Saturday, April 29, 2017
Friday, April 28, 2017
The Sound of Emeralds Birthday Tour!!
Hello everyone and welcome to The Sound of Emeralds birthday blog tour! I’m posting today about Rachelle Rea Cobb’s third installment in the Steadfast Love series, an inspirational historical romance set during the 16th century!
Rachelle is also the author of The Sound of Diamonds and The Sound of Silver, the first two books in the series. She has also written Write Well, a guide for writers! Last summer, she married a man with the same first name as the hero of the Steadfast Love series! I’m joining in this blog tour to tell you a little more about Emeralds and spread the news about the rocking giveaway Rachelle is hosting—make sure you enter using the Rafflecopter form to win signed copies of all three books!
Enter
using the Rafflecopter form below to signed copies of ALL THREE of Rachelle’s
novels. The
whole series, signed!
International
friends, this giveaway is open to continental U.S. addresses only (sorry!). But
do still enter, because one
international winner will also be chosen to receive all three e-books.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
About
The Steadfast Love Series
In
16th-century Europe, the Reformation rages
between Protestants and Catholics. Gwyneth, half-Dutch, flees from England to Holland
to escape the man who murdered her parents. When he follows her there and
insists he came to rescue her, will she trust this man called Dirk? When
tragedy strikes, will their steadfast love erode?
About The Author
Times
gone by snatch Rachelle Rea Cobb close, so she reads and writes about years long
ago--her passions include the Reformation, Revolutions, and romance. Rachelle
wrote the Steadfast Love series during college. Five months after she
graduated, she signed a three-book deal with her dream publisher, WhiteFire.
She's a homeschool grad, Oreo addict, and plots her novels while driving around
her dream car, a pick-up truck. In June 2016, she married a man with the same
name as her fictional hero, and they live happily
ever after in Small Town,
South. She is also the author of Write
Well, a guide for writers, which released on March 4th!
Author Links
Website: http://RachelleReaCobb.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachelleReaCobb
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/RachelleReaCobb/
Instagram: @RachelleReaCobb
Amazon
Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Rachelle-Rea/e/B00RZHIL1Q
About The
Sound of Emeralds
What
once was blazing hatred has turned to lasting love, but could the union of a
wild heart with that of a lady ever result in more than heartache?
With the help of an old friend with uncertain loyalties, Dirk inches ever closer to clearing his name. Gwyneth throws her faith into good tidings and the promise of a future as a family. But an old evil comes to call, just as tragedy rips apart a fledgling truce. Enemies from the past and grief for the future threaten to tear asunder what God had brought together…
As the date of Dirk’s trial approaches, his fate and his family hang in the balance. Will he be proven innocent of Gwyneth’s parents’ murders—or separated from her forever? How much pain does it take to erode a love steadfast?
With the help of an old friend with uncertain loyalties, Dirk inches ever closer to clearing his name. Gwyneth throws her faith into good tidings and the promise of a future as a family. But an old evil comes to call, just as tragedy rips apart a fledgling truce. Enemies from the past and grief for the future threaten to tear asunder what God had brought together…
As the date of Dirk’s trial approaches, his fate and his family hang in the balance. Will he be proven innocent of Gwyneth’s parents’ murders—or separated from her forever? How much pain does it take to erode a love steadfast?
Find The Sound of Emeralds
on…
Amazon
Paperback: http://is.gd/F53u5R
Kindle: http://is.gd/F53u5R
Barnes
& Noble: http://is.gd/RguS9l
Books a
Million: http://is.gd/NdMWGr
Goodreads:
http://is.gd/zRI9dg
INTERVIEW
1. When and where did
you first get the idea for the Steadfast Love Series?
A
song I was listening to on the radio inspired the title of the first book. So I
wrote Diamonds, but when I finished
it, I realized to my great frustration that the characters weren’t done with
their story, even though I had been quite adamant that I would write a
stand-alone novel. But the story wasn’t finished, so I kept
2. Readers often pick out favorite quotes from a
novel. Do you have a favorite of your own from The Sound of Silver?
Yes!
In fact, my friend Mindy, a calligrapher, even created a beautiful piece of art
from one of my favorite quotes: “Within the pages of books one’s heart can be
revealed.”
