CHARITY'S CROSS - MaryLu Tyndall and SHATTERED MEMORIES - Debbie Lynne Costello - Two Free Books or Ebooks

Dear Readers, we have a double feature to day. My friends, MaryLu Tyndall and Debbie Lynne Costello, are introducing their new books together. Instead of interviews, we'll have interesting information about their books, a peek at their stories, and each author's bio. As always, we'll have a giveaway of each book. If the winner is in the US, the book will be a print book, and if the winner is in a foreign country, the book will be an ebook.

Welcome, MaryLu and Debbie Lynne. I'm so happy to host you here.

First we'll look at MaryLu Tyndall and her book, Charity's Cross:

Bio: Award winning and best-selling author MaryLu Tyndall describes herself as an introvert, tall ship enthusiast, friend of pirates and mermaids, obsessive-compulsive control freak, history lover, hopeless romantic, and a sword wielding princess-warrior of the King of Kings. Her books are filled with adventure and romance guaranteed to touch your heart! Her hope is that readers will not only be entertained but will be brought closer to the Creator who loves them beyond measure. In a culture that accepts the occult, wizards, zombies, and vampires without batting an eye, MaryLu hopes to show the awesome present and powerful acts of God in a dying world. She has published over seventeen novels and currently lives in California with her husband, 6 kids, 2 grandkids, and various cats.

Eleven Fun facts about me and my new book Charity’s Cross

By MaryLu Tyndall

Charity’s Cross is my 4th Independently published book (I have 16 traditionally published books before I went Indie).

I never intended to write Charity’s Cross, but after receiving so many reader emails begging me to write it, I relented.

Charity’s Cross is book 4 in my Charles Towne Belles series (originally published in 2009). However, I wrote the story in such a way so it could be read as a stand-alone without having read the other books.

I wrote Charity’s Cross while caring for my very first grandchild.

I have been writing romance novels for 13 years. Before that, I was a software engineer at IBM.

I am an introvert with a rabid fear of public speaking.

I listen to alternative rock while writing battle scenes and classical movie scores while writing romance scenes.

I had to dig deep into the psyche of an abused woman to write some of the scenes in this book. Not fun, I can tell you.

Chocolate and popcorn are my go-to snacks while writing.

Charity’s Cross is a sort-of crossover book between my Legacy of the King’s Pirates series and my Charles Towne Belles series, containing characters from both family lines.

The most important thing to me when writing any book is that God is glorified and readers are brought closer to Him through the pages.

Charity’s Cross Back cover copy:

Suspected of killing her husband, Charity Westcott flees on the first ship out of Portsmouth, England, heading for the colonies. Loathing all men after her abusive marriage, she hopes to reunite with her family in Charles Towne, but the ship ends up in Nassau. When she spots her husband’s brother, who is intent on seeing her hang, boarding her ship, she jumps overboard. 

Pirate turned preacher, Elias Dutton, must get to Barbados as soon as possible. His sister is in danger, and his parents have charged him with her safety. He cannot let them down—again.  But after rescuing a madcap woman from the bay, he now finds himself tricked into masquerading as her husband so they both can procure passage to Barbados.

Pirates, storms, shipwreck, and betrayal threaten to delay the couple in their journey even as sparks fly between them. With her brother-in-law in fast pursuit, the last thing Charity wants is help from a man, especially a religious one, but she has no choice. After Elias’s heart was broken by a sordid woman who nearly ruined his life, he seeks a woman pure as the virgin sands of the Caribbean. He believes he has found such a woman in Charity. Until he discovers she is a murderer and is now faced with two choices: letting her go or turning her in to the authorities.

MaryLu Links

Amazon link to buy Charity’s Cross: http://bit.ly/CharityCrossAmazon

MaryLu Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/marylu.tyndall.author/

MaryLu Twitter page: https://twitter.com/MaryLuTyndall

MaryLu Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mltyndall/

MaryLu Blog and Website:  http://www.marylutyndall.com

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

Charity's Cross (Charles Towne Belles) (Volume 4) - paperback
Charity's Cross - Kindle

And now we're going to check out Debbie Lynne and her book:

Bio: Debbie Lynne Costello has enjoyed writing stories since she was eight years old. She

raised her family and then embarked on her own career of writing the stories that had been

begging to be told. She and her husband have four children and live in upstate South Carolina.

She has worked in many capacities in her church and is currently the Children’s director. Debbie

Lynne has shown and raised Shetland sheepdogs for eighteen years and still enjoys litters now

and then. In their spare time, She and her husband enjoy camping and riding their Arabian and

Tennessee Walking horses.

