SURRENDER THE HEART - M L Tyndall - Free book

Welcome, MaryLu. As an author, I know it takes a lot of people to birth each book. Who were the people involved in the birthing of this book, and what were their contributions?


You’re so right. Every book is touched and helped along by so many hands! I’d have to first thank my friend and fellow author, Rita Gerlach for accompanying me as I toured Baltimore doing research for this series. She and her husband were so kind to me and even bought me lunch, then attended the War of 1812 Reenactment at Fort McHenry with me! Secondly, my critique partners: Laurie Alice Eakes, Louise M. Gouge, and Ramona Cecil. Wonderful authors and great friends. Then, Traci Depree, my Barbour freelance editor who really helped iron out the kinks in my story. She’s fantastic. My agent, Greg Johnson, who submitted this series to Barbour. And last but not least, Becky Germany and the entire staff at Barbour, from the editors to the cover designers, to the sales and marketing departments! They all work so hard for me. I’m extremely blessed and humbled by it all.

If you had to completely start over in another place, where would you move, and why?

Along the coast in the southeast: Northern Florida, Georgia, South Carolina. I grew up in the south and I miss it. I miss the warm beaches and the tropical storms and the southern way of life. Either that, or Hawaii!! Well, just about anywhere with a warm beach, I guess. LOL

 If you could only tell aspiring novelists one thing, what would it be?

Only God knows whether you will be published and when, so keep your focus on Him and no matter what the world tells you, write what He puts on your heart. In other words, write because you love to write, not because you hope to get published some day.

You’ve been asked to be in charge of a celebrity cruise. Who would you ask to take part, and why? (AS in what program, singers, etc. [it doesn’t have to be writing related])

Glenn Beck because I believe he’s one of the few people in the media telling the truth anymore and I admire him very much.

Sarah Palin because I would love to get to know her. She’s such an interesting and independent woman.

The writers of the TV show LOST so some of their awesome creativity might rub off on me!

Jim Caviezel because he’s one of the few actors I know who’s a Christian but also because he’s real nice to look at. :-)

The band Kutlass and Casting Crowns because their music really glorifies God.

Wow! I want to come on your cruise. Now tell us about the featured book.

On the brink of the War of 1812, Marianne Denton must marry to unlock her inheritance. Without the money, her mother can’t receive medical care and her sister will be destitute. But Noah Brenin needs to sail his cargo to England before the war commences in order to prove his worth to his father and make enough money so he won’t have to marry at all.

But when Noah walks out on their engagement party, Marianne chases him down and ends up on his merchantman out at sea. The situation worsens when Noah’s ship encounters a British man-of-war and the couple are impressed into the British navy.

While a young lad’s prophecy of destiny looms over them both, Marianne and Noah are forced to face their darkest fears as they desperately try to find a way to escape and fulfill their destinies—destinies that could change the course of the war and history forever.

Sounds intriguing. Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter 1

June 18, 1812, Baltimore, Maryland

“I would rather boil in oil than marry Noah Brenin.” Marianne tossed the silver brooch onto her vanity.

“Hold your breath and stay still,” her friend Rose said from behind her. “Besides, it is only an engagement party, not a wedding.”

“But it is one more step to that horrid destination.” Marianne sucked in her breath as Rose threaded the laces through the eyelets on her stays. “Why must women wear these contraptions?”

“To look our best for the gentlemen in our lives.” Cassandra appeared on Marianne’s left, a lacy petticoat flung over one arm. With shimmering auburn hair and eyes the color of emeralds, Marianne’s other friend, Cassandra, had no trouble looking her best for anyone.

Marianne huffed. “I don’t care what any gentleman thinks of my appearance.”

“Which is why you are still unmarried at five and twenty.”

“Then what is your excuse at three and twenty?” Marianne arched a brow, to which Cassandra gave a shrug. “I have not yet met a man worthy of me.” She grinned.

