Happy Birthday To Me! :-)

Today's my birthday and tomorrow is our son's birthday! He'll be turning five! We'll probably go out to dinner this weekend to celebrate!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

When I Find The Energy...

I need to post a review for Finding Jeena by Miralee Ferrell. I finished this book weeks ago, but have yet to post my review. Hopefully I'll find the energy to do it tomorrow.

Also on my reading pile:
Rooms by James Rubart - this is a strange book. A break from my normal reading. I got it as a free Kindle download

Katy's Debate by Kim Vogel Sawyer - this is a YA title that's part of a First Wildcard Blog Tour.

Final Touch by Brandilyn and Amberly Collins - this is also a YA title that's part of a First Wildcard Blog Tour.

I'm thinking about making some strawberry jam within the next week or so. I'm curious to see if it tastes better than store-bought jam. I have to buy the jars and I'm going to use my bread machine to make it. The bread machine has a jam setting. I'll do it this one time and if it tastes the same as store-bought, I doubt I'll make it again. That's what I did with ice cream. We made ice cream two times years ago. We made chocolate and vanilla. I thought it tasted just like the Bryer's ice cream you got at the grocery store, so I didn't make ice cream anymore! Why waste the time when you can get it from the store and it tastes just as good?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Seeker By Ann Gabhart

The Seeker by Ann Gabhart

I wanted to thank Baker/Revell for providing me a review copy of this enjoyable book!

From Amazon.com
Charlotte Vance is a young woman who knows what she wants. But when the man she planned to marry joins the Shakers--a religious group that does not marry--she is left dumbfounded. And when her father brings home a new wife who is young enough to be Charlotte's sister, it is more than she can bear. With the country--and her own household--on the brink of civil war, this pampered gentlewoman hatches a plan to avoid her new stepmother and win back her man by joining the Shaker community at Harmony Hill. Little does she know that this decision will lead her down a road toward unforeseen peace--and a very unexpected love. Ann H. Gabhart brings alive the strikingly different worlds of the Southern gentry, the simple Shakers, and the ravages of war to weave a touching story of love, freedom, and forgiveness that sticks with readers long after they have turned the last page.

I enjoyed this book, especially since the story took me inside the walls of the Shaker community and I learned a lot about the life of this religious sect. Charlotte is used to doing things in a planned, orderly way. When her fiancé breaks off their engagement to join the Shaker community at Harmony Hill, Charlotte is stunned by his decision. Although there are no romantic sparks between the couple, it is hoped that they can marry and join their families' wealth together - more like a business arrangement. Charlotte is floored when Adam, an illustrator for a prominent magazine, is hired to paint the portrait of her new, extremely young, stepmother. When Adam kisses her, she finds herself aroused from the unexpected kiss and she can't get her mind off of the attractive gentleman (Adam) now staying in her home.

Charlotte finds herself practically banned from her house once her new stepmom takes residence and she vows to forget about handsome Adam and win back her fiancé by joining the Shaker community that's located up the road from her house.

While you're reading this novel, you learn a great deal about the Shakers. There are several things about this sect that I found disturbing, but this does not reflect on my review of the story! The book is a good read and I recommend it. I just felt a bit unsettled with The Shakers because their beliefs don't match up with what I consider true Christianity. They believe that matrimony and reproduction are sins and they also don't encourage familial relationships. In their commmunity, once you join, you pretty much break ties with your entire family unless your family decides to become Shakers. Even if your family joins the community, you wouldn't be able to communicate privately with family members since they live in a communal place and the sexes are separated at all times. The Shakers believed that their founder, whom they call Mother Ann, was the second coming of Christ in female form. I'd recommend this book to anybody who wants to get a good feel for the Shaker way of life. From what I can tell, most of the Shakers are gone and the sect pretty much disbanded not long after the Civil War.

This book also delves into the state of the country during the Civil War and you get a taste of what the troops suffered through when Adam goes amongst the soldiers, drawing emotional pictures for his magazine editor. He also tries to convince his younger brother to leave the Army since Adam fears for the youngster's life.

This was a good book and I encourage all to read it. I read it quickly and found it hard to put down since I was so caught up in the story and the characters lives. This is the third Shaker book by this author and I reviewed the second book in the series, The Believer, here. The first book, The Outsider, is available as a free Kindle download and I plan on reviewing that novel at a later date.