How Shattered Memories intertwines with Charleston history

In 1886 after some mild earth rumblings, Charleston, South Carolina, was hit with a 7.0+ earthquake that twisted the earth so severely that waterlines broke leaving people without water and gas lines fractured, causing widespread fires.

Very few buildings escaped either total destruction or major damage. Many of the buildings that were salvageable were fitted with earthquake bolts. These are long rods with a washer and nut on the end that runs through both walls of the building. So many buildings and even hospitals were damaged as the ground shifted and rumbled. In Shattered Memories, my hero’s family sets up a makeshift hospital when all the local hospitals are damaged beyond use.

Wires were cut and railroad tracks twisted from the quake, leaving Charleston and its close neighbors temporarily cut off from the world.

An estimated 14,000 chimneys fell from the earthquake and nearly every building had severe damage. My heroine, Olivia experiences this devastation when she returns to her family’s home and finds it in shambles.

Structural damage was reported as far away as Alabama, central Ohio, eastern Kentucky, southern Virginia, and western West Virginia.

Although most numbers say 66 deaths were attributed to the quake, it is hard to know for sure what the true amount was. Due to poor accounting of people, there seems to be a question of how accurate the numbers are. There were people counted who were already sick but it was said their death was hastened from fright of the quake. Then there were the deaths that occurred instantly, and the deaths that came over time as a result of injuries sustained. So a true count will never be known. However, I found numbers as low as 50 and high as 500. Just as the real people of the Charleston earthquake struggled with loss, my characters face the deaths of family and friends.

Doctors saw wide varieties of injuries from the disaster. My hero, Drew, is a doctor as is his father and brothers. His family works hard to treat victims of the earthquake while comforting them through their loss and pain.

The total damage was in excess of 5.5 million dollars (112 million in today's market). Despite South Carolina’s leading role in the Civil War, the country rallied around Charleston and sent aid to help in its rebuilding. In 14 months, Charleston had rebuilt its city.

The people behind my characters in Shattered Memories

Most of my characters come from within my head. I can ask myself what if—and then see how my character responds. As I go through visualizing how they react to different circumstances and questions, I learn my character. It usually takes about 3 chapters for me to truly get to know who they are and before I am comfortable with them. Those first 3 chapters are sometimes slow to write because I’m not sure how they are going to respond to things or how their dialogue with others will progress. I want to keep them true to who I visualize in my head. The more I write the more I know them and know what their response is going to be. I think I can say that all of my characters have something, whether it’s a habit, trait, look, or belief comes from someone I have met, seen, or know.

But the characters of Shattered Memories are a little bit closer to home. Each of the Warwick children has traits of one of my own children. It was fun to mold the characters with a child in mind. Now that isn’t to say my characters are my children. Sweet mercy! They’d tar and feather me if I did that. But I tried to pick out things about them (my children) which would resonate with my character and then I developed the personality from there.

I hope as you read this story that the people within the book will come to life and you’ll somehow connect with them, feeling their pain, uncertainty, turmoil, as well as their relief, discoveries, and happiness. I hope the setting will be real and you will walk through the streets with each of these characters, seeing the devastation and experiencing what they experienced.

But above all I hope you walk away with some nugget that brings you closer to our Lord and Savior. 

Shattered Memories Back Cover Copy:

Olivia Macqueen wakes in a makeshift hospital, recovering from a head injury. With amnesia stealing a year of her memories, she has trouble discerning between lies and truth. When her memories start returning in bits and pieces, she must keep up the charade of amnesia until she can find out the truth behind the embezzlement of her family’s business while evading the danger lurking around her.

Doctor Drew Warwick frantically searches through the rubble left by the Charleston earthquake for the lady who owns his heart. He finds her injured and lifeless. When she regains consciousness, the doctor’s hopes are dashed as he realizes she doesn’t remember him. But things only get worse after he discovers she believes she’s still engaged to the abusive scoundrel, Lloyd Pratt. Now Drew is on a race with the wedding clock to either help her remember or win her heart again before she marries the wrong man.

Debbie Lynne's Links:

Website: www.debbielynnecostello.com

Blog: www.theswordandspirit.blogspot.com - www.HHHistory.com

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/debbielynne1/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9458076.Debbie_Lynne_Costello  

Google Plus:  https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DebbieLynneCostello/posts

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debbielynnecostello

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DebiLynCostello

Purchase Shattered Memories:  http://www.amazon.com/Debbie-Lynne-

Costello/e/B00TRT6RYS/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1 

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book or ebook. Please tell us if you like reading books about pirates and natural disasters. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

SWORD OF FORGIVENESS - Debbie Lynne Costello - One Free Book

Dear Readers, I’ve known Debbie Lynne Costello online for a number of years, and I’m thrilled to introduce you to her with the release of her debut novel.