“Where on earth is your chambermaid?” Rose grunted as she squeezed Marianne’s rounded figure into the stays and tied the final lace tight. “Shouldn’t she be doing this?”

“I dismissed her.” Marianne waved a hand through the air. “I prefer to dress myself.” She hoped they didn’t hear the slight quaver in her voice. She didn’t want her friends to know that her mother had been forced to let the entire staff go and the ones here today were hired just for her betrothal party.

“There.” Rose finished fastening the corset and stepped back.

Marianne took the petticoat from Cassandra and slipped it over her head. “Truth is, I do not wish to marry—ever.” She squared her shoulders as Cassandra slid behind her and latched the petticoat hooks.

Rose put her hands on her waist. “Noah Brenin is a fine man and a good catch.”

Marianne gazed at her friend. She couldn’t help but smile at the motherly reprimand burning in her crystal blue eyes. Tall and slender, with honey blond hair, Rose turned many a head in Baltimore. Just like Cassandra.

Marianne wished she had the same effect on men. .

“He is a boor.”

“Why so low an opinion of him? Haven’t you and he been friends since childhood?” Rose cocked her head and gave Marianne a look of censure.

“I wouldn’t call it friendship, more like forced acquaintance. And my knowledge of him is precisely why I know him for the churlish clod he is.”

Gathering a cream-colored silk-embroidered gown from Marianne’s bed, Rose and Cassandra tossed it over her head, assisting her as she wiggled into it. She adjusted the ruffled lace that bordered her neckline and circled her puffy sleeves. Cassandra handed her a jeweled belt which Marianne strapped around her high waist and buckled in front. She pressed down the folds of her gown, admiring the pink lace that trailed down the front and trimmed the hemline. After slipping on her white satin slippers, Marianne moved to the full-length looking glass and paused to eye her reflection.

Plain. Despite the shimmering, glamorous dress, plain was the first word that came to her mind. That was how she had always been described. Brown hair, brown eyes, average height, a bit plump. Nothing remarkable, nothing to catch an eye.

Simply plain.

I love it. Where can we find you on the Internet?

Webpage: http://www.mltyndall.com/
Blog: http://crossandcutlass.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marylu.tyndall
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/308455.M_L_Tyndall

Thank you, MaryLu, for another wonderful interview.
 
Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.














Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. (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 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here’s a link.

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/

THE RAVEN SAINT - M. L. Tyndall - Free Book

M.L. Tyndall, a Christy Award Finalist, and best-selling author of the Legacy of the King’s Pirates series is known for her adventurous historical romances filled with deep spiritual themes. She holds a degree in Math and worked as a software engineer for fifteen years before testing the waters as a writer. MaryLu currently writes full time and makes her home on the California coast with her husband, six kids, and four cats. Her passion is to write page-turning, romantic adventures that not only entertain but expose Christians to their full potential in Christ. For more information on MaryLu and her upcoming releases, please visit her website at http://www.mltyndall.com/ or her blog at http://crossandcutlass.blogspot.com/

I really enjoy having you on my blog, MaryLy. Why did you become an author?

I love to write! That’s the first prerequisite. :-) I wrote stories, poems, and novels as a hobby for most of my life, never expecting to get published. So, why did I become an author? Because God led me to submit one of those stories I wrote to a publisher. And I did. And they liked it! The rest is history. God is good.

I do agree. It's really a blessing to have a job that gives yourself and others so much pleasure. If you weren’t an author, what would be your dream job?

Painting beautiful oil seascapes. Well, beautiful ones, I hope. I love to paint, although I don’t think I ever got very good at it.

If you could have lived at another time in history, what would it be and why?

Mid-nineteenth century when our country was still young and government officials still had integrity and honor and we could still pray in school, and men were men and women, women. And chivalry was not dead!

Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? What place in the United States have you not visited that you would like to?

As far as cities go, I’d love to visit Boston, Savannah, and St. Augustine, but I’d also love to see Yellowstone National Park.

