Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witemeyer

Publication Dec. 17, 2024-Bethany House-Christian- Historical Fiction -Romance-384pp

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Trust no one in the shadows of the piney woods . . .

Letty Hood has spent the last fifteen years of her life hidden away with her grandmother in the backwoods of east Texas to escape the deadly schemes of an uncle who wants her dead. Now, with her twenty-first birthday on the horizon, she is forced to accept the escort of a stranger and return to Houston in secret so she can claim a birthright that will make her one of the wealthiest women in Texas. If she lives long enough to inherit.

Pinkerton agent Philip Carmichael has one duty: get the Radcliffe heiress home alive. Expecting a spoiled girl, Philip is surprised to encounter a woman of rare strength with a kind soul and keen wit. As they journey together, Letty’s resilience wins his admiration, breaking through his hardened cynicism. Yet the threat to her survival grows more menacing with every mile, and Philip fears that keeping Letty out of harm’s way may be just as impossible as keeping her out of his heart.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Book #3 Texas Ever After Series

Cloaked in Beauty, a historical romance, is set in the Piney Woods of East Texas. Witemeyer’s knack for “history, humor, and heart” conjured Letty Hood, a resourceful, dedicated, take control kind of gal, as the main character in this nod to Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty. No damsels in distress here! I enjoyed all the references and analogies to the fairy tales; the red cloak, a prince like detective to protect Letty, a feisty grandmother, and a red wolf named Rusty! Of course, no fairy tale is complete without a villain so Drake Radcliff and his determination to “do away with” Letty before her twenty-first birthday fills that role perfectly. Letty has been hiding in the Piney Woods with her grandmother for 15 years and now must return to Houston to claim her inheritance.

Cloaked in Beauty is laced with romantic tension, plot twists with action, and clues to create suspense. Witemeyer fills Letty’s treacherous journey to Houston with vivid descriptions of East Texas terrain, rivers to cross, and towns to skirt. Throughout the trek Philip and Letty rely on God for provision and protection. Cloaked in Beauty, Christian fiction with a “Texas Ever After” ending, carries a strong theme of protecting and stewarding the family legacy.

AUTHOR BIO

Voted #1 Reader’s Favorite Christian Historical Author of 2023 by Family Fiction magazine, bestselling and Carol and Christy Award-winning author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. She and her husband make their home in Abilene, Texas. Learn more about Karen and her books at KarenWitemeyer.com.

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

Publication Day: July 19, 2022

**Katherine’s website: Look for the video of the real Texas ranch setting in the novel!** https://katherinecenter.com/books/the-bodyguard/

The Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Agent, aka Bodyguard. She is assigned to a famous move star on hiatus due to a family crisis; the death of the brother that was a buffer for the family. Protecting one famous brother while he follows his mother’s wishes is in this recipe for a romantic comedy! Katherine Center, known as the “queen of comfort reads,” blends ingredients of witty banter, inner workings of a protection agency, and Hannah’s goal of remaining professional while in the presence of a handsome movie star with layers of childhood memories and disappointment, betrayal, and grief. The icing on the cake is swirled with Center’s delicious toppings of restoring friendships, the power of kindness, and refusing to give up on hope and optimism. There are plenty of relationship twists and tweaks to the recipe and readers will cheer for Hannah when she discovers that ‘love is something you do.”

The Bodyguard is also a treat for the senses: exploring the views of the Brazos River and the ranch in Texas, delving into the harshness of brothers revealing disturbing feelings and tensions, to hugs that prove to Hannah she is lovable. A favorite sprinkle of wisdom: “People loving you for your best qualities is not the same as people loving you despite your worst.” Thanks, Katherine, for whipping up The Bodyguard during the Pandemic; a “satisfying, delectable dessert” for fans of romantic comedy.

Blind Tiger by Sandra Brown

Sandra Brown is the author of sixty-nine New York Times bestsellers, including the #1 Seeing Red. There are over eighty million copies of her books in print worldwide, and her work has been translated into thirty-four languages. She lives in Texas. For the Book Club Kit with discussion questions, recipes, and short videos check out this site! https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/sandra-brown/blind-tiger/9781538751985/

The Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

“The Wild West ushers in the Roaring Twenties!” As Sandra Brown says, “What could go wrong?” In January 1920, Laurel, husband Derby, and newborn Pearl arrive at a shanty in Foley, Texas, in the middle of a blustery, snowy night. This austere opening is based on a true story told by author Sandra Brown’s grandmother. The novel from that point on is filled to the brim with Brown’s fictitious, industrious, and independent women struggling to become financially stable and enough “good guys and bad guys” to keep the bootleggers and law enforcement sleeping with their boots on! President Wilson’s attempt to create a more “temperate” American society with the passage of the 18^th Amendment, had the opposite effect. The result was the rise of organized crime, while Prohibition and the big business of bootlegging and “speakeasies” began. This novel is filled with enough plot twists to keep readers racing to protect the stills while “the competitors” search and destroy; hoping and praying the good guys win! Buried deep in the brambles and oilfields of West Texas Brown buries nuggets of wisdom on how to handle loved one’s struggles, how secrets erode relationships, and the treatment of each other in grief and trauma. Tangled in the fiery bootlegger wars, the secretive still building, and the murder mystery, there’s a surprising renewal of trust and establishment of boundaries in friendships.

