April 2011 Book Giveaway!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER! THE WINNER WAS ANNOUNCED HERE.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER! THE WINNER WAS ANNOUNCED HERE.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER! THE WINNER WAS ANNOUNCED HERE.



I'm hosting another book giveaway! ONE winner will receive the titles listed above. IF YOU WANT TO ENTER THE DRAWING YOU MUST DO TWO THINGS:

#1. You must join my mailing list! You can join my mailing list here:

Join My E-mail List!

If you're already on my email list, then you can skip step one.

#2. You must comment on this blog post to enter and LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR BLOG POST - IF YOU DON'T LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR BLOG POST, THEN YOU WON'T BE ENTERED INTO THE CONTEST! I need an email address so that I can contact you if you win!

I'll be drawing the winner within the next few weeks or so! :-) Remember, I have the right to announce your first and last name, city and state on my blog if you win!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

A Reader Compared Me To Debbie Macomber! :-)

I received the following email recently from a reader:

Hi Cecelia ~
I must tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed Cheasapeake Weddings--John's Quest, Milk Money and Bittersweet Memories. I don't know which is my favorite. I've enjoyed them all! I love the way you write--so clean, sweet and memorable. Reminds me of Debbie Maccomber.

~Beverly Taylor~


Thanks for the awesome email, Beverly! I enjoyed hearing about how much you enjoyed my stories and I loved that you compared me to Debbie! She's a great auauthor, and I've never had anybody to compare me to her before!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Winner! :-)

The winner of the March Book Giveaway is:

Wendy Marple - Buffalo, MN

Wendy, I will be mailing your books within the next few days.

All, I'll be posting another giveway within the next few days.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Inspirational Rita Award Nominees!

Congrats to the following Rita Award Finalists in the RWA's Inspirational category:

■A Convenient Wife by Anna Schmidt (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical; Tina James, editor)

■Doctor in Petticoats by Mary Connealy (Barbour Publishing; Rebecca Germany, editor)

■Finding Her Way Home by Linda Goodnight (Steeple Hill Love Inspired; Allison Lyons, editor)

■In Harm's Way by Irene Hannon (Revell; Jennifer Leep, editor)

■Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist (Bethany House Publishers; David Long and Julie Klassen, editors)

■Shades of Morning by Marlo M. Schalesky (WaterBrook Multnomah; Shannon Marchese, editor)

■The Wedding Garden by Linda Goodnight (Steeple Hill Love Inspired; Allison Lyons, editor)

■Whisper on the Wind by Maureen Lang (Tyndale House Publishers; Stephanie Broene, editor)

■Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander (Bethany House Publishers; Karen Schurrer and Charlene Patterson, editors)
















Congrats also to the following Inspirational author who finaled in the Rita Novella Category:

■"Mountain Rose" by Cheryl St. John in To Be a Mother (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical; Patience Smith, editor)












Congrats to the following Inspirational authors for finaling in the Best First Book category:

■Firestorm by Kelly Ann Riley (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense; Tina James, editor)

■A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer (Bethany House Publishers; Karen Schurrer, editor)

For a list of ALL CATEGORIES, ALL FINALISTS, see RWA's website.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

David And Saul

Do any of you have any insight about the relationship between Saul and David in First Samuel chapters 16 and 17?
Why would Saul be friendly with David in Chapter 16, but then not recognize him in Chapter 17? If any of you have any insight, I'd like for you to comment.
1 Samuel 16:21-23 21 So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer. 22 Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.

I blogged about David and Goliath here. I recently received the following comment/question from Rita regarding that blog post (I've paraphrased and expanded Rita's question):
I am in the middle of the Beth Moore bible study and have a question about the David and Goliath story. Before David killed Goliath (1 Samuel Chapter 16)he was in the service of Saul as his harp player. However, after David kills Goliath in the next chapter (1 Samuel Chapter 17) Saul asks who David is and Saul doesn't recognize him. Any thoughts? This has troubled me while studying the life of David. Your Sister in Christ - Rita

Rita, I've left my response below. Not sure if this is helpful or not.


