Tuesday, December 10, 2013

The Story Behind Buried Threads by Kaylin McFarren

I’ve been asked on numerous occasions about the inspiration behind my latest romantic suspense novel – Buried Threads. Not only does this come from my interest in scuba diving and Asian antiques, but also from the people I’ve had the privilege of knowing after traveling to Japan on a regular basis.

Buried Threads 2Thirty-nine years ago, I had the honor to meet a wonderful mama-san for the first time. To this day, she continues to oversee the operations of her teahouse as well as day-to-day activities for Gion geikos (not geishas) and maikos within her “family” in Kyoto, Japan. With the help of this 8th generation proprietor, I was able to develop personal relationships with young women who have chosen a less popular lifestyle in order to maintain the culture and beauty of their country.

During a separate trip, I also meet a Buddhist monk who arrived as a guest at a dinner party looking very much like an average Japanese businessman. Despite the fact that he wore western clothes and black rimmed glasses, and had shaggy brown hair, this man exuded remarkable warmth through his constant smile, slow, methodical gestures, and soft gentle voice. During the course of the evening, I witnessed his ability to read the future of family members and reveal a person’s past lives. He shared amazing photographs with glowing orbs and talked about his mission to travel around the world freeing trapped, tortured souls.

I also meet an unusual gentleman after attending my father-in-law’s funeral twenty years ago. While sitting in a black limousine, waiting to drive to a crematorium on the top of a mountain, he slid into the seat next to me wearing a black suit, black shirt and white tie. He had a tan, weathered face, spoke broken English and was extremely polite in every sense of the word. However, during our drive, I learned from husband that this man was not only his uncle, but also a high-ranking member of the yakuza – in other words, a prominent member of the Japanese mafia.

With all of these people in mind, I knew one day I would bring them together in one of my wild adventures, and with the creation of Buried Threads, my cast of characters was born. Although this second book in the Threads series picks up where Severed Threads left off, it truly stands alone. Within the pages of this self-published book, you will find interesting facts, historical places, Japanese culture and thrilling suspense. Like each of my books, it is designed to reach into your heart and leave an indelible impression – an encouraging message – reminding readers that they can overcome any obstacle in their lives if they just have faith in the possibility.

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Kaylin McFarren 2Kaylin 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 won 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. They have three children and two grandchildren.
 
Her latest book is Buried Threads (Book 2 of the Threads series).

Visit her website at www.kaylinmcfarren.com.