How about a foreign country you hope to visit?

Israel is at the top of my list. Then England and France. I’d love to see all the historic sites and buildings! Drool. But the Holy Land takes top priority. I hope for a chance to see it before I die.

What lesson has the Lord taught you recently?

I think too often we Christians try too hard to act like Christians. We say the right things, do the right things, watch our language, avoid looking at things we shouldn’t. We try to be good witnesses to our lost friends and loved ones and say all the right words. I don’t know about you, but I always fall so short. I get nervous when I’m around an unbeliever because I want so badly for them to know the truth. I want so badly to be a good ambassador for Christ. In essence, I don’t want to blow it. But I always walk away feeling like I let God down. But the Lord, in his great mercy and love, has been telling me the following:

Stop trying. We can never “try” to be like God and expect it to work on our own power. All the trying in the world does not produce godliness. If we want to be like Jesus, to have His impact on the world, then we need to hang out with Him. We become more like Him by spending time with Him. Then one day we’ll wake up and surprise ourselves when we are good witnesses without having to even try. We just will “be” like Jesus.

That realization will change a person's life, and the lives of others. Tell us about the featured book?

The Raven Saint is a story about a young lady kidnapped from her home in Charles Towne, South Carolina by a French Mercenary hired to sell her to a Spanish Don. Being a godly woman who constantly serves the Lord, Grace cannot understand why the God she trusted has allowed this to happen to her. Thinking perhaps God has sent her to preach to the vile captain and his crew, Grace’s every attempt to correct their sinful ways is rewarded with only mockery. When Grace’s situation grows far worse than she could imagine, she is forced to face her own human weaknesses. But she isn’t prepared to face her biggest weakness of all—falling in love with the nefarious captain, Rafe Dubois.

What happens when a bitter Frenchman who’s sworn off God falls in love with a pious woman determined to change him?

Will Grace discover God’s purpose for her on this harrowing journey? And what will she do when she realizes that purpose is not to redeem the wicked Captain Rafe Dubois, but herself.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Outside Charles Towne, Carolina, October, 1718

Chapter 1

Black, menacing clouds snarled a warning from the Carolina skies.

Clutching her skirts, Grace Westcott trudged down the muddy path. A shard of white light forked across the dark vault, and she glanced up as thunder rumbled in the distance.

“I hope the rain doesn’t catch us, miss.” Alice’s shaky voice tumbled over Grace from behind.

“Never fear, Alice, we are almost there.” Grace pushed aside a leafy branch that encroached upon the trail. As the wind picked up and raindrops began to rap on the leaves above them, the wall of greenery arching overhead provided a shelter that brought an odd comfort to Grace.

“Look, miss. This plant. Isn’t it bloodroot?” Alice squeaked. “To heal afflictions of the skin?”

Grace huffed. Her legs ached from the mile-long journey from Charles Towne. She could hear the rush of the Ashley River in the distance. They were close to the Roberts’ cabin, to poor little Thomas, sick with a fever and in desperate need of the medicines they brought.

Whirling around, Grace examined the leaf in her maid’s hands. “Nay. ’Tis not bloodroot, as you well know.” She searched Alice’s eyes but the maid kept her gaze lowered. “Whatever is the matter with you today?”

The maid cast a quick glance over her shoulder and shrugged. “I am only trying to help, miss.”

“You can help by hurrying along. Thomas may be failing as we speak.” Grabbing her skirts, Grace turned and forged ahead. A drop of rain splattered on her forehead, and she swiped it away.

“But the rain, miss. Shouldn’t we return home and don some proper attire?”

“Mercy me, Alice. We are nearly there. A bit of rain will not harm us. We’ve been in far more dangerous situations.” Grace hoisted the sack stuffed with herbs, fresh fruit, and rice farther up her aching shoulder. “Besides we are going about God’s work. He will take care of us.”

