Barbour Sells Heartsong Presents to Harlequin

Stunned, simply stunned. I'm so totally surprised to hear this. I sensed that HP would be bought, but, I'd just assumed it would be purchased by another Christian publisher, not Harlequin! See more details about this here. Literary Agent Steve Laube blogged about it. You can find the press release here. What are your thoughts about this news? Are you just as shocked as I am? Leave a comment!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Is Your Book A Bestseller? Take The Test!

Literary Agent Steve Laube shared this link on his blog today. Take the Bestseller Test simply by copying and pasting a sample of your work into the box and then choosing the genre. I used one of the books that I'm currently working on to take the test. My score was 19.9 out of 20 for the romance category.

So, try it out! What's your score?
Share your score with a comment!

As Steve pointed out, a computer can't really determine if writing is great or not, but, doing the activity sure is fun!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Sinners And Saints - First Wildcard Blog Tour

Author Victoria Christopher Murray brings back one of her characters, Jasmine Cox Larson, in this book. Also Reshonda Tate Billingsly brings back character Rachel, who was featured in her earlier novels. This story was a page-turner and it reminded me of a soap opera a little bit. Both Jasmine and Rachel's pastor husbands have been nominated to run for the Baptist Coalition - whomever wins would head this organization and both Jasmine and Rachel long to the first lady of hte BC. They'll stop at nothing to get this title, they plot and scheme against one another, in spite of their husband's objections. Also, both Jasmine and Rachel fight to befriend Cecelia, the current first lady of the BC. The one who manages to befriend Cecelia would get her endorsement - enabling them to win the election.

If you enjoy page-turning fiction with lots of drama, then this book is one that you should try.
~Cecelia Dowdy~

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!




You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card authors are:

Victoria Christopher Murray

and

ReShonda Tate Billingsley

(Chapters written by alternating author)

and the book:

Sinners and Saints

Touchstone; Original edition (January 10, 2012)

***Special thanks to Shida Carr of Simon & Schuster for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Victoria Christopher Murray is the author of nine Essence bestselling novels, including The Ex Files, Too Little, Too Late, and Lady Jasmine. Winner of the African American Literary Award for Fiction and Author of the Year, she splits her time between Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.



Visit the author's website.






ReShonda Tate Billingsley is an award winning former television and radio reporter, as well as the author of twenty-one books which have appeared on the Essence bestseller list more than twenty times. She is married with three small children and lives in Texas.





Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

TEAM JASMINE or TEAM RACHEL?



Bestselling and award-winning novelists Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley bring their favorite heroines together in a novel that will delight their legions of fans.




Jasmine Larson Bush and Rachel Jackson Adams are not your typical first ladies. But they’ve overcome their scandalous and drama-filled pasts to stand firmly by their husbands’ sides.




When a coveted position opens up—president of the American Baptist Coalition— both women think their husbands are perfect for the job. And winning the position may require both women to get down and dirty and revert to their old tricks. Just when Jasmine and Rachel think they’re going to have to fight to the finish, the current first lady of the coalition steps in . . . a woman bigger, badder, and more devious than either of them.




Double the fun with a message of faith, Sinners & Saints will delight readers with two of their favorite characters from two of their favorite authors.








Product Details:




List Price: $15.00

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (January 10, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1451608152
• ISBN-13: 978-1451608151

AND NOW...THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS:

Chapter One

How in the world was Jasmine going to keep her promise to God now?

Two years ago, she had promised Him that if He saved her daughter when she was kidnapped, if He brought her home safely, then she was going to live a life devoted just to Him. Jasmine had vowed that with Jacqueline’s return, she was going to live the life that God had for her as Hosea’s wife, as Jacqueline and Zaya’s mother. She wasn’t going to want for anything more than what God had given her, because surely, He had supplied her with enough.

God had done His part.

And for the last two years, Jasmine had done her part, too.

She’d lived a low-key life, thrilled that her greatest dramas were debates about fashion choices every morning with her seven-year old daughter.

But how was she supposed to keep her promise to God now? After what her husband had just told her?

“So, hold up,” Jasmine said, slipping into the chair across from Hosea. “I thought you were just going to the convention as the keynote speaker.”

Hosea nodded.

“So, explain this to me again.”

With a sigh, Hosea folded the newspaper he’d been reading and placed it on the table. He stuffed his mouth with a forkful of pancake, chewed for a moment, then said, “The call came in from a friend of Pop’s, Pastor Earl Griffith. He thinks I need to submit my resume.”

