Showing posts with label Charles Towne Belles series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charles Towne Belles series. Show all posts

Thursday, February 11, 2010

The Raven Saint winner!

The winner of The Raven Saint by MaryLu Tyndall is:

RUBYNREBA!!

Congrats! I'll contact you today for your mailing address. :)

Friday, February 5, 2010

Marylu Tyndall ~ Interview + Giveaway!

Today author MaryLu Tyndall is telling us about her new book, The Raven Saint. She has offered an autographed copy of her book to one lucky commenter. She will also be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions! So if you have anything you want to ask her, you can include it in your comment for entering the contest. If you are only leaving a question in the comment and not entering the giveaway please say so.

Welcome, MaryLu! Tell us a little about yourself.
I live in one of the most liberal states in the Union in one of the most liberal parts of the state and probably one of the most innovative places as far as science and technology goes: The Bay Area in Northern California. It's a beautiful place to live with a mild, Mediterranean climate. An hour west of me is the gorgeous Pacific coast, and 4 hours toward the east, we have the majestic sierras. I've lived here for nearly 30 years, but my true love is the tropics of Florida where I grew up and where my entire family still lives and where I go and visit as often as I can! My husband and I have 6 children, most of them all grown up, and 3 cats currently, although we seem to attract strays! (cats, not kids)

How long have you been writing? How many books do you have published?
I’ve been writing my entire life, though it was just a hobby of mine in my younger years. I wrote poems, short stories, and novels as a teenager but I never thought I could ever get published. Once I graduated college and started working and raising a family, I had to put my writing aside for a time. It wasn’t until five years ago that I felt God calling me to pick up my pen again. Currently, I have 7 novels published and 3 more under contract. God is good!

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in your books?
I always get asked this question and I never know quite how to answer it. I don’t think my writing style is similar to any other author I’ve read. But if I had to choose, I would say perhaps Deanne Gist or Julie Lessman. My stories are not just romances, but full of adventure and action, intertwined around a strong spiritual theme. As far as the rating on the romance in my stories, I’d have to give it a PG. I would say my novels are a bit more on the edgy side than your normal Christian fare.

In your own words tell us a little about The Raven Saint.
The Raven Saint is an adventurous story of betrayal, pride, and the healing love of God. Set in the Caribbean in 1718, it follows the story of Grace Westcott, a virtuous lady who has spent her life serving God. When she is kidnapped from her home by a daring French captain who intends to sell her to the Spanish as a slave, she cannot understand why God has allowed such tragedy to befall her.

Captain Rafe Dubois hates nothing more than a religious pretence of piety. Fleeing a home of abuse and betrayal under the thumb of his self-righteous father, he became a mercenary upon the Caribbean. There isn’t any job, no matter how vile, he won’t undertake in order to amass the fortune he needs to build a hospital for the poor in his home town of Port-de-Paix.

Follow the adventures of Rafe and Grace as they sail from South Carolina to the island of Saint Dominique, to Columbia and face pirate hunters, betrayal, sword fights, seduction, and a voodoo curse.

The Raven Saint is the third book in the series Charles Towne Belles, although I don’t think you have to have read the first two books to enjoy this one. The series revolves around the parable of the seed and the sower in Matthew 13 in which each story represents one of the seeds. In this book, Grace Westcott, the heroine, represents the seed that falls on the good soil and produces a great crop. She is a woman who loves God and spends all her time in His service. But she has one tiny problem: her piety has turned into pride and her mercy into judgment.

Blurb-
Grace Westcott has spent her entire life serving God and helping the poor—not to mention trying to save the souls of her two wayward sisters. But while on an errand of mercy, she is kidnapped by a French mercenary and told she will be sold to a Spanish Don in Columbia.

Determined to hold on to her faith and see God in every situation, she believes she must have been sent to help someone find God’s love. But no one will listen to her please, warnings, and prayers.

When Grace’s situation grows far worse than she could imagine, she is forced to face her own human weaknesses. But she isn’t prepared to face her biggest weakness of all—falling in love with the nefarious captain, Rafe Dubois.