3. Can you tell us what first drew you to
writing Inspirational Historical Romance?
My
first exposure to the genre came when I read Heartsong Presents novels when I was twelve. Those small books introduced
me to how much I believe in the power of story, especially love stories set in
times gone by.
4. I saw on your website that you also write
reviews, articles and offer editing services. What's one of your favorite
things beyond writing novels that you enjoy?
Editing
is such fun! I daresay I enjoy editing a page full of my own (or others’!)
words just as much as I enjoy splashing words onto a blank page. I recently
released my first nonfiction book, Write
Well, which is a short ebook designed as a guide writers!
Thank you so much to my readers and to Rachelle Rea Cobb for the lovely opportunity to take part in this Birthday Blog Tour.
Many congratulations Rachelle on your literary success! Thank you for bringing us...your readers...such wonderful books to enjoy. Happy reading everyone!
First Line Fridays
Today is a very important day for me. It is the day when the Lord did something very miraculous in my life. I was in a very difficult place, because I was very sick, but He gave me a second chance at life. Through His strength and the brilliance He gives to doctors and nurses, I am still here today, and I am so grateful! Words cannot express how happy I am to be alive, and how honored I am to be here with my family and friends. Please take a moment today to tell your loved ones how much you love them. As the Bible says, life is like a vapor (James 4:14). So take the time to embrace life, love others, and to do all you can for others. Happy Friday!
As always, please be sure to check out the book
lines from these other amazing bloggers too:
Carrie from Reading is My SuperPower
Sydney from Singing Librarian
Rachel from Bookworm Mama
Beth from Faithfully Bookish
Andie from Radiant Light
Katie from Fiction Aficionado
Bree from Bibliophile Reviews
Kathleen from Kathleen Denly
Lauraine from Lauraine's Notes
Amanda from With a Joyful Noise
Jessica from A Baker's Perspective
And I want to welcome Jessica to the First Line Fridays fun!
Trisha from Joy of Reading
And I want to welcome Jessica to the First Line Fridays fun!
Trisha from Joy of Reading
Click the links above to be taken to their posts and...
If you would like to join us, send Carrie a message and let her know!
Grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line!
Today I am going to post a line from:
If you would like to join us, send Carrie a message and let her know!
Grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line!
Today I am going to post a line from:
Pursued
by Lisa Harris
And the first line is:
11:24 a.m., Tuesday
Flight 1545 from Houston to Nashville
"Nikki
Boyd grabbed the armrest of the aisle seat as the plane hit another air
pocket and the FASTEN SEAT BELT light flickered on above row 29 on the
Airbus."
Happy reading and Happy Friday!
Saturday, April 22, 2017
First Line Fridays
I know it is not Christmas; however, I just ordered this book from Amazon, and I am so excited to read it. This is one of those books you make a mental note to purchase after the holidays, since all of your extra cash is going toward buying gifts for your family and friends. :) I have not read any books by this author, but I love mysteries, and cozy mysteries are always fun to read. As always, please be sure to check out the book lines from these other amazing bloggers too:
Carrie from Reading is My SuperPower
Sydney from Singing Librarian
Rachel from Bookworm Mama
Beth from Faithfully Bookish
Andie from Radiant Light
Katie from Fiction Aficionado
Bree from Bibliophile Reviews
Kathleen from Kathleen Denly
Lauraine from Lauraine's Notes
Amanda from With a Joyful Noise
Jessica from A Baker's Perspective
Click the links above to be taken to their posts and...
If you would like to join us, send Carrie a message and let her know!
Grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line!
Today I am going to post a line from:
If you would like to join us, send Carrie a message and let her know!
Grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line!
Today I am going to post a line from:
Better off Thread
by Amanda Lee
And the first line is...
"I locked the door to the Seven-Year-Stitch, my embroidery specialty shop, walked over to the sit-and-stitch square, and slumped onto the sofa facing away from the window. My gray Irish wolfhound, Angus, flopped onto the floor beside me and heaved a sigh."
Happy reading and Happy Friday!
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Reclaimed - Spotlight Book Tour
Publisher: Rooted Publishing
Publication date: February 28, 2017
Number of pages: 346
Left wounded by a marriage cut short, Suzanna Wilton leaves city life to take up residency in a tiny Nebraska town. Her introduction to her neighbor Paul Rustin is a disaster. Assuming he’s as underhanded as the other local cowboys she’s already met, Suzanna greets him with sharp hostility.
