Yearly Archives: 2007

Larkspur Dreams

My next book, tentatively entitled John’s Quest
is set for release in March 2008 by Barbour Publishing for their Heartsong Presents line.

I’d like to focus on two Heartsong Presents authors for my blog entry today. My two fellow authors are Anita Higman and Janice Thompson. I’m glad to feature their interview, photos and book cover on my blog today.

Larkspur Dreams – Heartsong Presents Novel #734
Publisher: Heartsong Presents
ISBN: 9781597893879
Binding: Mass Market
Pages: 176 pages

Janice Thompson is a Christian author of over a dozen books – everything from inspirational romances to historical novels, to non-fiction books. She lives in the Houston area with her family and two very mischievous dachshunds. She’d be happy for you to visit her website at www.janiceathompson.com

Award-winning author, Anita Higman, has nineteen books published (several coauthored) for adults and children. She has been honored as a Barnes & Noble “Author of the Month” for Houston. Anita has a B.A. degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. She’d love for you to visit her website at www.anitahigman.com

Interview with Anita Higman and Janice Thompson:

Thanks for inviting me (Anita Higman) and Janice Thompson to your blog. We’re excited about a novel we’ve written together.

Your Heartsong is entitled, Larkspur Dreams. What’s the theme of your novel?

Anita: Letting God grow us beyond ourselves.

Janice: Opposites not only attract; God often uses our “polar opposite” to complete/fulfill us.

Anita, you and Janice coauthored Larkspur Dreams. How do writers go about coauthoring?

Anita: There are a number of ways to coauthor a novel. One writer can do the research and the other writer can actually write the story. Or coauthors can each choose a character and write from that character’s POV. In the three books we’re writing together, I guess you could say I’m writing the body and wings of the stories, and Janice is helping to make them fly. She has a quite a gift for critiquing.

Janice: Working with Anita is a breeze because she conceives and fully plots the stories then lets me add my thoughts/tidbits to give them flavor. She is so quirky and fun to work with, and I am very proud of the stories we have co-produced. I especially loved the character of Larkspur because I see so much of myself in her.

Were there times when it was hard to work together?

Anita: No hard times. Janice Thompson is a gentle dove of a woman. She is not only talented, but easy to work with. There were a few times in one of the novels that I found myself writing in a way that strayed from the general concept of a Heartsong romance. Janice made some good suggestions, which steered me in the right direction.

Janice: I can honestly say that I’ve never worked with anyone who was so willing to accept critique and/or take suggestions as Anita. She is a precious friend and collaborative partner. I already knew she was talented (even before we began this project) but had no idea how gracious she would be. Since I’ve written for the Heartsong line for years, I was able to “teach her the ropes” (as it were) and she was a ready learner! That’s not to say she hasn’t taught me a thing or two. I’ve learned much from her throughout this process, particularly as it applies to romantic tension. She’s far better at that than I am, and I’m happy to admit it.

Why did you choose to be a writer?

Anita: Ever since I was a little girl, I had this need to express myself in some sort of artistic medium. I’ve tried a number of things: piano, painting, decorating, and acting. But I’ve never been very good at any these endeavors, except writing. I guess really then—writing chose me.

Janice: Like Anita, I’ve always been artistic. As a youngster, I sang, danced and played the piano. I was also very involved in theater as a young person. I’ve been writing since childhood. I wrote my first novella in 6th grade, then went on to write musical comedies for the stage before turning to books in the mid-90’s. Like Anita, I can truly say that I didn’t choose writing; it chose me. Or, perhaps I should say that God chose it for me, as a gift.

How would you describe the characters in Larkspur Dreams?

Anita: Lark and Everett are total opposites. Lark is a sanguine and a free-spirit who loves people and loves being alive. Everett is a cautious guy who enjoys numbers more than people. I love throwing characters together who’ll stir up trouble just by being in the same room.

Janice: As mentioned above, I really related to Larkspur on many levels. She’s as fun-loving and free-spirited as they come. All artsy types will agree! To give her a love interest like Everett (ironically, my grandfather’s name) was terrific because we really got to explore the “opposites attract” principle. It worked like a charm!

