Check out
Forsaken Dreams, book one in the
exciting new Escape to Paradise fiction series by MaryLu Tyndall!
Embark on a seafaring
adventure as a disillusioned colonel and a hopeful widow seek a fresh start on
the shores of Brazil. Colonel Grant Wallace cannot leave his once precious
Southern homeland fast enough. After witnessing the death and destruction of
the Civil War, he charters a ship and sets sail for the pristine shores of
Brazil, eager to start afresh in a new land. Widow Eliza Crawford boards the
ship NewHope harboring a dirty secret and a blossoming hope within her
heart for a new life away from old memories. But once at sea, troubles abound.
Will Grant overcome his demons of bitterness and rage? Can Eliza find the peace
she longs for?
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Get to Know 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 open people's eyes to their
God-given potential. MaryLu is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers
and Romance Writers of America.
Author Q & A:
1. How would you describe your new series Escape to
Paradise?
An adventurous, romantic tale about a group of
Confederates, wounded in both body and soul, who flee the destruction of the
South after the Civil War for greener pastures in Brazil, but who find much
more than they bargained for, both on the trip there and once they arrive.
2. What inspired the storyline for your new series?
History. Nearly
three million Southerners migrated from the devastation of the South following
the Civil War. Close to twenty thousand of them went to Brazil where the
Emperor welcomed them with open arms, the farm land was plentiful, and the
temperate climate mimicked their own weather back home. Though most ended up
returning home, several thousand remained, and their descendants still live
there today. Their struggles to create a new Southern Utopia in the heart of
Brazil make for a fascinating story!
3. How is this series different from your previous
series?
Escape to
Paradise is like nothing I’ve ever written before. The six main characters, the
hero and heroine in each book, have a huge presence in each of the three books,
so by the end of the series, the reader will know them all really well, as well
as several of the secondary characters. Secondly, and more importantly, this
series contains a lot of supernatural elements—curses, angels, visions, demonic
battles—which I have not put in any of my other books.
4. What type of research
did you have to do for Forsaken Dreams?
Surprisingly,
not much has been written about this particular historic event. I did find a
couple of great books on Amazon. I was also able to locate some original source
material, which is a researcher’s dream: three journals written by actual
Confederates who traveled to Brazil. Then of course I studied the flora, fauna,
cuisine, customs, religion, climate, topography, and history of Brazil and Rio
de Janeiro. I tried to talk my husband
into funding a trip to Rio (For purely research purposes, of course) but he
wasn’t buying it! :) I also studied the
Civil War, clothing and customs of the time period, and, in particular, of the
South.
5. What are the most
interesting facts that you learned while researching and writing Forsaken Dreams?
There
is a city in Brazil called Americana, which was founded by migrant confederates
in the late 19th century. To
this day, the inhabitants still speak a mixture of English and Portuguese and
celebrate American holidays by playing “Dixie”, while some of the local women
dress in big-bustled skirts for dancing.
President Carter visited the city in 1972, after discovering its little
known history, and he was reportedly brought to tears by the American
influences he found there.
6. What surprises do your
fans have to look forward to in your new series?
An exotic
locale, powerful secrets held by each character, a strong spiritual theme that
runs through all three books, cannibals, evil temples, visions, angels, demons,
prophecies, and a supernatural battle. Doesn’t sound like romance novels, does
it? Yet, readers can still expect to find all the adventure and romance they
normally enjoy from one of my books.
7. Do you have a favorite character in Forsaken
Dreams? Why?
Yes. The
heroine, Eliza Crawford. She’s all the things so many of us want to be: strong, independent, smart, caring, selfless. But she has a fatal flaw—one which I can
relate to very much, and one I’m hoping others will relate to as well. She
wants to live life on her own terms. She wants to do things her way and follow
her own heart and will. She doesn’t want to be told what to do by anyone,
especially God. Consequently, she disobeyed her father and ran off to marry a
man who was all wrong for her, an action that cost her and others dearly.
Still, she struggles with an independent spirit that refuses to submit to God,
even when she knows His will is best.
Sound familiar? It does to me!
8. What message would you
like your readers to take away after reading Forsaken
Dreams?
There
are several messages woven into Forsaken Dreams. Forgiveness, letting go of
bitterness, running away from God, but I would say the main message is that
submission to God and His will is the only thing that brings true happiness.
9. Most of your stories
revolve around swashbuckling pirates and sea captains. What draws you to write about them?
Actually
I only have one pirate series, but a good majority of my books have several
scenes set at sea. Ever since I was a child growing up on the shores of South
Florida, I have loved the sea and especially the tall ships of old. To me,
there’s something very romantic and adventurous about those magnificent sailing
ships and the men and women who journeyed on them in search of new lands.
10. What are some of the challenges
you face as an author?
Meeting
deadlines! I never feel like I can take a break and just relax when there’s a
deadline shouting at me from my computer.
Other challenges come in the form of negative reviews and harsh comments,
most of which I’ve learned over the years to ignore. However, the occasional one slips through and
stabs my heart. Then there’s the marketing aspect of being an author, which is
most definitely my weakest skill. I’ve never been very good at selling myself,
or in fact, selling anything, to anyone. :)
11. What aspects of being a
writer do you enjoy the most?
The
writing! Coming up with new stories and settings, and especially great characters.
But my favorite part is putting those characters into impossible situations that
I would never survive personally, but ones in which they must survive! Those hours I
spend at my computer with my head and my heart in a distant land, living life
through my characters, are the happiest moments of my day. What a great job I
have!! I get to live in a fantasy world of my own making. God is good!
12. What clubs or
organizations are you involved with to help with your writing?
American
Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. However I receive
most of the help I need from other writers who I’ve grown close to over the
years. It’s so wonderful to have an online support group of people who
understand what I’m going through and who can offer suggestions and help and
who can lift me up in prayer when needed.
13. What new projects are on
the horizon?
Forsaken Dreams is
the first in a trilogy entitled Escape to Paradise, so I’m currently working on
the last two books in the series. After that, I’ll be in God’s good favor as to
what He wants me to write next. :)
14. What was your favorite
book as a child?
Can
I have three? The Last of the
Mohicans, The Count of Monte Cristo, and
Pride and Prejudice.
15. What is your greatest
achievement?
My
children. Although I really can’t take credit for them turning out as well as
they have. That was God. But they are my life and my true loves, and I can’t
imagine my world without them.
16. What do you do to get
away from it all?
Go
to the beach. Although it’s not as warm here in California as it was in Florida
where I grew up, I love sitting in the sand and gazing out over the foamy waves
and smelling the salty air and feeling the wind on my face. It makes me realize
how big God is and how small I am, yet how much He truly loves me.
17. And, finally, where can
your readers find you online?
You
can sign up for my e-newsletter on my website at www.marylutyndall.com, and my blog is crossandcutlass.blogspot.com
where I post all sorts of things from book giveaways and book information to
articles and devotional thoughts. I have a Facebook group called MaryLu Tyndall: Swashbuckling Romance, and I’m on Twitter: @MaryLuTyndall. Hope to connect with
you all!
Check out MaryLu's blog
Friday, February 7, to learn more about the hero from Forsaken Dreams, Blake Wallace, and comment for a chance to win a
copy of the book!