Will Grace discover god’s purpose for this harrowing journey? And what will she do when she realizes His purpose for her is not to redeem the captain and his crew, but herself?

What made you want to write this story?
When God first gave me the concept for this series from the parable of the seed and the sower in Matthew 13, I knew that I would have to write a story about the seed that falls on the good soil. The first two books in the series represent the seed that falls among the rocks and the seed that falls among the thorns. Honestly, I thought I would have a harder time writing this third book because I could identify least with the heroine. But what I discovered as I wrote Grace’s character was that I was more like her than I first realized. It is my desire that as people read this story, they will also see any hypocrisy and judgmental attitudes that exist in their own heart and allow God to burn out those seeds of pride which will keep them from loving others and growing in Him.

What research did you have to do for this book?
Quite a bit of research went into this book as well as the entire series. Specific to this story I studied the history of Saint Dominique (Present day Haiti) and what the religion of Voodoo entailed. For the entire series, I studied the workings and sailing of tall ships, the history of the Caribbean, history of Charles Towne, SC, and the clothing, customs, and language of the early eighteenth century.

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?
The actress Amanda Peet looks most like I picture Grace. Dark hair, green eyes—an elegant beauty.

Orlando Bloom would have to play Rafe. The rake, scoundrel, and bad boy who possesses a heart of gold.

What are you working on now or going to write next?
I’ve just started writing a new series called Surrender to Destiny. The three books are set in Baltimore, MD during the War of 1812 and tell the story of three women whom God uses to change the course of history and save our great nation from tyranny. The series’ theme is about finding your God-given destiny. Each book is focused around an important battle during the War and shows how if we surrender to God and allow Him to lead us, our lives will have eternal significance.

How can readers get in contact with you?
Website: http://www.mltyndall.com/
Blog: http://www.crossandcutlass.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=181159984111&comments=#/marylu.tyndall?ref=profile

What are you currently reading?
Angel Time by Anne Rice

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
I have a terrible fear of public speaking!

If you could be any animal, which would you choose? Why?
A deer. Graceful, yet timid and easily frightened.

FAVORITES:
TV show, and/or movie?
LOST / Counte of Monte Cristo

Place to go on vacation?
Carribean!

