Interview with MaryLu Tyndall

MaryLu Tyndall is the author of The Legacy of the King’s Pirates trilogy. This trilogy has recently rereleased. She is also the author of seven other novels. 

I met MaryLu through HisWriters, a group for writers who have either published or planned works with European characters. I have gotten to know her better since she joined Colonial American Christian Writers and is now a contributor to Colonial Quills our group blog.

Marylu, welcome to Overcoming Through Time.  Would you share either the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help, or the most tragic situation or circumstance one of your character’s has had to get past?

I would say the most difficult thing to overcome for me was not having a Dad. Well, I shouldn’t say not having a Dad. It was more like having a Dad who wanted nothing to do with me. You see, my Mom divorced him when I was a baby and he moved away. I saw him once on my 16th birthday and I suppose I didn’t make an impression on him because he never came back. For a young shy girl, this caused a huge gaping hole in my life. Consequently I grew up extremely insecure and searching for that unconditional love only a father can give. Which, of course, sent my life spiraling down a bottomless pit of despair filled with alcohol and broken relationships and heartache. And I would still be there, if not for the Lord reaching down in His mercy and pulling me out. Not only pulling me out, but cleaning me off, and filling my heart with the love I’d been searching for my entire life. In my very first book, The Redemption, I wrote about this struggle through the eyes of my heroine, Charlisse.

What is your favorite bible verse and why?

I have so many. But one that always stands out to me is a familiar one to everyone. Romans 8:28.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

To me, this verse covers every struggle, every problem, heartache, joy, mountain and valley in life. No matter what we are going through, it all works out in the end. If we truly believe that, we should never worry or fear or be sad.

Disability friendliness:

Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio? 

Yes, I believe all of my books are available in various e-book formats, including Kindle, which I know has audio capacity. Four of my books have been published in large print as well. Unfortunately, I have no control over the various types of publishing. It is all determined by my Publisher.

What has been the most important thing you hope your readers will get from your books and why?

That God is real and He loves them. That He is not found in a church or building or in a ritual, but that He can be approached at any time by a truly repentant heart. That He is powerful and active and will never leave them. And that their lives will be adventurous and fulfilling (Not always easy) if they give their all to Him.

As you researched your books, did you learn anything that particularly touched your heart?

Now, I know this sounds strange, but I learned that not all pirates were evil.  Many of them were forced into piracy by a cruel navy who abandoned them at some port after the war ended, penniless and without any prospects. Some escaped the Royal Navy due to the cruel treatment of its sailors and joined pirate crews to get revenge. Others were forced into piracy when pirates attacked their ships and gave them a choice between joining the crew or walking the plank!  Still others were indentured servants sent to the New World to serve out an often unfair and brutal sentence. Then, of course there were the privateers, who served God and King, and whose acts were no more unjust than any regular naval ship.  So, before you go judging any pirate you meet, look beyond the head scarf, colorful clothing, and cutlass to see the wounded man inside. LOL.

In this latest work, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation?

In all three books in the series, the following issues are addressed in the lives of both hero and heroine:

·         Abandonment and abuse by parents and the horrific consequences of that in a person’s life and outlook on life.

·         Alcoholism

·         Rejection by a loved one

Other issues addressed: Trust, Faith, Forgiveness, and Fear

Thank you MaryLu for agreeing to answer these questions.  Have a blessed day and keep on writing!!


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