The Friends Blogger award!

Blogger Friends' award! I received this cute award from Kristi at http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com/ And I'm passing it onto other bloggers that I enjoy reading as well.




"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."
So please take a look at the following bloggers - I either look forward to seeing if they have read my posts and commented - or they are bloggers that I look forward to reading! And folks - if you have already received this award - then you are being Blessed again! Everyone should go visit these blogs to see the great stuff they post!

http://randyalcorn.blogspot.com/
http://jenniferswriting.blogspot.com/
http://steppingstonesforwriters.blogspot.com/
http://favoritepastimes.blogspot.com/
http://cholesommers.blogspot.com/
http://veronicaleigh.blogspot.com/
http://deborah-scrappersgetaway.blogspot.com/
http://remnantreminscences.blogspot.com/
http://acceptableinthysight.blogspot.com/
http://neveradullmoment-angie.blogspot.com/
http://dontconformbetransformed.blogspot.com/
http://cherryblossommj.blogspot.com/

Announcing the winners! And my Spirit Brain

Constant Heart - Chloe
Washington's Lady - Mez

Congratulations, Ladies, and thanks to all who entered! They are both great books, so if you get a chance to pick them up, I encourage you to do so.

I tried an experiment this week. I joined some other ladies in a contest called Book in a Week in which we set a daily writing goal of so many words and then a weekly one. The idea is to turn off all internal editors, ignore all writing rules, halt all research, don't look at a thesaurus and allow your right brain to dive into the story unfettered. In other words, write and don't stop. If there's a spot where you need to look up something or find a better word, mark it and move on. So, I put on the headphones and began. And I found something amazing. I wrote more words than I ever have in a day. Already this week, I've written over 13,000 words. On a good week when I had to stop and look up things, I would average 7000 words. Now, of course, I have to go back over all these words and tidy things up, but I felt so free and actually found myself enjoying the story and the characters immensely.

It reminded me of the difference between the law of God in the old Mosaic system and the freedom of God's Spirit under the new covenant. There's nothing wrong with the law. It's good and righteous and powerful. There's nothing wrong with writing rules and research, etc. Just as the law defines holiness and shows us where we lack, writing rules define good writing and show us what we need to do to achieve good writing. But the law alone produces death because we can never live up to it. Just like a novel that is written perfectly but contains no story will bore us to death! Living by the Spirit of God produces joy and peace and freedom without concern for the law because we know the Spirit will lead us to follow the law. And allowing my right brain to create a story without considering writing rules produces joy and freedom and probably a far better story than if I had been burdened with the fear of breaking the law.

Anyway, I thought the analogy was kind of interesting, and I'm thinking I will be spending much more time in the Spirit side of my brain!

And perhaps we all should spend more time hanging out with The Holy Spirit and less time worrying about sin and the law.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Anne Bonny - Female pirate!

Believe it or not, I'm getting some comments on the heroine, Faith, in my latest release, The Red Siren, being a pirate and how unbelievable that was for the time. NOT. So, anyway, I thought it would be interesting to relay a bit of factual information about a real female pirate who lived and plundered around the same time as my book takes place.

Her name was Anne Cormac and if you've read The Red Siren, you'll have already met her. She makes a brief appearance as a friend of Faith's sister, Hope, when Dajon and Faith rescue her from the Pink House tavern. Anyway, Anne actually lived at that time in Charles Towne and here's her story.

Anne Cormac was born around 1697 in Cork, Ireland. Her father, William Cormac, was a lawyer, and her mother was a household servant. Whoops! When his wife found out, William, his mistress and Anne were tosssed from the home and he took them across the seas to Charles Towne, South Carolina to start afresh. William became quite succesful and started a plantation and as Anne grew, he taught her all she needed to know in order to run said plantation when he died. But Anne was a rebellious, independent minded girl who often clashed with her father. There is a rumor still circulating in Charleston to this day that Anne Cormac nearly beat a man to death when he made advances toward her in a tavern.

Against her father's wishes, Anne married a young sailor named James Bonny and the couple moved to New Providence where Anne met the notorious pirate, Calico Jack Rackham. She dumped her husband and took off with Jack. Together, along with another lady named Mary Reed, they scoured the Caribbean, plundering and pillaging and murdering. Anne dressed like a man and it was said she fought alongside the other pirates with as much bravery and skill as any of them.

