Giveaway & Author Interview! Genevieve Graham!

Sound of the Heart
By Genevieve Graham
Genre: Historical Romance
Release: May 1, 2012
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Buy It! (I loved it!) Amazon

Book Summary:

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.

Interview with Author

Genevieve Graham!

Can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind the plot of SOUND OF THE HEART? 

I actually hadn’t planned on writing a second story after “Under the Same Sky”, but when Penguin contracted me for the first book, it was on the grounds that I’d write a second. I’m so glad they did. Otherwise I never would have known Dougal and Glenna’s story. I think the underlying theme to the story is to never give up. 

I learned a great deal about the mid-18th century in Scotland and the colonies as I researched my first novel. When I realized the second novel would be about Dougal, I was excited about learning more about post- Battle of Culloden Scotland. Dougal survived and is imprisoned, where he wonders why he bothers to carry on, considering how awful his life has become. But when he finds Glenna and falls in love, he sees a whole different side of life. When she is stolen by the English, he finally sees his purpose in life: he must find her, despite all odds. 

On Glenna’s side, I learned more than I’d ever imagined about the hundreds of thousands of white slaves who were sent to the colonies from places like Scotland and Ireland. Yes, some were indentured servants, but many were sold as slaves and treated as badly as their black counterparts—or worse. This is something we don’t learn in history class, unfortunately, and I wanted to introduce readers to that reality. Glenna survives her own version of hell, and it is her own determination to defeat her captors that gives her a reason to keep going despite all odds. 

Which character is the most complex in SOUND OF THE HEART? 

I’d have to say Glenna because she undergoes so many changes throughout the book. I’ll leave it at that … 

What book do you read, reread and read again? 

“Outlander” and every other book in Diana Gabaldon’s series. I’ve read them four times and listened to the unabridged audio three times. The amazing thing is that every time I read/listen, I learn something new. It can be either about the story, the characters, the history, or the actual writing process. I absolutely love that. 

Did you listen to any music while writing? If so, what did you listen to? 

I can’t listen to anything while I’m writing. As far as music, I think the problem is that I have a University degree in classical music performance, so if I hear a piece or a performer, my mind starts clicking about that instead of about my story. On the other hand, listening to soundtracks from epic adventure movies like Braveheart and the Lord of the Rings inspires a lot of thought when I’m not at my writing desk. 

If you could choose any character from another novel to fight alongside Dougal, who would you choose? 

I know you mean ANY novel, but in truth, I’d have to stick with my own. If Dougal needed the perfect partner, it would be his brother, Andrew. The boys grew up learning to fight back to back, covering each other’s weak side, which is obviously important. But better than that, they have always communicated silently, sending messages telepathically, though they never admitted it to anyone — not even each other. 

What scene from SOUND OF THE HEART would you never, ever cut? 

I can’t say, because that would be a spoiler, but I can tell you that it happens after Dougal’s escape from prison and before he falls in love. Once you read the book you’ll know! 

Could you describe Glenna in 140 characters? 

Petite, beautiful, intelligent, always hungry for more learning. Determined, courageous out of necessity, surprised by her own abilities. 

Thanks for stopping by! Any other releases or works in progress that you're excited about? 

The third book in the series, “Out of the Shadows” is already written and sitting on my agent’s desk. I’m really excited about this book because it focuses on Adelaide, the sister of Maggie, who was the heroine in “Under the Same Sky”. Adelaide is a fragile, damaged woman who has similar psychic powers to those of her sister, but she has never learned to control them. Adelaide lives with the Cherokee, so much of the story is based around them. But she also meets the wonderful Jesse, questionably my favourite hero in the series so far. 

I’ve also been working on a WW1 epic involving a fisherman from near where I live, here in Nova Scotia. I’m really enjoying writing this story - not only have I done a lot of research through the provincial archives, but I’ve enjoyed interviewing some of the older members of our area, and their stories are always colourful. I’m always writing something!

Grand Prize Giveaway!

A signed copy of Sound of the Heart AND a four CD set of relaxation CDs created by my incredibly talented musical friends, Cori Ashley and Ed Franks. 

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.

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