Coming Attractions by Robin Jones Gunn

Coming Attractions by Robin Jones Gunn
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (July 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310276586
ISBN-13: 978-0310276586

From Amazon.com:
Product Description
The third book in the Katie Weldon Series takes Katie through her last semester in college. As Katie ponders life after graduation, she’s asking serious questions about her future. Will it be with Rick? And what about her growing friendship with Eli? And most important of all, is she really serious about her relationship with God?

From the Back Cover
In this third book in the Katie Weldon Series, Katie is rolling into her final semester at Rancho Corona with one major question for her boyfriend: "Are you serious?" Katie's come to the conclusion that she really, truly loves Rick and it's time for him to make a declaration about his future intentions. The biggest obstacle to such a conversation is the craziness of their schedules. Katie's close friend, Nicole, is spending more time with Rick than Katie is, and the once mysterious Eli is now the person to whom Katie is opening her heart. What is happening to her should-be-predictable world?

Soon Katie finds she's the one who is asking herself, "Are you serious?" Katie ponders what that means in her life: from her relationship with Rick to what she plans to do after graduation. Could it be that God is asking her the same question about her relationship with Him?

===
This book was a cute, light, enjoyable read. The subject matter wasn't too heavy, but I did enjoy this book more than Robin's Christy Miller Series. Katie is running around with a heavy schedule - she's a Resident Assistant (RA) at her dorm and she also has a full load of classes, plus, she's juggling her relationship with Rick. They've been a couple for awhile now, and Katie's been smitten with him since she was a child. Now that her dream of dating Rick has finally come true, the next step should be marriage, right?

But why does she keep thinking about Rick's roommate Eli? When Katie is sick, Eli comes to her rescue bearing New Zealand bottled water and cold medicine. Why is she able to talk to Eli freely, while she doesn't share such close camaraderie with her boyfriend Rick?

This book is about Katie's journey to knowing her true self, and about how to make her own choices that will affect her future.

I think high school and college students may enjoy this novel, too. It's also a great adult read!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

August Book Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the August Book Giveaway is:
Sandy Greathouse - Newton Falls, OH

Sandy, I should be mailing your books out to you this week, Saturday at the latest.

I'll be posting my September Book Giveaway tomorrow, or, shortly after that.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

No Blogging For About A Week....

Gotta get some stuff done! I got up at 4:30 this morning to work on my novel! Making progress...

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Far Behind...

I'm so far behind in my reading for this blog. I have the following novels in my to-be-read pile:
Sins Of The Father by Angela Benson
What The Bayou Saw by Patti Lacy
and a Robin Jones Gunn novel - can't remember the title to that one.

As you know, I do read some secular fiction occasionally. I couldn't resist starting New Moon (the second in the Twilight Series). I read the first one awhile back, and I purchased the whole set since I enjoyed the first one so much. I enjoyed New Moon until about the last 1/3 of it, and I doubt I'll finish it word by word. I'll probably skim the rest. Didn't find it overall as intriguing as Twilight. My eyes started glazing over around the time they made the trip to Italy to save Edward. Don't know when I'll get around to reading the other two books in the series. After I've read them all, I'll probably do a giveaway. I seldom keep books once I've read them.

I'm hard at work on a manuscript, plus, I'm getting a proposal together with three other authors. My plate is so full, don't know how I'm going to do all that needs to get done!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Pop Tarts!

I was going to blog about things I did during my childhood; that should have given me a clue that I'm a writer. But I'm too tired and my brain is too numb to blog about that.

When I was at the store last weekend, doing our weekly grocery shopping, I was hungry. There was a huge bin of Pop Tarts on sale. I got some. I don't think I'd purchased Pop Tarts since college, or if I have, I haven't bought them in a long time. When I brought home those cherry Pop Tarts, I tried to sneak and eat some, but my four-year-old son caught me. He said "Mommy, what are you eating? What are those things with frosting on them?" I reluctantly gave him a bite and he was hooked. He said, "I want some of those things with frosting on them." So, I popped some in the toaster for him too. I told my hubby about the conversation with our son and he said, "We have Pop Tarts? I want some!"

