The Matchmaker's Mare by Hywela Lyn
A little bit about Author Hywela Lyn…
I began writing short stories while still at school. When I left school and had several short stories published, I decided I really wanted to write novels. Being busy with earning a living and my other passion of horses and endurance riding in Wales, I didn’t seriously try to get published until after I retired from my job as an office administrator. It did not take me long to realise that everything I wrote turned into a love story, although up until then I had not considered myself to be a romance writer, I should not really have been surprised. I’ve always been a romantic at heart!
I’ve always enjoyed historical westerns. My first novel, Golden Horse Ranch is still languishing in a drawer, waiting to be published one day (perhaps). Having realised that there was little chance of getting a Western romance published in the UK. I turned my attention to Science Fiction and Fantasy, two genres that I also love to read, so I now write fantasy and paranormal romances, and romantic Science Fiction adventures. Having failed to find a publisher for my debut novel, Starquest, in the UK, I turned to the U.S. and was lucky enough to be published by The Wild Rose Press. Starquest, which had started out as a short story, then a novel, turned into a trilogy.
I have always loved dogs and horses. I grew up with dogs, and have owned horses since my very early teens, and currently share my home with a very spoilt little ‘rescue’ terrier, Choccy.
My pen-name, Hywela Lyn is a combination of my two Christian names. (I have always been known by my second name ‘Lyn’ and thought it was time my Welsh first name was used as well!)
My first three novels with the Wild Rose Press form a science fiction romance trilogy, the Destiny Trilogy, and are complete romance novels, featuring some of the same characters in each. I have always been fascinated by the stars, and the possibility of life and civilisations on other planets, but The Matchmaker’s Mareallowed me to indulge in my passion for horses, set in my beloved native Wales, and with a twist of the supernatural. I have loved horses for as long as I can remember, and have ridden and owned them since my early teens.
The Matchmaker’s Mare Blurb
When Megan Johnson inherits an old cottage in the Welsh countryside, she seizes the opportunity to cut ties with her past life, after a broken romance. Her nearest neighbour, a horse trainer, is also something of an enigma. Single dad Glyn Phillips does his best to balance his love of horses and hard work, with his devotion to his son. When he meets his new neighbour, he knows he should resist any attraction. A feisty pony mare which mysteriously appears on his land adds to his problems, but another, larger problem lies ahead. Two matchmaking spirits find their carefully laid plans may not go as smoothly as they hope.
This is a spotlight on “The Matchmaker’s Mare” by Hywela Lyn
Inspiration to write The Matchmaker’s Mare…
I’ve loved horses for as long as I can remember, and of course my native Wales is very dear me. Although I wrote a novella, set in 5th Century Wales, and featuring two of my horses, Sally and Harri, albeit in purely fictional roles, the muse then prompted me to write a science fantasy romance trilogy. I have always been fascinated by the stars and the idea of life on other planets (but I still managed to sneak a few horses into the stories.) The Matchmaker’s Mare gave me the chance to embrace my love of horses more fully, as well as my beloved Welsh countryside, and is based on an idea I had a long time ago, about a phantom pony. It gradually developed into a tale, set  in the distant past, about her matchmaker owner and her gypsy lover. This then progressed into a current day romance, with a single dad who loves horses, and a young woman recovering from a broken romance and hoping to start a new life in Wales. It does feature a haunted cottage, but don’t worry, these ghosts are friendly, perhaps a little too well meaning sometimes and also a little mischievous! It’s a short, ‘clean’ read, with dogs and horses, and one I hope will leave you with smile on your face and make you forget the worries of the ‘real’ world for a while.
Purchase Links:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Matchmakers-Mare-Hywela-Lyn-ebook/dp/B0DYF6L15C
https://www.amazon.com/Matchmakers-Mare-Hywela-Lyn-ebook/dp/B0DYF6L15CÂ
One of Hywela’s favourite’s scenes from The Matchmaker’s Mare…
This short excerpt sees Megan visiting her new neighbour, who seems to have a problem with a difficult pony.
Megan shut the gate, got back into the SUV and drove into the stable yard, glancing at the house in front of her. The large residence appeared to be built of natural Welsh stone, with a covering of ivy and Virginia creeper on the walls and around the door. Neat lawns and shrubbery surrounded the house. A newish-looking pick-up stood on the drive parked next to a large horsebox. A range of looseboxes lined one side of the yard, and several horses grazed contentedly in the paddocks which stretched away behind the house. One of the paddocks had obviously been set aside as a nursery, where several mares stood under the trees, swishing their tails with an air of contentment, close to their long-legged foals. The fences were post and rail, well maintained, and a contrast to the barbed wire surrounding the fields of many farms in the area.
After parking and hearing voices, Megan walked across the yard toward a large open-air schooling arena adjacent to the paddocks. She was just in time to see the pony’s wild display of temperament and sucked in a deep breath. Why would anyone voluntarily try to ride such a dangerous animal?
A slim, dark-haired man who looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties, leaned over the gate of the schooling paddock. He turned his head toward her and gave her a friendly smile. She smiled back, taking in twinkling brown eyes like liquid chocolate, under a shock of dark, wavy hair and a tanned, good-looking face with a slight stubble. Good looking was something of an understatement. The man was gorgeous!
 Hywela’s other works…
Dancing With Fate (A fantasy novella set in 5th Century Wales, combining Welsh, Greek and Arthurian legends)
https://www.amazon.com/DANCING-FATE-Song-Muses-Hywela-ebook/dp/B005MGU31I
The Destiny Trilogy( Each book is complete and can be read independently as a ‘stand alone’, with no cliff hanger ending, and is available individually as eBook, Trade  Paperback and Audiobook, from Amazon and most on-line retailers)
Book 1: Starquest
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GS77RO
Book 2: Children of the Mist
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HMC7VE
Book 3: Beloved Enemy
https://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Enemy-Destiny-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B01BBCBYCS