Though Paul is offended by Suzanna’s unfriendliness, he can’t stop thinking about her, which unsettles his peaceful life. A hard-fought friendship slowly kindles something more, but just as Paul’s kindness begins to melt Suzanna’s frozen heart, a conflict regarding her land escalates in town. Even in the warmth of Paul’s love, resentment keeps a cold grip on her fragile heart.
Will Suzanna ever find peace?
***2014 Olympia Winner***
Jennifer Rodewald is passionate about the Word of
God and the powerful vehicle of story. The draw to fiction has tugged
hard on her heart since childhood, and when she began pursuing writing
she set on stories that reveal the grace of God.
Jen lives and writes in a lovely speck of a town where she watches with amazement while her children grow up way too fast, gardens, and marvels at God’s mighty hand in everyday life. Four kids and her own personal superman make her home in southwestern Nebraska delightfully chaotic.
She would love to hear from you! Please visit her at https://www.authorjenrodewald.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjenrodewald or email her at write2edify@gmail.com.
Jen lives and writes in a lovely speck of a town where she watches with amazement while her children grow up way too fast, gardens, and marvels at God’s mighty hand in everyday life. Four kids and her own personal superman make her home in southwestern Nebraska delightfully chaotic.
She would love to hear from you! Please visit her at https://www.authorjenrodewald.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjenrodewald or email her at write2edify@gmail.com.
1. What tips and tricks do you have for potential writers/authors?
Enjoy the creative process. Really. Never lose that love for story, because it won’t be fun anymore. And if you do, take a step back. Leave room in your head for white space. I know, everyone says treat yourself like a professional. Set a schedule. Squeeze out words even when you don’t feel it. And I don’t disagree with that, necessarily… but story is a gift. It’s supposed to be enjoyed, like flowers on a spring morning, a sunset on a warm summer day, or snow on a gentle winter evening. If you don’t savor it, then you’ve missed something.
2. What does your writing process look like?
Ha. I thought I had that nailed down. Turns out, I don’t. Every story is different. Every journey is a new lesson, and God is fresh every time. So my process? Maybe we can boil it down to walking with God, listening to whatever He has to share with me during that season.
Enjoy the creative process. Really. Never lose that love for story, because it won’t be fun anymore. And if you do, take a step back. Leave room in your head for white space. I know, everyone says treat yourself like a professional. Set a schedule. Squeeze out words even when you don’t feel it. And I don’t disagree with that, necessarily… but story is a gift. It’s supposed to be enjoyed, like flowers on a spring morning, a sunset on a warm summer day, or snow on a gentle winter evening. If you don’t savor it, then you’ve missed something.
2. What does your writing process look like?
Ha. I thought I had that nailed down. Turns out, I don’t. Every story is different. Every journey is a new lesson, and God is fresh every time. So my process? Maybe we can boil it down to walking with God, listening to whatever He has to share with me during that season.
3. Where do you like to write? Do you have an office? Do you write on the go as you play taxi for your kids?
I have an office. Sometimes I write there. 😉 Sometimes in my living room. Sometimes in my car (I have four kids. A lot of life happens in the car). The only place I’ve really struggled to write is in a public setting. Someone is always there to chat with! 😊
4. If you were to travel for research, where would you go and what WIP would it be for?
Hmmm…. Not sure on that one.
5. What is your current WIP? What can you tell us about it?
I’m working on book three of The Uncloaked, a dystopian trilogy that will release this year (book one comes out this month)! It’s a little dark. A little scary. A lot of thought provoking (I hope). And the goal: to challenge how we live out what we believe, woven into a gripping story of two teenaged kids caught in a changing and challenging world. I’m terrified/excited to release this series, because it’s very different for me as far a story, but The Uncloaked came to me so vividly that I was compelled to tell the story.
6. What do you want readers to take away from reading Reclaimed?
Wounded hearts desperately need compassion. And Jesus. Especially Jesus. And Jesus loves to pour out His immeasurable compassion on wounded hearts. ❤
Suzanna felt shock contort her face. Paul Rustin? The neighbor who had
been kind to her even when she’d been horrible to him? She studied him,
unable to picture him as anything other than the gentleman he’d shown
himself to be.