We ate the whole box in less than a day. I even went to the store later on in the week to get more. It's funny how you forget how much you enjoy something. When I pop those things into the toaster (on a low setting) and then they pop up nice and warm...they're so good! That frosting and that sweet fruity (or chocolatey) filling...I'd forgotten how much I used to enjoy these things! I've rediscovered a food I used to love during my childhood and college years!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

My New Coach Purse!!

I blogged about my birthday awhile back, and, also, last December, I told you what I thought about purses. Well, my hubby got me a great gift this year and I'm thankful for it! I'd been meaning to blog about this for awhile...I even took some pics, but never got around to posting them.

It was time for me to get a new purse. This is the first purse I've gotten in years! The last time I got a new purse, I wasn't even married yet, and I've been married for awhile! I usually get a Coach purse because I REFUSE TO CHANGE PURSES AND COACH PURSES LAST FOREVER!! I carry the same purse everyday because I don't have the time or desire to change it. So, now it's time for a new one. The zipper for my old Coach purse broke and since it was around my birthday, I told hubby it was time for a new one. I'm going to send the old purse away for repair - Coach repairs purses but you still have to pay a $20 fee!

This is my old Coach bag! The thing is almost SEVEN YEARS OLD, and it still looks good! With a repair, it'll make a great backup purse!

My new Coach purse came with this nifty little sack to store my purse when I'm not using it. But, ya know what? Since I don't change purses, I guess I'll use this to store my backup purse!

This is the back-side of my new purse!

This is the inside!! Such a nice inside pocket and what a beautiful purple lining!

Another pocket at the side of my purse!





Here's the little Coach emblem on the front! Isn't it cute?
Well, I'm hoping to enjoy this purse for many years! I hope you enjoyed my pics!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Royalties!! :-)

I received my royalty check from Barbour Publishing today! Life is grand! :-)

~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Believer by Ann H. Gabhart

The Believer by Ann H. Gabhart
Paperback: 394 pages
Publisher: Revell (August 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800733622
ISBN-13: 978-0800733629



From the Back Cover
Will a forbidden love destroy all they know? Elizabeth Duncan has nowhere to turn. In charge of her younger brother and sister after their parents die, her options are limited: she can give in to the unwanted advances of an odious landowner--or she can flee. When Elizabeth hears that the Shaker community in the next county takes in orphans, she presents herself and her siblings at Harmony Hill. Despite the hard work and strange new beliefs around her, Elizabeth is relieved to have a roof overhead and food to eat. But life gets complicated when she finds herself attracted to a handsome young Believer named Ethan. Ethan has never looked on the opposite sex as anything but sisters, but he can't shake the new feelings that Elizabeth has awakened in him. Will Elizabeth be forced to leave the village to keep Ethan from stumbling? Or could Ethan's love for her change their lives forever? Living just thirty miles from a restored Shaker village in Kentucky, Ann H. Gabhart has walked the same paths that her characters might have walked in generations past. Gabhart is the author of several books, including the bestselling The Outsider.

Just a reminder, I'm giving this book away here.

This was a good book! You should buy it...really!

This book was very intriguing. It's emotional and the characters are extremely well-developed. When Elizabeth and her sister Hannah and brother Peyton decide to reside in the Shaker community after the sudden death of her father, their lives change drastically. They take refuge with the Shakers because Elizabeth feels they have no other choice. Hannah has a hard time accepting the Shaker life while Peyton accepts their new life freely - almost like a duck to water. However, problems arise when Ethan, a brother within the Shaker community, finds himself smitten with Elizabeth. Ethan has a background full of questions and he shows up near the Shaker community as a young boy, with no place to go.

This book is very different than most that I've read because it focused on the Shakers. I didn't really know much about this religious sect until I read this novel. The Shakers kind of reminded me of a cult. However, I'm unsure if they were categorized that way. I guess the Shakers left me feeling very unsettled because I write romances, and I love to see people falling in love! However, The Shakers believe that matrimony and procreation are sins. Everybody in their community are brothers and sisters and they keep contact between the sexes to a minimum - even having separate entrances to most of the buildings! The author did a great job in carrying me off to another place, another community, another time. I'd like to know how much research she had to do in order to create such a vivid, realistic novel!

