Kay Phoenix: Author Mariah Lynne

Egypt! The land of the pharaohs, the pyramids, and The Nile! Ever since we have been married, Egypt has always been at the top of our trip wish list. In 2010, our dream came true. Believe me, I felt like pinching myself from the time we landed in Cairo to sailing into the Temple of Abu Simbel not too far from the Sudanese border.

We awoke the next morning to a breath taking view of The Nile. After breakfast, we left for the pyramids at Giza. We climbed up to the entrance of the largest one but did not go inside since you had to crawl most of the way through it. From there, we went to the Sphinx. I remember thinking how close this monument was to town. There were street merchants all around, but they didn’t hassle you. I remember buying two necklaces from the cutest little boy.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Egypt without a camel ride so that was our next stop. The camels looked regal with their colorful woven blankets and handlers in traditional garb. I got up on one which surprised me!

After lunch in a local outdoor restaurant where they cooked chickens in the ground and had restrooms that were mere holes in the dirt (culture shock), we drove to the step pyramid, the oldest pyramid on record.

Since it was the prototype, its structure was not perfect, but it was situated in n the Sahara desert. Not too far away, lush tropical greenery from Nile irrigated fields served as home to water buffalo and donkeys.

Our second day in Cairo, we visited the largest mosque in Egypt and the Cairo museum. The museum was raided with relics destroyed during the Arab Spring. The Arab Spring began less than two months after we arrived home. Filled with ancient treasures, the coral colored building was not air conditioned back then except for Tutankhamen’s room. At the time of our visit, the museum housed many royal mummies and archeologists had just discovered a new one of a queen. Tutankhamen’s burial mask was inlaid gold as were his two sarcophagi.

The next day, our flight to Luxor left at four AM. From the airport we went to the temple of Karnak filled with statues and drawings. I was greeted by a small dog sleeping at the feet of the statute Ramses. That same day, we went to the Temple of Luxor with its enormous columns and its promenade lined with small sphinxes.

That evening we took a horse and buggy ride with Omar and his horse Rambo through the market where your eyes feasted on colors and your nose inhaled spices before attending a light and sound show at Karnak. We watched the show, but could see men digging not too far away reminiscent of Indiana Jones.

One our tour, we visited the Temple of Horus with paintings dating back to 1500 B.C and visited the museum at Luxor.

Leaving Luxor, we toured the Valley of the Kings. We went inside the tombs of Ramses II and Ramses VI and of course the most popular Tutankhamun’s tomb which housed his gold sarcophagus and mummy. The young king’s room had paintings of baboons on the wall. Before this turns out to be a book, I’ll skip down to our trip to Abu Simbel. Along the way, we visited temples and ruins on islands since we spent three days on a Nile riverboat. We approached the massive temple at Abu Simbel by boat on Lake Nasser and the sight of it when we approached was jaw-dropping.

It was quite a walk to the large temple of Ramses with its enormous statues that greeted us at the entrance. Inside the temple were colorful drawings and painting that looked like they had just been finished. From there we visited Queen Nefertiti’s temple with smaller but just as beautiful statues. We stayed for the light and sound show which took my breath away with its beauty in multi colors and pictures projected upon the Temple.

We were in Egypt two weeks and toured the entire length of the country by boat, plane, bus, and riverboat. Our guides were professors of antiquities from the University of Cairo. I feel so very fortunate to have participated on such a journey that I filled the pages of a journal.

I love to travel and always have a wish list but this trip is by far my most memorable. In my writing, I Travel as well only through Time Travel like in The Duchess’ Necklace. Thank you for allowing me to share this with you.

***

Title: THE DUCHESS’ NECKLACE

Author/pen name: Mariah Lynne

Genre: Time Travel Romance

Publisher: Satin Romance

Date of Publication: June 2017

ASIN: BO728LH88J

ISBN: 168046468X

Number of pages: 134

Blurb:

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 knights 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 her future or life of wealth and privilege as a duchess?

Buy links: Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2qOWFW4

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/727047

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-duchess-necklace-mariah-lynne/1117344089?ean=2940154391334

All buy links through my website MariahLynne.com

Excerpt:

I realize I am not the heroine our love poets wrote about. I have the same desires as any other woman, maybe even a few more, but am left to fulfill them in secret trysts with men I wouldn’t be seen with in public. One day, however, a curious set of events would change all that.

The next afternoon, I was sleeping as sound as a newborn when short, loud, popping noises shook me from a dream. Pistol shots? Why? Who? Startled, my heart raced. I gasped trying to catch my breath. My thoughts spun like a whirling dervish as I forced myself upright to listen for any other noises. I waited. There were none. A few minutes passed before I heard screaming female voices break the eerie silence. Frenzied chatter from outside followed before the downstairs pendulum clock chimed three times. Three in the afternoon and I’m still in bed? Peculiar. I pride myself as an early riser.

Fear caused a sudden cold draft to chill my neck. I looked down at my sheer nightshirt. Odd, it was unbuttoned down to my waist. For some unknown reason, I felt compelled to touch my neck.

My necklace! Why on earth didn’t I have it on? I never take it off.

I stood rushing to my bed stand to open the top drawer. Not there. Anxious, I then combed through every inch of the bed sheets.

It’s not here. Not anywhere. What will I do? My necklace is gone.

Panic left me breathless. My stomach became uneasy as I began to feel lightheaded. I slumped down into the high back chair next to the window trying to regain my composure. I hoped to remember whatever I could about where I may have left it. When I felt better, I stood and looked under my bed. I searched under the cushions of my chair. I still couldn’t find it. How could I be so careless?

My necklace … my inheritance … my sole claim to my royal estate and title of duchess; how could it vanish in a flash?

Author bio:

Ever dream of traveling through time? Mariah Lynne does. Her stories take readers on exciting romantic adventures. Travel through history with strong willed independent heroines whose memorable tales and twisted plots dabble in the paranormal.

A graduate of Syracuse University, Mariah lives on a beautiful Florida Gulf Coast island. Before writing fiction, she wrote weekly columns for two island newspapers. She adores her island town so Southwest Florida takes center stage in all of her stories.

Mariah is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Southwest Florida Romance Writers.

Her books include THE DUCHESS’ NECKLACE, SHADOWS ACROSS TIME, and THE LOVE GYPSY. Her short stories “Love at First Flight” and “The Kaine Mutiny” are published in Vols.1 and 2 of FROM FLORIDA WITH LOVE. “Claws for Justice” is included in a mystery anthology featuring cats “NINE DEADLY LIVES”.

When not writing, Mariah enjoys swimming, travelling, and spending time with her husband and dolphin hunting dog, Max, a shelter adoptee.