Warmth shaded his complexion crimson. “See, not a very good story, right?”
“Why?”
“Why did I do those things?”
She pressed her lips together, wondering why she pushed him but nodded anyway.
“I don’t really know, Suz. I was just angry, and I’m not even sure why. I didn’t want to live here, I didn’t want to be nothin’, and I couldn’t see anything beyond myself. I didn’t have a real reason.”
“What happened?”
Paul’s eyes softened, and a smile crept over his features again. “I didn’t graduate from Rock Creek—I went to Boys Town in March of my senior year. My grandpa came to Omaha to visit me in April with a proposal. If I studied and got my GED, I could come out and live with them. I would have to work like a ranch hand, but they’d keep me on until I figured out what I wanted to do with my life.
“It wasn’t the out I was looking for. I didn’t want to come back to Rock Creek. I thought, man, give me some money and let me go find a life. But Boys Town wasn’t exactly Park Place, and it didn’t look like I’d be passing GO anytime soon, so I agreed.
“I must have thought it would be like visiting my grandparents when I was a kid. You know, farm breakfast at nine every morning, Grandma always ready with a cookie, and I’d collect eggs or do some trivial chore as a token of work.”
Paul chuckled and rubbed his neck. “Nope. My grandpa meant some w-o-r-k. I stayed in the bunkhouse, which was nothing more than a tin can trailer. If I wanted breakfast, I had to get up at six to eat with them because Grandma had things to do. They paid me what they would have paid a hand, and out of my earnings came the cost of rent, electricity, and food. When I slacked off that winter, my bunkhouse got awful cold because Grandpa didn’t pay me enough to cover both heat and food.”
Suzanna’s eyebrows rose. “Seriously? Your grandpa put you out in the cold?”
He laughed. “Tough love, Suz. I found out later they’d set a threshold on the thermostat of around fifty degrees so the pipes wouldn’t freeze, so it wasn’t as bad as I thought. But it felt awful cold. I hated it. And then… I didn’t.”
He stopped, and Suzanna puckered her eyebrows. His attention wandered toward his place south of hers, and she wondered if the scenes unfolded in his mind as he recounted them.
“It came time for calving, and Grandpa said it was my responsibility.” He rubbed a hand against his jeans, and the apples of his cheeks lifted. That look said it all—he loved his work. “I was so tired, but I knew he’d hold me responsible if something went sour. I wound up with a couple of bucket calves, and somewhere in between the late nights and early mornings while checking heifers and feeding orphans, I found myself. I found who God had made me to be, where I needed and wanted to be. It was right here the whole time.”
Bronco shifted under her, and Suzanna slipped a hand around the saddle horn. Fierce rebellion melted away while Paul fed a few cows?
“As simple as that?”
Paul’s gaze fell on her, his relaxed countenance contradicting his story. He looked toward the spring, then the trees, and finally to the hill rising before them.
“Not simple.” He returned his attention to her. “That’s the short version, but it wasn’t simple. I wrestled everyone, including God, for things I thought I wanted. There was a whole lot of humbling that had to happen before I made peace with life. Pride made me useless; selfishness made me difficult.”
His explanation created more questions than it offered answers. Suzanna longed for answers. His story, his life, looked nothing like hers, sounded nothing like hers, but he had peace.
Peace eluded her. She hadn’t found it in church, not the lasting kind. She hadn’t secured it in sacrifice. It wasn’t in love. Love had made her ache all over again.
Where had Paul found this peace?
“Shall we take the hill, Pickle?” Paul gathered his reins and nodded toward the rise.
The mare perked her head, and Bronco followed. Opportunity slipped away, like the waters that rose from the depths of the earth and tumbled down the creek. Suzanna swallowed, pushing a smile across her lips. At her nod, Paul took the lead.
Peace remained hidden with the secret of Rock Creek.
Warmth shaded his complexion crimson. “See, not a very good story, right?”
“Why?”
“Why did I do those things?”
She pressed her lips together, wondering why she pushed him but nodded anyway.
“I don’t really know, Suz. I was just angry, and I’m not even sure why. I didn’t want to live here, I didn’t want to be nothin’, and I couldn’t see anything beyond myself. I didn’t have a real reason.”
“What happened?”
Paul’s eyes softened, and a smile crept over his features again. “I didn’t graduate from Rock Creek—I went to Boys Town in March of my senior year. My grandpa came to Omaha to visit me in April with a proposal. If I studied and got my GED, I could come out and live with them. I would have to work like a ranch hand, but they’d keep me on until I figured out what I wanted to do with my life.
“It wasn’t the out I was looking for. I didn’t want to come back to Rock Creek. I thought, man, give me some money and let me go find a life. But Boys Town wasn’t exactly Park Place, and it didn’t look like I’d be passing GO anytime soon, so I agreed.
“I must have thought it would be like visiting my grandparents when I was a kid. You know, farm breakfast at nine every morning, Grandma always ready with a cookie, and I’d collect eggs or do some trivial chore as a token of work.”
Paul chuckled and rubbed his neck. “Nope. My grandpa meant some w-o-r-k. I stayed in the bunkhouse, which was nothing more than a tin can trailer. If I wanted breakfast, I had to get up at six to eat with them because Grandma had things to do. They paid me what they would have paid a hand, and out of my earnings came the cost of rent, electricity, and food. When I slacked off that winter, my bunkhouse got awful cold because Grandpa didn’t pay me enough to cover both heat and food.”
Suzanna’s eyebrows rose. “Seriously? Your grandpa put you out in the cold?”
He laughed. “Tough love, Suz. I found out later they’d set a threshold on the thermostat of around fifty degrees so the pipes wouldn’t freeze, so it wasn’t as bad as I thought. But it felt awful cold. I hated it. And then… I didn’t.”
He stopped, and Suzanna puckered her eyebrows. His attention wandered toward his place south of hers, and she wondered if the scenes unfolded in his mind as he recounted them.
“It came time for calving, and Grandpa said it was my responsibility.” He rubbed a hand against his jeans, and the apples of his cheeks lifted. That look said it all—he loved his work. “I was so tired, but I knew he’d hold me responsible if something went sour. I wound up with a couple of bucket calves, and somewhere in between the late nights and early mornings while checking heifers and feeding orphans, I found myself. I found who God had made me to be, where I needed and wanted to be. It was right here the whole time.”
Bronco shifted under her, and Suzanna slipped a hand around the saddle horn. Fierce rebellion melted away while Paul fed a few cows?
“As simple as that?”
Paul’s gaze fell on her, his relaxed countenance contradicting his story. He looked toward the spring, then the trees, and finally to the hill rising before them.
“Not simple.” He returned his attention to her. “That’s the short version, but it wasn’t simple. I wrestled everyone, including God, for things I thought I wanted. There was a whole lot of humbling that had to happen before I made peace with life. Pride made me useless; selfishness made me difficult.”
His explanation created more questions than it offered answers. Suzanna longed for answers. His story, his life, looked nothing like hers, sounded nothing like hers, but he had peace.
Peace eluded her. She hadn’t found it in church, not the lasting kind. She hadn’t secured it in sacrifice. It wasn’t in love. Love had made her ache all over again.
Where had Paul found this peace?
“Shall we take the hill, Pickle?” Paul gathered his reins and nodded toward the rise.
The mare perked her head, and Bronco followed. Opportunity slipped away, like the waters that rose from the depths of the earth and tumbled down the creek. Suzanna swallowed, pushing a smile across her lips. At her nod, Paul took the lead.
Peace remained hidden with the secret of Rock Creek.
April 17--Faithfully Bookish | Fiction Aficionado
April 18--Book by Book | Paulette's Papers
April 19--The Green Mockingbird | Singing Librarian Books
April 20--Cafinated Read | Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen
April 21--Zerina Blossom's Books | Remembrancy | A Baker's Perspective
April 22--Soulfully Romantic | Reading Is My SuperPower
April 18--Book by Book | Paulette's Papers
April 19--The Green Mockingbird | Singing Librarian Books
April 20--Cafinated Read | Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen
April 21--Zerina Blossom's Books | Remembrancy | A Baker's Perspective
April 22--Soulfully Romantic | Reading Is My SuperPower
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