I could really relate to Ethan because....(SPOILER BELOW)!!...
















I could really relate to Ethan because I was raised in a religion where I was taught some off-the-wall "Christian" beliefs. These beliefs seemed "right" at the time because it was all that I knew. However, as I got older and started questioning things, I saw this religion for what it really was. Also, the "church" in which I was raised, if you leave after baptism, you are shunned, much like what happens to Ethan at the end. (I was never baptized within the church mentioned in the previus sentence, so I was never shunned. But I'd seen it happen to others.) I could also relate to his struggle because he was accepting "truth" that had been taught to him practically his entire life. I felt irked whenever the Shakers referred to "the sin of matrimony." I could understand Ethan feeling torn at the end because, even though he doesn't agree with the Shaker beliefs, he was still "forced" to leave his home, his people, in order to be with Elizabeth. I know that must hurt because you have to accept the beliefs to be with the Shakers and become one of them. I still don't quite understand why the Shakers thought that matrimonial sex and procreation were sins. I guess it had something to do with Mother Ann (that's their founder whom the Shakers believe is the second coming of Christ in female form.)

I know Ethan really hurt leaving his people, but I was glad when he was able to be with Elizabeth at the end.

I did do some reading online about the Shakers. They died off, for the most part. I did see an article in Wikipedia (I know, Wikipedia is not an authentic source) that told of one remaining Shaker community that only has FOUR MEMBERS!! I can't recall where this place was, though. When I was telling others about this novel, one of the first questions they asked were, "How can the Shakers expand and get new members if they can't have kids?" The answer: They took in anybody who wanted to embrace their way of life, plus they took in a lot of orphans. Of course, this changed in later times when religious sects could no longer adopt children. I just thought that the little bit of history I read was interesting.

Great book. A must-buy. I can practically guarantee you'll enjoy it.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Chesapeake Weddings!!

My editor at Barbour sent me the high resolution jpeg of my next book cover! Here it is! You can also pre-order this book on Amazon.com!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

My New Book Cover And Other Things

I accidentally found my bookcover while browsing the internet the other day. It's the cover for Chesapeake Weddings, the re-release of John's Quest, Milk Money, and Bittersweet Memories. Only problem is, the only place I can find it is on Christianbooks.com and I'm not able to copy, enlarge, or paste the cover listed on Christian books. I've already emailed the editor at my publishing house, asking for a high-resolution jpeg of my cover to post on my websites. So far, I haven't heard back. Let me know if you see it elsewhere. If you do see it someplace else please forward the link to me.

Also, if any of you have a blog, maybe you can help me out again. My followers have disappeared. The Followers gadget no longer shows on my blog and all you see on the Followers gadget is a white block stating that the website cannot be found. I've posted this question on my writers loop and a few people gave suggestions, but, so far, nothing has worked. If this has ever happened to you, could you let me know what you did to correct the problem? I already contacted Blogger about it and, so far, I've heard nothing.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Help With Foreign Comments!!!

Every day, I get one or several comments on my blog in Chinese - at least I think it's Chinese. I always reject them. But, a friend of mine said, why don't you post the comment and see if anybody can help you out. Maybe they can tell you what the comment says...

So....

On yesterday's post about Baked Beans, go to the comment section and look at the comment. I've also copied and pasted the comment below:
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Baked Beans!":

保健食品顧名思義係指含有特定成分並具調節生理機能或可發揮保健功效之食品；因此，保健食品範圍包括了經衛生署認證之健康食品、機能性食品、膳食補充食品、健康補助食品、特殊營養食品等。因此除了衛生署認證的「健康食品」外，凡具有特殊機能的「機能性食品」如運動飲料；補充營養素的「膳食補充品」如綜合維他命；可供營養補給、維持健康狀況或養生的「健康補助食品」，如樟芝與靈芝產品；及因應特殊生理狀況的特殊需求之「特殊營養食品」，如減肥代餐食品等均屬之。因此，所謂保健食品不僅限於通過衛生署認證的「健康食品」，只要具有保健或機能性訴求者均稱之。

