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15 January 2012

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!!


GIVEAWAY:  Leave a comment and your email address for a chance to win any of MaryLu's books in your choice of format.

26 comments:

  1. Loved the interview, thank you for doing it. My parents were divorced when I was 2, I saw may Dad off and on throughout the years as I grew up, most of the time he was drunk, yes, he was an alcoholic. He tried several times to quit and did for several year a couple of times, even ran a half-way house twice, he was married 6 times. He did finally sober up for 24 years before he passed.

    I was fortunate though, my Mother remarried when I was 13 and my step-dad showed unconditional love for me and my brother, even though my brother and him didn't see eye to eye all the time. Ted, my step-dad was more of a father to me than my biological dad was, even during sober years.

    wfnren(at)aol(dot)com
    wrensthoughts.com

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  2. Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed the interview.
    And Thanks Ms. Pagels and Ms. Tyndall for the interview.
    I just got the Charles Towne Belles omnibus and am looking forward to digging in :)

    crazi.swans at gmail dot com

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  3. Wren, what a blessing you got a loving stepdad!!! That really just touches my heart so much. Lena Nelson Dooley talked about how her mom died and she had a loving stepmother who was also so kind to her. Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Faye, You and I love the same books!!! Thanks for being such a faithful follower. MaryLu is so talented and such a sweet person, too!

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  5. http://labornotinvain.blogspot.com/
    This is Faye's website address. She is a young lady with a lovely blog. Check it out!

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  6. Thanks so much, ladies, for having me on your blog! Wren, sounds like you can relate a bit to my life. It's always so difficult for a child when one parent is either absent or unable to be a parent. Praise God, you had a great stepfather!
    Faye, I hope you enjoy Charles Towne Belles! Your blog is beautiful! Love the pink background.

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  7. Thank you, MaryLu, for that wonderful testimony! We are so excited to have one of our favorite authors on OTT this week! It always amazes me the transformation that takes place in a person when they accept Christ in their life! I'm so glad you did, MaryLu, or we wouldn't be enjoying such delicious books as Surrender the Dawn...and you know I'm waiting patiently (well, somewhat:)) on Veil of Pearls! Fabulous interview Carrie and MaryLu!

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  8. I'm not applying to win anything because I'll be buying MaryLu's books for my Kindle! I love MaryLu, and I love her picture here! "Hi, MaryLu!" Can't wait to read your first series! xxx

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  9. Thanks DIANA!!! SANDI I just say praise God every time I think of what He has done for you. I can't wait to have your interview up here, too! I agree, MaryLu is lovely. I've read the first book in the series and it was great.

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  10. Wow! What a powerful testimony of the wonderful grace and love of our Lord. MaryLu thank you for sharing with us. Thank you for using your God given talent to make others happy. :)

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  11. Hello MaryLu, Your books are new to me and I have not thought much of pirates, your research sounds interesting. I cannot imagine living my life without my MOM and Dad in it, they were a constant and I feel for those of the younger generations where so many are divorced.
    I would love to be entered in your drawing and read one of your books.
    Paula o(kyflo130@yahoo.com)

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  12. Nice article with MaryLu... angadair@nwcable.net

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  13. MaryLu, I had NO idea about your relationship (or lack thereof) with your dad -- I am so sorry to hear that. Being totally rejected and abandoned by your father has to be one of the worst things a woman can go through, but God certainly redeemed you, a total blessing for those of us you LOVE you and your books!!

    Although my dad didn't leave, he emotionally abused our family, but at least God redeemed that relationship when I became a Christian at 23. The first mission God gave me was to reach out to my dad, a man I hated because he beat each of us and finally threw me out of the house right after I turned 21. Let me tell you, I saw the grace of God in action when I returned to visit him two years later as a new creature in Christ Jesus. I'd bring him beef stew every week and sit and watch TV with him (he was widower who lived alone), and he would NEVER talk to me or hug me when I gave him a good-bye hug at the end of the evening until about six months in (and after heavy-duty prayer). I will never forget the night that I went to hug him and he awkwardly hugged me back for the first time. It was the one of the greatest victories of my life, and we became very close after that until he died about a year or so later. Talk about redemption in both your life and mine -- God is truly the Master at it!! :)

    Carrie ... I LOVE your interviews because they get into the heart of soul of who we are as Christians -- THANK YOU!!

    Hugs,
    Julie

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  14. JULIE, between you and MARYLU, and your testimonies, I have tears in my eyes. This comment of Julie's is a powerful testimony in and of itself. We all want our fathers to love us. My dad was a wounded WWII veteran whose most serious scar was emotional - a bookworm whose nickname was "The Professor" and who went over with the first wave to fight as an infantryman and later as a scout. And JULIE, you know fathers raised in that time (my grandfather was born in 1886) were taught that too much affection was not good for children and my father's loving mother died when he was 12. PRAISE GOD both of you lovely ladies have Christ in your lives and He helped you overcome the hurt caused by your fathers. Abandonment and abuse - tools of the enemy, yet washed away by His blood.