What is/was this book’s release date?
January 1st, 2010

~~~~~
**Giveaway open to any country**

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of The Raven Saint!
To enter:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win).

*Please specify that you want to be included in the contest!

*If you want an extra entry, become one of my followers.

*The comment is mandatory. (Please, say in the comment if you are a follower!! It makes my job easier when you do.) You will not be entered unless you leave a comment. If you are already a follower, and then you leave a comment, you will still get two entries in the contest.
*The contest will run from today (Feb. 5) until 10:30 CST on Thursday (Feb. 11). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner on Friday the 12th, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The Raven Saint by MaryLu Tyndall ~ 5/5 stars + favorite!

The Raven Saint
MaryLu Tyndall
Charles Towne Belles series, #3

Barbour Publishing
About the book:
When Grace Westcott is kidnapped by a French mercenary, tossed aboard his ship, and told she will be sold to a Spanish Don in Columbia, she cannot imagine what she has done to deserve such a horrid fate. She has spent her entire life serving God and helping the poor, not to mention trying to save the souls of her two wayward sisters. Thinking perhaps God has sent her to preach to the vile captain and his crew, Grace's every attempt to correct their sinful ways is rewarded with only mockery. When Grace's situation grows far worse than she could imagine, she is forced to face her own human weaknesses. But she isn't prepared to face her biggest weakness of all-falling in love with the nefarious captain, Rafe Dubois.

My review:
The Raven Saint is the exciting conclusion to the Charles Towne Belles series. This book is absolutely wonderful. I cannot say how much I enjoyed it. I loved the message about not judging others, and trusting God with every situation that you face in life. Grace undergoes a beautiful transformation from a judgmental religious person, to a kind, understanding young woman with a true relationship with God. Captain Rafe Dubois finds it hard (if not impossible) to trust others because of numerous betrayals that he has suffered. With God working in their hearts they come to understand that trust and forgiveness are the important things, and revenge will never satisfy. This whole series should be on your immediate TBR list.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The Blue Enchantress winner!

The winner of Marylu Tyndall's amazing book, The Blue Enchantress, is:

Ashley W! 
Congrats! I will contact you today for your mailing address. I'm sure you will love it!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Marylu Tyndall ~ Interview + Giveaway!

In honor of my one month anniversary of blogging I'm having a special giveaway with one of my favorite authors, Marylu Tyndall! One lucky commenter will win a signed copy of The Blue Enchantress, book two in the Charles Towne Belles series.

Welcome, Marylu! Thanks for stopping by.
Tell us a little about yourself.
Hum, well, I live in one of the most liberal states in the Union in one of the most liberal parts of the state and probably one of the most innovative places as far as science and technology goes: The Bay Area in Northern California. It's a gorgeous place to live with a mild, Mediterranean climate. An hour west of me is the gorgeous Pacific coast, and 4 hours toward the east, we have the beautiful sierras. I've lived here for nearly 30 years, but my true love is the tropics of Florida where I grew up and where my entire family still lives and where I go and visit as often as I can! My husband and I have 6 children, most all grown up, and 3 cats currently, although we seem to attract strays! (cats, not kids)

How long have you been writing? How many books do you have published?
I’ve been writing as a hobby most of my life. As a professional writer, only for five years. I have six books published so far!

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, is your writing sweet, warm, etc. (in terms of romance)?
I really don’t think my writing is like any other author out there. I’m unique! But if I had to choose a couple of authors who I’m similar to, I’d say Deanne Gist or Linda Chaikin. And my stories are anything but sweet and warm. My books are full of crazy adventures: kidnappings, ship battles, spies, lady pirates, lots of nasty bad guys and tons of brave hunky heroes. The romance in the books is strong, passionate, but very chaste and godly.

In your own words tell us a little about The Blue Enchantress.
The Blue Enchantress is a great adventure that starts out on an auction block on the island of St. Kitts in the Caribbean, then heads out to sea where a hurricane strikes the ship my characters are sailing on, shipwrecking them on an island, then the story passes through a port on Jamaica and ends back out at sea for a ship battle. Intertwined throughout the action is the story of a young girl who has made some bad choices, who believes her only value is in her appearance, and who desperately wants to find love and self-worth. I believe it is the yearning of many young women today who get confused by the ads bombarding them telling them that their only worth is in the way they look. The story is also a great romance between a man who wants to avoid loose women at all cost and a woman with a sordid past and the transformation each of them has to go through to finally be healed and love each other freely.


The Blue Enchantress is book 2 in a series entitled Charles Towne Belles, but it isn’t necessary to have read book 1 prior to this one.

Here is the official blurb:
Still grieving the loss of her mother—and private tragedies of her own—Hope Westcott plays the part of a dutiful admiral’s daughter. But longing for the love and acceptance she never felt at home, Hope plunges into Charles Towne society. . . and an illicit affair with Lord Falkland.

For Captain Nathaniel Mason, wealth means security, so he is determined to build his shipping business—ignoring God’s call on his life to become an impoverished pastor. He also ignores his attraction to the frivolous, vain Hope Westcott.

Hope’s adventure seeking lands her in the hands of an unscrupulous ship captain who wants to sell her to the highest bidder. When Nathaniel sees Hope on the auction block, will he listen to God and sacrifice his ship, cargo, and security to save her?

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 find true love and acceptance?

Click HERE for my review of The Blue Enchantress.
 
What made you want to write this story?
This story is so close to my heart because the heroine Hope is a woman who, like many women today, believes her only value is in her appearance. And she uses her good looks to attract the wrong kind of attention, mistaking it for true love. I believe this is an insidious problem in our culture today—a culture that tells young girls that they are only valuable if they are beautiful. I wanted to show through Hope’s story that the kind of love the world offers is shallow and destructive and that their true value comes from God.
 
What research did you have to do for this book?
Tons. I had to learn lots of details about the sailing of tall ships, what St. Kitts island is like, how it feels to be in a hurricane out at sea, how to survive on a deserted island, what Kingston, Jamaica was like in the 1700’s etc. etc.. You’d be amazed at the amount of research that goes into each novel.
 
Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?
Definitely Cameron Diaz for Hope because she’s a bit of a seductress but with a very sweet, innocent side.
 
 
I’d love to see Jack on the TV show LOST play my hero, Nathaniel Mason.


What are you working on now or going to write next?
I just finished The Raven Saint, which is book 3 in the Charles Towne Belles series. It is about another Westcott sister who gets kidnapped by a French Mercenary. Yes, I’m very mean to my characters!

I’m just beginning a new series set during the War of 1812 set in Baltimore called Surrender to Destiny. In fact, I just got back from Baltimore where I spent a week doing research.

How can readers get in contact with you?
My website: http://www.mltyndall.com/

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

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=181159984111&comments=#/marylu.tyndall?ref=profile

What are you currently reading?
A Passion Redeemed by Julie Lessman

C- I love that book!

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
I had 8 dads growing up.
 
If you could be any animal, which would you choose? Why?
A Deer. Graceful, yet easily frightened.
 
FAVORITES:

TV show, and/or movie?
LOST / Counte of Monte Cristo
Place to go on vacation?
Caribbean
Book this year (or month if you’ve read too many to remember)? Why?
Rita Gerlach’s Surrender the Wind A great romance adventure!

The Blue Enchantress released August 2009.