But all good things (or bad things, depending on your outlook) must come to an end and soon Calico Jack and his pirates were captured, tried, and hung. All except Anne. There is no record of her hanging and some say her wealthy father bartered for her release. I guess we'll never know what became of the infamous lady pirate, Anne Bonny.

Sleeping through the storm

Yesterday's sermon in church referenced the story at the end of Mark 4 where Jesus tells his disciples that they will cross to the other side of the Sea of Gallilee. So they set sail (my kind of story!) and head out, and Jesus, tired from preaching all day, promptly falls asleep. But a storm arises, not just any storm but a vicious storm with massive swells large enough to scare these seasoned fisherman and to flood the ship. I mean, water was ccoming over the bulwarks and rising inside the ship to such a point that they thought they would all die. And what did Jesus do? Nothing. He was fast asleep.

I did some research on Hurricanes in the Caribbean for my next release, The Blue Enchantress, and how dangerous they are for ships trapped out at sea. Very few ships survived a head-on collision with one of these massive storms! Having been raised in Florida, I also remember huddling in the middle of the living room around a candle with my Mom and Grandmother and sister, praying that our roof would stay on and a tree wouldn't come crashing down on our heads. It sounded like a giant beast pounding its huge fists all over our house! Could I sleep? No way. And I was in a strong house.

I've always found it fascinating that Jesus was sound asleep through the raging wind and the crash of waves and even the screams of his disciples. How could He do that? Because He had complete and unwavering faith in His Father. He knew nothing would harm him until He had completed His mission on earth, and He already knew he had a divine appointment in the country of the Gadarenes across the sea. Why should He be afraid of a little rain and wind?

Oh, how I wish I could be more like that! I hear God tell me to do some task, or perhaps He promises me a certain answer to prayer, or I read in His Word that He will do such and such, and I go happily about my way until BLAM, something happens that makes it seem that the thing God told me would come to pass, never will. And what do I do? I panic. I do what the disciples did. I scramble around in a frenzy, worried, anxious, fearful, depressed, trying to solve the problem on my own, until I finally go to Jesus and pathetically ask Him if He has forgotten me?

And just like in the story, Jesus arises, rebukes the waves and wind and asks me where is my faith?

Where is our faith? Why don't we believe God? Why don't we do something incredibly daring and actually take God at His Word and tell the Devil to take a hike when he comes slinking around planting all his doubts.

That's one of my goals for the new year. When the storm strikes, I want to be found sleeping like a baby. How about you?

Writer's block and God

It's been a rough couple of weeks for me as a writer. After turning in The Blue Enchantress, and gliding through the holidays, I set my sights, all sails bursting with wind, to begin my next novel, The Raven Saint, in January. But after four years of writing and six full length novels, I ran smack dab into the giant wall of Writer's block. For me it's less of a wall and more of a mind-numbing condition where my right brain crosses it's petulant arms over her chest and says "You've got to be kidding me! Another novel? Another set of characters, problems, disasters, adventures, victories?" Then she turns her back on me and pouts and I can't get anything out of her for days Now for those of you who are feeling sorry for my brain right now, thinking I'm some sort of creative slave driver, well, I was feeling that way too--at first. I considered giving her a week or two off to go lounge about the beach somewhere (not actually, but in her dreams) but then I was reminded of that one nasty word all writers tremble with fear over--DEADLINE and I had to get tough. June 30th will come along soon enough, especially with two business trips, a book tour, a crazy, demanding family, and various other unknown interruptions comng my way. So, I got out the drill sergeant whistle and I whipped that right brain into shape. NOT. For those of you creative types out there, you know threats and pressure have no effect on creativity. In fact, my right brain huddled in the corner and began to cry.

