Hello Readers!
Today I am SO happy to be apart of The Sound of Diamonds Blog Tour in which I will be interviewing author Rachelle Rea about her upcoming novel, The Sound of Diamonds, and ask her about her writing process and tons of other wonderful things! What better way to celebrate ones birthday than by interviewing such an amazing author? (Seriously guys, you will want to buy Rachelle’s book.)
*Note: Book Review Will Be Coming To The Librarian Files on Monday, June 15th*
Hello Rachelle, and welcome to The Librarian Files! To start this off, could you tell us a bit about you?
Hi Adriana! Thank you so much for having me! Let’s see, I’m a debut author with an addiction to Oreos. I drive a pick-up and play country music—Rascal Flatts is my favorite. My curly hair is natural, and I coach gymnastics as well as work at my church. Oh, yeah, and I’m barely five feet tall. 🙂
High Five for Rascal Flatts! So, when did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
In middle school, after a friend and I wrote a short story together about twin sisters who rode horses. I thought that was fun so I kept writing stories, which kept getting suspiciously longer and longer.
That is great! Now, I must ask, can you tell us a bit about your upcoming novel?
The Sound of Diamonds is set in the 1500s. At that time, not only was the Reformation in full swing in Europe, but modern-day Holland was launching the Dutch Revolution because they no longer wanted to be ruled by Spain. My novel plops right there in the turmoil of religious upheaval and political intrigue. And, oh yeah, there’s a guy who wants to save a girl who doesn’t want to be saved. They’re my favorites, even though the history first drew me.
Where and when did you get the idea for this novel?
I was driving down Central Avenue in my little town on the way to a college class, when I heard a song on the radio. I forget the song but I remember thinking, oh, wow, that sounds like diamonds. Which, of course, is a really strange thought. So I spent that summer writing a book to figure out what The Sound of Diamonds is about.
Sounds fascinating!…And here I just get my story ideas while leaning over a sink of dirty dishes…*cough cough* Moving on. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Yes! I hate to give it away, but I will hint that there’s a lot about hope in this story. Through tragedy and heartbreak and the craziness that is life, Gwyneth and Dirk both learn a lot about how to have hope—and where to safely store that hope…
Is there a way you can relate to your main character?
She’s tall, so not there, LOL. 🙂 Gwyneth actually shares my near-sightedness. I wear contacts—I detest how I look in glasses; but Gwyneth wears glasses all the time. Well, until a certain chapter that I won’t spoil. 🙂 Anyway…yes, there were glasses back then. They were expensive, but they existed. And Gwyneth has a pair without which she can’t see well.
What is one thing you found particularly challenging when writing this novel?
Gwyneth. She’s sort of a spoiled brat at the beginning of the book. She’s definitely little like me in a lot of ways. I didn’t struggle liking or relating to her, which is good since I’ve spent so much time with her over the last three years! But she was definitely a challenge at times. She knows what she wants and what she doesn’t and that can sometimes get her into trouble.
She sounds like such a fun character!
Okay, So I myself am a plotter. Did you have an outline for your novel?
Yes and no. I know, terrible answer. 🙂 I did not outline Diamonds. I just sat down and wrote a story that summer. Which caused me headaches when it came time to revise and edit. With Book Two in the series, The Sound of Silver, I created more of an outline up front. With Book Three, The Sound of Emeralds, I outlined even more. Each book happened differently. I’d like to think I’ve settled into a happy place of loose outlining. 🙂 Ask me again after the next book!
Did you learn anything from writing The Sound of Diamonds? What was it?
I learned a lot of things: that you can have hope when life is hard, that I can finish a whole novel, that Historical Romance is my favorite genre to write in, and that finishing a novel made a world of difference to this heart. I felt like a real writer, and that motivated me to keep with it, invest in the story more, and look into publishing it.
Besides family and friends, what is one entity you feel supported you through this writing process?
Without hesitation, I can think of one community of writers who were an amazing support to me. Led by Stephanie Morrill, Go Teen Writers is a group of writers who are both teens and older; I found and joined the GTW community when I was on the cusp of entering my twenty-somethings, but it is still my favorite writing blog to follow. I highly recommend Stephanie’s blog (which she now co-authors with other writers) to any newbie and growing writer, regardless of age.
Do you have any advice for other writers/authors?
Read. I can’t say that enough. You can’t learn how to fly a plane by watching one glide across the sky, but you learn a lot by watching a sentence soar. So read in your chosen genre—and out of it.
Do you have anywhere where we, as readers, can stalk-er…I mean find you online?
Fun question. 🙂 I blog and love social media, especially Instagram now that I have a smartphone!
Website: http://rachellerea.com
Blog: http://rachellerea.com/blog/
Instagram: @RachelleDianeRea
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/inspiringdaring/
Twitter: @RachelleRea
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8144149.Rachelle_Rea
Thanks so much for having me, Adriana! It’s been fun!
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Rachelle!
Rachelle Rea plots her novels while driving around the little town she’s lived in all her life in her dream car, a pick-up truck. As a freelance editor, she enjoys mentoring fellow authors in the craft. A homeschool graduate and retired gymnast, she wrote the Sound of Diamonds the summer after her sophomore year of college.
I don’t even know where to begin with this review. I fell in love with it from page one. This book broke and repaired my heart only to then break it again moments late. It’s a beautiful and moving piece of fiction by Stephanie Morrill. I have to say that I simply adore how this book not only navigated a beautiful, precious and tedious relationship between an Italian-American girl and Japanese-American boy after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. A time when racism and injustice against the Japanese living in America occurred. I just loved this story of Evalina and Taichi. Two young people in love in a time where it was illegal in most states for them to be married, a time where they were both at risk because of their relationship but still they pushed through.I was rooting for them the whole book! Just couldn’t put it down because I NEEDED to know what happened next .
Stephanie Morrill writes books about girls who are on an adventure to discover their unique place in the world. She is the author of several contemporary young adult series, as well as the 1920s mystery, The Lost Girl of Astor Street, and the WWII era romance, Within These Lines. Since 2010, Stephanie has been encouraging the next generation of writers at her website, GoTeenWriters.com. She lives in the Kansas City area, where she loves plotting big and small adventures to enjoy with her husband and three children. You can connect with Stephanie and learn more about her books at StephanieMorrill.com, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
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