To top off this review, I asked the author how she happened to choose the Shakers as subject matter for her books:
Why did you decide to use the Shaker community in your books and have you always been fascinated by their lives?

Here's Ann's response:
I actually started out writing historical romance for the general market and had a couple of books published by Warner Books in 1978 and 1980. I then wrote my first book about the Shakers because I thought it was an interesting historical subject and one I could drop my characters down into and tell a good story. Unfortunately my editors at the time didn't think my story suited the market and other publishers turned it down too as too quiet and too religious for the general market in that era of historical romance. So eventually the story ended up on a shelf in my closet. Then years down the road I wrote my first inspirational novel, The Scent of Lilacs. That story, set in the 1960s, has nothing to do with Shakers. It's a family drama with interaction between a whole town full of characters. But my editor, just in general conversation, mentioned that she was an admirer of the Shakers since she knew there was a Shaker village near where I live that has been restored as a living history museum. Pleasant Hill Shaker Village in Mercer County, Kentucky is a beautiful place that exudes peace and history to the visitor and that's the village I transform into my Shaker village, Harmony Hill. But back to my Shaker beginnings. So when she said that about the Shakers, I offhandedly remarked that I had written a book about the Shakers once. When she said she'd like to read the book, one thing led to another and after some rewriting that story became The Outsider. At that point I had no intention of writing more Shaker novels, but pre-sales were good and the publishers asked if I would consider writing two more novels set in my fictional Shaker village. I agreed and delved into researching the Shakers and their ways once more and wrote The Believer and The Seeker. I didn't plan to write more than three, but then I had this character that I thought would be perfect for another Shaker story. My book about her, The Blessed will be out next summer. And I'm contracted for a couple more. But Revell will also be publishing some of my other historical fiction too. Angel Sister, set during the 1930's, will be out in February 2011 and is another family drama without any Shakers among the characters.

I don't know if I can say I've always been fascinated by the Shakers and their communities, but their history is very interesting and I think, unique. They were extremely disciplined in all they did other than their worship. In worship they opened themselves up to the spirit and were open to many ways to express their faith. They would shake, whirl, dance, hop, skip, sing, do most any expression of worship. And so my research into their beliefs and the amazing things they accomplished with dedicated lives did open up their world to me even though I would have always been one of the "world" that they tried to block out of their villages and lives.

Actually they did believe Jesus came from God the same as they believed Mother Ann was the daughter of God but they certainly didn't look at things the way most Protestants of the era did. They were often at odds with the people in the community because of their beliefs and the way they worshiped. In fact if a man or woman joined the Shakers, his or her spouse could get a divorce granted with no further proof of any wrong.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Inception - The Movie

I saw this movie yesterday with my husband and all I can say about it is, you have to pay attention.

One thing I didn't like was that they used the Lord's name in vain a lot, and that didn't set too well with me.

I did find the story intriguing, especially since they had the dreams in four layers, a dream within a dream within a dream...

Cobb just wants to see his kids again, and he can't go home because he's WANTED. However, a project comes along, a very intriguing and difficult project involving the subconscious and if he's able to complete this project successfully, he'll be able to go home to his kids, whom he hasn't seen in a long time. It's kind of cool to see people dreaming and how they see their longings in their subconscious mind. It's also kind of weird to see the dream and then to see others "interrupt" your dream since they're not supposed to be in that private part of your mind.

I've always been intrigued by dreams and when I was in high school, I wrote a paper about dreams and the subconsious mind.

In the book of Daniel, God speaks to others through their dreams and He provided vivid messages while Pharoah was asleep.

It's hard to talk about the movie without giving spoilers. If you've seen this movie, I'd like to know what you thought about it. I'd like to see it again to make sure I didn't miss anything. I think I got the whole story.

This is definitely a guy flick. I could imagine that a lot of females wouldn't care for this movie.

Can you imagine being caught in a dream for fifty+ years? Frightening! Dreams and reality become muddled and then it messes with your mind.

This movie was very deep and, like I said, you need to pay attention to every word or you might miss something.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Sweets

Here are a few sweet Christian romances that I read recently. The plots are simple, not too complex, and they were just nice, feel-good stories.


