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Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Spotlight on MaryLu Tyndall and The Blue Enchantress

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MARYLU 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.

THE BLUE ENCHANTRESS
by MaryLu Tyndall
Published by Barbour Publishing

ABOUT THE BOOK

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?

From the Carolina Coast to the Caribbean, through stormy seas and shipwreck, can Hope and Nathaniel put aside their painful pasts, listen to God’s voice, and fine true love and acceptance?

Readers, buy your copy of The Blue Enchantress today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

The Blue Enchantress is the 2nd book in my Charles Towne trilogy, 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!

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that are theirs and theirs alone?

For this particular book, I drew quite a bit from my own experiences because I have much in common with Hope, the heroine. Hope has grown up in a very chaotic home. As the middle child, she never seemed to measure up to her sisters. She fought constantly with her mother and never received her father’s approval. Betrayed and attacked by a trusted relative, Hope uses her beauty to find value in the attention of men. Even though she is often left heartbroken and used, she mistakes their affections for true love and continues her search. This could be described as my life for many years before the Lord rescued me, so I found Hope’s character an easy one to identify with. In general, however, I would say that there is a little bit of me in all my characters.

3. If one of your characters were an ice cream flavor, what would he/she be and why?

Great question! Hope would have to be Rocky Road. She's got a soft heart like a marshmallow, she's a bit of a wild nut, and everybody craves her like chocolate. Nathaniel would be pure vanilla with a swirl of caramel through it. He's wholesome and good and everybody likes him but if you dig a little deeper, he's got a wild streak.

4. Are there any themes in The Blue Enchantress that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the stories progressed?

The main theme that I started out wanting to portray in the story is that true love and true beauty come from knowing God, but as I wrote, I noticed these other themes developing out of the plot and the character's lives:
  1. Outward beauty is fleeting while inward beauty is eternal.
  2. Giving yourself away outside of marriage is very destructive and will leave you feeling empty and used.
  3. You cannot truly change and become a better person without the power of God.
  4. If you try to run from God, He will find you.
  5. Only by fulfilling God’s will for your life, will you find true joy.
5. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

In the first half of the book, there's a hurricane that strikes the ship. Writing an accurate and believable account of a hurricane's affects on a tall ship and her crew and how they would survive it, took quite a bit of research and time in writing. I know I spent a couple weeks on those scenes. My favorite scenes to write were the ones between Hope and Nathaniel when they are starting to love each other but aren't ready to admit it. I just love writing those highly emotional, tense scenes.

6. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

There is one more book in my Charles Towne Belles series, The Raven Saint, coming out in January. The Raven Saint is the story of the third sister in the series who represents the seed that fell on the good soil in Matthew 13. Grace is a good Christian lady who spends her time ministering to the poor around Charles Towne and serving God in any way she can. But when she is kidnapped by a French mercenary bent on selling her to a Spanish Don, she cannot understand why God has allowed such tragedy in her life.

* * * * *

Thank you, MaryLu, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of The Blue Enchantress.

Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net). You won't be entered in the drawing without it. If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post.

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when I announce the winner.

This week, the contest is open to anyone worldwide.

17 comments:

Renee (BlacknGoldGirlsBookSpot) said...

I would love to win this book! I've read the Red Siren and loved it and have been wondering what will happen to Hope and whether or not a relationship will develop between her and Nathaniel! I can't wait to read The Raven Saint too!! I'm sure it will be great as well!

steelergirl83(at)gmail(dot)com

Patty Wysong said...

This sounds so good!! :)
patterly at gmail dot com

Carmen said...

I love a novel with themes. And yours has not one, but five! Great read! Please enter me. Thanks.
desertrose5173 at gmail dot com

MaryLu Tyndall said...

Ladies, thank you so much for your comments! And Tiffany, thanks for having me on your blog!! Out of all the books I've written, this one really strikes home for me It is my hope that many women see a part of themselves in the heroine, Hope, and through her story they grow closer to God and see that their true value comes from Him.
Have a blessed day!

luv2read said...

Enter me in the drawing spowell01(at)bellsouth(dot)net

Cherie J said...

I enjoyed reading this spotlight about MaryLu. Would love to be entered in the drawing.

cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com

Tami @ This Mom's Delight said...

Sounds like a great late night read.
mymadakaja at yahoo dot com

Tami @ This Mom's Delight said...

Sounds like a great late night read.
mymadakaja at yahoo dot com

Anonymous said...

Wow, sounds like a great book.....would love to win it and read it!! Thanks.
jackie.smith(at)dishmail(dot)net

Carolynn said...

I would love to read this book, thanks for the chance to win!
carolynnwald[at]hotmail[dot]com

Emma said...

The Blue Enchantress
sounds wonderful.Please enter me in the giveaway.augustlily06(at)aim(dot)com.Thank you.

Lori (sugarandgrits) said...

I can't wait to read The Blue Enchantress and The Raven Saint! I loved The Red Siren, so I know these other 2 will be great as well.

All of MaryLu's books are wonderful! I can't wait to hear more about the trilogy she's working on now.

Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy of The Blue Enchantress!

sugarandgrits[at]hotmail[dot]com

windycindy said...

I adore books written by Mary Lu
Tyndall. Please count me in!
Many thanks.....Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com

Tiffany Amber Stockton said...

We have a winner from this drawing and that is:

SUGAR AND GRITS

Congratulations! I have emailed you for your mailing information so MaryLu can send out your book.

As always, thanks to everyone for your continued support.

Lori (sugarandgrits) said...

Thank you so much, Tiff! I can't wait to read it! :)

~ Lori

Anonymous said...

The Blue Enchantress sounds great! I would love to win it. Please enter me in the drawing. ~Abby


abster(dot)rose(at)yahoo(dot)com

JJ said...

Am I too late to sign up?

Thanks,
gahome2mom/at/gmail/dot/com