大家一談到保健食品就自然而然想到膠囊、放眼市場，具保健或機能性概念且以傳統食品方式呈現的產品已開始慢慢嶄露頭角，如即沖即食大燕麥片、可調節血脂的食用油、可預防蛀牙的口香糖等，除了受到消費者歡迎外，其附加價值也隨之提高了。

保健食品、樟芝、納豆、樟芝食品、樟芝膠囊、納豆食品、納豆膠囊、養身食品>>>參考網站

Can any of you tell me what that says?? Or, do you have any idea why someone would comment like this every day on my blog? I can't email them or contact them since the comments are usually anonymous. I'm just curious to know what they're saying.

Also, don't recommend that I change my settings to disallow anonymous comments. I've found that a lot of people don't like setting up blogger profiles and only like to comment anonymously, merely signing their name and email address. When I do my book giveaways, I want to make it possible for all to enter, whether they have a blogger ID or not.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Baked Beans!

A little over a week ago we made the following baked beans recipe for the first time! They were great! The baked beans is the second recipe listed. The beans are sweet, savory and oh, so good! This was the first time I've ever made baked beans in a slow cooker. Plus you need to use bacon and fresh chopped onion, too. Check out this recipe if you have a chance. They're the best baked beans I've ever eaten and my hubby states that we're never using canned baked beans again! While you're on Deb's sight, check out some of the other pages and give her books a try!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Hope Of Refuge by Cindy Woodsmall

The Hope Of Refuge by Cindy Woodsmall

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press; 1 edition (August 11, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400073960
ISBN-13: 978-1400073962

From Amazon.com
Product Description
Raised in foster care and now the widowed mother of a little girl, Cara Moore struggles against poverty, fear, and a relentless stalker. When a trail of memories leads Cara and Lori out of New York City toward an Amish community, she follows every lead, eager for answers and a fresh start. She discovers that long-held secrets about her family history ripple beneath the surface of Dry Lake, Pennsylvania, and it’s no place for an outsider. But one Amish man, Ephraim Mast, dares to fulfill the command he believes that he received from God–“Be me to her”– despite how it threatens his way of life.

Completely opposite of the hard, untrusting Cara, Ephraim’s sister Deborah also finds her dreams crumbling when the man she has pledged to build a life with begins withdrawing from Deborah and his community, including his mother, Ada Stoltzfus. Can the run-down house that Ada envisions transforming unite them toward a common purpose–or push Mahlon away forever? While Ephraim is trying to do what he believes is right, will he be shunned and lose everything–including the guarded single mother who simply longs for a better life?

This is one of the books that I'm giving away here.

This book was excellent! It was so good that I couldn't put it down, making me neglect my own writing duties. This is a book that you'll need to spare some to read, because, if you got lots of stuff to do, you'll find yourself procrastinating, not wanting to do anything until you've reached the last page!

Cara has always struggled to survive. She barely remembers her mother and father, plus, she has vague memories of a house, a boy, and the sweeping plains in an Amish community. When a stalker from one of her former foster homes continues to threaten her, she runs to the vague place from her childhood, desperately wanting to protect her daughter Lori.

The Amish community is suspicious of this "drunken" newcomer who pilfers from their homes. However, when her real identity is discovered, the flames of unrest are ignited in this small Amish town.

Ada, an Amish woman, wants to help Cara, and Ephraim (the boy from her childhood) finds himself falling in love with her. His offer of protection to her practically makes him an outcast within his own community.

This is one of the best Amish stories I've ever read and I look forward to reading more books by this author. Reading this book was like eating my lemon pound cake. When I make one of those, I can't just stop at one piece! Throughout the next two to three days, I crave piece after piece until it's all gone! That's why you need to carve out a hunk of time to really enjoy this novel! You won't want to put it down! After reading those first few pages, you'll crave more of the story until it's all finished!

I also wanted to point out that this author was featured on Nightline awhile back. I blogged about that here.
~Cecelia Dowdy~
WARNING: SPOILER BELOW WITH MY FURTHER THOUGHTS....


























One thing that bugged me about the novel was Cara's stalker. He appears, and we know he's been stalking her for several years. However, I'm unclear as to why he'd stalk her for so long? Perhaps it was explained in a sentence or two and I just overlooked it? I know he's the son of the parents in one of her foster homes, but that's about all I could piece together. Is he a lunatic who just wants Cara to have a relationship with him?

Also, the author did a great job of creating a tense, suspenseful situation between Cara and the stalker, BUT, there's no justice done as far as the stalker is concerned. Although Cara is safe at the end in the Amish community, I still wonder what happened to Mike (the stalker)? Is he ever caught? Is he crafty enough to actually discover Cara and her daughter now living in the Amish community? I felt this was a loose end that needed to be tied up. This book is part of a series, so, perhaps this issue will be addressed in another novel? Will Mike re-appear to stir up trouble between Cara and her soon-to-be husband?

Book Ban! :-(

I still have one or two book reviews that I'll be doing within the next day or so. However, I have to place a self-imposed ban on books over the next week (at least!). Reason being, I've been blessed with some great reading material lately for my blog...so great that I haven't been able to put the book down! Reading has been dominating my life over the past week and I need to put a stop to it so that I can work on my own writing!!

So, hopefully, my self-imposed one-week book ban will help me catch up with my writing projects!

I'll be reviewing The Hope Of Refuge by Cindy Woodsmall tomorrow. Great book that took up a lot of my time...but it was oh, so enjoyable! :-)

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Montana Rose by Mary Connealy

As I promised here, you'll find my review for Montana Rose on this blog post!

When Cassie Griffin's husband dies, life gets pretty ugly for her. The entire town thinks she's a stuck-up China doll princess who wants to do nothing but sit around in silks and satins all day, spending her husband's money. Red, a townsman who assists with digging Griff's (Cassie's husband's) grave, feels sorry for Cassie. When a few dangerous men fight for Cassie's hand in marriage, Red steps forward, agreeing to marry the young pregnant China doll.

Cassie has preconceived ideas about men, love, and marriage from her abusive marriage to Griff. However, her eyes are opened about a lot of things once she's married to Red. Cassie discovers things about herself, having faith in God, developing friendships with others, and what it's like to have a husband who loves and respects her.

Cassie's life isn't all great once she's married to Red. Wade, a drunken young man who pursues Cassie, will stop at nothing to win the China doll for himself. With Cassie's life in danger, it doesn't appear that true happiness lurks upon her horizon.

I thought this story was sweet and charming. A must-read if you like historical romances!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

August Book Giveaway

Here are the novels that I'm giving away for the month of August. Please note that these books are new/slightly used. All of these books will be given to one person! If you want to enter the drawing, you'll need to leave your email address when you comment. Be aware that by entering the drawing, you'll automatically be added to my mailing list. I only send out mass newsletter mailings a few times a year, so don't worry about being inundated with email from me. This contest is for continental U.S. and Canada residents only:

1.
The Hope Of Refuge by Cindy Woodsmall - Please note that I will be posting a review for this novel within the next couple of weeks.

From Amazon.com:
Product Description
Raised in foster care and now the widowed mother of a little girl, Cara Moore struggles against poverty, fear, and a relentless stalker. When a trail of memories leads Cara and Lori out of New York City toward an Amish community, she follows every lead, eager for answers and a fresh start. She discovers that long-held secrets about her family history ripple beneath the surface of Dry Lake, Pennsylvania, and it’s no place for an outsider. But one Amish man, Ephraim Mast, dares to fulfill the command he believes that he received from God–“Be me to her”– despite how it threatens his way of life.

Completely opposite of the hard, untrusting Cara, Ephraim’s sister Deborah also finds her dreams crumbling when the man she has pledged to build a life with begins withdrawing from Deborah and his community, including his mother, Ada Stoltzfus. Can the run-down house that Ada envisions transforming unite them toward a common purpose–or push Mahlon away forever? While Ephraim is trying to do what he believes is right, will he be shunned and lose everything–including the guarded single mother who simply longs for a better life?

