Interview with Rachel Lyons from Kaylin McFarren's 'Banished Threads'

We’re thrilled to be talking to Rachel Lyons from Kaylin McFarren’s Banished Threads. It is a pleasure to have her with us today at Pimp That Character!

Thank you for your interview, Rachel. How old are you and what do you do for a living? 

I’m 33 years old and left my positon dispersing grant funding in San Palo, California a year ago to be with my fiancé and partner Chase Cohen. Our business involves recovering lost sunken treasure around the world.

Can you tell us about one of your most distinguishable features? 

I’ve been told that my eyes are remarkable. Perhaps it because they’re light hazel with blue specks and look more green than brown.

What would I love the most about you? 

I love to teach and be taught. I’m money conscience, hardworking and productive. And I’m loyal, neat and very organized.

What would I hate the most about you? 

I seem to always be aware of people’s flaws and weaknesses, and have been known to point them out. I’m not very trusting, I’m afraid…especially if someone breaks a promise or disappoints me. My boyfriend calms I have difficulty expressing love, but I think he’s needy at times and foolishly jealous.

What is in your refrigerator right now? 

Since I’m pregnant right now, I’m trying to eat healthy and watch my weight. You’ll find brown eggs, 2% milk, carrots, baby tomatoes, fruit smoothies and low-fat cheese. I not big on cooking, so you won’t find anything gourmet or very exciting inside.

What are your most treasured possessions? 

The sea captain’s coat my father used to wear on his ship and the bronze sculpture of my grandmother I found in my uncle’s art gallery.

What is your greatest fear? 

I don’t like being left alone. My mother disappeared when I was eight and my father died in a diving accident. My boyfriend Chase skipped town with no explanation before returning a year ago. It seems like everyone is always leaving me behind.

What is the trait you don’t like about yourself? 

I might come off as whiny, reserved and insecure at times. But I have no idea how to be a good mother, so that’s perfectly natural, right? And I’ve had to learn how to make it on my own and that’s not an easy thing to accomplish.

Do you think the author portrayed you accurately? 

As well as she could, I suppose. She wasn’t around when I graduated from college and worked as a marine biologist. She only knows me as someone who fears the water after my father tragically drown. I’ll always hold myself accountable after the terrible argument we had, but I’m learning to forgive others, including myself. I’m also diving again thanks to Chase and there’s nothing more beautiful in this world than the creatures living under the sea.

What is your idea of a perfect day? 

Waking up to the sound of the ocean, walking on the beach, sipping a triple skinny mocha latte, and sitting on a blanket reading a good mystery. I love orchids and the smell of ginger and although my cottage is modest with simple furnishings, I enjoy visiting Asian antique shops and looking at brass trinkets. I might even go shopping for designer shoes, but I don’t think I’m being frivolous. Far from it. Even if they have 5-inch heels, well-made shoes last longer and look so much nicer during important business meetings. Don’t you agree?

About the Author

Kaylin McFarren is a California native who has enjoyed traveling around the world. She previously worked as director for a fine art gallery, where she helped foster the careers of various artists before feeling the urge to satisfy her own creative impulses.

Since launching her writing career, McFarren has earned more than a dozen literary awards in addition to a finalist spot in the 2008 RWA Golden Heart Contest. A member of RWA, Rose City Romance Writers, and Willamette Writers, she also lends her participation and support to various charitable and educational organizations in the Pacific Northwest.

McFarren currently lives with her husband in Oregon and visits her second home in California once a month. They have three grown daughters and two grandchildren, and look forward to having more.

Her latest book is the romantic suspense, Banished Threads.

For More Information

• Visit Kaylin McFarren’s website.
• Connect with Kaylin on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Book:

Title: Banished Threads (Book 3 – Threads Series)
Author: Kaylin McFarren
Publisher: Creative Edge Publishing LLC
Pages: 258
Genre: Romantic Suspense

A valuable art collection disappears turning a treasure-hunting duo into crime-stopping sleuths committed to vindicating family members in Kaylin McFarren's action-packed suspense novel, Banished Threads.

While vacationing at the stately Cumberforge Manor in Bellwood, England, Rachel Lyons and Chase Cohen attend an elegant dinner party hosted by her uncle, Paul Lyons, and his aristocratic wife, Sara. Before the evening ends, a priceless collection of Morris Graves's paintings are stolen from her uncle's popular gallery, throwing all suspicion onto his wife's missing granddaughter. Determined to clear Sloan Rafferty's name and, in the process, win Paul's favor, Chase scours the countryside looking for answers. In his absence, the police accuse Rachel's uncle of an unsolved murder and secrets surrounding her grandmother's death and the deaths of Sara's former husbands turn his wife into the most likely suspect.

With the true villains hell-bent on destroying Paul Lyons and his family, solving both crimes while ensuring her uncle's freedom not only endangers Rachel's life but that of her unborn child. Will Chase save them before the kidnappers enact their revenge or will the ultimate price be paid, as predicted by a vagabond fortuneteller?

First place - 2016 Hudson Valley RWA Hook, Line & Sinker Contest

For More Information

• Banished Threads is available at Amazon.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.