Prevailing Love by Loree Lough

Sealed with a KissJet-setting Ethan Burke had no desire to become a father-especially to his best friends' eleven-year-old daughter, Molly. The shock of losing her parents in a tragic auto accident causes Molly to withdraw into a world of silence, and a frustrated Ethan finally takes his goddaughter to see a Christian counselor named Hope Majors. Will Hope be able to reach the grieving girl-and her heartbroken new dad, as well-despite the haunting tragedies of her own past? The Wedding WishStage IV cancer patient Leah Jordan has only a short time to see her last wish fulfilled-she wants her two best friends from childhood to marry and become the adoptive parents of her beloved two-year-old daughter, Fionna. The threesome was inseparable throughout high school, but they've since gone their separate ways: Jade is a dedicated nurse who was recently widowed, and Riley is a veterinarian who has sworn off women and marriage alike. If all goes according to Leah's seemingly unlikely plan, Jade and Riley will finally be united, and her precious daughter will have a home. Montana SkyBoth of them have lost a loved one while standing helplessly by. Both of them have decided to forgo romance in favor of immersing themselves in their careers. Chet, a successful cattle rancher, is in the business of protecting his livestock, while Sky, a veterinarian, is determined to protect two hybrid wolves whose mother was killed for bounty. But lives that don't leave room for love are often rearranged by God's benevolent hand. When Chet and Sky find themselves involved in a volatile wolf war in the wild Montana woods, more than just gunpowder is ignited.

Sealed With A Kiss
I'm afraid I skipped this story because when I started reading it, a feeling of deja vu swept over me, making me realize I'd already read this story years ago. I don't read books twice, rarely! I do recall reading this book when it was released as a Heartsong Presents novel several years ago.

The Wedding Wish
Single mom Leah Jordan is dying and she needs to find parents for her two-year-old daughter, pronto! Her best friends from high school, Jade and Riley, would fit the bill. Only problem? Jade and Riley are worlds apart and both are not interested in love and marriage. Leah has made it her mission to bring these two lovebirds together before her untimely death. Jade and Riley have always had a crush on one another, so when they finally get together, it's hard to deny the attraction that they share. Add into the mix Leah's doctor, who is an affirmed atheist. Jade shares her faith with him, wanting to change his mind about God. This was a heartwarming story.

Montana Sky
Widowed Chet Cozart finds himself smitten with the town's veterinarian. Sky's returned to Montana to run her clinic, but, she's harboring half-wolf pups in her cellar and an evil townsperson is threatening Sky, wanting her to come clean with her secret. Sky saw the pups' mother being gunned down and she doesn't want the young animals to die in the wild. Sky becomes their mother, and I found this interesting, seeing a woman become the "mother" of pups that were half-wolf. The story tells how she feeds them an unusual diet and shows them how their relatives howl in the wild.
Meanwhile, Chet continues to fall for Sky. They've known each other for years and just recently got reaquainted. Sky was Chet's deceased wife's best friend and she had mixed feelings about falling in love with the widower. Also, Chet's young daughter grows closer to Sky, making Sky an easy choice as a candidate for being Chet's new wife.
Chet gets angry when Sky hides the fact that her life is being threatened. Chet only wants to protect the courageous and beautiful Sky, but how can he do that if she can't trust him?
This book was interesting and good because I learned a lot about the wolves roaming in the wild, and there was a powerful conflict between the young couple.


Love Finds You In Snowball, Arkansas by Sandra D. Bricker

So what if she can't hook a fish? This city girl has a plan to snag something else...and his name is Justin. Lucy Binoche is reasonably attractive, intelligent, and fit. She has French lineage and better-than-average hair. So why is she nearly 30 and still single?
Justin Gerard is the rugged hottie new to her church's singles group. When he signs up for a camping trip in the Ozarks, Lucy loses no time writing her name on the line beneath his. Theres only one problem Lucy's idea of "roughing it" is suffering through a long line at Starbucks. She assumes she can rely on the grace of God and the assistance of her friend to get through.

But at the campsite in Snowball, Arkansas, Lucy bungles everything she attempts as she tries to impress Justin. She can't fish, hike, or ride a horse; caves make her hyperventilate; and hot-air balloons make her ill. Soon, events are snowballing out of control. Will Lucy pretend to be someone shes not just to snag a boyfriend? Or will she discover someone who loves her just as she is?