2. The Believer by Ann H. Gabhart - Please note that I recently finished reading this novel and will be posting a review shortly.
From the Back Cover
Will a forbidden love destroy all they know? Elizabeth Duncan has nowhere to turn. In charge of her younger brother and sister after their parents die, her options are limited: she can give in to the unwanted advances of an odious landowner--or she can flee. When Elizabeth hears that the Shaker community in the next county takes in orphans, she presents herself and her siblings at Harmony Hill. Despite the hard work and strange new beliefs around her, Elizabeth is relieved to have a roof overhead and food to eat. But life gets complicated when she finds herself attracted to a handsome young Believer named Ethan. Ethan has never looked on the opposite sex as anything but sisters, but he can't shake the new feelings that Elizabeth has awakened in him. Will Elizabeth be forced to leave the village to keep Ethan from stumbling? Or could Ethan's love for her change their lives forever? Living just thirty miles from a restored Shaker village in Kentucky, Ann H. Gabhart has walked the same paths that her characters might have walked in generations past. Gabhart is the author of several books, including the bestselling The Outsider.

3. Montana Rose by Mary Connealy - I've also finished this novel, and will post a review soon.

4.
Beacon Of Love by Darlene Franklin
From Heartsong Presents website:
Sam Hathaway left Capernaum Island, and he thought he would never return to the scene of his father's death at sea. But years later, as a doctor who has faced the worst of wartime battle injuries, Sam believes God is calling him to treat the fishermen and families of Capernaum Island. Judith Morrison lives with her father in the lighthouse, where he is keeper. Her first sight of Sam after his return stirs something in her. But her father and other men ridicule Sam for his fear of the ocean. When a great storm hits, the lighthouse may not endure it. With her father injured and the wooden tower damaged, will Judith be able to keep the lighthouse lamps lit, providing a beacon of love that will guide Sam to safety and reveal his true worth?

5. A Gift Of Grace by Amy Clipston

6. As American As Apple Pie - A Barbour Romance Novella Anthology

7. A Promise Kept by Cara C. Putman
From Heartsong Presents website:
Josie begins her newlywed life with excitement. Art is everything she's hoped for in a husband. It seems her prayers have been answered as many dreams come true. But when one dream dies, Josie is not sure her wounded heart will ever heal. Art adores his bride, but he never anticipated how challenging marriage could be, especially with the distraction of a new job in a strange city coupled with the arrival of a distant cousin seeking refuge from the bombings in London. Josie and Art wonder where God is when one dream dies and another is blessed. Can they keep the promises they vowed and build a love that will last a lifetime?

8. Beyond Today by Janelle Jamison

9. Worth A Thousand Words by Stacy Hawkins Adams

10.
When Silence Falls by Shirlee McCoy
From the back cover:
SHATTERED PEACE
Life was busy and organized, just the way Lakeview music history professor Piper Sinclair like it. Some recent family research even meant a new book to write. Until she witnessed an attempted kidnapping – and became a target herself. Someone wanted her out of the way permanently. Someone who seemed to know her all too well. . .
A DEADLY PUZZLE
His expertise as a former crime scene photographer left Cade Macalister with memories he couldn’t shake. Encountering Piper at the crime scene brought a different set to mind – his friend’s little sister had certainly grown up well, and she couldn’t take on this mysterious assailant alone. Of course, convincing Piper of that would be the only way to solve this dangerous riddle. . .and keep her alive.

11.
A Father Is A Gift - Reflections On Love, Strength, And Wisdom by Joann Davis, Langdon Davis

12.
A Whole New Light by Kim O'Brien
From Heartsong Presents website:
New York fashion designer Celie Donovan returns home from work one night to find her apartment building in flames. Homeless, jobless, dreams destroyed, Celie escapes the city, hoping her friend Kiera can help her out. Matthew Patrick can't believe the woman who helped break his sister's heart would have the nerve to show up on his doorstep - much less accept his mother's invitation to stay! But the longer Celie stays, the less she fits the tainted image he has of her. Could God's plan to piece together Celie's shredded dreams really mean life on a Connecticut apple orchard with a man like Matthew?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Melissa Won!!!

She's the Next Food Network Star! I'm looking forward to seeing her show! Wonder when it's airing? I suppose I should hop on over to the Food Network TV website and try to find out!

~Cecelia Dowdy~