“To be the head of the American Baptist Coalition?”

Hosea nodded.

“But we’re not Baptist.”

His eyes danced with his amusement. “Get out of here.”

“You know what I mean,” Jasmine said, waving one hand. “I just don’t get it. Why would they call you?”

“They didn’t call me. Only Pastor Griffith.Seems like there’re a couple of men in the running, though according to Griffith, the front-runner is Pastor Adams, Lester Adams from the Southern region.”

Jasmine frowned. “I’ve never heard of him.”

“Out of Houston. But Pastor Griffith doesn’t think Adams is the man. Seems that the last four presidents have been from the South and Griffith and a couple of other pastors on the board think that the Coalition needs someone from the North, someone more progressive, to really move the organization forward.”

“And they think that can be you?”

“Not they, darlin’. I told you—Griffith called me.”

“But you said there were others who agreed with him.”

Hosea nodded. “Apparently, they don’t have anyone from the North who they think can go up against Adams. I guess they think my name could win this.”

“That makes sense to me.”

“It doesn’t matter how much sense it makes, darlin’. I told Pastor Griffith that I’m not interested.”

As if she didn’t hear any of Hosea’s last words, Jasmine whispered, “Wow.” Old thoughts, familiar desires came to her mind—of power and prestige and money. How much money would a president receive?

She didn’t know a lot about the American Baptist Coalition, but she knew enough. Like the fact that they were the largest African American religious organization, and wielded major political clout. And as much as black folks loved religion, the head of the ABC would have a boatload of power—and so would his wife.

Talk about being the first lady!

“Jasmine?”

I’d be the first lady of like . . . the world!

“Jasmine?”

“Huh?” Her eyes were glassy with images of her future and it took her a moment to focus on Hosea.

His admonishment came before he even said a word. It was in the way his eyes narrowed and the way he’d already begun shaking his head. “Don’t even think about it.”

“What?”

“You know what. I’m not gonna do it,” he said slowly, as if he was speaking to one of their children. “I’m gonna go to the convention and speak, just like they asked. But I’m not gonnarun for that office. The little I know about Lester Adams, he’s a good man. They’ll be fine with him.”

“How could he be the one if I’ve never even heard of him?”

“Like you know every pastor in the country.”

“I’m not talking about knowing every pastor. I’m thinking that Pastor Griffith is right. The head of the ABC should be someone who’s known and who can add to the Coalition. Think about what you bring as the pastor of one of the largest churches in the country. Then, there’s your show.” She nodded. “Pastor Griffith is right,” she repeated. “It has to be you.”

His head was still shaking. “No. I don’t want the drama.”

“Who said anything about drama?”

“Any type of election—political or religious—is always about drama.” He stood and placed his plate in the sink. “And then there’s you, my wonderful wife. As much as I love you, darlin’, anytime you’re involved in anything, drama makes its way into our lives. No, I don’t want any part of it.”

“So, you’re just gonna let this huge opportunity pass us—I mean, pass you by?”

“Yup, because it’s not an opportunity that interests me. The church, the show, and most importantly you and the children are enough for me.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Speaking of the church, I’m gonna get dressed and head over there. I have a meeting in a couple of hours.”

“Okay,” she said, dismissing him with words, though she’d already dismissed him in her mind. Jasmine stayed as Hosea left her alone in the kitchen.

You and the children are enough for me.

Until a few minutes ago, she would’ve agreed with her husband. But this conversation was a game changer.

Hosea was right—their lives were without drama, but it had gotten kind of boring. Every day it was the same thing—getting the children off to school, then working on the women’s committees at the church, then coming home to meet the children, then helping Mrs. Sloss with dinner, then . . . then . . .then . . .

Not that she had complaints; she loved her life, her family. But she would still love everyone, and maybe even a little bit more if Hosea were the head of the ABC .

Oh, no. She wasn’t going to sit back and let this opportunity pass Hosea. He needed this position, even if he didn’t know it.

Standing, she moved toward their bedroom, the conniving wheels of her brain already churning. She stood outside the door of their master bathroom, listening to her husband praise God, the spray of the shower, his accompanying music.

“I trust you, Lord!” He sang the words to one of Donnie McClurkin’s songs.

“Babe,” she said, interrupting his praise time. “I’m gonna run over to Mae Frances’s apartment, okay?”

“Don’t you have a meeting at the church?”

