Seafaring Adventure and Romance with MaryLu Tyndall!

Its no secret I like books, but those that I LOVE are few and far between. Ones by MaryLu Tyndall definitely fit that catagory!! Her novels keep me riveted from the first word and I am hard-pressed to put them down until I have finished the last page, swept away in a sigh-worthy blend of romance, adventure and faith. And seriously, what girl doesn’t love handsome sea captains and dashing pirates?

So now without further ado, I’ll hand it over to the fabulous....MaryLu Tyndall!!

1 – What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever done for research?

I once sailed aboard a pirate ship off the coast of Key West! My daughter and I drove down for their yearly pirate festival and we were so surprised to find an actual pirate ship, complete with cannons and pirates, who, for a price, would take brave travelers out for a cruise! As it turns out, it was more real than I expected because the pirates were drinking and firing their cannons throughout the entire voyage. Plus, a young couple got married by the captain. It was quite an experience!

2 – If you could have dinner with one of your characters, who would you chose and why?

Definitely Captain Edmund Merrick from my pirate series!  He’s a fascinating man with a very interesting life.  Born in England, the first son of a prominent earl, he ran away from an unloving home to become a pirate on the Caribbean. And a mighty good pirate he was! He soon became highly respected, hugely successful, and very feared among the Brethren of the Coast. But then he found Jesus and turned his life around. Now, he sails the Caribbean with a different mission. Instead of searching for gold, he searches for lost souls. J

3 - Many of your books focus on ships and sailing, and you write about ‘loose the topsails” and ‘two bits off the starboard side’ as if you’ve captained a ship yourself. How did you go about doing this research and did you ever get to actually sail one yourself?

Books, books and tons of books! I have a dozen books on sailing, on tall ships, on navigation, on the British Royal Navy, on ship types, etc…  I spent many an hour with my nose in their pages, studying and learning all I could about sailing.  I also took a sailing course in San Francisco, and I’ve sailed aboard two different tall ships. One in Key West (See above story) and one in San Diego during their Tall Ship Convention.

4 – You write about various time periods from the 1600’s to the 1800’s. If you could pick one era to travel back in time to, what era would you pick?

The Colonial era, which encompasses 1600s – 1776, is my favorite time period and one which I’ll probably head back to after I finish my next series.  It was such an adventurous time of discovering new lands, forging a life out of the wilderness, and building a nation free from European tyranny. So much fodder for great stories!

5 – What kind of music do you listen to while you write? Any movie soundtracks that inspire you?

 I mostly listen to movie soundtracks!! Here’s some of my favorites:  Braveheart, King Arthur, Elizabeth the Golden Age, The Chronicles of Narnia, Snow White and the Huntsman, and Master and Commander.  Also, if I’m writing a scene during a thunderstorm, I have a thunderstorm CD I pop in. I also have CD'S that play ocean sounds and jungle noises.

6 – In all of your books, you always have very deep spiritual threads and even miracles occur. Have you ever experienced this yourself?

Yes, I’ve experienced several miracles. My husband’s shoulder was healed. His addiction to nicotine was healed. We were rescued from a near-fatal car accident once by an angelic presence. During my husband’s conversion experience, he was allowed a glimpse into the spiritual realm where he saw demons and angels. And lots of others. The truth is, if you’re walking with Jesus and you have your spiritual eyes open, there are miracles all around you every day!

7 – If The Redemption were being made into a movie, who would you pick to play Merrick and Charlisse?

I would pick Jay Ryan to play Captain Merrick (he plays in the current show, Beauty and the Beast)  and Charlize Theron to play Charlisse. 

8 – What’s been your go-to research book when writing about pirates?

If I had to choose one book, it would have to be Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly

9 - Do you have a particular movie/TV series you watch for inspiration during the writing process?  

 It depends on what type of story I’m writing. If it’s a pirate tale, I like watching Master and Commander or the Horn Blower series or one of the old Errol Flynn pirate movies. When I wrote my regency, Falcon and the Sparrow, I watched Jane Austen movies. Currently, I’m watching the TV show LOST while I’m writing my new series.

10 – Tell us a little about your next upcoming release Forsaken Dreams.

Forsaken Dreams is the first in the trilogy, Escape to Paradise, in which a group of Southerners, desperate to leave the war-torn South after the Civil War, set sail for Brazil in the hopes of setting up a new Southern Utopia.  This first book follows their journey from Charleston to Rio de Janeiro. However, their journey is far from smooth. There is an evil malevolent force on the ship intent on keeping them from their destination. In addition, everyone on board is harboring deep secrets. The story is a romance, adventure, and suspense all wrapped up in one book!  Add in deep spiritual themes and I guarantee, you’ll enjoy the journey!

Watch the trailer to Forsaken Dreams,which comes out in March 2013, from the link below! After viewing this you will be sure to want to reserve your copy of this awesome book today!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9mAzFEFRxc

THANK YOU MARYLU!!
Thank you so much for being with us today, MaryLu! I’ve enjoyed getting to know more about you and your novels!

 

 

GIVEAWAY!!! In honor of MaryLu’s visit, I’m giving away a copy of Veil of Pearls. I LOVED this book and I’m sure once you read it, you’ll be as hooked as I am with MaryLu and her writing. Just leave a comment with an email address, and I’ll draw the winner next Thursday.