Author Intro: MaryLu Tyndall

See Ya On The Net: Please give the readers a brief bio on you the person and the writer.

MaryLu Tyndall: I spent my early years on the beaches of South Florida, but now reside in northern California with my husband and our blended family of six children, ranging in age from 16 to 25. I've always loved to write, but never pursued it seriously as a career until last year when I submitted my first novel to agents and publishers. The whole process was such an awesome miracle. When I first started writing The Redemption, I was only writing it for fun and had no intention of submitting it. Through a series of miraculous steps, including getting me laid off from my full time job, and connecting me with ACFW, God led me to finish the novel and submit it. I began sending it to agents in February, 2005. and by October of that same year, I was signing contracts for not only The Redemption, but two more books in the series. I am humbled and blessed with how the Lord moved so swiftly on my behalf, and I give all the credit to Him and pray He uses my novels for His glory.

See Ya On The Net: Tell us about your current book?

TYNDALL: The Redemption, my first novel was just released on July 1st. It is an historical pirate adventure set in the 17th century Caribbean. My story begins when the heroine, Lady Charlisse Bristol, sets off on a voyage in search of a father she never knew only to find herself shipwrecked on a deserted island. After weeks of combating the elements, her salvation comes in the form of a band of pirates and their fiercely handsome leader, Edmund Merrick. While battling his attraction to this winsome lady and learning to walk a more godly path, Edmund offers to help Charlisse on her quest—until he discovers her father is none other than Edward the Terror, the cruelest pirate on the Caribbean.

The Redemption was born out of a difficult, personal journey. Like the heroine in my story, I too grew up without a father’s love and spent many years searching for acceptance and value in all the wrong places. I rejected God and didn’t realize that only in His arms would I find what I was searching for. There is a deep part of my soul written in the path Charlisse must take to find God’s love—a path that I hope will provide a healing touch to many lives.

See Ya On The Net: What would you like your readers to take away from your book?

TYNDALL: Whether you've grown up with a loving father, or without one, or whether you've been rejected by people you've cared about, or you've been accepted, God's love--not human love--is the only love that comes without cost, will never disappoint you, and can fill the aching void in your heart.

See Ya On The Net: Do you ever have a hard time letting go of a character after the novel is finished?

TYNDALL: Yes. I had such a hard time letting go of the characters of The Redemption, that I refused and created another novel about them! The Reliance, book 2 in the series, will be released early next year. But, alas, I had to put them to rest in order to get started on my third novel. In a way it is like losing your best friends, but I know they are out there sailing the Caribbean, and God is taking care of them.

See Ya On The Net: What do you feel is the key to writing convincing characters?

TYNDALL: Characters must be as real to us as our best friends. We must know them intimately. I am not a plotter, but I do spend a great deal of time on my main characters. I give them a past, likes, dislikes, good qualities and bad qualities, things that annoy me about them, and things that I like. They should not be all evil or all good, and they need to shock us now and then, just like real people do. I also give them specific looks or certain quirks that belong only to them. I spend a lot of time analyzing people around me for ideas.

See Ya On The Net: What makes your writing style unique?

TYNDALL: I'm told that I'm very strong on settings and descriptions and that I have the ability to pull a reader right into the 17th century Caribbean and make them feel as though they were sailing aboard a pirate ship.

See Ya On The Net: What are you doing to promote your book?

TYNDALL: My publisher hired a marketing company that is doing most of the promotional work for my novel. Other than working with them, I'm talking with local book stores, trying to set up book signings. I'm doing blog interviews and sending the book to interested people who are willing to write reviews for newsletters or online book stores. I'm sending out postcards advertising my book, and I have bookmarks to give away. Also, in the fall, I'll be attending the annual Pirate Festival in Key West, FL. Yea!

See Ya On The Net: What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

TYNDALL: The most surprising thing I discovered was that my characters took on minds of their own and often led me in directions I never would have foreseen.

See Ya On The Net: What do you do to make time for yourself?

TYNDALL: It's hard to find time for myself these days. I spend most of my day either writing or on writing-related activities. Then I have a husband, kids and a house to run in the evening. Yes, I cook dinner, clean the house, and do laundry just like everyone else! I guess my favorite time alone is when I can curl up in bed at night after everyone else has gone to sleep and read a great novel.

See Ya On The Net: How can readers get in contact with you? (mail, email, website)

TYNDALL: The best way is to go to my website: www.mltyndall.com

I have an email address listed there to which they can send notes.