“Yeah, but it’s not till this afternoon and Mae Frances just called and she really needs me to help her with something.”Jasmine paused. It had been a long time since she’d manipulated the truth to get somethingshe wanted. But it wasn’t like she was going back to being a total liar again—she just needed to get this done and after Hosea was in his rightful place, she’d go back to being on the side of righteousness.

“Oh, okay. Is Nama all right?” he asked, referring to Mae Frances by the name their children called the older woman.

“She’s fine. You know Nama. I’ll call Mrs. Whittingham and tell her that I may be a little late for my meeting.”

By the time they said their good-byes and Jasmine grabbed her purse, she already had a plan. But she’d need some help, and Mae Frances, her friend who knew everyone from Al Sharpton to Al Capone and his offspring, was just the person to help her.

“Sorry, Pastor Adams,” she said to herself as she rode down in the elevator. “Whoever you are, you can be the president of the ABC once Hosea and I are done—in, say, ten or twenty years.”

She stepped outside of their Central Park South apartmentbuilding and into the New York springtime sun. Slapping on herdesigner glasses, she laughed out loud.

Oh, yeah, today was gonna be a really good day.

Chapter Two

Watch out, Michelle Obama!

Rachel Jackson Adams smiled in satisfaction as shesurveyed her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She’d had toleave the prestigious American Baptist Coalition regional dinnerand step inside the restroom to compose herself. After all, shewas about to be the first lady of one of the most prestigiousorganizations in the country. She couldn’t very well be actinga plumb fool because she was overcome with excitement.But Rachel had wanted to do a backflip, front flip, toe touch,cartwheel, and anything else she could think of to express herjoy.

Rachel fluffed her honey brown curls, then lightly refreshedher MAC Oh Baby lip gloss. She had come such a long way. Hermother was probably dancing in her grave at the sight of Rachelas not only a first lady, but a soon-to-be prominent one at that.Rachel had worked hard to garner the respect of the parishionersat Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church. She’d grown up inthat church, so everyone knew her dirt—all of it—and it hadtaken God himself to get these people to respect her. And whileZion Hill had grown tremendously, it still wasn’t considereda megachurch, and outside of Houston there were few whohad even heard of it. As the first lady of the American BaptistCoalition, her status would go to a whole new level. Shoot, if shehad to be first lady, she might as well be the top first lady.

Rachel savored the thought as she dropped her lip gloss backinto her clutch and stepped back into the corridor.

“I was beginning to think you’d fallen in,” her husband ofeight years said before leaning in and lightly kissing Rachel onthe cheek.

Lester Adams wasn’t her true love—that title belonged toher thirteen-year-old son’s father, Bobby Clark. But Lester wasgood for her. Her love for Lester was that agape love they talkedabout in First Corinthians. It brought out the best in her. Well,for the most part anyway. Life with Bobby had been filled withdrama—Rachel admitted much of that was her own doing, but itwas drama-filled nonetheless. And although Bobby still remaineda part of Jordan’s life, Rachel had finally gotten him out of hersystem and was focusing all of her attention on making hermarriage work.

“What took you so long?” Lester asked, snapping Rachel outof her thoughts.

“Sorry,” Rachel said with a slight smile, “but you know I’mabout to be the preeminent first lady, so I had to make sure mymakeup was on point.” She tossed her hair back. “Come to thinkof it, I think I’ll change my name to Lady Rachel so I can havethe title to go along with the position.”

Lester narrowed his eyes and glared at his wife. “Rachel,” hebegan in that voice she hated—the one that he always used whenhe was chastising her.

“What?” Rachel shrugged, already getting defensive.

“I don’t have the position yet,” he said matter-of-factly. “Theregional board just nominated me tonight. There’s still a nationalelection.”

Rachel waved him off. “That’s just a formality. Did you hearthose election results? You beat Pastor Johnson seventy-three totwenty-five percent!”

Lester sighed. “Pastor Johnson also got his sixteen-year-oldstepniece pregnant.” As soon as Lester said it, he looked like hewished he could take the words back.

The smile immediately left Rachel’s face. Lester was no sainthimself. He’d had his own little pregnant-woman-on the-sidedebacle. But thank God, they’d worked through that crisis.“I’m just saying,” Lester quickly continued, like he wanted toprevent Rachel’s mind from traveling down that rocky memorylane, “Pastor Johnson wasn’t that hard to beat. I still have to runagainst whomever they nominate from the North region, andrumor has it they’re bringing out their top dogPastor HoseaBush.”

“That jack-legged TV preacher?” Rachel asked with a frown.

Lester shook his head. “Pastor Bush is not jack-legged. He’swell established, comes from a highly respected family, and heleads one of the largest churches in the country.”

“So? He’s. Not. You,” Rachel said, reaching up and adjustingLester’s bow tie. Lester had been an extreme nerd when theywere in high school—which is why Rachel had never given himthe time of day. But he’d pursued her relentlessly and eventuallyhad worn her down. He was willing to be a father to her twokids and he loved her unconditionally. So she agreed to givetheir relationship a try, but not before having him shave off thatred mop of a hairstyle he wore and introducing him to Proactiv.She’d revamped his wardrobe, taught him how to have a littleswagger, and now, even she had to admit, he had it going on. Notto mention the fact that he was an awesome preacher. “Lester,sweetheart,” Rachel said, taking her husband’s hands, “you heardthat emcee tonight. For the past sixty years, the president of theABC has been a Southerner. That’s not about to change. I don’tcare how prominent this Rev. Tree is.”

Lester let out a small chuckle. “Pastor Bush,” he corrected.

“Tree, Bush, Leave, whatever,”she said, flicking her hand.“The bottom line is, that position is ours. God said so.”

He laughed again. “Oh, God said so, huh?”

Rachel nodded emphatically. “He sure did. And if God said it,then it’s so.” She grinned widely.

“Look at my baby,” Lester said proudly. “And to think, youthreatened to divorce me for entering the ministry.”

“Well, that’s because I’d spent my life as a preacher’sdaughter. I wasn’t trying to be a preacher’s wife. But I’ve gottenthe hang of it now.”

“You do make a great first lady,” Lester said, kissing heragain. “And can I say it again—you look lovely in that dress.”

“Thank you. And I’m going to make an even better first ladyon a national level.” She tightened the belt on her royal blueDiane von Furstenberg silk dress. Her attire tonight was justone indication of how far she’d come. Just a few years ago, shewould’ve shown up to an event like this in the latest Baby Phator Apple Bottoms style that she could find. And although she stillloved her some Kimora Lee Simmons, she didn’t have to wear iteverywhere.

“Congratulations, Rev. Adams,” an elderly man said as hewalked past them.

Lester stopped and smiled. “Thank you, sir.”

“I can’t wait until you officially claim that presidency,” theman said as he stepped on to the elevator.

“From your lips to God’s ears,” Lester replied as he wavedgood-bye.

Rachel waited for the elevator door to close. “See, everyoneknows you’re the man for the job. And I’m the woman that needsto be next to the man for the job.”

“Since when did this kind of stuff excite you?”Rachel’s hands went to her hips. “Since I did my homework.Do you know that the last wife of the ABC president wasinvited everywhere? To White House dinners, commencementceremonies, the Grammys—she even cohosted on The View!”

“But wasn’t she a TV journalist anyway?”

Rachel frowned. Lester and all this negativity was about towork her nerves. “That’s beside the point. Everyone knows theABC president is one of the most powerful men in the country,so that means the ABC ’s president’s wife would be one of themost powerful women.”

“I’m just saying, don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“Whatever, Lester.”Rachel rolled her eyes. She’d beeneuphoric since they announced he’d won the election an hourago. Of course, she always knew he would, but hearing itconfirmed was the icing on the cake.

As thoughts of hanging out with Michelle Obama danced inher head, Rachel once again smiled.

“Rachel, I see your mind working.”

“Just trying to determine where I’ll get my dress for yourinduction ceremony.” Maybe she could get Kimora to design hersomething personally.

“Rachel—”

She put her finger to his lips. “Shhhh,” she said, draping herarm through his. “Let’s just savor the moment tonight. Let’s goback in, mingle with the people, and enjoy ourselves. My dadand Brenda have the kids, so the night is all ours. Tomorrow,we’ll talk about the national election.” Rachel decided to justchange the subject because she didn’t care what Lester said,he would win the national election. And if this Reverend Bushproved to be a problem, well, Rachel might just have to revertto her old bag of tricks—just for a moment—to make sure thathe wasn’t a threat. She wasn’t going to let anything, or anyone,stand in the way of claiming what was destined to be hers.

Remember The Dream!

Remember the dream! I hope everybody has a blessed Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Remember the words from this amazing man!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Reclaiming Lily By Patti Lacy

Reclaiming Lily by Patti Lacy


Can you imagine being born and raised and not being taught about Jesus? How would that affect your salvation when you are an adult?


Reclaiming Lily is a book that gives you a huge, realistic view of Chinese culture. When Kai was a youngster in China, she knew that she was made to be a healer. After political turmoil ruined her family's life, her mom is forced to give up the family's fourth child (Joy/Lily), leaving Joy in an orphanage. Kai, now a Harvard graduate and a medical doctor living in Boston, is determined to reunite with her "lost" sister, Joy. Joy has been adopted by an American family and Kai wants to reunite with Joy - there's a medical condition that runs in the Chang family and Kai wants to be sure that Joy is not at risk.

This story shows the vast cultural differences between Chinese and Americans. Joy was adopted by a White American family, and her adopted father, Andrew, is a preacher. Joy's relationship with her parents is difficult and she's the classic problem child: smoking cigarettes and getting into trouble with the police. Emotional problems run deep within this family and Kai eventually proves to be a welcome reprieve to the tenuous relationship that Joy's family shares.

I found Kai's struggle with Christianity the most intense aspect of this novel. Kai was born and raised in China and she does not have a relationship with the Lord. She struggles with understanding the "Christian God" and this book gives a realistic glimpse into the minds of those who are not raised with Christian beliefs - showing why they doubt Jesus.

Can you imagine being born and raised, not being taught about Jesus? Would you be likely to question God more than those who were raised in the Christian faith?

I highly recommend this book as an intense, highly emotional read. The unique story idea as well as the unusual twist near the end will keep you turning those pages, anxious to discover what happens.

Leave a comment and give me your thoughts regarding the bolded questions above - also, if you've read this book, I'd like to hear your opinion about it.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Publishing Predictions For 2012

Literary Agent Steve Laube posted this link on his blog yesterday. Read it and let me know what you think. What are your publishing predictions for 2012?

It's a given about the e-books really taking off. I mean, bookstores are closing down and more and more people are purchasing Kindles and Nooks. I thought it was interesting what some of them said about self-publishing. It appears that some of those who commented on the link above felt that more authors would be self-publishing since the publishing model for commercial publishers wasn't set up for e-pubbed titles. I do know that commercial publishers are re-releasing old titles as e-books, but the authors may not be getting a fair percentage of the cover price.

It kind of makes you wonder about the roles of editors and literary agents. Will their roles be changing in 2012?

So, after reading the above-mentioned link, share your thoughts. What are your publishing predictions for 2012?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Introducing Author Gina Conroy

It gives me great pleasure to introduce Gina Conroy on my blog today! Gina is a new Christian Fiction author and she's taken the time to answer some questions for us! Please make Gina feel welcome and leave a comment and check out Gina's new release! Also, please check out her bio and book information!

Bio:

Gina Conroy used to think she knew where her life was headed; now she's leaning on the Lord to show her the way. She is the founder of Writer...Interrupted where she mentors busy writers and tries to keep things in perspective, knowing God's timing is perfect, even if she doesn't agree with it! ;) She is represented by Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary, and her first novella, Buried Deception, in the Cherry Blossom Capers Collection, releases from Barbour Publishing in January 2012. On her blog Defying Gravity and twitter she chronicles her triumphs and trials as she pursues her dreams while encouraging her family and others to chase after their own passions. Gina loves to connect with readers, and when she isn’t writing, teaching, or driving kids around, you can find her on Facebook and Twitter.



1. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?


I remember in second or third grade, when I got my first diary how freeing it was to be able to put down the thoughts I didn’t know how or was too afraid to express. In school I would always write more than the teacher required and received praise for my writing. I’m not sure the exact moment I knew when I wanted to write, but there was nothing else I saw myself doing. In high school I finally got the nerve to join the school paper, and in college I studied journalism. After I got married, I wrote for local magazines and eventually found that I had a passion for fiction. That’s when I devoted myself to studying the craft and seven long years later, I can finally say I’m a published fiction author.

2. Tell us a little bit about your blog, Writer Interrupted.



I started http://writerinterrupted.com when God told me to stop writing for a season. I was homeschooling at the time and not doing a very good job of it. My priorities with my family were all out of whack and writing and publication fell shy of an obsession. To deal with the "loss" of writing, I decided to interview writing, homeschooling moms who were successful at balancing it all. Over 100 interviews later, I've learned that everyone's journey is different. On Writer...Interrupted I try and offer the busy writer things I've learned about balancing life and handling interruptions and I have other "experts" share in their field!

3. I notice that your novella is set in Washington, D.C. – how did you happen to choose that setting?

Back in 2005 I was homeschooling and took my children on an east coast tour, hitting all the historical spots. Mount Vernon was one of them and as I was walking through the mansion I kept thinking about the antiques and if they were real or replicas. Later, when I wanted to try writing a mystery I kept coming back to Mount Vernon. I thought it would be fun to explore the “What if someone discovered that an artifact at the Mount Vernon mansion was a fake?” The characters, story and plot just grew from there.