~~~~~

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of The Blue Enchantress! To enter: Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win), and please specify that you want to be included in the contest. *If you want an extra entry, become one of my followers.* The comment is mandatory. You will not be entered unless you leave a comment. If you are already a follower, and then you leave a comment, you will still get two entries in the contest. Anyone can enter! No matter where you are.The contest will run from today (Oct. 14) till midnight on Tuesday (Oct. 20). I will contact the winner on Wednesday the 21st, and then that person will have a week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner. Good luck! Thanks for visiting.

Monday, October 12, 2009

The Blue Enchantress by Marylu Tyndall 5/5 stars + *Favorite*

The Blue Enchantress
by Marylu Tyndall
Charles Towne Belles, Book 2

Barbour- Publisher
About the Book:

Get swept away in a high-tide of romance and adventure from acclaimed author M. L. Tyndall. Trying to forget about a painful past, Hope Westcott plunges into Charles Towne society trying to find love and acceptance. Captain Nathaniel Mason is determined to build his shipping business and doesn’t need a romantic entanglement—especially with a woman like Hope. When Hope’s adventure-seeking puts her freedom—and her life—in jeopardy, will Nathaniel turn his back or follow God’s voice and sacrifice everything to save her?

My review:
Oh. My. Goodness. I loved it! M.L. Tyndall has an amazing way of writing. She can write a suspenseful scene like no one else. Here is an example: “The maelstrom outside the tiny glass oval writhed in an undulating vision of raging black clouds one second and a hissing caldron of white-capped water the next.” I even became shaky during the hurricane! Tyndall draws you in, so that you are on the edge of your seat. She will make you laugh, cry, and never want to put the book down. Hope Westcott is a character that I think every woman can relate to. Broken by life, only valuing her outward appearance, she searches for love in all the wrong places. Tyndall has a way of putting you in the character’s shoes, and she makes the story come alive in a way that most authors never achieve. There was only one thing that I didn’t like and that is on the back cover. It says, “…God’s call on his life to become an impoverished pastor.” That is not true. God doesn’t want us to be impoverished. In the Bible it says that God wants us to be healthy and prosperous. However, in the book it is not said that he is called to be an impoverished pastor. It only says that he is poor now, and he will start out being a poor pastor, not that he must be, or is called to be, poor. I think this was a simple mistake in the writing of the back cover, as it is not portrayed that way in the book. I definite to-read!