I'm telling you all this because 1. I have nothing else to talk about, and 2. My block has crumbled. How? Thanks be to God. I got on my treadmill yesterday, plugged in my IPOD shuffle with my favorite songs, cranked up the speed and jogged. I jogged and I prayed and I pleaded with God and I submitted all to Him, and I praised Him, and after 20 minutes (I know I should have stayed on longer) I stepped off a new person. The tightness in my chest had loosened, there was a smile on my face and I walked right back to my computer and began to type. And my right brain hummed along gleefully. For those of you interested in keeping up with my progress, I've added a bargraph on this blog on the right side.

God is indeed the answer to every question.

Two book giveaway!

For those of you who love to read Historicals, I have read and recommend the following 2 books.



Washington's Lady by Nancy Moser is the story of Martha Washington (George Washington's wife) starting from their first meeting through the Revolutionary War, his presidency, and finally his death. If you're interested in this time period and want to feel like you are right there alongside Martha, then I highly recommend this book. It's written in first person, which I always find a challenge to read, but Nancy Moser is a fabulous story teller.


A Constant Heart by Siri Mitchell is the story of a young lady struggling to save her marriage while battling the intrigue and betrayal in the court of Queen Elizabeth. Also written in first person, I was enthralled with the amount of historical detail incorporated in the story, and I came away with a much clearer understand of Queen Elizabeth and her court.


These are used books (only read by me) and if you'd like one, just leave a comment telling me which one and your email address. I'll pick the winners next Friday, the 30th.
Have a blessed day!

What is the purpose of life?

Someone sent this to me online and I was so impressed with it, I had to share it. I don't know if this is acutally Rick Warren's response, but regardless, it is right on target and will perhaps give you a different perspective on life as you begin your new week. I highlighted the things that impacted me. I hope it blesses you.

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:People ask me, What is the purpose of life ?

In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness,'which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off your self and onto God and others. We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthian s 9 and Psalm 72. First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)? When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on eart just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

A peek at The Blue Enchantress Cover

One of my favorite parts in the process of writing a novel is getting my first glimpse of the cover. I'm a very visual person so I love seeing my heroine come to life in the world I've created. At the outset, after the contract is signed, I turn in a sheet describing the characters in my book, the symbols if any, the time period, and a description of the clothing. I also try to convey a "mood" that describes my story. From that one piece of paper, the wonderful graphic artists that my publisher, Barbour, hires, create masterpieces. I really don't know how they do it, but I've been thrilled with most all of my covers.

This is not the final copy, but I thought it was so beautiful, I had to share. For those of you who have read my latest release, The Red Siren, the girl in the picture is Hope, Faith's sister. She is a seductress, a woman who believes her beauty is her only asset and who craves the attention of men to fill the void in her heart.

I'd love to know your opinions.

Bedtime Stories

I don't often go to the movies anymore for obvious reasons, but over the holidays I had a chance to go see Bedtime Stories with my family. Now, I'm not going to tell you this was a fantastic film, but I will tell you that I enjoyed it very much! It contained all the elements of a great story.

It has a unique and interesting premise (Every part of a story that a young boy makes up in his head actually comes true)

A main character who is lovable, but flawed and who has gotten the short end of the stick his entire life (someone we all can sympathize with)

• An underlying theme that All things are possible for those who believe! I may be the only person to pick this theme out, but throughout the story, I was reminded of the scripture that says "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine"


• A love story


• A main character who learns to be less selfish and more giving through the story. (A moral theme)


• The bad guys get it in the end (sorry to be a spoiler)

If you get a chance, check it out. Don't expect any oscar preformances, but I guarantee you'll leave the theater feeling better than when you entered

Fearfully and wonderfully made!

Happy Monday! I came across this video on another blog and thought it would be a good way to start a new week. It's only 8 minutes long but worth every second. You'll come away with a sense of awe at just how special you are and how tightly God holds you in His hands! I pray it blesses you greatly.

Why do bad things happen to good people?

I have this painting hanging above the fireplace in my living room. It reminds me to keep my eyes on Jesus when I am in the middle of a storm. Isnt' it gorgeous?

Anyway I thought I'd wrap up this topic with one final post. I think it is especially important to list the possible reasons for misfortune coming our way, especially in light of our present economic, spritual, and world climate. I know many people who are struggling with serious financial problems, horrific family issues, and health crisis. For those of us who believe in a loving, almighty God and who live our lives in submission to Him, perhaps these possible reasons for calamity may bring you some peace, even admidst the storm:

1. To allow you to win some major spiritual battle

2. To gain a clearer understand of who God is

3. To expose our pride and keep us humble

4. To draw us into God's arms

5. To prepare you for some future blessing

6. To prepare us for some higher calling or task

7. To pave the way for a miracle!

8. To spread the truth of the gospel

9. To bring us to repentence

10. To remind us that earth is not our home and someday there will be no more sorrow

11. To create in us the heart of Jesus

12. To remove our self-sufficiency

13. To force us to pray more often and with meaning

14. To increase and refine our faith

15. To enable us to understand the suffering of others

If you are truly following Jesus, and bad things happen, rejoice, God is up to something in your life, that--if you allow Him to work and make up your mind to submit, pray, and believe--will produce something so wonderful that could not be produced any other way.

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" James 1:2-4

The Red Siren news

Just a note: I received all of your addresses (except Carole, Jessica, and Lucie) and put the books in the mail yesterday! I hope you enjoy the story. I had fun writing it.

Just to wet your appetites, if you'll permit me a bit of bragging, here's a couple of excellent reviews I received lately:

Christian Review of Books: Roseanna White
The Red Siren is yet another powerful, captivating tale by MaryLu Tyndall. As the story progressed, full of adventure and romance and danger lurking in every crevice, she managed to truly stump me. How, I wondered with the turn of every page, is she going to pull this off? How can I be rooting for the pirate heroine and the naval officer out to capture her at the same time? How can they possibly arrive at both justice and romance? The conundrum had me turning those pages all the faster, propelling both me and the story to new levels of anticipation with each chapter. And of course, with her usual way of combining the power of God with the power of human love, the author delivers an ending that will leave you breathless and aquiver with delight.
The Red Siren will join my shelf of favorites. I fell in love with the characters, was entirely gripped by the action, gleefully ignored all outside intrusions as the climax unfolded (even though dinner really needed cooked), and finished it with a smile on my face. I can’t wait for the next books in this series! This one’s definitely not to be missed by lovers of romance, historicals, or just a good pirate tale.

ArmChairReviews: Edyth Abraham
I enjoyed this novel immensely. It is not often that you find a story that revolves around a
woman pirate. Faith’s character is unique and original and her troubles, fears and questions are
so real that I was able to relate to her on many levels. The storyline moves very quickly and I
can say that there was never a dull moment. Even the book ended as a cliffhanger–and the
problem will be solved only in the next book. Hence, those who do not like cliffhangers, wait until
the entire series has come out. It is a very well-written and very well-thought-out book that
reminded me time and time again that God’s ways are higher than our ways.
Armchair Interviews says: Definitely a book that will not disappoint–highly recommended!

Let me just add that everytime I get a good review, I say a quick praise to God. He's the one who gives me both the story and the ability to write it down. So, to Him be all the glory!

Also, I'm a guest blogger on Jennifer Taylor's blog today. I wrote a short article about Charleston and pirates which you might find interesting and for those of you who didn't win a copy of The Red Siren, Jennifer is offering another opportunity. Here's the link: http://jenniferswriting.blogspot.com/

This week, I'm diving back into writing after a month off. I'm starting on the 3rd book in the Charles Towne Belles' series, entitled, The Raven Saint. It is the story of sister number 3, Grace Westcott, who you'll see a bit of in book 1.
Have a marvelous week, everyone!

And the winners are!

Everybody who left a comment during last week's contest!

After my wonderful Christmas and nice Holiday break, I'm feeling rather generous! So, if the following people would contact me ASAP with your address (marylu_tyndall@yahoo.com), I'd love to send you a free copy of The Red Siren. The only thing I ask in return is if you like it, please either leave a review online at Amazon or Christianbook.com or Barnes and Noble, or tell all your friends.

Tracy

Rae Byuel

RebornButterfly

Chloe

Lucie

Jessica

Lisa

Carole

And for everyone who participated in the contests in December, thank you so much for your comments and your interest! I hope you all have a great 2009!

A New Year's Prayer

Perhaps you've seen this prayer drifting about the internet. I came across it and thought it was worth posting here.

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'