Saturday, April 22, 2017

The Sound of Emeralds Birthday Blog Tour

Emeralds have always had a lot of meaning for me.  Their deep, ageless green has attracted me all my life.  Rachelle Rea Cobb's Steadfast Love Trilogy with Gwen's emerald-colored eyes and the brilliance of these books -- especially The Sound of Emeralds -- only deepened my love of these precious stones. When I spent three months studying abroad on the Emerald Isle last fall, that dark, rich green became the color of my heart. 

With all my adventures in Ireland, this blog has seen a lot of the color green and a lot of information about times gone by. That trend is continuing today, but rather than talking about Ireland, this blog post is dedicated to The Sound of Emeralds -- the third book of a historical romance trilogy set in the 16th century in England. 

But instead of listening to me drone on and on about some historical nonsense, today there is free stuff to win! To celebrate The Sound of Emeralds' first birthday, Rachelle Rea Cobb is hosting a fabulous giveaway. 

Make sure you enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post to win signed copies of all three books!


So without further ado, the rest of this post is dedicated to information about Rachelle Rea Cobb's Steadfast Love Trilogy, The Sound of Emeralds, and a little about Rachelle herself. By the end, I hope you will come to love this trilogy as much as I have. 



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 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?

 

Find The Sound of Emeralds on…

Amazon Paperback: http://is.gd/F53u5R


Barnes & Noble: http://is.gd/RguS9l

Books a Million: http://is.gd/NdMWGr




Why I Love The Sound of Emeralds


I can't believe it has been a year since I read The Sound of Emeralds. I'd pre-ordered the book and ran out to the mailbox the day it released, excited to see how my beloved Gwen and Dirk's story ended. I wasn't disappointed. I flipped pages so fast I'm lucky I didn't get paper cuts.  The story held me enthralled through laughs, tears, anger, and heartfelt joy as the heroine and hero who I'd come to love fought through this final struggle. I'd shove my glasses farther up my nose, just as the heroine, Gwen, was doing the same in the book -- it is nice having a heroine be severely nearsighted and need glasses. It deepened her character and made her immediately relatable to anyone who wears glasses.


But besides fascinating characters, a breathtaking plot, and heart-wrenching romance, one of the best things about The Sound of Emeralds and, indeed, the entire Steadfast Love Trilogy is how the name of each book ties in perfectly with the story. Each name is a curious thought. After all, what DO diamonds, silver, and emeralds sound like? But believe me, each has a sound specifically tied to the book -- you'll just have to read them to find out how each name relates to the story.



As a young writer and homeschool graduate myself, Rachelle Rea Cobb's writing story has fascinated me for the past few years.


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!


Here are a few questions and answers which give more insight about Rachelle and her books.



1. When and where did you first get the idea for the Steadfast Love Series?



Rachelle: 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 writing.



2.  Readers often pick out favorite quotes from a novel. Do you have a favorite of your own from The Sound of Silver?


Rachelle: 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?

Rachelle: 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?

Rachelle: 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 for writers!
 



AUTHOR LINKS


Website: http://RachelleReaCobb.com/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/RachelleReaCobb
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachelleReaCobb
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/RachelleReaCobb/
Instagram: @RachelleReaCobb
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Rachelle-Rea/e/B00RZHIL1Q
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8144149.Rachelle_Rea_Cobb


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Of course, I cannot forget what you all are here for... Rachelle Rea Cobb's delightful giveaway! Who wouldn't want to read her 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

5 comments:

  1. Elizabeth, what a thoughtful, genuine post. Thank you so much for participating in the tour and sharing your love of Emeralds. What an adventure visiting Ireland must have been! That is too neat, and I love how you wove together that experience and my small stories. I am so appreciative of your love for Dirk & Gwyn. :)

    Thank you,
    Rachelle

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    1. Thank YOU, Rachelle. It was a delight to have the opportunity to host you and your beautiful books here. Studying in Ireland was certainly an wonderful adventure. Going abroad -- particularly living in another country for three months -- changed my life and my writing.

      I do dearly love Dirk and Gwen, and it is a delight to feature then every now and again on my blog. :)

      ~Elizabeth

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    2. I bet it did! There's nothing like a change of scenery--and IRELAND--to shape a person. Happy writing! :)

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  2. Congratulations, Samantha and CBC!!!

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  3. Such a good sport, Celia! I appreciate you! :)

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