romance

Pelican Book Group announces the return of Easter Lilies

/ Dora Hiers

————Permission to forward————

Pelican Book Group announces the return of Easter Lilies. While Easter Lilies was originally run as a short story contest, the resurrected Easter Lilies will not be a contest, but conducted as an annual special release much like our Christmas Holiday Extravaganza. Each year, one Easter Lilies story will be released on each day of the Easter Triduum. (Yes, only three stories per year.) 
2013 Defining Scripture for Easter Lilies is: Solomon 2:2 “Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens.”
Submission Guidelines:
Easter Lilies are historical or contemporary romances. In addition to adhering to the guidelines for the White Rose imprint, the following is also necessary: 

  • The defining Scripture for the year must be used as a basis for the story. (This scripture will change each year on October 1st) 

  • Stories should be between 15,000 and 25,000 words. 

  • Both the hero’s and heroine’s points of view may be incorporated, however, we’d like these stories to be “hero-driven”, so ideally, stories should focus on the hero’s love developing for his heroine. These stories may be historical or contemporary, but they must be set around the Easter holiday. 

  • Heroes and Heroines should be between the ages of 25 and 35. 

  • In addition to using the current year Easter Lilies scripture as the reference, some symbol of the Easter Lily must also be incorporated. Easter lilies have long been a symbol of purity, motherhood, the trumpet herald of the Angel Gabriel as he visited the Virgin Mary, of resurrection, and more. (Feel free to research and use different symbols. These are listed as example only). How you incorporate any of the symbols is up to you. Whether it’s an actual flower that the hero gives to the heroine (or vice-versa), or a piece of jewelry, or a spiritual experience. The use is up to you. Perhaps your hero is a Christian musician who plays the trumpet. Perhaps your heroine has lily earrings that have been passed through her family. Perhaps your hero had a “resurrection” of his faith through some experience past or present, or maybe your heroine is a mother. How you incorporate the Easter lily symbolism is up to you. It can be subtle or overt, but it has to be there.

Submissions for Easter Lilies are accepted August 1st through September 30th each year. Submissions for Easter Lilies that are received outside this time frame will be discarded without response.

These guidelines and submission information can be found at: http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/submission-guidelines/easter-lilies-submission-guidelines

TERRI by Sharon Srock ~ Sharing My Review

/ Dora Hiers / 2 Comments
Terri by Sharon Srock

About the book~

Despite a bustling day care center and a new foster child, Terri Hayes hungers for a family of her own. Then a plumbing mishap leaves her homeless and questioning God’s plan. Steve Evans’s gracious offer of his basement apartment as a temporary solution is an answered prayer.

Steve is a successful writer and a good father, but Terri is horrified when Steve’s book research leads him to a harsh confrontation with the parents of her foster child. She needs to distance herself from Steve, but her efforts fall short as his two scheming daughters plot to make Terri their new stepmother.

Will harsh words and sneaky plans drive Kelsey’s family further apart and put a wedge between Terri and Steve, or does God have another plan in store?


Sharing my humble opinion~
This series is set around four friends and their friendship. The first book introduced Callie and the women of Valley View while this book picks up with Terri, a single owner of a day care center and new foster mother, but you’ll connect with all the friends again. This author writes multiple characters well, and I was never confused at any point in the book with how many characters were on scene at any given time.

I thoroughly enjoyed the pacing of the story line and the conflicts, including the romance thread. I won’t spoil the ending for you, but it caught me unaware, and I love that! This isn’t a book to curl up with for one night. As with Callie, Terri’s a book that you’ll chew and digest over a few readings. Packed with a powerful message of God’s redeeming love and His desire to heal fractured relationships, Terri will satisfy romance and women’s fiction lovers alike.

Purchase Link

Disclosure: I received this book from the author for a fair and honest review.


Sharon Srock lives with her husband, Larry, and two dogs in Rural Oklahoma. She is a mother, grandmother, and Sunday School teacher. Sharon has one and three-quarters jobs and writes in her spare time. Her favorite hobby is traveling with her grandchildren. She is a member of the ACFW and currently serves as treasurer for her local chapter. Sharon’s debut novel, The Women of Valley View: Callie released in October 2012. The second in the series, The Women of Valley View: Terri releases in April 2013.

Connect with her here:

SHORT-STRAW BRIDE by Karen Witemeyer ~ Sharing My Review

/ Dora Hiers / 2 Comments

About the book~

Four brothers. Four straws. One bride.

No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a long-standing debt compels her to take the risk.

Years of constant vigilance hardens a man. Yet when Travis Archer comes across a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can’t bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt prompt him to attempt to rescue her once again.

Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she vows to stand by his side. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her as merely a short-straw bride?

Sharing My Humble Opinion~

A young Meredith (Meri) Hayes trespasses on the infamous Archer land to retrieve her lunch box after a bully tosses it over the fence. Travis Archer promised his dying father that he’d protect his three brothers and the land they’d grown up on. After all, it was his fault that his father died. When he rescues Meri, he breaks that promise to take her home, but that’s the only time he ever left the Archer land. Travis’s kind, compassionate spirit sparks dreams in tiny Meri’s heart and she never forgets him, even when another man proposes. When Meri overhears a plot to possibly harm the Archers, she risks trespassing again to warn Travis and his brothers.

Although I felt the prologue made for a slow beginning, I’m so glad I didn’t put Short-Straw Bride aside. It was so worth it! 

I love how the author wove subtle themes into this book, like how Meri rushed headlong into difficult situations, without thinking or praying. How many times do I plow ahead, only praying for guidance after I’m in the midst of the situation? And Meri helped Travis realize that he had been depending on himself to protect his family, rather than trusting God. How many times have I done the same thing? 

I loved Short-Straw Bride! I read it through in two sittings, barely allowing myself to be distracted except to sleep. It had the perfect blend of romance laced with passion, humor and suspense to keep me turning pages long past my bedtime. Can’t wait to get my hands on another Witemeyer book!

Purchase Link

How often do we proceed with our own plans and only then ask for God’s blessings rather than seeking His will first? 


Disclaimer: I snagged this book when it was offered free on Amazon. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.