Grace heard Alice’s shoes squish in the mud “Indeed, miss.”

Her maid’s voice quivered—a quiver that set Grace’s nerves on edge, along with the dark tempest brewing above them. Something was bothering the woman, Grace couldn’t guess what.

Another flash lit up the sky. Releasing her skirts to the sticky mud, Grace pushed aside a tangled vine that seemed to be joining forces with Alice in attempting to keep her from continuing. Musky air, heavy with moisture and laden with scents of earth and life, filled her nostrils. Thunder bellowed, closer this time, and raindrops tapped upon the canopy of leaves overhead. Plowing ahead, Grace ignored the twinge of guilt at her most recent expedition. One of many expeditions she’d been strictly forbidden to embark upon—both by her father, before he set sail for Spain, and more recently, her sister Faith and Faith’s new husband, Dajon. But Grace could not allow anyone or anything to stop her from doing what God had commissioned her to do: feed the poor, tend to the sick, and spread the good news of His Gospel.

She glanced up at the dark clouds swirling like some vile witch’s brew. Perhaps she should have left a note informing Faith of her whereabouts. No matter. She would drop off the food and herbs, attend to Thomas, and be home before sunset.

Grace emerged from the green fortress into a clearing. Thunder bellowed, and she shivered as a chill struck her. In the distance, the wide Ashley River tumbled along its course. A cabin perched by the water’s edge, smoke curling from its chimney. Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath and quickened her pace. “Here at last. And, as you can see, Alice, all is well.”

A nervous giggle sounded from behind her.

Hoisting the sack higher up on her shoulders, Grace clutched her skirts and climbed the steps of the cabin, but before she could knock on the door, it swung open. Mr. Roberts, a burly red-faced man with unruly dark hair, stared curiously at her for a moment then cocked his head and smiled. “Miss Grace. A grand pleasure to see you.” His glance took in Alice standing on the steps behind Grace. His forehead wrinkled. “What brings you this far from home on such a rainy day? Helen, Miss Grace has come for a visit,” he yelled over his shoulder. The scent of smoke and some sort of meaty stew wafted over Grace.

“Why, we’ve come to help Thomas of course.” Lightning flashed, casting a momentary grayish shroud over Mr. Roberts’s normally ruddy face.

“Thomas needs help?” He scratched his thick, dark mane.

Alice’s boots thudded on the steps, and Grace turned to see her maid inching away from the cabin, her chin lowered.

Shaking her head, Grace faced Mr. Roberts. “Yes, you sent Alfred yesterday to inform us of Thomas’s fever and ask for my help, did you not?” The man looked puzzled. Grace slid the sack from her shoulder and set it down on the planks of the porch. “I’ve brought elder root and dogwood bark for his fever and some fresh fruit and rice for you and your family.”

Mrs. Roberts appeared in the doorway, her infant daughter cradled in her arms. “Grace, what a wonderful surprise. Henry, don’t just stand there. Invite her in out of the rain.”

“Thomas isn’t sick.” Mr. Roberts’ nose wrinkled. “And Alfred was here with us all day yesterday.”

Grace swerved about to question Alice, but the girl was nowhere in sight. Descending the stairs, she dashed into the clearing, her heart in her throat as she scanned the foliage for any sign of her maid.

A swoosh of leaves and stomp of boots reached her ears, then a band of five men materialized from the foliage. Armed with cutlasses and pistols, they stormed toward Grace. She tried to move her feet, but the thick mud clung to them like shackles. Mr. Roberts cursed and ushered his wife inside. The baby began to howl.

A tall, sinewy man halted before her. A burst of wind struck him, fluttering the green feather atop his cocked hat and the tips of the black hair grazing his shoulders. He shifted his jaw, peppered with black stubble, and gazed at her with eyes the color of the dark clouds churning above them. A slow smile crept across his lips, lifting his thin, rakish mustache. “Mademoiselle Grace Westcott, I presume.” His thick French accent turned her blood to ice.