Did you both enjoy working with these characters? Why?

Anita: Many of my characters are bits of me. Lark is only a small part of me. I’m more of a melancholy/choleric, and Lark is really a true sanguine with a little bit of phlegmatic thrown in. She is the life of the party, and everybody loves being around her. I enjoyed writing about Lark, because I am a Lark-wannabe. Aren’t we all?

Janice: Will I embarrass myself too much if I say that I enjoy being the life of the party, like Larkspur? I do! I’m a real people person, and I thrive on the affections of the people God has placed in my life. Consequently, I really loved this character. As for Everett. . . I had to “grasp” the concept that someone could actually “be” like that. He seemed foreign to me! But, of course, he was Lark’s perfect/ideal man!

How long have you been writing?

Anita: I’ve been writing for twenty-two years. It’s been a long journey, a hard journey at times, but I’m glad I didn’t get off the train. During those many years, I had a variety of books published, mostly nonfiction, but the passion for writing novels never left me. When I first started this whole process, my kids were little. It became difficult to sit down and concentrate on writing, but I did find bits of time. Also, kids go to bed earlier than adults, so I used that block of time to write rather than watch television. Now, empty nest is around the corner, so soon I’ll have even more time to write.

Janice: I’ve been writing professionally since the 90’s. As mentioned earlier, I wrote musical comedies for the stage. (I was a drama director at a Christian school of the arts for several years.) My first “published” works were magazine articles, then I sold my first novel (Duty to Die) in 2000. Since then, I’ve written/published over 20 books, in nearly every genre: historical fiction, contemporary inspirational romance, cozy mystery, non-fiction devotional, and Christian living.

When did you have your first success as a writer?

Anita: After several years of writing, I had some gradual success—books for children, books of one-act plays, and nonfiction for women. These successes were enough to keep me going toward my ultimate goal, which was to write novels.

Janice: This may sound a bit silly, but my first real writing “success” happened my senior year in high school, when I was chosen to help write the senior production. I had a blast, and the scene I crafted (a 1930’s/Busby Berkeley-esque “The Show Must Go On” scene) was a huge success. I can’t tell you what fun I had, or how great it felt for people to respond as they did.

Do you have any special methods of getting into the writing zone, such as favorite scents, music, or certain foods?

Anita: Sometimes I go to a local French café, order coffee and scrambled eggs, and then write a rough chapter. The noise, music, and bustle energizes me creatively.

Janice: An “ideal” writing situation for me would involve someplace like Starbucks (or otherwise) with a cup of my favorite hot beverage in my hand (to be discussed below). Ironically, when I’m at home, I can’t stand having music going. I find it terribly distracting… something about the “beat” drives me nutty. Having the television on is okay, but it’s often muted. Crazy, I know. I’m a fanatic about my Diet Dr. Pepper and several flavors of hot tea. I particularly love Earl Grey and Chai Latte, among others. And I’m nuts about hot chocolate in the wintertime. I’m also crazy about my puppies. I have two red mini-dachshunds named Sasha and Copper. They usually settle in next to me on the sofa, Sasha on my right, Copper on my left. When we’re all in place (with a cup of tea or a Diet Dr. Pepper on the end table, depending on the season) I’m ready to begin. Of course, I usually have to weed through several emails (clearing a path) before I can actually start writing. Whew! Sounds like quite a process, doesn’t it?! It’s a wonder I get anything done at all!

What is your best advice for aspiring writers?

Anita: If you feel called to write, don’t let people discourage you. I’m sure they don’t realize the impact of their words, but negative remarks can undermine our courage and joy. Comments similar to: “Maybe you weren’t really meant to be published.” Or, “Are you making any money at this yet?” Perhaps you’ve heard, “Why can’t you write like my favorite author?” Honestly, I could go on and on here. Writing is a great and honorable profession—one that can challenge, inspire, and change people’s lives. If you love words and love arranging them into stories, then don’t let the battering influence of dispiriting comments shatter your dream. Keep pressing on!

