Dora Hiers

Exciting News!

/ Dora Hiers / 8 Comments
I’m thrilled to announce that I am joining
the Seriously Write blog team.
Our mission is to encourage and equip Christian writers along their writing journey.

What an honor and privilege it will be to work with talented writers
Annette Irby, Ocieanna Fleiss, Dawn Kinzer, and Angie Arndt.

Beginning October 1, I will assume responsibility for This-n-That Thursdays.
No worries, though. I’ll still post here at 

Heart racing, God-gracing Romance.

This is one of the crossroads I alluded to on Monday.
I admit I wasn’t this enthusiastic when first presented with the invitation. I might have even groaned. You see, I write slow, and the prospect of writing a weekly blog post terrifies me. It’s a commitment, another priority, in an already packed calendar.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 
1 Thess 5:11 NIV

How could I refuse the sweet ladies who encourage me so much on a daily basis? 
Where would I be if other writers hadn’t offered their instruction and support along my journey? 
God loves to present His children with perfect gifts. It didn’t take long for me to realize this was one of them. Tucked inside the beautifully wrapped package ~ 
four precious friends and a blog.

What about you?
Do you wrestle with decisions you already know the answer?
How do you handle adding another commitment to your already bulging calendar?

Thank you for sharing in my exciting news!

In those "I can’t believe that just happened!" moments…

/ Dora Hiers / 5 Comments
I giggle. Hysterically.
Take the time our family traveled through Arizona several years ago. Hubby stopped the car to snap a photo of our younger son standing next to a giant Saguaro Cactus. I stayed in the car, watching. Back then cellphones weren’t camera capable, and Hubby had his eye pressed against the camera. Trying to get the whole cactus in the shot, he backed up, backed up some more, and WHAM! Stumbled backward into a ditch. 
What am I doing? Giggling. Hysterically.
And then there’s the time hubby was doing some work in our attic. He was moving around up there, not exactly light on his feet, and WHAM! Slammed through the attic floor. Somehow, he managed to straddle a rafter, and I looked up to see his long legs dangling through the ceiling.
What am I doing? Giggling. Hysterically.
This weekend our two-year-old grandson huddled near hubby’s vacant recliner. I pulled the lever to lift the footrest (for whatever reason, I can’t remember now). I stuck my hand in front of it to avoid hitting him. Did that help? No. WHAM! The footrest lifted up with such force, it whacked Mason in the side and catapulted him a couple feet in the air.
What am I doing? Giggling. Hysterically. Thankfully, he thought it was a game or a weird kind of ride, but how sad is that?
What about you? 
How do you react in those “I can’t believe that just happened!” moments?

Sharing my Review of GATEWAY WEDDINGS by Myra Johnson

/ Dora Hiers / 2 Comments
About the Book:
Three Missouri women enter the gateway to life, love, and longing. Valerie Bishop, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, is afraid to leave her home. Can ex-con Healy Ferguson show her the path to freedom? Sailor Kern is enamored of romance author Chandler Michaels. Will she fall for his lines or find a real hero in Parker Travis? Jilly Gardner has reluctantly agreed to help out her estranged foster parents. Will Cam Lane help the family heal the breach? Will these three couples be open to the plan God has for their lives—and loves?

My Reviews:

Romance by the Book
Shy water aerobics instructor Sailor Kern believes herself in love with Chandler Michaels, a romance author she’s never met. That’s fine with her because she’s more comfortable with books than actual romance and teaching over dating. It’s not like she meets many men in her line of work anyway. Until Parker Travis shows up for class. Parker isn’t your stereotypical hair-stylist, and doesn’t appreciate the doctor’s RX for back pain: water aerobics. After all, isn’t that where his grandmother and her friends play? What a sweet romance! You’ll enjoy journeying along as Parker wooed Sailor, showing her that true romance is so much better than her imagination.
Where The Dogwoods Bloom
A broken ankle forces tennis pro Jilly Gardner on crutches and out of work. Burned out Bible College Professor Cam Lane heads to the Dogwood Blossom Inn, intent on spending time with old friends, Harvey and Alice, and leading retreats. He doesn’t expect to find Alice in the hospital. Cam’s call to Jilly requesting that she come back and help out her foster parents with the running of the Inn surprises Jilly and leaves her even more off balance than her broken ankle. I enjoyed the playful, teasing interaction between old friends, Jilly and Cam. The road to romance was believable and not at all rushed for a book of this length. I like Ms. Johnson’s writing style, interjected with spots of dry humor. Filled with romance, a little intrigue, and an oh-so-sweet ending, you won’t want to miss this one!
Autumn Rains
I confess to reading the other two stories in Gateway Weddings first, mainly because I wouldn’t typically pick up a book with an ex-con for the main character. But don’t let that throw you off reading this wonderful story. Healy Ferguson captured the essence of what it means to make mistakes and suffer through the consequences. Rather than becoming bitter, he allows God to change his heart and his life, and focuses his efforts on helping others see the impact of their bad choices. Valerie Bishop suffers severe consequences, but not of her own making. Unable to leave the prison her house and yard have become, Valerie must come to the point where she’s willing to move forward and leave the past behind. Healy helps her see beyond the walls of her internal prison. I enjoyed this sweet romance and the delightful way Ms. Johnson created a hero out of an ex-con. And the ending? Sure to leave you with an “ahhh!” Oh, and I love how the author weaves the title, Autumn Rains, into the story. A book full of healing, redemption, and forgiveness!

Three fantastic stories in one awesome read! 

Purchase Link for Gateway Weddings

Disclaimer: An unbiased review, based on my purchase of this book. 

About Myra Johnson….
Myra Johnson’s roots go deep into Texas soil, but after surviving five Oklahoma winters, she now enjoys the milder climate of North Carolina and living near three of her six grandchildren. Empty-nesters, Myra and her husband share their home with two loveable (and very spoiled) dogs. Her debut novel, One Imperfect Christmas, was a September 2009 release from Abingdon Press. She also writes for Heartsong Presents. Her November 2009 release, Autumn Rains, won the 2005 RWA Golden Heart for Best Inspirational Romance Manuscript and was named a 2010 ACFW Carol Award finalist.

Myra’s writing career was launched in 1985 when she sold her first short story while taking a course through the Institute of Children’s Literature. Myra later joined the ICL staff as a magazine writing instructor, teaching hundreds of students the fundamentals of story and article structure, plotting, character development, and market analysis. She now writes full-time and is active in her church as well as local and national writers groups. Myra and her husband have been married since 1972. The Johnsons have two married daughters and six grandchildren.