Sandra Brown’s sharpshooter cowboy, Thatcher- with a “knack for reading people,” small town Doctor Driscoll- married to the German Mila, a snooty mayor, and a harried sheriff are the ingredients for a cocktail of high-falutin’ Mystery & Moonshine not soon to be forgotten.

A Return to Galveston, Texas 2020 The Uncertain Season by Ann Howard Creel

“The Hurricane of 1900 devastated Galveston Island, but a storm of betrayal is still brewing.” https://www.amazon.com/Uncertain-Season-Ann-Howard-Creel/dp/147780904X

A Return to Galveston 2020 and The Uncertain Season

The Pandemic of 2020 will certainly rival the place in history of the Great Storm of 1900, that ravished the island of Galveston, Texas. Upon the reopening of the state of Texas, a short return visit to Galveston celebrating our 48th anniversary was scheduled. Since reading The Uncertain Season, I’ve wanted to retrace the steps of Grace, Etta, and The Girl. We returned to Ward 5 and the alleys where Grace and Ira ministered to the impoverished families; we chose The Schaefer Haus-a Bed & Breakfast in the East End Historic District-complete with the plaque that denotes it as a “survivor”-near where Grace and her family lived; we toured the Moody Mansion-completed in 1895 and also a “survivor’ of The Great Storm. We also walked the East End streets to marvel at the beautiful architecture, intricate designs and vibrant colors, while absorbing the fragrant aromas of the lush gardens. In Ann Howard Creel’s acknowledgments she mentions Erik Larson’s Isaac’s Storm as part of her historical reference. We thought the purchase of this book while in Galveston would be a fitting reminder of our trip. Just reading the back cover and perusing the text has me intrigued. Here’s a photo gallery of “A Return to Galveston 2020.”

**Freight Station in far end of the Alleys**

The Grateful Reader Review: by Dorothy Schwab

The Great Galveston hurricane, known regionally as the Great Storm of 1900, was the deadliest natural disaster in United States history,https://www.history.com/news/how-the-galveston-hurricane-of-1900-became-the-deadliest-u-s-natural-disaster

Overwhelming devastation to a city, its families, and the island itself; The Great Storm of 1900 that destroyed Galveston, Texas, is the setting for The Uncertain Season.

“Harry Gobinet knew something huge was blowing in, but even he didn’t foresee the magnitude of the storm coming their way. Still he saw enough to save them. “

An eleven year old girl and her friend, Harry, fight for their lives in a shrimp boat in Galveston Bay. Later, as they search for homes and family, the aftermath of the deadly storm of 140 mph winds engulfs the reader. Ann Howard Creel’s descriptions of the island devastation are recorded as she shares the storm’s impact on three women who find themselves in Galveston, 1903: the bold, but shamed Etta, from Nacogdoches, Texas; the privileged & engaged,but lonely Grace; and an elusive, mysterious islander known only as The Girl.

Amidst the building of the “modern engineering miracle,” known as the seawall, the author does a masterful job of weaving the gripping, coming of age of The Girl with the untimely unveiling of family secrets and betrayal, by both Etta and Grace. Adding the realizations of “living in a home where appearances were more important than the truth,” creates a compelling mystery. The upbringing, childhoods and parental influences of Etta, Grace, and The Girl, play an important role in individual reactions and emotional responses as each are battered about in the “personal storms of life.” Who survives the storms?

Powerful imagery, deep, emotional family situations involving trust, identity, regret, and forgiveness; the reader will “survive the storm,” but in the aftermath there will be that amazing feeling of freshness and beauty after a storm, along with the overwhelming relief and joy of new beginnings. Readers of The Uncertain Season will “be prepared” for the next storm. ***** GR

After first writing for children, Ann turned her attention to Historical Fiction. Her first novel for adults, THE MAGIC OF ORDINARY DAYS, was made into a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie on CBS. Her recent titles have been Kindle bestsellers and include WHILE YOU WERE MINE, THE WHISKEY SEA, THE UNCERTAIN SEASON, and her latest, THE RIVER WIDOW.

She now writes full-time. Ann’s main characters are always strong women facing high-stakes situations and having to make life-changing decisions. Her historical settings have ranged from Victorian-era Galveston to World War II in New York City. Her next novel, MERCY ROAD, to be published in 2019, takes readers to World War I France. Besides writing, Ann loves old houses, new yoga routines, and all things cat.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: