Friday, July 24, 2015

Yes, I'm Alive {and I'm finally responding to this blog tag!}

Well, waaaay back in the beginning of July, Amber from the lovely blog Seasons of Humility tagged me with a fun "award" -- and after a VERY full July, I'm responding. :-) Thanks, Amber! Stop by Amber's blog to read her own responses, too! I think you'll enjoy them - and find a wonderful source for Christian fiction reviews, as well.

The rules for the Real Neat Blog Award:
  • Put the award logo on your blog.
  • Thank the people who nominated you, linking to their blogs.
  • Answer 7 questions asked by the person who nominated you.
  • Nominate any number of bloggers you like, linking to their blogs.
  • Let them know you nominated them (by commenting on their blog, etc.).

1. Dream vacation this summer, if you could go anywhere?
Hmm... I have a few places I'd like to visit! Maybe we could make this into a Grand Tour? ;-) When I vacation, I'm more into historical sites, so I'd love to go to Italy, the United Kingdom, India, and Israel. (You did say "dream vacation"!)

2. Classic (book) you're most interested in revisiting sometime?
I'd loved to re-read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Til We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis, Hamlet by Shakespeare, and Donal Grant by George MacDonald.

3. Favorite period drama?
Sorry, but I'm choosing three. :-) (And that's hard!) I love the BBC version (with Colin Firth) of Pride and Prejudice... I have no idea how many times we've watched it! Also, I really love Nicholas Nickleby (the version with James D'Arcy and Sophia Myles) - I will warn you that there is an attempted rape in that version and some mild sensuality which we "skip" with our remote. :-) And I love Ben-Hur (with Charlton Heston) - inspiring and truly beautiful.

4. One summer book release you're super excited about?
Does All Our Empty Places count? :-) Other than that one, I'm looking forward to reading Beverly Lewis' The Photograph, A.M. Heath's In the Shadow of Thy Wings, Rachelle Rea's The Sound of Diamonds, and Sarah E. Ladd's The Curiosity Keeper. Yes, Amish fiction, Civil War, the 16th-century and Regency - My reading varies pretty widely. :-) When I was a child, my mama would say that I'd read anything with words on it!

5. Music you can't get enough of at this moment in time?
Chris Rice's Peace Like a River: The Hymns Project CD - soothing and fills my mind with eternal Truth. I especially love the last song: "Before the Throne of God Above," which you can hear playing on this blog. :-) And a friend and sister-in-Christ brought Tenth Avenue North's Worn to my attention; I listened to that a lot while writing All Our Empty Places this spring/summer. :-)

6. Most exciting discovery this year (book, movie, or music)?
John Polluck's book The Apostle, which has so deeply enriched my understanding of the life and ministry of the Paul. If you've ever struggled to make sense of how the epistles fit into the Book of Acts or the scheme of first-century history as a whole, I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy!

7. Favorite Jane Austen hero?
Oh, it's a toss-up between Mr. Knightley in Emma and Edward Ferrars in Sense and Sensibility. :-) I love their gentlemanliness and their refusal to do wrong even when doing right is to their own hurt.

Fellow bloggers, if you would like to answer the questions above, consider yourself tagged! :-)

Well, that's it, folks! Be assured that I am working hard on editing All Our Empty Places - AND should have a cover reveal and release date for you soon! :-)

Grace and peace,
Alicia

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Cover Reveal: The Sound of Silver

Back in June, I so enjoyed participating in Rachelle Rea's blog tour for her debut novel, The Sound of Diamonds, the first in a historical fiction trilogy set during the Iconoclastic Fury. {If you'd like to read that post, which includes an interview with the delightful author, click here.} 

Now, how neat it is to reveal the cover for the second book in Steadfast Love series, The Sound of Silver, the sequel to The Sound of Diamonds. And what a beautiful cover it is! :-) 

Without further ado...


The Sound of Silver releases October 15, 2015, so if you've not had a chance to read the first book in the series, you still have some time before this one hits the shelves. :-)

The back cover reads:
The stalwart saint and the redeemed rebel. One is fighting for faith, the other for honor…

After Dirk rescues Gwyneth from the Iconoclastic Fury, she discovers that faith is sometimes fragile—and hope is not as easy as it may seem. Gwyneth continues her quest to learn more about the love of God preached by Protestants she once distrusted.

Meanwhile, Dirk’s quest is to prevent his sullied name from staining hers. Will his choice to protect her prove the undoing of her first faltering steps toward a Father God? Once separated, will Dirk and Gwyneth’s searching hearts ever sing the same song?

About Rachelle Rea:
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.

Website: http://rachellerea.com/
Blog: http://rachellerea.com/blog/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/inspiringdaring
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachelleRea
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/rachellerea/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Rachelle-Rea/e/B00RZHIL1Q
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8144149.Rachelle_Rea?from_search=true&search_version=service