romance

Plots and Pans by Kelly Eileen Hake

/ Dora Hiers
Pre-order here

About the book~

Order dictates Tucker Carmichael’s life—his orders. On a cattle drive, a moment’s hesitation can mean death. The Chisholm Trail is dirty, dangerous, and no place for women. After years at school, Jessalyn Culpepper has come home and is determined to show everyone that a woman can manage everything from cooking to cattle—whether they like it or not! Tucker tries to manage his partner’s headstrong sister, horrified when she wants to join the cattle drive. But when they need a chuck wagon cook, Jessalyn seems the only solution. Will God stir up love along a trail filled with their Plots and Pans?


This book releases on April 1, 2014, but you can pre-order here.


Sharing my thoughts~

This was the first book I’ve read by Kelly Eileen Hake and published by Shiloh Run Press. I was curious about the new line after reading the Publisher’s Weekly article dated 1/7/14, “Shiloh Run Press will provide a new category umbrella for Barbour’s successful original full-length fiction line.”

Jessalyn (Jess) Culpepper grew up on the Bar None ranch, but her daddy sent her overseas to finishing school, hoping the headmistress could offer what the ranch could not: a female’s touch. Tucker Carmichael feels responsible for Jess after promising her daddy on his deathbed that he’d look out for her. Of course, he’d made that promise while she was safely ensconced at boarding school on the other side of the world. Now that she’s back on the ranch, keeping that promise isn’t so easy. Especially since Jess is headstrong and stubborn, and harbors a deep desire to belong. I could easily relate to Jess and Tucker, but I would have found their romance to be more believable with less sparring and definitely with more physical tension.

Some people maintained that prayer required knees on the ground and eyes screwed tight against distraction. But the way he saw it, God made man for company, and he could talk while riding. If anything, working in tandem with another of God’s creatures out in the open, breathing fresh air and drinking in the seemingly endless expanse of the sky strengthened his connection with the Creator.~Tucker

Gentle spiritual nuggets like this trickled throughout the story, seamless and natural, and deeper issues made me pause and reflect.


“…when you stop looking for what you have in common with other people, it’s the first step to not seeing them as people a’tal.” ~Aunt Desta, a former slave

The slang tended to weigh the story down a bit in places, but all in all, Plots and Pans is a solid read and a great taste of what’s to come with Shiloh Run Press. If you enjoy clean, historical romance with strong characters and a gentle spiritual thread, you’ll want to scoop this one up.

Disclaimer: Sending a big thank you to Shiloh Run Press/Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reviewing this book. I received a free copy of Plots and Pans in exchange for my fair and unbiased review. This opinion is my own, and I received no compensation.

Call for submissions: A new imprint from Pelican Book Group

/ Dora Hiers / 2 Comments

————Permission to forward is granted————

Pelican Book Group announces a New Adult romance imprint. Pelican Pure Amore romances will be distributed through an exclusive direct-to-reader subscription service.


Pelican Pure Amore^(TM)
Sweet Romance, Pure Enjoyment ^(TM)

Pelican Pure Amore^(TM) romances are sweet in tone and in conflict. These stories are the emotionally-driven tales of youthful Christians who are striving to live their faith in a world where Christ-centered choices may not fully be understood.

Plots should not contain overly hard-hitting or controversial subjects but should be hope-filled, enjoyable reads that don’t come with a lot of excess baggage. Stories should be written in an active, engaging style that leaves the reader satisfied and smiling. Plots should focus on the love between a man and a woman who both hold God at the center of their lives and who have never been married. The hero and heroine will exhibit traditional Christian values but also should be three-dimensional and therefore exhibit flaws as well as virtues.

  • Neither the hero nor heroine can have been married before. No divorced, separated, or widowed protagonists
  • Both Hero and Heroine should be Christians throughout. While Pure Amore^(TM) may feature subplots that include the hero or heroine rediscovering or growing to a deeper faith, these are not stories centered on conversion. Therefore, both Hero and Heroine must be Christian at the onset.
  • Either the hero or heroine, or both, must be a virgin. That means they must be physical virgin as opposed to being a “rededicated” virgin, and this fact must be addressed naturally within the context of the story.
  • These are stories of Christians living Christian lives. Characters should adhere to mainline Christianity, but should not be preachy or didactic. The Christian element and/or lesson should be inherent to the characterizations and so should come through in the protagonists’ natural actions/reactions to events and people around them.
  • Heroes and heroines must be between the ages of 21 and 33, inclusive.
  • ALL titles must be between 40,000 and 45,000 words. No exceptions.

Pure Amore^(TM) romances emphasize the beauty in chastity, so physical interactions such as kissing or hugging should focus on the characters’ emotions rather than heightened sexual desire, and any scenes of physical intimacy should be absolutely integral to the plot and/or
emotional development of the character or relationship.

At this time, we are interested in finished manuscripts only. Please do not query unless your manuscript is complete. Please visit our web site for the access to the submission form. http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ (short URL: http://pelink.us/write4pbg )

God Bless,
Pelican Book Group
http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com
http://www.facebook.com/PelicanBookGroup
http://twitter.com/pelicanbookgrp/
White Rose * Harbourlight * Watershed * Pure Amore

Head In The Clouds by Karen Witemeyer ~Sharing My Review

/ Dora Hiers
Purchase Link~B&N

About the book~

Adelaide Proctor is a young woman with her head in the clouds, longing for a real-life storybook hero to claim as her own. But when a husband-hunting debacle leaves her humiliated, she interviews for a staid governess position on a central Texas sheep ranch and vows to leave her romantic yearnings behind.

When Gideon Westcott left his privileged life in England to make a name for himself in America’s wool industry, he never expected to become a father overnight. And five-year-old Isabella hasn’t uttered a word since she lost her mother. The unconventionality of the new governess concerns Gideon–and intrigues him at the same time. But he can’t afford distractions. He has a ranch to run, a shearing to oversee, and a suspicious fence-cutting to investigate.
When Isabella’s uncle comes to claim the child–and her inheritance–Gideon and Adelaide must work together to protect Isabella from the man’s evil schemes. And soon neither can deny their growing attraction. But after so many heartbreaks, will Adelaide be willing to get her head out of the clouds and put her heart on the line?

Sharing My Review~

Adelaide Proctor abandons her teaching position to follow the man she believes will provide her with the family she so desperately longs for. Not that Henry Belcher makes her heart race, but she’s waited a long time for him to propose. When she finally catches up to him, she accepts that there won’t be a proposal. Grieving the loss of the family she’d dreamed of, she applies for a governess position, determined to follow God’s cloud, just like the Israelites who wandered in the wilderness. I love how the title was such an integral part of the story. 
The plot dragged a bit during the narration regarding Lucinda’s journal, but for the most part, I was glued to the pages and couldn’t wait to get back into the story whenever I had a chance. Head in the Clouds is sure to make you consider some deep topics like…why God doesn’t always intervene to prevent suffering. 

I especially appreciate how Gideon and Adelaide come to love each other without the snippy dialog that’s common in many historicals, but rather, from a mutual admiration and respect for one another that develops into something deep and genuine. Adelaide’s inherently clumsy,  creative, stubborn and loyal, and when she tugs a smile from sweet little Isabella, Gideon can’t help but fall for her. As I have come to learn, Karen Witemeyer books never disappoint! Head in the Clouds is another awesome read that will keep your head in the pages. Pure enjoyment!

Disclosure: I scooped up Head in the Clouds while it was offered free on Amazon. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.