I enjoyed this book, but was kind of annoyed with the heroine's attitude about love and marriage. Lucy freaks out because she's thirty and still single. I found this a hard pill to swallow since women are getting married later in life nowadays. If I'd written this book, I would have made the heroine older, like thirty-five? Lucy pretends to be athletic while on a singles week-long trip in order to snag Justin, a handsome man who's just joined the singles group. Her life-long best friend Matt is commissioned by Lucy to help her to snag the irresistable Justin. However, when Lucy finds Justin becoming attracted to her, she wonders if her plan was wise. She wants to be a part of Justin's life, right?

This book was a light, funny read, but as I said, I got annoyed with the heroine. I felt she acted like she was about 22 instead of 30. Plus, since she was acting like a totally different person, if she'd followed through with her plan, then her love-interest would have caught on that Lucy was just portraying herself in a false way, eventually.















SPOILER:
This book got me to wondering what would've happened if Lucy ended up with Justin. Would he have been annoyed that Lucy was not an athletic outdoorsy girl? Would the romance have lasted? Would Lucy have continued to go on outdoors trips, roughing it, for the rest of her life just to please Justin? Or would they have found a compromise eventually?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

REJECTED! :-(

I received a rejection yesterday for a Christmas anthology project that I submitted with three other authors. Bummer!

I know some of you may wonder why I always blog about getting rejected. Although this blog is about Christian Fiction, I also enjoy blogging about what it's like to be a writer.

I'm blessed that I have a full-time job during this bad economy and that I don't have to make a full-time living from my writing because I'm doing a rotten job of getting publishing contracts and if we had to live off of my salary, we'd be homeless.

My husband works full-time too, but if I were to try and make a living from writing full-time we'd have to lower our standard of living for me to fulfill my dream and we'd both be miserable! :-(

I don't think we'll be submitting this elsewhere because I've noticed that most Christian publishers no longer publish anthologies like they used to. From what I've gathered, other than Christmas anthologies, most CBA anthologies are compiled via invitation-only from publisher to author? Although I could be wrong about this.

Anybody read any great Christian novella anthologies lately? If so, what were the titles and what were the books about?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Lady Jasmine By Victoria Christopher Murray

Lady Jasmine by Victoria Christopher Murray

***Note, I consider this a great book with a church setting, moreso than an inspirational novel.

Juicy Jasmine Larson Bush is at it again -- battling her past in order to save her future.
With her own lies, she nearly destroyed her marriage to Pastor Hosea Bush. Why, Jasmine was forced to reveal every secret she'd ever kept from her husband, right down to her real age, weight, and shoe size! She thought she had told Hosea everything.

But when Jasmine is blackmailed with a terrible truth from her past that she "forgot" to tell Hosea, more than just her marriage is in jeopardy.

Surprisingly, her first instinct is to tell the truth. Jasmine knows, however, that this is one part of her life that can never be exposed. Determined to keep the life she fought so hard to save, Jasmine is willing to commit any sin -- even murder -- to leave her past behind her. No one can know the truth about the First Lady of City of Lights at Riverside Church. No one can know that beneath the veneer of a redeemed Christian wife, there lies a sinner -- especially not her trusting husband.

When Jasmine Cox Larson's past comes back to haunt her, in the form of anonymous letters, she wonders what'll happen to her marriage. Will Pastor Hosea stay married to her when he discovers that she used to be a stripper? When her father-in-law is shot, Jasmine's husband, Hosea, steps up into the pulpit to fulfill his role as pastor. However, there are those who want Hosea out of the pulpit for various reasons and Jasmine finds herself on a mission, trying to figure out who's trying to blackmail her and why they're trying to do it. In the meantime, she's enjoying her role as First Lady and wants all of the congregation to address her as Lady Jasmine.

I enjoyed this book and like most of Victoria's novels, this one was a page-turner. My only problem with it was that I wanted to shake Jasmine and get her to stop lying so much! I wished she'd learn to stop lying all the time to cover herself! The characterization of Jasmine is very effective because she's been through several novels - this is something I don't see authors do very often, use the same character - as the main character - for several books. Usually when I see the same person in several books, they're only the main character in one book and then they may be a secondary character in other novels. Having the same main character in several books shows that the person is very well-developed and you feel as if you know them well. Great job in effective characterization.

If you like edgy books in a church setting, then this one is for you.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Carol Award Finalists!

Congrats to the following Carol Award Finalists! The Carol Award was formerly known as ACFW's Book Of The Year Award! The winners will be announced at the ACFW Conference in September!

