inspirational romance

SWEPT AWAY by Mary Connealy ~ My Review

/ Dora Hiers

About the book~
Swept away when her wagon train attempts a difficult river crossing, Ruthy MacNeil isn’t terribly upset at being separated from the family who raised her. All they’ve ever done is work her to the bone. Alive but disoriented, she’s rescued by Luke Stone…so unfortunately, there are more chances to die in her immediate future.

Luke is on a mission to reclaim the ranch stolen from his family. But the men currently on the property won’t let it go without a fight. Luke plans to meet up with friends who will help him take back the land, and since he can’t just leave Ruthy in the middle of nowhere, she’s going to have to go with him.

But the more time Luke spends around the hardworking young woman, the more he finds himself thinking of things besides revenge. Will Ruthy convince him to give up his destructive path and be swept away by love?

In my humble opinion~
Ruthy MacNeil is a hard worker, and her “adoptive” family takes advantage of that. They also intend for her to marry their son once they reach their destination. Ruthy’s not so fond of that idea, or the family, and is looking for an escape when the wagon she’s steering gets swept away (don’t you just love the title?) from the train. Luke Stone refuses to leave her behind, even if it means hauling her into the middle of his fight to win back his ranch. Both characters, along with the supporting cast, are sure to wiggle their way into your heart.

Ever read a book where you alternated between smiling and biting your nails? Well, if I bit my nails, this would be the book. Fast-paced action mingled with just the right amount of romance and humor will keep you turning pages long after your bedtime, and is sure to leave you with a smile on your face after you’ve shut down your kindle. Recommended for all historical lovers, and even those who aren’t. Give Mary Connealy (the master of “romantic comedies…with cowboys”) and Swept Away a chance. You might become a Connealy fan like me.  

Swept Away will be available on March 1st, but you can pre-order it here.

Disclaimer: A huge thanks to NetGalley and Baker Publishing Group/Bethany House for providing me with a free copy in exchange for my fair and unbiased review.

Build it right!

/ Dora Hiers / 2 Comments

A firm foundation: Start with a Premise, Create strong characters, Proportion. 

“They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.” (Luke 6:48 NIV)


Last week we talked about clearing the land and preparing ourselves for our writing journey. This week we’ll discuss building our story on a firm foundation.

Concrete footers provide a strong foundation for a structure, making a house less vulnerable to attacks from wind, tornadoes, or floods. 

Just like houses must be built on strong foundations, your book requires a sturdy anchor or it won’t stand. Readers will feel tossed about and confused. As the author, you will lose focus and momentum. 

So how do you give your book a strong foundation?

Start with a Premise.
Whether you tend to be a plotter (you outline a detailed synopsis before you actually start writing) or a pantser (you sit down at your computer and start typing with just a few rough ideas floating around in your head), every writer must create a premise. 

The premise is the basic footprint of your house, whether it’s two-story or one, rectangular or square. It’s the basic idea, the main purpose or reason for writing your story. Without a purpose, a foundation for writing, your story won’t be able to withstand the elements. It will sag, maybe even collapse.

Create strong characters.
Your characters should be men and women readers want to hang out with for a while, someone they could be friends with, someone they like. Know more about your characters than just hair or eye color, how tall they are, or what they do for a living. Why do they do what they do? What are they afraid of? What do they want most out of life? Whether you use a character chart or another method to flesh them out, dig deep to create dimensional characters readers will like.

Proportion.
Cement alone isn’t enough for a sturdy foundation. Sand, gravel and water must be mixed in proportionally to add strength and volume. The same goes for your story. Mix in bits and pieces about your hero and heroine’s past so that we can understand their decisions and behavior. Would you keep reading a book with long clumps of past events dragging things out and slowing the pace? Probably not. So, give your story a great foundation by offering tidbits tucked in the right spots and at appropriate times.

What elements do you use to give your story a firm foundation? 


I’ll be taking a blogging break for a couple weeks. Join us in November as we discuss adding cohesive elements by installing walls, windows & doors.

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!