BLOG TOUR! Sound of the Heart by Genevieve Graham Guest Post + GIVEAWAY!

Posted May 17, 2012 by Asheley in Uncategorized / 9 Comments


Sound of the Heart by Genevieve Graham
Published by Berkeley Trade
Publish Date: May 1, 2012
336 Pages
Source: Author/Publisher


Dougal MacDonnell, a fierce warrior from the Highlands of Scotland, is able to hear the thoughts of other men and dream how the future will unfold. Devastated by the loss of his family during the Battle of Culloden in 1746, he fosters a deep hatred for the English. But when Glenna, the love of his life and a Scottish outlaw, is captured and shipped overseas, Dougal is forced to join an English army made of vanquished Scots. Now fighting on the side of his sworn enemies, he embarks on a journey that will take him across the seas to the colonies. There he will risk everything for the chance to find his true love. –(summary from Goodreads)


Today is my stop on the
SOUND OF THE HEART 

by Genevieve Graham Blog Tour
!


I recently fell pretty hard for Dougal MacDonnell when I read Sound of the Heart by Genevieve Graham. This is the second book I’ve read about the MacDonnell brothers and I loved them both so much!

(You can read my thoughts on Under the Same Sky Here)
(You can read my thoughts on Sound of the Heart Here)
Both of these books are by Genevieve Graham and are fabulous!

I’m thrilled that Genevieve Graham has stopped by the blog today to share some of her favorite quotes from Sound of the Heart and to offer you all a chance to win a copy of the book!

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Defining Moments

A book is the culmination of so many things: characters, settings, adventures … but sometimes it’s just a good line or two that grab you, that make the book memorable. It’s hard for me to find specific quotes in my books, because I prefer to think in scenes, but I do have a few favourites.

Near the beginning, Dougal and his new friends are chatting. Dougal has just come to the rescue of two young drummer boys who are being threatened by soldiers. 

1. “Very gallant,” John said. “Oh aye. I’m a real hero.” “Right. Well, then I’ll stay by you. They’ll hit ye first, I reckon.” “Ye’re a smarter fellow than ye let on, sir,” Dougal replied.

After Culloden, Dougal and hundreds of others were taken as P.O.W.s. A law was passed which made tartan, bagpipes, Scottish dancing—most of the things which identified the Scottish culture as being unique—illegal. The purpose was to take away any possibility of the Scots rising up again. Defeating them mentally and emotionally as well as physically. Dougal and John spoke briefly after they heard of the new law.

2. “So Scotland is gone,” John muttered under his breath. “No, John. She is only in hiding.”

There’s the moment when Dougal and Glenna finally cross the friendship/lover boundary. Glenna’s giving him a lecture on not trying to be someone he’s not.

3. “Do something, Dougal. Do something!” So he kissed her.

… oh, I SO want to share more of that scene, but that’d take the magic away from when you read the book!
Okay. Moving on. When Dougal was arrested halfway through the book, he is offered the unpleasant choice of hanging or joining the English army. The question is asked of him by someone he’d thought he’d never seen again.

4. Dougal frowned. “I ken that voice,” he said softly, trying to remember. Shapes and shadows swirled in his head as he fought to match voice with face. Then the answer came, and Dougal shook his head. “But it belongs to a dead man.” “My friends would argue that,” came the response.

I loved that scene! Now I’ll skip ahead to a couple of scenes with Glenna.

One of the women Glenna gets to know later on in the story is named Aline. She’s a wise but quiet friend. One day, when she sees Glenna can barely handle all the grief within her, she tells her a horrible secret about her own past. Glenna hardly knows what to say. But Aline stops her.

5. A tear slid down Glenna’s cheek. Aline glanced at her, then away, back toward the sea. “I dinna tell ye this to make ye sorry for me, Glenna. But when we are in the black o’ that ship and all the folk around us are sick an’ dyin’ an’ moanin’ for death, I want ye to keep my thought in yer head. Yer man was killed, but ye were not. There is a reason, an’ if ye let them take yer fight from ye, ye’ve let them win, an’ ye’ve lost yer reason.”

Glenna is eventually purchased as a slave by a German family looking for an English teacher for  their brood of eight children. Glenna had to thank Dougal for his endless hours of teaching, the lessons she had pestered him for. Otherwise she would doubtless have lived a much rougher life. So this is just after she’s learned what she’s supposed to do.