Grace met his gaze squarely. “I am, sir.”

With a snap of his fingers, two of his men flanked her. “You will come with us.”

“I will not.” The men wrenched her arms behind her back. Pain shot across her shoulders.

The snap of a rifle sounded, drawing the man’s attention to Mr. Roberts pointing his musket in their direction. “Leave her be.”

More, I want more! How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website: http://www.mltyndall.com/
My blog: http://www.crossandcutlass.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?view=feed&ref=cfrp&id=100000031910427#/marylu.tyndall?ref=profile

Thank you, MaryLu, for spending this time with us.
 
Readers, here's a link where you can order the book.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book.


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 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here’s a link.

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/

THE BLUE ENCHANTRESS - M. L. Tyndall - Free Book

I love having MaryLu on my blog, and I've been waiting for this book to release. Welcome, MaryLu. How did you come up with the idea for this story?

The Blue Enchantress is the 2nd book in my Charles Towne series which comprises three stories, each about a different sister in one family—all daughters of a British Admiral. The theme for the series comes from the parable of the seed and sower in Matthew 13 where Jesus describes 4 types of seeds and the soils they fall upon. Each sister and each book in the series deals with one type of these seeds.

In the first book, The Red Siren, the heroine Faith represents the seed that fell on the rocky soil which Jesus describes as someone who receives the Word of God but when problems occur and tragedy strikes, they quickly fall away.

In The Blue Enchantress, Hope represents the seed that falls on the thorny ground wherein the Word of God is choked out by the pleasures and concerns of this world.

To expound on that theme, however, I created in Hope a character who I believe many women can relate to in our culture today. She is young, beautiful and has discovered that she can use her beauty to attract attention from men. Unfortunately, because she had a difficult and unloving childhood and she has never experienced the love of God, she mistakes this shallow attention for love and ends up getting herself into a heap of trouble!

You're right. Many women today fall into the same trap. If you were planning a party with Christian authors of contemporary fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

Camy Tang because she’s quirky and funny and I love her writing style
Kristin Billerbeck because she’s real and she’s deep and I admire her very much
Brandilyn Collins because what’s a party without a little suspense?
Christine Lynxwiller because she’s one of the sweetest ladies I know
Randy Alcorn because I want to pick his brain about Heaven
James Scott Bell because he’s a humble guy who knows a great deal about writing

I would have to wangle an invitation to that party. Now let’s do that for a party for Christian authors of historical fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

Kaye Dacus because she’s one smart lady and a fantastic writer
Tamera Alexander because I love her books
Mary Connealy because not only is she an excellent author, but she makes me laugh.
Louise M. Gouge because she’s a dear friend
Laurie Alice Eakes because she’s a fascinating lady, a good friend, and an historical wizard.
You, my friend, because your generous spirit and great writing have always been an inspiration to me.

At least I wouldn't have to wangle an invitation to that one, and I'd love to spend time with all of those women, who I love. Many times, people (and other authors) think you have it made with so many books published. What is your most difficult problem with writing at this time in your career?

Me, got it made? Ha. But I guess I thought the same thing long ago. “If only I could get published, the chaotic pieces of the world will all fall into some semblance of meaningful order.”

NOT.

For me, it’s only gotten more difficult. I feel intense pressure to make each book I write better than the last one. Then there are the sales numbers to deal with. If even one book doesn’t sell well, there’s a chance I could not receive another contract. And don’t get me started on reviews. People can be very cruel out there. So, I guess to answer your question, the most difficult problem I have at this time in my career is writing better and better books that will sell really well. But you know what? I’m happy for the stress because it has taught me to lean on God more each day and to realize that He is sovereign and that His lovingkindness is better than life, and even better than being a published author!

I totally agree with you. Now tell us about the featured book?

The Blue Enchantress is an adventure romance set in the Caribbean in 1718. It is story of a young girl who by her own foolish actions has gotten herself into a very dangerous situation. Here’s a brief paragraph about the story:

Searching for love and value, Hope Westcott throws herself at any man who looks her way. Betrayed by the nobleman she longed to marry, Hope is being auctioned off as a slave at a distant port when Nathaniel Mason comes to her rescue and sells one of his prized ships in order to save her. Determined to erase the stain of his mother’s past, and angry at his loss, Nathaniel wants nothing to do with the stubborn, wanton girl and procures passage for them on the first ship home. But will he be able to resist the provocative beauty, and what is he willing to give up to save her? And will Hope find the love she seeks in God or will she fall back into her sordid ways?

Please give us the first page of the book.

The Blue Enchantress Chapter 1

“Gentlemen, what will ye offer for this rare treasure of a lady?” The words crashed over Hope like bilge water. “Why, she’ll make any of ye a fine wife, a cook, a housemaid”—the man gave a lascivious chuckle—“whate’er ye desire.”

“How ’bout someone to warm me bed at night,” one man bellowed, and a cacophony of chortles gurgled through the air.

Hope slammed her eyes shut against the mob of men who pressed on three sides of the tall wooden platform, shoving one another to get a better peek at her. Something crawled over her foot and she pried her eyes open, keeping her face lowered. A black spider skittered away. Red scrapes and bruises marred her bare feet. When had she lost her satin shoes—the gold braided ones she’d worn to impress Lord Falkland? She couldn’t recall.

“What d’ye say? How much for this fine young lady?” The man grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back. Pain, like a dozen claws, pierced her skull. “She’s a handsome one, to be sure. And these golden locks.” He attempted to slide his fingers through her matted strands, but before becoming hopelessly entangled in them, he jerked his hand free, wrenching out a clump of her hair. Hope winced. “Have ye seen the likes of them?”

Ribald whistles and groans of agreement spewed over her.

“Two shillings,” one man yelled.

Hope dared to glance across the throng amassing before the auction block. A wild sea of lustful eyes sprayed over her. A band of men dressed in garments stained with dirt and sweat bunched toward the front, yelling out bids. Behind them, other men in velvet waistcoats leaned their heads together, no doubt to discuss the value of this recent offering, while studying her as if she were a prize horse. Slaves knelt in the dirt along the outskirts of the mob, waiting for their masters. Beyond them a row of wooden buildings stretched in either direction. Brazen women emerged from a tavern and draped themselves over the railings, watching Hope’s predicament with interest. On the street, ladies in modish gowns averted their eyes as they tugged the men on their arms from the sordid scene.

Hope lowered her head. This can’t be happening. I’m dreaming. I am still on the ship. Just a nightmare. Only a nightmare. Humiliation swept over her, and an ever-rising dread as the reality of her predicament blasted its way through her mind.

She swallowed hard and tried to drown out the grunts and salacious insults tossed her way by the bartering rabble. Perhaps if she couldn’t hear them, if she couldn’t see them, they would disappear and she would wake up back home, safe in Charles Towne, safe in her bedchamber, safe with her sisters, just like she was before she’d put her trust in a man who betrayed her.

“Egad, man. Two shillings, is it? For this beauty?” The auctioneer spit off to the side. The yellowish glob landed on Hope’s skirt. Her heart felt as though it had liquefied into an equally offensive blob and oozed down beside it.

How did I get here? In her terror, she could not remember. She raised her gaze to the auctioneer. Cold eyes, hard like marbles, met hers, and a sinister grin twisted his lips. He adjusted his tricorn to further shade his chubby face from the burning sun.

“She looks too feeble for any real work,” another man yelled.

The sounds of the crowd dimmed. The men’s fists forged into the air as if pushing through mud. Garbled laughter drained from their yellow-toothed mouths like molasses. Hope’s heart beat slower and she wished for death.

