Author: Dora Hiers

Excited about Reading ~ Until I Found You by Victoria Bylin

/ Dora Hiers
Purchase Link

The Cover Story~
Finding each other was only the beginning . . . 

When Kate Darby swerves off a mountain road to avoid hitting a California condor, she ends up trapped in her car, teetering on the edge of a cliff. Terrified, she breathes a prayer that changes her life.

It’s Nick Sheridan who comes to Kate’s rescue. Nick is handsome and confident, and he seems to develop a habit of rescuing her, but Kate is in town only until her grandmother recuperates from a stroke. She’s not planning to get involved with one of the locals.

Nick is a reformed veteran of life in the fast lane, a new Christian, and a travel writer. When he sees a car dangling on the edge of a cliff, the daredevil in him jumps into action. He doesn’t expect to be swept off his feet by the car’s occupant. He’s made a vow–no dating for a year–but keeping that vow is going to be a lot more difficult now that he’s met Kate Darby.

My takeaway~
Kate Darby’s career is on the fast track until her grandmother’s stroke. Leona is all the family she has left, and she’s determined to help her grandmother until she’s back on her feet. But she has a hard time accepting her grandmother’s faith, and has lived her adult life making “safe” choices and being independent, relying only on herself. Travel writer Nick Sheridan has always lived life on the edge until a tragedy sends him to the top of Mount Abel to wrestle with God. He came off that mountain a new man, vowing a year of not dating.

Kate laid her head on his shoulder. “I’m scared.”
“Of what?”
“Everything,” she said in a whisper. “I don’t know how to live like this, how to mix the old and the new.”
The black and white balloons were more fitting than he had imagined. An artist blended the two colors to make shades of gray. People compromised. But some decisions really were black and white. A person couldn’t go east and west at the same time, but two people could walk side by side in the same direction. At some point, though, they had to agree which way to walk. If they couldn’t and they still wanted to be together, someone had to make a sacrifice.

That excerpt pretty much sums up the book for me. Nick and Kate were attracted to each other immediately, and the story was a romance from the first page to the last, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t have to work through their share of problems. I felt that Nick’s love for Kate was a symbol of Christ’s love for us. Saddened and distressed by the gulf widening between them, he woos and loves her back.

I thoroughly enjoyed Until I Found You. Bursting with emotional depth, packed with a spiritual punch, it also carried just the right amount of sizzle for me. The parallel between human relationships and condors, rare birds who mate for life, was a bonus. Definitely a keeper!

“Faith is what allows us to see the daffodil in an ugly seed, the chick in an egg. We don’t understand how God works, but if we look, we see His handiwork everywhere–even in the mirror.” ~Leona


Disclaimer: I received this book free from Amazon. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 3 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to the Dilworth neighborhood of Charlotte and to Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, which is scheduled to change hands for a whopping $21 million soon.

Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar
This family oriented eating spot boasts an industrial feel but includes TVs and a patio to cater to all clientele. Dora here. I think Ernie just got all excited about the diamond plate wainscoting. Reminded him of a fire truck. 🙂 Seriously, folks, Bad Daddy’s attracted all ages, and is in a walkable, bikable neighborhood. Be warned though. Parking is tight, and by Saturday at noon, people were lined up outside, waiting to get in.
We started with the Fried Pickles appetizer. These dill pickles were very good; sliced lengthways, fried very crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The only thing that would have made these better would be a little less salt. Dora here. Anybody else getting tired of seeing fried pickles on here? Note to Ernie: next time go with a different appetizer! 

Fried Pickles

I chose the Classic Southern Burger, a basic burger topped with chili, American cheese, relish, mustard and slaw and served on a Brioche bun. Basically a Carolina burger except swap the onions with relish. This burger was huge, sloppy and had to be eaten with a fork. The flavors were outstanding and the chili actually had beans. Tater tots were crispy and had an excellent taste. Dora here. There was nothing basic about that burger.

Classic Southern Burger with tots

My wife had the Frenchie which is a turkey burger with brie, applewood bacon, grilled apples and garlic mayo served on a Brioche bun. Dora here. I was torn on this one because I really was leaning toward the Mama Ricotta’s Burger, just to try it. Doesn’t that sound intriguing? Anyway, the Frenchie with the grilled apples won. The bun was soft and fresh, as if they baked it on site, and the cheese literally oozed from the sandwich. Good thing the tables sport a roll of paper towels because you’ll need ’em. But, let me tell you, the jalapeno honey mustard and bad daddy sauces on the side were ah-mazing! They jazzed this yummy turkey burger to awesome, but too much of a good thing might leave your tongue on fire.

Frenchie – turkey burger
And get a grip! Check out the size of this burger!

I would rate this restaurant 5 forks out of 5 forks for a family friendly restaurant serving outstanding food.
What’s your favorite burger joint? How about a fave burger?


Bad Daddy's Burger Bar on Urbanspoon

Crazy about Writing: What Inspired the Harmon Heritage series?

/ Dora Hiers / 4 Comments
It was our granddaughter’s fifth grade graduation. Award recipients pranced across the stage to thunderous applause and hundreds of camera clicks. One particular girl accepted her award and then skipped down the steps, racing through the center aisle all the way to the back to hug her mama. When she finally rejoined her class, sniffles could be heard across the crowded auditorium.
Yeah, I was digging in my purse for a tissue. But my writer’s mind was already at work. Where was her daddy? Why wasn’t he there? How could he miss such a momentous event in his daughter’s life? Was it because of divorce? Could he not get off work? Perhaps he was in the military and currently deployed. The possibilities, the what if’s, continued rolling through my head long after the program was over.
Just a handful of days before this ceremony, we received shocking news that our son’s childhood friend committed suicide. Terribly upsetting because as a twenty something he was just beginning his journey, but also because our lives had been so entwined with his family’s for many of their elementary school years. This, just after learning that a neighbor of ten years committed suicide. An international athlete, a mighty giant devoted to his two kids, and newly divorced.
To honor a shy fifth grade girl and two precious children, who adored their daddy and had to be reeling over his death, the inspiration for my Harmon Heritage series was born. Three siblings whose celebrity father committed suicide leaving them hurting and angry, with more questions than answers, more pain than peace. Rori’s a social phobic, hiding behind a wall of fear, preferring the solitude of animals to the whispers and pointed fingers of blame over her father’s death. Beck abandons his family and the love of his life and wanders for a decade because he fears he carries the same genes as his father. Burk, the oldest and Beck’s twin, feels like he’s the glue that holds his family together and puts his personal and professional life on hold until Rori heals and Beck finds peace for his wandering soul.
Perhaps you’re hurting, the enormous waves of pain dragging you under until you lack the strength to claw your way back to the surface. Or the chains of sorrow shackle you to this moment, blinding you to the promise of a new day, a brighter tomorrow. God, with His knows-no-bounds and nothing-holds-Him-back love, can take those dark places, those huge gaping chasms of loss, and meld them into a beautiful tapestry of healing and peace, of hope and joy.

 Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. ~Psalm 30:5 NLT
Available June 5
with Pelican Book Group
Still stinging from the publicity surrounding her father’s death, social phobic Rori Harmon prefers the solitude of her animal sanctuary, accepting that marriage isn’t in her future. Racecar Driver Graham Decker refuses to be wrangled into a relationship by another money-hungry female. On a philanthropy mission, he arrives just in time to assist Rori with a llama birthing, but his appearance thrusts her into the media spotlight again. Has Graham found a woman who doesn’t care how deep his wallet extends? Has Rori finally met a man who will stick around when times get tough? Is healing for a hurting heart finally within Rori’s reach?