Head in the Clouds

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Head in the Clouds Bethany House; Original edition (October 1, 2010)
by
Karen Witemeyer


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Karen Witemeyer is a deacon's wife and mother of three who believes the world needs more happily-ever-afters. To that end, she combines her love of bygone eras with her passion for helping women mature in Christ to craft historical romance novels that lift the spirit and nurture the soul.

After growing up in California, Karen moved to Texas to attend Abilene Christian University where she earned bachelor and master's degrees in Psychology. It was also there that she met and married her own Texas hero. He roped her in good, for she has lived in Texas ever since. In fact, she fell so in love with this rugged land of sweeping sunsets and enduring pioneer spirit, that she incorporates it into the pages of her novels, setting her stories in the small towns of a state that burgeoned into greatness in the mid-to-late 1800s.

Karen is living her dream by writing Christian historical romance novels for Bethany House. When she visited her publisher back in January of 2010, she was interviewed by the staff. If you'd like a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how she develops her story ideas and a description of her bumpy journey to publication, go to her website to listen to a podcast of that interview.


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?


If you would like to read the first chapter of Head in the Clouds, go HERE.

MY THOUGHTS
It's always fun to discover a new author. I loved Karen Witemeyer's debut novel, The Tailor-Made Bride, which I reviewed in May. Now she has written another novel that is just as much fun! Head in the Clouds is a charming and thoroughly enjoyable story, and not just because it is set in Texas! Adelaide Proctor has stars in her eyes--that is, until she starts seeing red when she discovers the man she wants to marry is not who she thought he was! In desperation, she applies for a position of governess for Gideon Westcott, a simple sheep rancher from England who needs someone to care for the daughter he "inherited." Adelaide immediately falls in love with Isabella, and is well on her way to feeling the same about Isabella's dad, but normal life comes to a screeching halt when a conniving uncle arrives and lives are endangered. Suspense, romance, and faith are bundled together in this engrossing tale.