Intriguing. I can hardly wait for my copy to arrive. How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website: http://www.mltyndall.com/
My blog: http://www.crossandcutlass.blogspot.com/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?view=feed&ref=cfrp&id=100000031910427#/marylu.tyndall?ref=profile

Thank you, MaryLu for spending this time with us.

Readers, here's a link where you can order the book:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back in two weeks on Saturday to see if you won.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here’s a link.

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Author M. L. Tyndall - THE RED SIREN - Free Book

One of my favorite authors to interview is back. Welcome, MaryLu. Tell us about your salvation experience.

It’s quite a story! I was a non-believer most of my life. I grew up in an alcoholic home without a father and spent most of my younger years following after the ways of the world. And guess where that led me? At 35, I was miserable, lonely, and desperate for love and meaning in my life. Searching for answers, I picked up a self-help book in the psychology section of the bookstore, and believe it or not, the doctor’s recommendation was to read the Bible from cover to cover. So, I found my old Bible, dusted it off, and did just that. Somewhere in Ezekiel in the middle of the prophecies about Israel, I realized that the things that Ezekiel spoke about thousands of years ago were coming true all around me. And it was like someone turned a light on, and I realized there was a God. There, alone in my bedroom, I got on my knees and gave my life to Him. And I haven’t been the same since!

Our God is awesome. He meets each of us where we are and accepts us when we turn to Him. How did you and your husband meet?

I’m not sure you want to know this, but my husband and I met in a bar before either of us were saved. We were both lost, lonely puppies that God threw together because He knew the good plans He had for us. My husband is now a Christian too. He was a much tougher case than me :-) and it took many years for God to break through to him, but God finally visited him much like He did Saul in the New Testament. But that’s another story.

Praise the Lord for His mighty works. You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?

You, Lena, because you’re such a great mentor for writers and so giving of your time and talents. Laurie Alice Eakes because she is an historical expert, a really nice lady, and a fabulous writer. Louise M. Gouge, a great writer and super lady, and Michelle Sutton because she’s not only a great writer, but she’s crazy like me.

That sounds like a wonderful group. I love all those ladies, too. And, MaryLu, I have a really crazy side, too. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?

I’m one of those people who is constantly putting my foot in my mouth, so embarrassing moments are quite common in my life. If you’ve seen Bridget Jones’ Diary than you have a good idea what I’m like. I suppose I’m so used to it now that I usually laugh at myself and shrug my shoulders.

People are always telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you, too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?

First of all, I tell people to stop talking and start writing! Books don’t get written by dreaming about them. But I would also caution them to make sure this is truly God’s will for them and not their own agenda. Because if God isn’t in it, it won’t happen, at least not like they hope it will. Next, they need to study and learn the craft. Writing is like anything else. You have to learn how to do it. Join writer’s groups, join a critique group, enter contests, etc… do all these things, but most of all write. Write what’s on your heart and your passion will come out on the pages.

Tell us about the featured book.

A female pirate falls in love with the British Navy Captain trying to catch her. The Red Siren is a love story, it’s an adventure, and it has a strong spiritual theme which ties in with the story of the sower and the seed in Matthew 13. The heroine, Faith Westcott, has given up on men and on God and becomes a pirate in order to garner enough wealth to protect her sisters from unwanted marriages. Dajon Waite hopes to pay penance for mistakes he made in his past by being the best Navy Captain he can be and by following all of God’s rules. But what will he do when he discovers that the woman he loves is the same pirate who outwitted him more than once off the Carolina shores?

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website: http://www.mltyndall.com/
My blog: http://crossandcutlass.blogspot.com/
My books are sold online at Amazon.com and Christianbook.com

Thanks Lena!

Thank you, MaryLu for spending this time with us. Your interviews are always interesting, and I just love your books.

Readers, you can use this link to order the book, if you want to:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Don't forget to check back a week from next Saturday to see if you won.