~Cecelia Dowdy~


Hi, Rita. I'm glad that you stopped by Cecelia's Christian Fiction Blog and commented. I tried to email you privately, but, your profile is marked private so I can't see your email information. The only insight I can give regarding your question is, perhaps, although David was Saul's harp player, perhaps some time had passed between the chapters and he no longer recognized David because he'd gotten older? Or, perhaps, he didn't recognize David when he'd killed Goliath because he looked different - he may have looked brave and strong holding that decapitated head? I'm unfamiliar with Biblical history so, I'm not sure how often harp players interact with their superiors. I know David played the harp whenever the distressing spirits came upon Saul, to help him to feel better, and that Saul loved David, initially. So, it is puzzling as to why Saul didn't recognize David after he killed Goliath. Your question is a valid one, I'm just afraid that I can't provide much insight, but wish that I could. I'll post your question on a blog entry to see if any of my blog readers know the answer.


For more insight into the relationship between Saul and David, as well as other little-known Bible facts, I encourage you to read Molly Noble Bull's recent article on Writers' Rest Blog. Stop by and leave a comment.

Grab My Code! :-)

See my sidebar for the code for my new blog button.

Feel free to grab it and place it on your blog if you wish! :-)

~Cecelia Dowdy~

A Writer's Mind

Photo courtesy of Free Digital Photos.

Come, join me over at Writers' Rest Blog where I'm blogging about the mind of a writer.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Artist's Granddaughter By Robin Bayne

The Artist's Granddaughter by Robin Bayne

This book was a charming, light-hearted read about unrequited high school love. Megan has to obtain her grandfather's last painting in order to keep it in the family, plus, it was her father's dying wish for her to do so. However, her high-school boyfriend, Michael, stunningly appears at the auction, outbidding her. Megan has never gotten over Michael whom she dated when she was fifteen. He left, abandoned her, and has made no contact with her since he went away to college and law school, pursuing a law career afterwards. Megan doesn't know if she believes Michael's reasons for abandoning her and never attempting to make contact with her over the years - she's never left the town, so she would have been easy to find.

Meanwhile, Megan's made a name for herself in the community as a gemologist. She designs jewelry for her clients and enjoys her job immensely.

Their love is re-kindled, in spite of their disagreement about what should be done with her grandfather's last painting. Michael has some hard lessons to learn about his career, and knows he's made a mistake in abandoning his beloved Megan all those years ago. Michael's reappearance causes a bit of disharmony within the small town of Carrolton, especially since he was a bad boy in high school, and his name is linked to a well-known theft. Was he the person who stole Megan's grandfather's murals several years ago?

This book was a quick, enjoyable read set in a small town. The characters faced obstacles in which most people could relate, and the writing will draw you in, making you appreciate the feelings that these two lovebirds share for one another. You should give this book a try and it's available on Amazon's Kindle.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

When Megan bids on her grandfather's painting, the last thing she expects is to be outbid by Michael Kirk, her first love. He left town years ago leaving her reputation--and her heart--in tatters.

She must keep her grandfather's final legacy in her family, but Michael claims to need it for his career. He also claims to want Megan back in his life, and her betraying heart doesn't mind the idea...but does Michael want her or the painting?

Moments With Angels By Robert Strand

I found this book lying around my messy house. I'm off from work next week and I have a little more time to read. I believe somebody gave this to me as a gift awhile ago. I enjoy reading "true" stories about angels. These short vignettes were very entertaining, however, as I read them, I wondered if all of the stories were really "true" or if they were merely urban legends? Now, don't start throwing stones at me because I'm just saying how I feel! I do believe in angels, I know that we're not supposed to worship them, we're only supposed to worship the Lord Jesus. But, I did wonder about the stories. I noticed that some of the stories did have references with a first and last name. One story even referenced a Christian radio station. I emailed this Christian radio station to see if this story was really true, or, if it was just a legend. I didn't see the story listed on the radio station's website, and I'm not sure if they'll respond.

I recommend this book if you want a good, quick, entertaining, thought-provoking read about the power of God's messengers. I briefly blogged about angels here, back in 2008.

Have you ever had an encounter with an angel? If so, what happened? What made you believe that this being was an angel?

~Cecelia Dowdy~
Moments with Angels: Spectacular Encounters with Heavenly Messengers
==
Suddenly there are angels everywhere or so we think. But haven't they been with mankind a long time? These creatures who transcend time bring groceries to a snowbound family and leave no footprints. In Moments with Angels, read about these messengers of God intervening for a; family's safety, and an apocalyptic warning from a mysterious hitchhiker. Thirty such stories paint an awesome picture of these celestial beings.

Angels fascinate us and stimulate conversadons. They watch us continually and do the bidding of their Creator in heaven. And we are the benefactors.

Written in Robert Strand’s unique storytelling style, Moments with Angels contains 30 inspiring true stories along with relevant Scripture verse. Complete with photos, the two-color interiors compliment the elegant covers to make each a great gift idea for any memorable moment.

About the Author

Rev. Robert Strand has spent 30 years collecting the inspirational stories contained in the "Moments to Give" series. Rev. Strand is currently senior pastor of Parkcrest Assembly in Springfield, Missouri. He and his wife, Donna, have four children, and are grandparents to six little ones. He is a graduate of North Central Bible College with a degree in theology.

Product Details

* Hardcover: 80 pages
* Publisher: New Leaf Press (April 1996)
* Language: English
* Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches

Oatcakes!!

As you know, I blogged about oatcakes recently. I haven't tried the recipe yet, but, I did purchase some Effie's Oatcakes. They just came in the mail yesterday and they are GOOD! :-)

However, although I am enjoying Effie's Oatcakes, I think they are a bit different than the oatcakes described in the novel Angel Harp. As far as I can tell, people eat the oatcakes with jam or jelly, butter, or with meat or cheeses. The Effie's Oatcakes tasted more like a lightly sweetened thin oatmeal cookie without the cinnamon and other spices. They are thin and crispy, like a cracker, and they have a rich, buttery taste. When I do try a recipe, I'm going to use one that has butter instead of shortening or lard. I love the taste of butter in a cookie! :-)

As I said, they are good, but I can't imagine eating them for breakfast or at tea time with cheeses and meats. My husband and I are eating Effie's as a dessert or snack.

I will try to make some soon. I'm off from work next week, so, I might take part of one of my days and bake some oatcakes - or, if I'm feeling adventurous, I might make some this weekend!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Newsletter...

Here's a link to the newsletter that I sent out yesterday to my mailing list.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

First Mates Now Available On The Kindle And The Nook! :-)

My Love Inspired title, First Mates, is available to order on the Nook and the Kindle. If you haven't already read this story, be sure to download it and tell me what you think about this tale that was inspired by my multiple cruise ship trips!

A cruise around the Caribbean offered just what Rainy Jackson needed to get over her faithless ex-fiancé—sun, swimming and solitude. As the heat sank into her bones, she began to feel interest in the world again...and in handsome fellow passenger Winston Michaels.

Winston had also hoped for time alone to reflect. But finding a friend in faith in the lovely Rainy helped him deal with his twin sister's death without relying on unhealthy means of deadening the pain. And Winston's outlook brightened further when dates back home in Miami brought him and Rainy even closer. Would Rainy be the one to share Winston's life voyage?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Angel Harp By Michael Phillips

Angel Harp by Michael Phillips

Product Description
Widowed at 34, amateur harpist Marie "Angel" Buchan realizes at 40 that her life and dreams are slowly slipping away. A summer in Scotland turns out to offer far more than she ever imagined! Not only does the music of her harp capture the fancy of the small coastal village she visits, she is unexpectedly drawn into a love triangle involving the local curate and the local duke.

