My Writing Corner : A Gem of A Story

Cozy mystery novels have been among my favorite genres even before I knew what genres were. A good cozy mystery is just the book to read as we look for books to take along on spring trips or as we make preparations for summer vacations. My guest today in My Writing Corner is Mariah Lynne who brings us a new cozy that sounds perfect for spring or summer reading called A Gem of A Murder.

Welcome, Mariah, please tell us a little about you and how you came to be a writer:

I’m a Jersey girl born in Montclair, New Jersey. My father, an Italian immigrant from Naples, taught Latin and Classical Italian at a small local college before opening his own business, an independent print shop. My mother loved to help people and volunteered at our church and with charitable groups. She was a talented lace maker and loved to crochet and knit; her father, also from Italy, was a custom furrier and tailor for some of the most affluent residents of our community. Unfortunately I didn’t inherit any of those wonderful talents since I’m not fluent in a foreign language and am barely able to sew on a button but one thing I did inherit from my parents especially my father was the love of a good story.

I’m a graduate of Syracuse University with a degree in English education and reside on a beautiful Southwest Florida Gulf Coast island. My island lifestyle and scenery serve as the backdrop for all of my stories whether romance, time travel adventure, or cozy mystery. Before writing fiction, I owned and operated the first video store on the island like my character Mariah Linley and became very active in my national trade association meeting many movie stars and famous athletes. Although brief, these encounters made for some amazing memories.

I love to write and to create memorable characters. Pets are my passion and I served on the board of directors for a county wide no-kill shelter. Because of this, all of my heroines have pets like Spike, Mariah’s German shepherd crossed with a teddy bear in “A Gem of a Murder.” When not writing, I still enjoy watching movies, travelling (even though we were stranded in beautiful Australia for eight days at the start of the pandemic in March of 2020, swimming, reading a good story, and spending time with my husband Jerry.

That sounds like a good place to be stranded. Please tell us about your latest book, A Gem of a Murder:

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 after Mariah discovers their friend, Jocko, a beloved local sea captain, dead.

As events begin to unfold, 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.

Loaded with unique characters doing surprising things, A Gem of a Murder is a cozy mystery set in 1986 and laced with a little romance and the paranormal. With a backdrop of stunning locations, A Gem of a Murder 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 some swaying palm trees, but all the while, watch your back. There’s a murderer on the loose!

Let's get an excerpt:

With that Johnson exits down the stairs. Mariah watches from the upstairs kitchen window as Johnson gets into his vehicle. She waves as he drives off. No sooner than Johnson pulls out of the parking lot then Jocko’s phone rings. Mariah runs to the kitchen and opens one of the cabinets. She knows where Jocko keeps a box of disposable gloves for cleaning, opens the box, and puts on a pair before counting to five to answer the phone.

She picks up the receiver but does not answer.

“Mariah, it’s Moonie, are you all right?”

“No. No, I’m not. Far from it. It’s Jocko. He’s dead.”

“Dead? Oh my… I’m so sorry, honey. That must have been his spirit who came to me during a reading. The spirit advised me it was urgent. He was desperate for me to find you.”

Mariah forgets about her grief for a few seconds, puzzled by Moonbeam’s last statement. “His spirit? Moonie cut the fluff. It’s me you’re talking to. You’ve never been visited by a spirit in your life, unless you count the island Christmas pageant where you volunteered to break tradition and portray Scrooge as a medium.”

“Mariah, I’m dead serious. Oops no pun intended. Something or someone passed through me in the middle of one of my readings. It possessed me. My mind left my body…”

“That’s not new,” Mariah laughs feeling a bit guilty she could laugh after such a tragedy.

“Let me finish. My mind left my body. I saw Jocko. He was standing in a massive haze of bright light. His hand reached out to me. As I pulled away from him, I started to come to but he pulled me back to him. In a serious voice he said, ‘These are evil people who harmed me. They are still out there. You must warn Mariah.’”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Mariah cries out.

“I tried several times but ran into busy signals, no answers, and more clients. I’m so very sorry. He was a good friend to both of us.” Moonbeam responds in a serious tone.

“So, then what happened?” Mariah asks.

“Jocko’s hand let go of mine. I woke up to see Mrs. Evans with her jaw open so wide she could swallow a balloon, but my problems didn’t end there. Before my next client could leave my reading room, a rich woman dressed in black barged her way in. With her arrival, I felt Jocko’s spirit pass through the room again. This time I clutched my Grandma Meteroa’s locket, the one with the “M” engraved on it. That “M” left a deep impression of a three on my palm after I released it.”

Moonbeam remains quiet hoping she didn’t upset Mariah any more than she already was.

“Moonie, an M sideways can be mistaken for a three.”

“Mariah, you don’t understand. That spiritual necklace was passed down to me by my grandmother who claimed it has strong powers. That alone must mean I have the Gift. I’m sure that ‘three’ was a message or maybe a clue from the Great Beyond.”

“Okay if believing that makes you happy but I’m sure there are rational explanations for both. What did that woman want from you anyway?” Mariah sounds curious.

“It was very strange. She asked three vague questions. I answered in the same vague manner. She was pleased by my answers and she left. Go figure.”

“Moonie, now I’m not sure what to do about all this. If it walks like a duck, the duck being murder and quacks like a duck, then I’m sure Jocko was murdered. If I accept your story, then…”

“What do you mean accept my story? If it wasn’t true, why would I try so hard to reach you?”

“I mean,” Mariah continues, “You have in your own special way corroborated my theory. It’s like pulling teeth to get Bill and Doc on board.”

“What can I do to help? Do you want me to come over? Or maybe talk to Doc or Bill?” Moonbeam sounds most eager to help her friend.

“No, they already left with Jocko’s body. I’m not supposed to be here. Just hang in there and don’t tell anyone about our conversation. It’ll be better, at least in the beginning, if no one knows we’re working together. I’ll call you as soon as I can.”

“Mariah, be careful. Remember feel the wind.” Moonbeam replies with a deep sigh.

The two friends hang up. Mariah knows she must work fast to find out anything at all before Deputy Johnson returns with the proper supplies to secure Jocko’s condo. She reaches into her purse and pulls out her all in one Swiss Army knife and mini tool kit from her purse.

Want to read more? You'll have to buy the book! To learn more about Mariah and her books, here are her buy links and social contacts.

Trade paperback or Ebook:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SVSPC83

Read a few chapters FREE:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SVSPC83?asin=B09SVSPC83&revisionId=11970f&format=1&depth=1

Author website and social media links:

Mariah Lynne Website

http://www.MariahLynne.com

Twitter @MariahLynne1

www.facebook.com/MariahLynneAuthor

https://www.pinterest.com/mariahlynneauthor

Blog

https://mariahlynneauthor.blogspot.com/