E. G. Bella

Happy Wednesday!

It’s now been two whole days since Cabin Girl was released, and it’s continuing to go so well! I’m so thankful for everyone who’s taken part in the launch tour so far, purchased copies, and supported me.

To recap, Cabin Girl is now available on Amazon as a both a paperback and an ebook. And right here on my website (with a slightly longer wait time but it comes signed, with two custom bookmarks)!

And still the launch tour continues! We’re on day three, with some more fun posts, and you can find the entire schedule, book details, and giveaway information (with links) below. We’ll get on with the rest of the post after that.

Let’s jump in!

Book Information

Sickness. Sharks. Sabotage. Secrecy.

In the rolling hills of 1600’s Ireland, young Éirinn O’Connell learns all she can of medicine, struggling to care for her starving family—until the night Barbary pirates raid her village, and she’s dragged from the only home she’s ever known.

Set on a course to the slave markets of Morocco, and amidst a crew as turbulent as the ocean around her, Éirinn searches for a way home. But who can she trust? And how will she survive the Captain’s constant torment? Éirinn soon discovers the danger in trusting appearances and learns that it’s never too late for a second chance.

Even for the unlikeliest of people.

---

Launch Tour Schedule

Monday, September 18th

• Cabin Girl Release and Giveaway! (Launch Tour: Day 1)
• Book Review by S. K. Jacklyn
• Author Interview by Abbigail Raine B.
• Podcast Interview by The Wordsmith’s Edge

Tuesday, September 19th

• Why You Should Read Cabin Girl (Launch Tour: Day 2)
• Author Interview by Raina Nightingale
• Author Interview by Kate Willis

Wednesday, September 20th

• Bible Verses That Remind Me of Cabin Girl (Launch Tour: Day 3) (you are here!)

Thursday, September 21st

• What Readers Are Saying About Cabin Girl (Launch Tour: Day 4)
• Character Interview (Captain Gills) by Issabelle Perry

Friday, September 22nd

• Fun and Random Facts About Cabin Girl (Launch Tour: Day 5)
• Spotlight Post by Saraina Whitney

Saturday, September 23rd

• What I’ve Learned While Writing Cabin Girl (Launch Tour: Day 6)
• Book Review by Elizabeth Mae Wolfram

Sunday, September 24th

• The End…and the Beginning of Cabin Girl’s Release (Launch Tour: Day 7)
• Book Review by Virginia Henderson

---

Giveaway Information

From September 18th through September 24th, there’s a Cabin Girl themed giveaway! The winners will be contacted and announced September 25th!

Yes, there are prizes for one U.S. winner and one international winner!

Here are the prizes to be won:

U. S. Only:

• One signed paperback copy of Cabin Girl
• Two custom themed candles by Flickerwix
• Two custom bookmarks
• One 18″ golden compass necklace by Starlight by Silvie (Etsy)
• Lemon/ginger herbal tea

International:

• One ebook copy of Cabin Girl
• Themed phone and desktop wallpapers
• Exclusive first chapter of Gills (upcoming Cabin Girl prequel novel)

Take a flip through some of the prize pictures below! (Candles and wallpapers not pictured)

To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is go to click THIS LINK.

Good luck and happy entering!

Bible Verses That Remind Me of Cabin Girl

If you read my post yesterday, where we talked about why you might like to read Cabin Girl (or why it may not be your type of book), you’ll know that one of the major aspects of Cabin Girl is Christianity. It’s a Christian fiction book, the protagonist is Christian, and there are many Christian themes and values inside.

Not all of my books are explicitly Christian (although they will always have truthful and hopeful values), but it was important to me that Cabin Girl was. Through the protagonist’s struggles, growth, development, and relationships, I wanted to show very clearly how God can work in our lives as well.

There are so many places in this story that remind me of specific verses from the Bible. Today I wanted to take a moment and share a few of those verses. Hopefully they give you an even bigger glimpse into the heart behind Cabin Girl.

(And yes, I am aware of the cultural and historical background behind some of these verses. But in many cases, the truth behind them still apply to us today. And with that, they reminded me of this book.)

Isaiah 43:2

When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.

Isaiah 43:2 _^NIV

This relates so much to Cabin Girl. Specifically Éirinn, the protagonist’s, journey. Throughout the book, she gets to experience firsthand God’s grace and provision through both fire and water – numerous times. I didn’t quote specific verses in the book, but this is one I can picture Éirinn reciting over and over.

Genesis 50:20

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Genesis 50:20 _^NIV

Joseph says this to his brothers, who betrayed him, in the Old Testament. While in the midst of writing Cabin Girl, I read this verse and couldn’t help but think of Éirinn’s situation. God uses other’s ill intentions and horrible actions to accomplish His good purposes, and that’s definitely what happened for Éirinn too.

Matthew 14:27

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Matthew 14:27 _^NIV

Joshua 1:9

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9 _^NIV

Psalm 56:3-4

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
    In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?

Psalm 56:3-4 _^NIV

Throughout Cabin Girl, Éirinn’s biggest struggle is her fear. She fears the water, the pirates, everything around her, for a good part of the story. She’s not without her reasons, but that fear cripples her, and ends up keeping her in a very bad place. She has to learn to have courage and remember that God is with her.

1 Corinthians 4:7-8

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

2 Corinthians 4:7-8 ^_NIV

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 _^NIV

Isaiah 40:29-31

He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:29-31 ^_NIV

Psalm 46:1-3

God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.

Psalm 46:1-3 _^NIV

Éirinn doesn’t think of herself as a strong person. She’s fearful, like I mentioned earlier, and she has a physical disability that makes certain things more difficult. Her biggest strength is her trust in God’s care. She goes through so many difficult things, and life does get better for her eventually – not because she conquered the challenges on her own, but because of God’s light shining through her as she trusted and kept the faith. That’s how it is for us too. We just have to follow God’s leading, and He’ll do the rest.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17 _^NIV

Several characters in Cabin Girl can relate to this verse, and I think it’s a great one to sum up the heart of the book. God is a healer, redeemer, and restorer, and when He saves us, He wipes the slate clean. That definitely comes into play in this story.

And with that, thank you for reading! Hopefully this was another helpful glimpse into Cabin Girl, and stay tuned for the rest of the fun and informative posts going on in the rest of the launch tour!

Recent Posts:

• November Updates, Giveaways, and Sales!
• When NaNoWriMo Doesn’t Work Out
• If the Stars Awaken: Book Review