The boyhood friends have been estranged as adults because of their mutual love of another woman (now dead) some years before. History seems destined to repeat itself, with Marie in the thick of it. Her involvement in the lives of the two men, as well as in the community, leads to a range of exciting relationships and lands Marie in the center of the mystery of a long-unsolved local murder. Eventually she must make her decision: with whom will she cast the lot of her future?
===
Overall, this book was a wonderful read and I think you should give the story a chance! It's probably the longest book I've read so far in
2011. Canadian harpist Marie is widowed and suffering from depression. She recalls how she used to daydream with her deceased husband about visiting Scotland. She takes a summer off from teaching harp lessons to visit Scotland. When she arrives in a small town in Scotland, she finds a place she wants to stay for awhile. She rents a cottage and takes long walks, sitting on her favorite bench, playing the harp. During these excursions she manages to meet a preacher/curate (Iain), a duke (Alasdair), and an old religious man (Ranald) who enjoys playing the fiddle and talking about God. Marie soon finds that she's the subject of interest in the small Scottish town, especially when she begins dating both the duke and the curate. There's also a sickly girl named Gwendolyn whom Marie befriends. Gwendolyn and her Aunt Olivia create a strange twist to the story - a twist that's co-mingled with Iain's and Alasdair's lives.

After about the first fifty or sixty pages, the story moved pretty well. The scenery on the Scottish coastline was vivid, and I wanted to see that pretty water and those dolphins myself. The characters were real and I felt that I really knew the people in this small town. Marie's connection to her harp is real and stunning, kind of like the connection that most writers have with their writing and creating stories. She plays the harp for solace and she enjoys teaching others her craft. The love triangle was interesting, too, and you were surprised at what happens when you read this story.

Although there was much to love about this book, I saw some things I would've liked to change:
#1. I would've cut off the first fifty or sixty pages of the book when Marie is still in Canada, suffering from her loneliness and depression. While reading this part, I grew very bored. In this section, there was NO DIALOG...at all! It was just Marie's depressing thoughts about being by herself and missing her husband. I almost didn't finish the book because of the way it started out. I'm glad I didn't stop reading and kept at it, giving the book a fair chance. If I'd stopped reading, then I would've missed a good treat of a story.

#2. Dialect. I had NO IDEA what the common folk in Scotland were saying...at all! In writing, I've always been taught that dialect should be used sparingly. This author uses dialect for most of the townspeople. I understood conversations between Marie and the curate and duke - they spoke without the annoying dialect. I know there's a glossary in the back of the book, but, when I'm reading a novel, I'm not going to look at a glossary to figure out what somebody is saying. As a matter of fact, it's rare for me stop and look up much of anything while reading a novel, I'm reading to be entertained, and it's too bothersome to stop and figure something out.

#3. I'll admit that I skipped pages, several times. Sometimes, the author rambled about God and beliefs and salvation. An example of this is when Marie is talking to Ranald and Ranald gives her a brief religious history of Scotland...in dialect. I skipped over this. Passages like this were boring to me, if I want a brief religious history about Scotland, I'll go to a history book and read about it myself. I don't want to read so much detail about it in a novel.

Over all, this book was a good read and the author is a good writer. I think you should give this book a chance - don't give up too quickly like I almost did. The author did do a great job in showing Marie's spiritual journey. Marie has a strong struggle with her faith - her faith has weakened considerably since her husband's untimely death and as a result, she no longer goes to church. That is, until she meets Iain and her life takes a drastic turn.

Oatcakes photo courtesy of Undiscovered Scotland - click on link for recipe. If you try it, let me know how it tastes.

