necklace Blurb:

Amelia Augusta Ethrington, 18th 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, valuable necklace, The Abbington Jewels. But an unscrupulous time traveler seduces her and snatches the necklace.

Amelia risks everything to time travel with a gypsy seer to find the scoundrel 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?

Amazon Buy Link for The Duchess’ Necklace: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0728LH88J/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i4

 

4. Tell us about your reviews.

One Book More review of Paws for Christmas:

“Jessica and Trey are both kind and sincere and have such positive outlooks on life even when things aren’t going their way. I also like that they are both so caring and selfless. Jessica takes in a stray dog (Sam), gets him medical attention, and then looks for Sam’s owner. Sam is so sweet and charming! He has a jubilant and playful personality that endears everyone he meets. A sweet contemporary romance with a wonderful holiday spirit, Paws for Christmas is a heart-warming story…it is a light and fun read.”

Nana’s Book Reviews: A Gem of a Murder:

“This is a very unique cozy mystery, set in 1986 in a small town. The plot is interesting and engaging. The characters were quirky and when they joined forces they did great surprising things… My favorite parts were Moonbeam’s interactions with the spirits. This is a lovely cozy mystery perfect for those who love this genre. I highly recommend this and I will rate it 4 stars.”

The Paranormal Romance Author’s Guild’s 5-Star review of The Duchess’ Necklace:

“This is a story with an unexpected twist. The Duchess’ Necklace tells of true love that surpasses time. With a mixture of romance, history, and fiction, this is a fast-paced and engaging story. It is a story that takes you through time, on an adventure of love and excitement.”

 

5.Tell us more about yourself.

A graduate of Syracuse University, I reside on a beautiful SW Florida Gulf Coast island. My island lifestyle and scenery serve as the backdrop for all of my stories. Before writing fiction, I owned the first video store on our island like my character in A Gem of a Murder, and became active in my national trade association, meeting many Hollywood celebrities.

I inherited my love of good stories from my parents, and writing is my passion. I love to create memorable characters and–since pets are my other passion–all my heroines have pets like Sam, Duchy, or Spike. When not writing, I enjoy watching movies, traveling (even though we were stranded in beautiful Australia for 8 days at the start of the pandemic), swimming, reading a good story, and always spending time with my wonderful husband, Jerry.

 

6. Where can readers learn more about your books?

My website: https://mariahlynne.com

My Amazon Author Central page: https://www.amazon.com/Mariah-Lynne/e/B00AYH099G/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MariahLynneAuthor

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mariahlynneauthor

Twitter: @MariahLynne1

Mariah Lynne e-mail: MariahLynneauthor@yahoo.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard?ref=nav_profile_authordash

 

From Marcia: Thank you, Mariah, for being my August interviewee! I love discovering romances that feature pets and look forward to reading your books!

 

MONTHLY BLOG EBOOK CONTEST! Would you like to win a Marcia James’ ebook? Visitors to this pro-pet blog can join in the fun, comment, and/or share photos of their pets for a chance to win one of my ebooks! Each month, I’ll randomly pick one commenter to win. To leave a comment and/or a photo, click on the word “Reply,” which is just below the social media icons for THIS interview. (Don’t scroll past this interview to the next interview.) Go Pets!