Title:  Tempered Hearts, First in the Tempered Series
Author:  Pamela S. Thibodeaux
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Buy Now Url/Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Tempered-Hearts-Pamela-S-Thibodeaux/dp/0976996022/ref=reader_req_dp/104-9523019-5020728

Craig Harris the Third lost his parents while a teenager and had to take over the ranch under the wise leadership of his grandfather, Craig Harris the First. By the time he met Tamera Collins, he had developed into a man who expected and demanded respect from those with whom he dealt and his attitude had slipped into arrogance.

Tamera Collins’ father nicknamed her Temper Tantrum because of her wild temper. Already a licensed Veterinarian by the time she was twenty-four, she came to Bandera, Texas, to work for the Harris’s just for the summer. She lost her parents shortly before making the trip and as a result is late getting to the Harris Ranch. Hot and aching deep in her soul, she stops for lunch unsure whether she would be able to eat, but needing the break.

Craig, a horse breeder who loves horses, finds Tamera’s stallion, Temper Too waiting in the horse trailer hitched to her car while the sun glares down on him. He storms into the diner, ready to fight the one responsible for leaving the horse in a hot trailer during a hot day. Tamera, shocked at the Craig’s rudeness, snaps at his arrogant attitude and his ‘take charge’ demeanor and decides his handing out veiled threats is more than she is ready to bear. It did not help that the diner’s customers consisted of many of Craig’s male peers who could not help but snicker and chuckle. Forced to back off when she dumps a glass of water on him and the owner of the diner gives him warning, Craig leaves in a huff with humiliation hanging over him like a thundercloud.

That is just the beginning. Sparks fly again once Tamera arrives at the ranch only to learn, the same time Craig does, that she is Craig’s employee. Not only anger sparks, but also static electricity arc between the two as the days pass. Thus begins a long road filled with a rocky romance that wobbles a few times along the way before a truce settles in. A deep abiding love for God and faith and trust in Him brings love and peace in the midst of trials and heartaches. Craig and Tamera learns exactly what the Lord means when He says, “All things work together for good to them that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.”

For years, I have read inspirational romances and loved them. However those early novels were too sugary, the protagonist too sweet, the problems realistic but not very bad, placing them much on the same level as fairy tales. Ms. Thibodeaux’s characters show the hate, love, anger, depression, and other emotions that we all suffer from today. The romance is not all sugar and spice and everything nice. The conflicts are real for us in today’s world. Tempered Hearts deals with grief for the passing of loved ones, of family. By watching Tamera and Craig deal with their losses, we gain hope that we can deal with ours. Buy the book and when you have finished reading it, pass it on to someone else.

Author Bio:  Award winning Author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder, President & Treasurer of Bayou Writers’ Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction and creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.” To find out more about Pam and her writing, email her at pthib-7@centurytel.net or visit her website http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com