Debut Author
Bonnie Grove - Talking to the Dead (David C. Cook Publishing)
Liz Jonson - The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn (Steeple Hill)
Kirk Outerbridge - Eternity Falls (Marcher Lord Press)
Jill Eileen Smith - Michal (Revell)
Dan Walsh - The Unfinished Gift (Revell)

Contemporary Novella
6 Finalists due to a tie

Barbara Cameron – One Child (Thomas Nelson)
Barbara Cameron – When Winter Comes (Thomas Nelson)
Debra Clopton – A Mule Hollow Match (Steeple Hill)
Susan May Warren – The Great Christmas Bowl (Tyndale House)
Beth Wiseman – A Change of Heart (Thomas Nelson)
Beth Wiseman – A Choice to Forgive (Thomas Nelson)

Historical Novella

Victoria Bylin – Home Again (Steeple Hill)
Vickie McDonough – A Breed Apart (Barbour Publishing)
Vickie McDonough – Beloved Enemy (Barbour Publishing)
Janet Tronstad - Christmas Bells for Dry Creek (Steeple Hill)
Carrie Turansky - A Shelter in the Storm (Barbour Publishing)

Long Contemporary
6 Finalists due to a tie

Christina Berry - The Familiar Stranger (Moody Publishers)
Mary Ellis - A Widow's Hope (Harvest House Publishers)
Joyce Magnin - The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow (Abingdon Press)
Susan Meissner - White Picket Fences (Waterbrook Press)
Marlo Schalesky- If Tomorrow Never Comes (Multnomah)
Susan May Warren - Nothing But Trouble (Tyndale House)



Long Contemporary Romance

Candace Calvert - Critical Care (Tyndale House)
Denise Hunter - Seaside Letters (Thomas Nelson)
Jenny B. Jones - Just Between You and Me (Thomas Nelson)
Beth Wiseman - Plain Promise (Thomas Nelson)
Cindy Woodmsall - The Hope of Refuge (Waterbrook Press)


Mystery

A.K. Arenz - The Case of the Mystified M.D. (Sheaf House)
Mindy Starns Clark - Under the Cajun Moon (Harvest House Publishers)
Darlene Franklin - A String of Murders (Heartsong Mysteries)
S. Dionne Moore - Polly Dent Loses Grip (Heartsong Mysteries)
Janice Thompson writing as Janice Hanna - Pushing up Daisies (Heartsong Mysteries)

Long Historical

Deeanne Gist - A Bride in the Bargain (Bethany House)
Robin Lee Hatcher - Fit To Be Tied (Zondervan)
Maureen Lang - Look to the East (Tyndale House)
Siri Mitchell - Love's Pursuit (Bethany House)
Allison Pittman - Stealing Home (Multnomah)

Long Historical Romance
8 Finalists due to a tie

Amanda Cabot - Paper Roses (Revell)
Mary Connealy - Cowboy Christmas (Barbour Publishing)
Mary Connealy - Montana Rose (Barbour Publishing)
Laura Frantz - The Frontiersman's Daughter (Revell)
Ann Gabhart - The Believer (Revell)
Julie Lessman - A Passion Denied (Revell)
Janice Thompson writing as Janice Hanna - Love Finds You in Poetry, Texas (Summerside Press)
Kathleen Y’Barbo - The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper (Waterbrook Press)

Short Contemporary

Debra Clopton - His Cowgirl Bride (Steeple Hill)
Myra Johnson - Autumn Rains (Heartsong Presents)
Vickie McDonough - A Wagonload of Trouble (Heartsong Presents)
Mae Nunn - A Texas Ranger's Family (Steeple Hill)
Glynna Sirpless writing as Glynna Kaye - Dreaming of Home (Steeple Hill)

Short Contemporary Suspense
6 Finalists due to a tie

Jill Elizabeth Nelson - Evidence of Murder (Steeple Hill)
Sandra Robbins - Final Warning (Steeple Hill)
Virginia Smith - Murder at Eagle Summit (Steeple Hill)
Virginia Smith - Scent of Murder (Steeple Hill)
Jenness Walker - Double Take (Steeple Hill)
Lenora Worth - Code of Honor (Steeple Hill)