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  15. PAULA, I , too, am concerned for this generation who has grown up seeing so much divorce and then all the young men off to Iraq and Afghanastan (and moms gone, too!)

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  16. Happy Monday, Ladies!
    Diana, as always, thanks so much for your kind words! You're such a sweetie. :-)

    Sandi, man, is it good to see your smiling face around again! Praise God for your miracle.. and thank you for your lovely comment!

    Bless you, Teresa! :-)

    Paula, even though my early life was difficult, God had a plan through all the pain. I wouldn't be able to write the kind of books I do if I hadn't gone through what I did. If you get a chance to read these books, I think you'll find my pirates aren't like any others you've heard about. ;-)

    Bless you, Angie!

    Julie, my goodness. I didn't know about your Dad either. What a touching story of the power of God's love and redemption. I'm so amazed that you were able to reach out to a man who abused you like that! And to see God change his heart!!! Amazing. You should write a book! Wait, you already write FABULOUS books!!

    Carrie, your father sounds like a dear of a man, but even an emotionally wounded or distant father can affect a child. Isn't our God awesome? No One else can heal a wounded heart like He can!!!

    Hugs and blessings sent to all of you!!

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  17. This is such a touching interview!
    I didn't have a good relation with my dad when I grew up. I think we just didn't understand each other. As a grown up I can see that he loves me very much and now I know he has always loved me. He's not one that easily tells you that he loves you, but he certainly shows it.

    I made a lot of mistakes growing up, but thankfully the Lord interfered that live about 13 years ago. The half of that years have been filled with God healing me from the damage I did to myself. And since that time I have a better relationship with my Dad then I could have ever imagined!

    GOD IS SOOO GOOD!

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  18. an excellent posting...would love to read one of ml's novels...thanks for the chance :)

    karenk
    kmkuka at yahoo dot com

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  19. I love learning about the authors whose books I read. Thank you for sharing MaryLu.

    christianworship [at] live [dot] com

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  20. Thank you so much for posting Carrie, it was very informative.
    Would love to win a copy since I have yet to read the pirate series and I look forward to reading MaryLu's future books. Very talented author.

    arieljo12 at hotmail dot com

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  21. Hi MaryLu, I do love your books and have Surrender the Heart waiting in my TBR stack. Thanks for sharing your story. My Dad worked 2 jobs so we could have the extra things so he was not at home alot. When he was home I could always go to him and he would listen to me and give advise if needed. Sometimes I just needed to talk. I loss him in Dec 92, after his fight with cancer for 20 yrs, and still miss him.
    Would love to win one of your books. Thanks for the opportunity to enter.

    misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

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  22. I just love MaryLu's books. She has a rare talent for drawing the reader in with the first page.

    I find her books interesting, exciting, and each has a lesson to be had. I am a big fan.

    Thanks so much for the interview.

    I would like to enter the contest for the book.

    villageanne (AT) YAHOO (DOT) Com

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  23. The comments from MaryLu and Julie resonate deep within my being. My dad was a Navy veteran (nothing inherently bad in that) but he thought our home should run like a ship. We weren't allowed to hardly talk unless he spoke first, and never could we speak when company was over. He used the belt liberally everyday, as well as his hand. Not a great home to grow up in. My mom tried to shield us as best she could. He never hit her, though. Just verbally abused her and all three of us children. When our mom passed away in 2001 I confronted him because I knew that at this point he couldn't take any anger out on her and he wouldn't dare touch me now (I have a husband ;)). But, by that time I had had some counseling and had forgiven him in my heart for all the hurts he committed. He still, to this day, does not think he ever did anything wrong and thinks I should save my forgiveness for someone who needs it :( The great thing is that my Heavenly Father is NOTHING like my earthly father :) I love my daddy and pray for him, sincerely hoping that he surrenders his heart to the Lord before he dies. Overcoming is possible but only through, and with, Christ!

    Well, that was probably information overload!

    ♥ you ladies!!!

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  24. Anne, God loves you and He is perfect, not like we earthly fathers and mothers. Your father probably thought he was disciplining you. How good that you waited until your mom would not feel guilty about what you had to say. Keep praying for him and ministering to him because he needs to give his heart to the Lord. Have you heard Joyce Meyers testimony about her father? Bless you for sharing, Anne and big hugs!!!

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  25. Marian, I'm so glad your relationship with your Dad has improved over the years! And that God rescued you 13 years ago.. Just like he did me over 15 years ago. My life has never been the same! He is so good!

    Miss Kallie, you are truly blessed to have had a great Dad. I'm so sorry he's no longer with you, but you'll see him again. :-)

    Anne, your story brought tears to my eyes. God intended fathers to be protectors and providers, teachers, examples and to cherish their daughters. It's so hard when they don't fulfil those roles.. and even worse when they do more damage than good. I'm so sorry you had to endure that, but your story is yet another example of how God's love can change our hearts and help us not only forgive, but love those who hurt us. God Bless you!

    And thanks to everyone else who left comments and said such nice things!! I really appreciate it. :-)

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  26. GRACE!!! You are the winner. You were sent and email but no reply yet. Congrats!!!

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