My novella, Buried Deception, combines my love of mystery and suspense with my fascination with archaeology. I’m going to steal the words from Vickie McDonough, award-winning author of 24 books and novellas, who said this about my novella, “Murder. Thefts of priceless artifacts. An ornery, little boy with a penchant for getting into trouble. Gina Conroy's fast-paced debut novella has it all and takes readers on an emotional ride. A charming romance winds up this satisfying who-dun-it.”

It’s a fun series of novellas where characters from previous stories have cameos in the others! So if you’re someone who hates to say goodbye to a “friend,” then you’ll enjoy the reunions in Cherry Blossom Capers.

4. Tell us a little bit about your journey to publication.

My journey to publication has been seven active years in the making, plus another ten inactive years. The active years started when my youngest turned two and I thought it was time to pick up my writing after ten years off to raise kids. But I might have been wrong. See question #2. After I wrote my first novel and got numerous rejections, I found ACFW and started learning the craft of writing. I attended writer's conferences, got to know people in the industry (including my agent whom I didn't pitch until I was ready three years after I met him.) After signing me, he couldn't sell my novel, but encouraged me to keep writing and that one day it would happen. That one day came after a couple of manuscripts and multiple rejections later.

5. I notice that you are a mom. Do you have a hard time juggling family time with writing time?

Absolutely! (See question #2) I even wrote a recent post about it! I'm much more relaxed about my writing now, knowing God's timing is perfect and I can't do anything to help along this publication process except to keep writing when I can.

6. Do you have any advice to others who want to pursue commercial publication?

Study the craft of writing through books and blogs, find a community who can encourage you and teach you the ropes, and just write! I’m still working on taking my own advice on the last point! And don't be anxious to publish. If you work hard and never give up, I believe it will happen for you!

7. Why did you choose to write Christian Fiction?

I didn't really choose Christian fiction, in fact, I'm working on a story that could go main stream. What I choose is a story told with a Christian worldview. It's hard to see the world any other way since Jesus is the center of my life. Sometimes my characters aren't Christians or are lost and fallen, but their journey always leads them closer to the Lord.

Book descriptions:
My Novella: Buried Deception
Mount Vernon archaeology intern and widow Samantha Steele wants to provide for her children without assistance from anyone. Security guard and ex-cop Nick Porter is haunted by his past and keeps his heart guarded. But when they discover an artifact at Mount Vernon is a fake, Nick and Samantha need to work together, set aside their stubbornness, and rely on each other or the results could be deadly. Will Samantha relinquish her control to a man she hardly knows? Can Nick learn to trust again? And will they both allow God to excavate their hearts so they can find new love?
Collection Summary, releasing January 2012
Four townhouse neighbors encounter romance and mystery near our nation’s capital. In State Secrets, White House assistant chef Tara Whitley and FBI agent Jack Courtland stop a plot to sabotage a State dinner—and find love still hidden in their hearts. In Dying for Love, attorneys and opponents Ciara Turner and Daniel Evans uncover love while searching for justice. In Buried Deception, archaeologist Samantha Steele and security guard Nick Porter dig up love while uncovering a forged artifact. In Coffee, Tea and Danger, amateur sleuths Susan Holland and Vince Martinelli find love while investigating a string of mysterious accidents.

This book certainly sounds like a winner! I want all of you to purchase a copy - either paperback or Kindle/e-book version! Let us know what you thought about the book once you've read it and feel free to leave some comments!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all of my blog readers!

Question: What are you doing on this New Year's Day?

I'm going to be a pot of gumbo - I've never made gumbo in my entire life. I found a recipe in a cooking magazine so I thought I'd give it a try!

I wish all of my blog readers a safe, happy and blessed New Year's day! :-)

~Cecelia Dowdy~

African-American Children Adopted By Mennonite Families

If you've been reading this blog long enough, you'll know that I've often posted about Amish, Mennonites, and other Plain sects. I found this article interesting - it's about Mennonites adopting African-American Children.

If you read the article, let me know what you thought about it.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Sunday Brunch - Merry Christmas! :-)

Merry Christmas, everyone! How will you be spending your holiday - both Christmas and New Year's? Leave a comment!



~Cecelia Dowdy~

Luke 2:1-20
Luke 2
Christ Born of Mary
1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “ Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.