Short Historical

Lyn Cote - Her Patchwork Family (Steeple Hill)
Laurie Alice Eakes - The Glassblower (Heartsong Presents)
Laurie Kingery - The Outlaw's Lady (Steeple Hill)
Lynette Sowell - All That Glitters (Heartsong Presents)
Dan Walsh - The Unfinished Gift (Revell)

Speculative (includes Science Fiction, Fantasy, Allegory)
6 Finalists due to a tie

Kirk Outerbridge - Eternity Falls (Marcher Lord Press)
Donita K. Paul - The Vanishing Sculptor (Waterbrook Press)
Steve Rzasa - The Word Reclaimed (Marcher Lord Press)
Stuart Vaughn Stockton – Starfire (Marcher Lord Press)
Fred Warren - The Muse (Splashdown Books)
Jill Williamson - By Darkness Hid (Marcher Lord Press)



Suspense/Thriller

Terri Blackstock – Intervention (Zondervan)
Colleen Coble - Lonestar Secrets (Thomas Nelson)
Brandilyn Collins – Exposure (Zondervan)
Harry Kraus - Salty Like Blood (Howard/Simon & Schuster)
DiAnn Mills - Breach of Trust (Tyndale House)



Women’s Fiction
7 Finalists due to a tie

Julie Carobini - Sweet Waters (B&H Publishing)
Kathryn Cushman – Leaving Yesterday (Bethany House)
Sara Evans & Rachel Hauck - Sweet By and By (Thomas Nelson)
Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay - Never the Bride (Waterbrook Press)
Deborah Raney - Yesterday's Embers (Howard/Simon & Schuster)
Deborah Raney - Above All Things (Steeple Hill)
Lisa Wingate - The Summer Kitchen (New American Library/Penguin)



Young Adult

Shelley Adina - Who Made You a Princess? (Hachette FaithWords)
Brandilyn & Amberly Collins - Always Watching (Zondervan)
Jenny B. Jones - I'm So Sure (Thomas Nelson)
Jenny B. Jones - So Not Happening (Thomas Nelson)
Booker T. Mattison - Unsigned Hype (Revell)

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Too Tired To Blog

I've been too tired to blog since we returned from our trip last weekend. I'll probably get some more energy this coming weekend. I've been doing a lot of reading and I have three books to review. I also have a scripture I'd like to discuss and share.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Terrible Food!

Me, my husband, and our son are out of town this weekend attending hubby's high school reunion. It's a six-hour drive from our home. While on the road, we stopped at a Hardee's. I ordered chili dog and onion rings, hubby ordered burger and onion rings. I had a cherry Coke and hubby had Coke. Our four-year-old had a strawberry shake. Everything that we ate had an aftertaste! Kind of like the after taste you get when you drink a diet soda. One reason I refuse to drink diet sodas is because of that terrible aftertaste! Yuck! That was the first time I'd tasted that on food instead of diet drinks! They had apple turnovers - 2 for $1.00. We got two. We sat in the car and tasted the turnovers. They had the same aftertaste. Our son's strawberry milkshake was the only part of the meal that tasted decent. My husband said that it was probably the grease they used to fry the food. The grease probably had that aftertaste.

When we got to our hotel, I was looking through the drawers for Internet access information, and the first thing I saw was The Book of Mormon. I found The Holy Bible in another drawer. I guess The Book of Mormon is being distributed in hotels like the Holy Bible? I didn't realize this.

We went to breakfast at The Waffle House and on the way back to the hotel I saw a bookstore called Lighthouse Christian Books. The store is closed - out of business. According to the sign, they will reopen for one day only on July 24 to get rid of the merchandise. I peeked into the dark store and it appeared they had a lot of books - a lot of shelf space. It looked like a good-sized Christian bookstore and it's a shame they're going out of business, but, I blogged about that here. I think bookstores will be a thing of the past within the next several years.

We've got events lined up for the class reunion today and we're heading home tomorrow. I'm still behind on my book reviews. I've got a few books that I've read but have yet to post a review. I'll do that soon.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Win A Copy Of Chesapeake Weddings!!!

YOU MUST VISIT DEBORAH PICCURELLI'S WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION!! FOLLOW DEBORAH'S INSTRUCTIONS TO ENTER!!

LEAVING A COMMENT ON THIS BLOG POST WILL NOT ENTER YOU INTO THE DRAWING!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

REJECTED! :-(

I just received a rejection today for a proposal that I submitted last February. Oh, well, since I'm going to the conference, I have a few places in mind where I'd like to submit this novel. We'll wait, pray, and see what happens...

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Are The Movies Too Loud?

I took my son to see Toy Story 3 yesterday but we had to leave early. The movies were too loud for him! The loud sound bothered my ears, too, so I'm not sure if I'm getting old, or, if the movies are getting louder! At first, I thought the loudness was due to the fact that they were showing previews, but then the movie came on and the sound stayed up there, at several decibels! My four-year-old son started crying and covering his ears and said he wanted to go home! So, we got up with our jumbo popcorn and soda and I asked for a refund for our tickets. Do you think the movies are too loud nowadays? The movie was also in 3-D, which I thought was cool! I really wanted to see this movie, too, because I enjoyed Toy Story 1 & 2, but I was sure that when I left that theater, my ears would've been ringing.

I went to see Avatar in the theater on Mother's Day weekend and the sound of that movie didn't bother me. However, it was in an older theater. I paid a reduced price to see it since it was already out on DVD when I saw it in the theater.

I submitted a proposal yesterday. I'm starting to feel kind of antsy since I still don't have another contract on the horizon! Hopefully, this one will pan into a sale! I've been fishing a lot lately, but, so far, no bites! :-(

I'm still waiting for news. At least I haven't gotten any rejections with my recent submissions, so, that's good, I guess...

~Cecelia Dowdy~

This Fine Life By Eva Marie Everson

This Fine Life by Eva Marie Everson
Product Details
Pub. Date: May 2010
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Format: Paperback, 352pp
Sales Rank: 176,399
ISBN-13: 9780800732745
ISBN: 080073274X
Edition Description: Original

It is the summer of 1959 and Mariette Puttnam has just graduated from boarding school. When she returns to her privileged life at home, she isn't sure where life will take her. More schooling? A job? Marriage? Nothing feels right. How could she know that the answer is waiting for her within the narrow stairwell of her father's apparel factory, exactly between the third and fourth floors?

In this unique and tender story of an unlikely romance, popular author Eva Marie Everson takes readers on a journey through the heart of a young woman bound for the unknown. Readers will experience the joys of new love, the perseverance of true friendship, and the gift of forgiveness that comes from a truly fine life.

This book surprised me. I thought it started off a bit slow, but, after a little while, I got into the characters and their lives. Mariette has lived a privileged life and after she returns from boarding school as a recent high-school graduate of a presitigous Catholic academy, she doesn't know what to do with herself. Her parents argue about her future, and she's unsure about going to college, getting married, etc. She finds her future spouse in the stairwell of her father's company. Thayne is a mail-clerk and it's love at first sight for these two. They only share a couple of dates and her parents strong objections before they do the unthinkable.

The story focuses on their lives as they get married young and Thayne follows his dream of becoming a pastor and going to seminary. He feels called to do this, but, Mariette has a hard time understanding what a "calling" really is. How do you have a close relationship with God? She never prays alone, and thinks that God is somebody who is far away, and that we can only speak to him in church on Sunday.

When the couple arrives at the small town of Logan's Creek for Thayne's first pastorship, their lives change forever. Most of the town's women hate Mariette. Also, Logan's Creek has a dirty, haunting secret that proves traumatizing to one of the residents. Once this secret is exposed, the town is greatly affected.

This story was mesmerizing and you will want to read on to find out what happens between this young couple. Also, there are things that happen that are so totally unexpected, a lot of twists and turns that keep the story interesting. The story was also unique because of the time that it took place. Seldom do you see books out there that take place during the sixties.

I found this book to be a much better read than this one that I read by the same author about a year ago. Although Things Left Unspoken was a fairly good story, I felt this one was much better, more riveting, and it also kept me up late at night reading.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

July Book Giveaway!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED! THE WINNER WAS ANNOUNCED ON THIS BLOG POST!

























I'm giving away a box of books. You can see the titles listed above. To be entered into the drawing you must do the following TWO STEPS!

#1. You must join my email list by clicking the link below and filling out your information! If you're already on my email list, then skip to step #2!

Join My Email List HERE!

#2. You must leave a comment on this blog post with your email address. I need your email address so that I'll have a way to contact you if you're chosen as the winner. If I draw your name and you're not on my email list, then you won't be eligible for the drawing!

~Cecelia Dowdy~