As I do sometimes with book reviews, I wanted to mention a food item featured in this novel. The characters kept mentioning oatcakes. I'd never heard of oatcakes until I'd read this novel. I know I'd said I don't usually stop and look things up while reading a novel, but I did finally look up oatcakes because everybody kept eating them for breakfast, lunch, teatime, nighttime, etc. I finally had to look it up on the internet. I found a few recipes and I'm thinking about making them myself. It seems that oatcakes are Scottish and that they eat them over there a lot. I'm assuming they harvest a lot of oats over in Scotland, hence the appeal of oatcakes. You can eat them plain or with butter and jam, or meat or cheese. The Scottish reminded me of the British with their tea time and their foods, which would make sense considering the history of the Scots.

Many thanks to Faith Words for providing me with a free review copy of this book.

I'll top of this blog post with few questions: Have you ever eaten oatcakes? If so, did you like them? If you've eaten them, were they store-bought or homemade?
~Cecelia Dowdy~

Do You Prefer Male Or Female Novelists?

Share your thoughts with us on Writers' Rest.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Question From A Writer

Photo courtesy of Suat Eman

I recently received the following question:

I am an African American woman and I feel, like I'm sure that you do, that I have a gift for writing. I have currently completed a work of African American Christian fiction and I don't know what to do next. Can you give me pointers as to how I can get my work published? There is so much information on the internet that it is difficult to decipher it all.
Thank you,
Rochelle

First things first...where do you see your book on a bookstore shelf? Who do you envision publishing your novel? Have you researched publishers, looked up submission guidelines, etc.?

I realize there is much information on the internet, but there is a quick way to decipher a lot of it if you read a lot of books. Since you're a writer, and have recently finished a novel, then I'm assuming you read a lot of novels, too?

I've always been a fan of romance novels, so I knew I wanted to write one. When I saw the genre of Christian fiction taking off, and then I noticed a few publishers started Christian romance lines, I knew that's what I wanted to target. I looked up the guidelines for those publishers to see how I could properly submit my manuscript to them. Also, it helps to be around like-minded individuals. As I've said in previous blog posts, you'll need to join a professional writers organization if you're seeking commercial publication. You'll find more information about this subject here. Also, if you can find a local group of writers who share your focus, then that could help you, too. I've had mixed experiences with local groups, though. Sometimes, you might have a group of Christian writers, but their experiences and goals may vary. I used to be in a local group and I was the only one who was trying to commercially publish my novel. The others were doing poetry, articles, devotionals, and one member was writing a novel, but she gave up pursuing commercial publication after receiving only two rejections. I didn't glean much help in this group because they didn't know much about the fiction market - however, I enjoyed socializing with them.

Also, if most people in the group want to self-publish their work, and you want to commercially publish, then you might not find the group very helpful. That's one reason why I gleaned most of my help from RWA and ACFW - both groups focus on commercial publication and I knew that was the route I wanted to take with my writing.

I hope I gave you some pointers that you've found helpful. Look for a community of others either online or locally and see what you find from there. It might take you awhile to find the right group though...

~Cecelia Dowdy~

A Leap Of Faith! :-)

Well, after selling five books on my own, I've finally done it...I've taken a leap of faith and signed with a literary agent for the first time in my writing career. I'm now a client of Hartline Literary Agency. I recently signed on with Tamela Hancock Murray. This will be a new experience for me. It's exciting, and it'll be interesting to see how this will affect my career!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

March 2011 Book Giveaway!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER! WINNER WAS ANNOUNCED HERE.























THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER! WINNER WAS ANNOUNCED HERE.



























I'm hosting another book giveaway! ONE winner will receive the titles listed above. IF YOU WANT TO ENTER THE DRAWING YOU MUST DO TWO THINGS:

#1. You must join my mailing list! You can join my mailing list here:

Join My E-mail List!

If you're already on my email list, then you can skip step one.

#2. You must comment on this blog post to enter and LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR BLOG POST - IF YOU DON'T LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR BLOG POST, THEN YOU WON'T BE ENTERED INTO THE CONTEST! I need an email address so that I can contact you if you win!

I'll be drawing the winner within the next few weeks or so! :-) Remember, I have the right to announce your first and last name, city and state on my blog if you win!

~Cecelia Dowdy~