WELCOME, MARYLU TYNDALL ~ "SURRENDER the DAWN" ~

 INTRODUCING: 

~ MaryLu Tyndall, a Christy Award Finalist, and best-selling author of the Legacy of the King’s Pirates series is known for her swashbuckling 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.marylutyndall.com or her blog at http://crossandcutlass.blogspot.com/
So glad you could come by today, MaryLu -
 Bringing:             "SURRENDER the DAWN"  

Another in the Surrender to Destiny Series

I've read and thoroughly enjoyed this terrific book! Thank you for allowing me to share it with my followers.

I also want to thank you for agreeing to this interview 

~ Please allow me to jump in with the first question here.

Can you explain what your author tag line, Swashbuckling Romances, anchored in faith, means?

When people hear the word swashbuckling they normally picture a pirate or sailor wielding a sword, but a swashbuckler is actually defined as a swaggering swordsman, soldier, or adventurer; a daredevil.  And that’s a fair description of all the heroes in my books.  Though my stories take place on both land and sea, they are set during the age of sail when tall ships ruled the sea. Filled with suspense, adventure, and a few sword fights thrown in for good measure, they are also highly romantic and have very strong spiritual themes.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I grew up on the shores of South Florida where I fell in love with the sea and with sea-faring adventures. After years of drifting from God and searching for meaning in life, I finally came to my senses and began to put Him first in all things. Eight years ago, God told me to write a story about a Christian Pirate. I thought I was hearing things, but I obeyed. Now, ten books later, I’m still writing to glorify Him!  Currently, I live in California with my husband, six kids and three cats.

What new lessons do you believe the Lord is teaching you right now?

He’s always teaching me so much! But at the moment, I’d have to say that He’s teaching me to trust Him with every tiny detail of my life. You see, I’m a bit of a control freak. It stems from a very insecure, turbulent childhood, so I try to fit my life into lists and neat little boxes in an effort to control the outcome. But recently, God is telling me to live second by second in His presence, to relinquish my lists and my desired outcomes into His capable hands. It is a hard lesson for me, but I know when I learn it, I will have the peace in my life that I’m seeking.

Do you know ahead of time how your books are going to end or what you are going to write about next with the book in a series? Or, do you just go with the flow and hope it all comes together in the end?

I am somewhere in between a plotter and a seat-of-the-pants writer. I have a general idea of the beginning and end of each book and the main crises or turning points, but I fill in the rest as I go. Regarding a series, I usually have no idea what the other books will be about until I’m writing the first book. Secondary characters usually pop out at me, screaming for their own story. Demanding is more like it!

What is the ultimate dream you want to conquer with your writing

To reveal the presence, the reality, the love, and the power of Almighty God in ordinary people’s lives. And in doing so, to bring people closer to Him.

What inspired you to write you Surrender to Destiny series?

I meet so many people who have no idea what God’s purpose is for them. They flounder about doing this and that and finally conclude they are not useful in the Kingdom of God. I believe from Scripture that we are each here on earth for a reason, and that God will reveal that reason to us in His time. But we must be open to it, and we must get rid of the things that keep us from that destiny. I attempt to show in my Surrender to Destiny series some of the things that can inhibit us from fulfilling our God-given purpose: insecurity (Surrender the Heart, book 1); fear (Surrender the Night, book 2) and unbelief (Surrender the Dawn, book 3). Then once you cast away all these entanglements, I show how to discover that purpose.

What did you find interesting about the war of 1812

Everything! The more I researched this war, the more I fell in love with it. America was a new nation. We didn’t have much of an army and a very small navy, yet we took on the most powerful empire in the world at that time—Britain. The British were intent on regaining the colonies as their own. Arrogant and boastful, they had no doubt they would win. Yet by the Divine Providence of God, America defeated them and remained the one bastion of freedom in the world. You cannot read about the War of 1812 and not see the hand of God all over each event and each battle, and over those who fought.

Tell us about your new release, Surrender the Dawn.

When the war of 1812 robs Cassandra Channing of her father and brothers, she must find a way to support her mother and younger siblings without being forced to marry a man she does not love. Determined to remain independent, she hires a privateer, captained by the town rogue.

Tortured by guilt for his parents’ death, Luke Heaton spends his time drinking and gambling. When Cassandra offers him enough money to fix up his ship, he sees an opportunity to redeem his reputation and help the lady he has loved from afar. Things go well until the British blackmail him into selling supplies to their ships. Still Luke cannot allow Cassandra’s family to be tossed on the streets. 

Cassandra has fallen in love with Luke. When she begins to suspect his nefarious activities, she is heartbroken. Hoping to prove her suspicions wrong, she sets out to catch him in the act. But what she doesn’t expect is to get caught up in a massive British invasion.

When the entire British fleet heads toward Baltimore and begins to bombard Fort McHenry, lives, liberty, and the future of a nation are at stake. What destiny awaits the couple in one of the most decisive battles of the war?

Where can readers find you on the web?

http://www.marylutyndall.com/

http://www.crossandcutlass.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/MaryLu-Tyndall-Swashbuckling-Romance/175344859169475




I appreciate your candor and the interview you've granted me for the sake of my followers.
May God richly bless you in your writing efforts and the sale of this terrific book, MaryLu.


A MUST-READ for you historical lovers!!!

AUTUMN BLOG FEST BEGINS ~ WELCOME BACK~

Dear Followers and Readers of Joy's Joy~ful Journal - 
The following post was scheduled many months ago and due to the very nature of the posting I questioned the advisability of going forward. 

After prayerful consideration I contacted the surviving spouse and was given permission to go ahead and publish this wonderful true-to-life love story ~ sadly interrupted only a few months ago. 

! A FARM BOY, A LOST CARD, and  A '55 CHEVY !

 

Steve’s Version: I remember the first time I saw her. She had long, shiny brown hair, teasing eyes, and pouting lips that at the time reminded me of a movie star. Rumor had it that she already had a boyfriend. It was just as well. I was too embarrassed to talk to her anyway. I had grown up in the country and felt much more comfortable with trees, animals, and tractors.

But my name being Bly, and hers being Chester, we were destined to sit next to each other in every class that had alphabetical seating assignments. In our freshman year that turned out to be English class.

Now, I want to be the first to admit I was not the most cool dude at high school. I was a farm boy there with my flat top hair cut, blue jeans, white t-shirt, and black high-top tennis shoes. By Christmas of our freshman year I still hadn’t gotten up enough nerve to speak to this talkative young lady more than a few times. But she had made my list of the ten cutest girls on campus.

It took three more long years and ownership of a 1955 Chevy convertible, before I took a chance and asked her out for a date. To my utter amazement, she said, “yes.” To my continual bewilderment, she is still saying “yes.”

                                                             

Janet’s Version: I had been dating a nice guy in high school for some time, but I finally sensed that we weren’t compatible. The relationship had gone stale for me and I wanted out, but didn’t know how to go about it. As Neil Sedaka was singing at the time, “Breaking up is hard to do.”

Finally, I told this guy that I had made other plans for the first football game of our senior year. I had intended to go with several girlfriends, but that fizzled out when they got dates of their own. So, I wound up going alone and meant to sit in the cheering section.

Just as I entered the stadium, I noticed my former boyfriend walking my direction. In a search for a way to avoid him, I shot a glance at the seats and noticed Steve halfway up, a jokester of a boy from my college prep classes who seemed to always delight in teasing me. Meanwhile, I often graded his tests when they were passed to the person behind. My first practice as his editor.

Now, he sat there, all by himself. In a quick moment of decision, I raced up the aisle and scooted next to him…just in time. The other guy passed below. Not my proudest moment. I made some lame excuse to Steve about my sudden friendliness and meant to move on. But, I lingered instead.

We had a fun time watching the game together. Then, he offered to take me to pizza afterward and home. Impressed with his manners and his blue Chevy with white top and red interior, I viewed him in a whole new sphere.

The following Monday at school I mentioned to him that I’d lost my student body card. “By any chance, did I leave it in your car?”

“Why, yes, you did,” he said.

“Oh, good,” I said.

“But you can’t have it back.”

I was a bit shocked. “Why is that?”

“Not unless you promise to go out with me this Friday night.”

Steve again: Back when I first saw her at age 14, I had no idea in the world that this cute, young teen would some day be my wife. And I never, even in my wildest teenage fantasy, dreamed that she would also be my very best friend. There’s nothing hidden from her. In the process of the last 48 years, we have built not only a family and a ministry, but also a partnership and friendship that has weathered storms and struggles, sorrows and delights as we discovered the joy of marriage. . .the ultimate invasion of privacy.

                                  __________________________________________

In MEMORY of STEPHEN BLY

Stephen and Janet Bly have published 120 books…his, hers and theirs. Christy Award winner for westerns, Stephen’s newest novel is Throw The Devil Off The Train, a western romance hardback. The Blys have 3 married sons, 4 grandchildren, and 1 great-grandchild. They lived in northern Idaho at 4,000 ft. elev. on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation.

Website: http://BlyBooks.com

Blog: http://BlyBooks.blogspot.com

_______________________________________

This was such a great story for me - my dear hubby and I met September 9th of 1973 and we married November 30, 1973 -  38  and counting!

I sincerely pray my wonderful JERRY will be able to say the same of our marriage as Stephen has of theirs if we're privileged to reach our 48th before one or both of us graduates to Heaven.

Thank you, Janet, for sharing this with my followers and readers - such a tender treasure, I'm sure!

NEXT WEEK:   Autumn Blog Fest  continues with ~

THROW THE DEVIL FROM THE TRAIN - by STEPHEN BLY