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