6. Once again, Glenna changed identities. To these children, she wasn’t Glenna the Scot or Glenna the prisoner. She was Miss Glenna, the teacher. To their parents, she was Glenna the Servant. All strange new costumes for her to wear, but Glenna had always been a chameleon. Stepping into roles had shaped her life.

This last quote will mean SO much more after you’ve read the book!

Considering the pages and pages of books people read, it is a rare moment when they can remember one particular quote in a book that really “got” them. Can you remember one? If you can, quote it as best you can in your comment below, and fill out the form be entered to win a signed copy of SOUND OF THE HEART!

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Giveaway Information For MY Blog 
  • You must be at least 13 years old to enter. 
  • Deadline for entry is midnight Thursday, May 31, 2012.
  • This contest is open to US/Canada Only. 
  • Following this blog is not required, but appreciated!
  • Winner will be determined by Random.org & then have 48 hours to respond after being contacted. 
  • To Enter, fill out this form: 


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Genevieve is also offering a GRAND PRIZE of one
SIGNED copy of SOUND OF THE HEART
plus a 4-CD set of relaxation CD’s created by her friends
Cori Ashley and Ed Franks.

 


Here’s what Genevieve says about why she chose to give the CD’s away as part of her Grand Prize Pack:

“I’ll give you a little insight into why I chose these cds as my prize – I’m NOT saying Sound of the Heart is about relaxing … considering the wild adventures Dougal’s in for, I doubt he was too relaxed! But Dougal has a gift, similar to his brother’s gift. He can relax his mind and hear the thoughts of other men, but he can also sink into his thoughts and hear the sounds and voices of his loved ones as if they were right there with him. These cds were created to help you escape the stress and craziness of your days. Grab a cup of tea or glass of wine (your preference!), light a candle, maybe slip in to a bubblebath, and listen to the sound of your heart.”

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck! 

**Be sure to stop by the Blog Tour Page HERE
to see the tour schedule.
Hint: There are giveaways!**

Asheley

About Asheley

Asheley is a Southern girl. She loves Carolina blue skies, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and NC craft beer. She loves all things history but prefers books over everything.

You can find her somewhere in North Carolina, daydreaming about the ocean.

Find Asheley on Litsy @intothehallofbooks!

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9 responses to “BLOG TOUR! Sound of the Heart by Genevieve Graham Guest Post + GIVEAWAY!

  1. This is for Genevieve: I really like the epic nature of this book. You have the story moving from being a Scottish rebel to joining the English army and then on to the American colonies! You must have had to do quite a bit of research to make sure that your story was at least a little bit true to history! Thanks for making the book and audio recording available for this giveaway!

  2. Thank you, PuttPutt! (or is it Eve?)
    Yes, it took a lot of time to research everything back then, but I loved doing it. It was like I got to experience times and events and people that most people never do. I hope you enjoy the books!

    Just so you know, the audio recording is not of the books – these are gorgeous relaxation cds (musical) made by a good friend of mine.

  3. Ms. Genevieve, Thank you for writing awesome books. I love this setting, characters, and I am sure I will enjoy all of the up and down adventures when I read your books. Thank for the interview and the giveaways with your tour.
    :)Jeanne B.T.

  4. Thanks for adding the quotations in your review. It allows you to cover the contents of the novel in unique way. I appreciate the fact that the review was done in an unusual way. It definitely made it more interesting!

    • I have to admit – that was Asheley's idea. And it was hard to do! There are a few twists through the story, and some of those were my favourite moments, so I had to be careful not to include them!

  5. I liked Quote #2 the best. I had heard of the ban on all things Scottish before. The same thing was attempted in Ireland and it still continues to be a tactic of repression in many places around the world today. A nice way to phrase it I thought and true too. A culture can only be kept down until the oppressor relaxes vigilance. Then the people always rise again.

    • "they may take our lives, but they'll never take… OUR FREEDOM! Alba gu bràth!"
      ["Scotland forever!"]

      Couldn't resist. Dougal truly believed that. And in case you're wondering, he was not only the protector of the underdog, but he was a real man's man. I hope you get a chance to read the book and let me know what you think!

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