Author: Dora Hiers

Have you read A BRIDE FOR KEEPS by Melissa Jagears?

/ Dora Hiers
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About the book~
Everett Cline will never humiliate himself by seeking a mail-order bride. Not again. He’s already been jilted by three mail-order brides and figures a wife just isn’t in his future. However, a well-meaning neighbor hasn’t given up on seeing him settled, so she goes behind his back to bring yet another woman to town for him.

Julia Lockwood has never been anything more than a pretty pawn for her father or a business acquisition for her former fiance. A mail-order marriage in faraway Kansas is a last resort, but she’ll do anything to leave her life in Massachusetts and the heartbreak she’s experienced there.

Although Everett doesn’t see how a beautiful, cultured woman like Julia could be happy sharing his simple life, he could really use a helpmate on his homestead. Determined to prove she’s more than just a pretty face, Julia agrees to a marriage in name only. Faced with the harsh realities of life on the prairie and hesitant to explore the tentative feelings growing between them, can Everett and Julia ever let each other in long enough to fall in love?

Sharing my thoughts~
Wow! A Bride for Keeps is one of those books that I wondered if the hero and heroine would actually find their happily ever after!

Poor Everett. Mail order brides never chose him, and he’d given up after four tries. So when his too-helpful neighbor persuaded her friend Julia to travel all the way from Boston to wed, Everett practically ignored her. Not only is he scared of rejection, but she’s so beautiful. She’d never make it through a Kansas winter, and he doesn’t want to give the town more reason for gossip.

Julia Lockwood’s father and ex-fiance were only concerned about her good looks, and used her as a commodity, with no regard for love or her feelings. When she arrived in Kansas, Everett’s features remind her of her ex-fiance, almost frightening her off. But she’d traveled all this way, and her friend wouldn’t lead her astray. Besides, without any other living relatives, she has no other options.

He needs help on the farm. She needs protection and a roof over her head. They strike a deal, and along the way Everett decides he wants this bride for keeps. This book is so much bigger than the romance, although it’s sweet, and at times, frustrating. A Bride for Keeps shows us that no matter the dark shadows of our past that continually rise up and taunt us, with God’s help, we can overcome. God covers us with forgiveness and healing, and breaks the chains of fear so we can move on with our lives. It’s about a loving God who never gives up on us and showers us with grace. A Bride for Keeps is a definite keeper for my kindle shelf!

Disclosure: Sending a big thanks to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishing for providing me with an advance review copy. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

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K is for Kannapolis

/ Dora Hiers / 6 Comments
Have you ever visited your fire department to learn more about what firefighters do? Are you considering a career in firefighting? Would you like to show your appreciation to your local fire department? 

Fire Prevention Week, October 6-12, is your opportunity!

Fire Prevention Week Oct 6-12, 2013
Because we’re situated smack dab in the middle of NASCAR country and racing season is in full swing, the Kannapolis Fire Department will host its Open House on Saturday, 10/5 from 11-3. Each year the event expands and only gets better! 

Come check out the fire trucks and apparatus. Bid on some cool Silent Auction items. And there’s plenty of crafts, photo opps, fun and games for all ages.

Did I mention there would be games for ALL ages?

The Kannapolis Firefighters Assistance Foundation will be selling food (hotdogs, hamburgers, barbeque, kid’s meals). The Kannapolis Parks & Recreation Department will provide free popcorn and lemonade slushies.


And best of all, admission is FREE! 
This Saturday, 10/5/13
11 – 3 pm
at Kannapolis Fire Station #1
300 Firehouse Drive, Kannapolis, NC

Show your appreciation to your local firefighters next week!

A to Z blog hop at Patterings.

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Jumbled Mess

/ Dora Hiers / 10 Comments
Looks like a jumbled mess of boards in our back yard, right? 

Maybe right now it does, but by the time hubby is finished with these wooden slats, you won’t believe they came from those pallets.

So what’s he going to do with the jumbled mess?

After seven years of living in our house, we finally decided to add a cover to our deck. Here’s a snapshot taken on a late September afternoon.
That flimsy umbrella doesn’t do much to prevent the sun from continually beating down on the deck for most of the day, which means it really isn’t pleasant for lounging except early mornings or late evenings. Plus, hubby wanted an outdoor space to house the smoker so he wouldn’t have to lug it out of the garage every time he’d like to crank it up.

If that means smoked ribs more often, I’m all for that. 😀

Well, you know how it goes. Suddenly, our plans mushroomed from just a cover to a total outdoor kitchen, complete with one of those fancy gas grill inserts, an outdoor sink and mini-fridge. 

We finally found a contractor with a bid that we could swallow, and we decided to go ahead. But the high price of the cover meant cutting costs on the outdoor kitchen. Even switching from the fancy gas grill insert to modifying a regular one to fit and chunking some of the components like the outdoor sink and mini-fridge, didn’t help the cost too much. We decided to stick with the original plan. A cover and some type of bar/counter to store the smoker.

“Honey, you know, you could build something that would look just as nice as any of these. And it would be exactly what we wanted,” I said, smiling sweetly.

His brows narrowed, and his head began a ferocious wag back and forth. He’d heard these exact words before. He doesn’t consider himself a good woodworker. But I know better. Check out a couple of his DIY projects…

Along with my father, he built these two goodies, a desk and a cubby-holder:
my office
And this work bench for the garage, even including sliding drawers and pull-out organizers:
garage work bench

What do you think?For now this may be a jumbled mess of boards, but it won’t be that way for long. I’ll keep you posted. Bring on the ribs! 
A to Z blog hop at Patterings.http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=204563