inspiration

Excited about Reading: From Russia with Love by Susan May Warren

/ Dora Hiers / 3 Comments

The Cover Story ~ 
Kat Moore can’t believe that 24 hours after landing in Moscow, she’s on the run from the KGB. But after receiving a mysterious key, and an invitation to Russia, Kat can’t stop herself from hunting for her past. With her parents long gone, and her grandfather, Edward, strangely quiet about her identity, she knows there are clues to who she is that only she can unearth.

Decorated FSB agent Vadeem Spasonov lives for his job. And he’s good at it – so good, he can nearly predict the movements of the international smuggler, Grazovich. Which is why Vadeem intercepts American “tourist” Kat Moore before she is snatched. Kat might not be working for Grazovich, but Vadeem knows she has something the smuggler wants. Unfortunately, she’s only made it worse by escaping protective custody. Now he has to not only track her down, but keep her safe long enough to get her safely home.

Sharing my takeaway ~

“Life would improve about three thousand percent when he shoved her on an airplane for America.”


That sums up Kat’s initial response to Vadeem. After all, she traveled all the way to Russia to find answers about her heritage. Did the FSB agent really think she’d turn around and leave so quickly? Vadeem wants to trust her, especially when she unleashes those amber eyes on him, but trust doesn’t come easy after she escapes his protective custody.

“Faith, indeed. Oh, yes, he knew all about faith. How it deceived and hurt. How it killed.”


The occasional lapses into Vadeem’s past pulled my heartstrings. And he allows Kat (and, by default, us readers) glimpses of his vulnerability. A strong hero who’s not afraid to show his heart? Sigh…

I have to admit From Russia with Love got off to a slow start. It was tough to keep up with all the unusual names, and at times, this non-historical buff waded through too many historical details. But I’m glad I persevered because it wasn’t long before the pace rocketed into Warren’s typical bite-your-fingernails, heart-thumping action. 

“You will suffer in this life. It’s your choice to suffer trusting in God’s plan or to turn away and walk alone.”


A powerful faith thread. Fast-paced action. A bit of mystery. A strong, vulnerable hero and a gutsy, sometimes impetuous heroine who just screamed for a happily-ever-after. All components that kept me glued to my kindle all afternoon. 🙂

I’m curious about your reading style. If a book starts off slow for you, how long before you give up? Or do you feel compelled to keep reading to the end?

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book while it was offered free on Amazon. I was in no way compensated for my fair and unbiased review.

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Going the Extra Mile

/ Dora Hiers / 3 Comments

The Points of Light Monument in Washington, D.C., honors various individuals who have transformed our nation with their service. These sidewalk medallions start at 15th Street NW and, when complete, will eventually stretch for one mile. I snapped a few pictures from our last visit to DC. I’ll share the rest next Monday. Enjoy!

“I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.” ~Frederick Douglass

 

 

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 17 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating features…
Dora here. So, it’s Superbowl Sunday and hubby decides he wants to go to Mert’s. Mert’s, right in the heart of downtown Charlotte! Granted, the Superbowl wasn’t being played in Charlotte, but the downtown area was a hub of activity with local restaurants/bars offering special activities/prices for the event. Good thing I had a backup planned. After circling a few times and not finding a parking spot, we diverted to…

Bakersfield Tacos on East Blvd in the Dilworth neighborhood of Charlotte. 

Dora here. Where we still ran into a parking dilemma. No private lot, not a street parking space for blocks, and plenty of signage nearby stating “NO BAKERSFIELD.” But, thankfully, only on Sundays, Berrybrook Farm allows Bakersfield patrons to park free in their lot. The server told us they have valet parking at night.

On Sundays, park in the Berrybrook Farm lot across the street


A local place serving up their own version of Mexican cuisine, Bakersfield offers both full size plates and petite tacos. 

For our appetizer, we chose the Chips and Queso and added Chorizo. This queso was great, thick, gooey and with a little smoky flavor, but the star of this dish was the fried chorizo. Combined with the queso, it was the perfect match for the salty but hardy chips.

Chips & Queso with Chorizo

Dora here. The first thing that hit me about this was the smell. Amaaaazing! Cheesy, deep flavor, delicious! I could’ve made this a whole meal. I couldn’t scoop this up fast enough! 🙂

Chips & Queso with Chorizo. Soooo good!

For my lunch, I chose four different tacos: Fish, Pork Belly Pastor, Bistec, and Short Rib all served on in-house handmade tortillas. 

Bottom Left: Pork Belly Pastor, Upper Left: Bistec, Upper Right: Short Rib, Bottom Right: Fish


The fish taco featured Mahi, lime sauce, citrus slaw, and cilantro. A great tasting taco with crispy fish and a crunch from the citrus slaw. 

The pork belly pastor included chili marinated pork, pineapple, onion and cilantro. A sweet tasting taco that I just couldn’t get enough of. 

The short rib was my favorite. Tender braised short rib, queso fresco, crema (like sour cream), onion, radish, and cilantro combined for a perfect taco. 

The Bistec, marinated short rib with a spicy chipotle slaw, had me reaching for my drink after every bite.

Dora here. I sampled a bite of all the tacos. Yowza! What an explosion of flavors! Since I’m not typically a huge fan of fish or pork, I was surprised at my top two faves: Pork Belly Pastor and Fish. By the time I made it to my Milanesa Torta, my mouth was on fire! In a good way. 🙂

Milanesa Torta


Check out that tender white chicken breast! Mmmm. And I loved the fresh bread, a Telera Roll, “similar to a French roll with a scored and flour-dusted crust.” 

Milanesa Torta. Check out that tender white chicken breast!


Intense flavors as well, with a bold blend of black beans, salsa verde, avocado and lemon mayo, but I would’ve preferred half the pesto.

Eventually, we’ll make it to Mert’s. 🙂

What about you? How do you like your tacos?

Dora rated this restaurant a 4, but I rate it a 5. Since that equates to 4 1/2, we’ll give them 5 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving outstanding food.

Bakersfield Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato