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