Bio: Debbie Lynne Costello has enjoyed writing stories since she was about eight years old. She raised her family and then embarked on her own career of writing the stories that had been begging to be told. She and her husband have four children and live in upstate South Carolina. She has worked in many capacities in her church and is currently the Children's Director. Debbie Lynne has shown and raised Shetland Sheepdogs for eighteen years and still enjoys litters now and then. In their spare time, she and her husband take pleasure in camping and riding their Arabian and Tennessee Walking horses.

Welcome, Debbie. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters. 

I don’t think I write myself into my characters deliberately, but it would be pretty hard not  to write some of yourself into them because who I am affects my beliefs and my faith so I naturally write in that direction.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I started writing stories at a young age of about 8 but I never thought of myself as a writer. I took every writing class I could in high school and then journalism in college. But it wasn’t until about 8 years ago that I decided I wanted to write novels.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I enjoy reading my bible, some research books, anything in the 19th century and anything in medieval times.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

I don’t! I always feel like things are crazy. God is the only thing that keeps me together.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I research the time period that my characters would have been born and try to find a name that fits the character running around in my head.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

My husband and I built the house we live in. I think that is probably my biggest accomplishment. We are now looking forward to building one last house in which we hope to retire.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

Yikes! I’ve never thought about being an animal. I guess I would choose a horse. And anyone that knows me would have already guessed the answer to that. Why would I be a horse? In hopes that I would be chosen for the Lord to ride on in His return.

What is your favorite food?

Chocolate covered coconut macaroons.

Yum! What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Marketing. It seems that today we have to sell ourselves and our books. I find that with all the social media, it’s hard to find the time to write. I don’t know that I have overcome it. I struggle daily to balance my everyday life and responsibilities with time for writing. The thing that does work best for me is to stay organized with a schedule and lists. They keep me on target.

Tell us about the featured book.

After the death of her cruel father, Brithwin is determined never again to live under the harsh rule of any man. Independent and resourceful, she longs to be left alone to manage her father’s estate. But she soon discovers a woman has few choices when the king decrees she is to marry Royce, the Lord of Rosencraig. As if the unwelcome marriage isn’t enough, her new husband accuses her of murdering his family, and she is faced with a challenge of either proving her innocence or facing possible execution.

Royce of Hawkwood returns home after setting down a rebellion to find his family brutally murdered. When all fingers point to his betrothed and attempts are made on his life, Royce must wade through murky waters to uncover the truth. Yet Brithwin’s wise and kind nature begins to break down the walls of his heart, and he soon finds himself in a race to discover who is behind the evil plot before Brithwin is the next victim.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Cumberland, England, 1398

Brithwin gazed at her father's grey, lifeless face as she crossed the room. Other than a pinprick to her conscience, there was no sorrow. She faltered. Was his chest rising and falling? A dull roar filled her ears, drowning out her pounding heart. She gasped. Nay. Nay! Hadn’t the priest said his soul was at rest? Hadn’t she watched as the icy fingers of death slowly robbed him of his last breath?

A shudder slithered through her body. Was it a sin to find relief in his death? He couldn’t hurt her anymore. Surely God would not find fault with her. Perhaps her father’s sudden passing was God’s punishment for all the wrongs he had done her. The shuffling of feet brought her contemplations to a halt. 

“It’s all right to grieve, dear one—the tears will help you heal.” Pater, a follower of John Wycliffe and branded a Lollard, laid his hand on her shoulder.

Brithwin pushed aside her conflicting feelings. “You know there is no sorrow in me for his death. Only relief that he is gone and anger for what he has done.”

“Don’t let bitterness consume you. It will do your father no harm, but it will slowly drain the joy from your life, my child.”

Brithwin turned her head away from her father’s still form and looked into the empathetic eyes of a man who had suffered far greater than she at her father’s hand. She spoke the words anyway. “If anyone has a reason to be bitter, it is I. Isn’t a woman’s lot always bitterness?”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

https://www.facebook.com/debbielynnecostello

https://twitter.com/DebiLynCostello

https://plus.google.com/+DebbieLynneCostello/posts

https://www.pinterest.com/debbielynne1/

Thank you for having me on your blog, Lena. I’m looking forward to meeting your followers.

Thank you, Debbie Lynne. They will enjoy getting to know you and your book, too.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Sword of Forgiveness (Winds of Change) (Volume 1) - paperback
Sword of Forgiveness (Winds of Change Book 1) - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com