Janice: I often say this to young/new writers: Learn the craft, but don’t necessarily write what the publishers/agents/houses tell you to write. Trends change. Stick with the stories God places on your heart and if He intends them to be published, He will find the right publishing house in the right time.

What are your writing plans for the future?

Anita: I’d love to write romantic suspense. I’m also interested in fantasy.

Janice: I’m open to whatever God wants (and I really mean that). If He shifts me in a new direction (women’s fiction, for example) I’m following His lead! If He asks me to lay the writing down for a season in order to accomplish a different task, I’m open to that, too.

We’d love for you to visit our websites at www.anitahigman.com and www.janiceathompson.com. If you’re interested in our Heartsong novel, Larkspur Dreams, it can be ordered online right now through Barbour Publishing at http://www.barbourbooks.com/book/detail/larkspur-dreams-h-s-734/
Thanks for inviting us to your blog. It’s been fun!

It was fun having this interview on my blog today!

Until next time,
Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com

The Purpose Driven Life Chapter 5

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In chapter five, Warren talks about tests from God. God watches how we react to certain situations, testing our belief in him. He also talks about how we treat our possessions and our money. He left us with this question to ponder: What has happened to me recently that I now realize was a test from God? What are the greatest matters God has entrusted to me?

I made a marble cheesecake this weekend and it tastes great! The recipe is below, however, I would not recommend baking it as described in the recipe! I am placing the original recipe here since baking times vary by oven. I’ve made this cheesecake two times, with two different ovens and both times when I baked as recommended, the cheesecake was not done! I had to place it back into the oven for at least another 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees. I recommend baking the cheesecake at 350 degrees and to check it periodically to make sure it’s done.

Marble Cheesecake

Graham Cracker Crust-to make crust combine one cup of graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 cup melted butter. Press mixture onto bottom and 1/2 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes; cool.

3 packages of cream cheese(8 ounces each), softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla(I only use real vanilla extract. I never use imitation)
3 tablespoons flour
3 eggs (eggs usually work better when they are at room temperature)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Prepare graham cracker crust. Set aside. Combine cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, the sour cream, and 2 teaspoons vanilla in a large mixer bowl; beat on medium speed until smooth. Add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, blending well. Add eggs; beat well. Combine cocoa and 1/4 cup sugar in small bowl. Add oil, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and
1 1/2 cups of the cream cheese mixture; mix until well blended.

Spoon plain and chocolate mixtures alternately into prepared crust, ending with dollops of chocolate on top; gently swirl with knife or spatula for marbled effect. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes without opening oven door, decrease temperature to 250 degrees and continue to bake 30 minutes. Turn off oven; let cheesecake remain in oven 30 minutes without opening door. (Be sure to read my comments above about baking time!) Remove from oven; loosen cake from side of pan. Cool completely; chill throughly.

10-12 servings.

Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com

A Sounding Brass By Shelley Bates

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A Sounding Brass
Author: Shelley Bates
Paperback
ISBN: 0446694924
Pub. Date: June 2006

I really loved this book! I suppose part of the reason I liked it so much is because of the subject matter, the effects of cults. I’ve never read another Christian fiction book that dealt with cults, although I’m sure there are others out there. Claire Montoya’s ‘church’ the Elect, is despondent because one of their senior members has been accused of rape. The strict church is left leaderless, until handsome and charismatic Luke Fisher steps on the scene. Luke orchestrates changes in a fast-paced manner, and Claire and the rest of the Elect’s heads are spinning because of these abrupt changes. Luke is not a part of the Elect, however, even though he is an Outsider, one of the church leaders, Owen, allows Luke to help lead the church since the Elect’s Shepherd(Leader) has been convicted of rape.

Allowing an Outsider to speak at an Elect Gathering is unheard of, however, soon the congregation is placing all of their faith and trust into Luke Fisher. One of the biggest changes that takes place is that the women can now wear colors. Before their Shepherd was arrested, the Elect women could only wear black, and they had to wear their hair in a severe bun.

Since the trial of the Elect’s Shepherd makes headline news, Claire finds herself under scrutiny at the bank where she works. People have suspicious opinions about the Elect’s strict religion because of the rape trial, and bank customers start leaving, because of Claire’s association with the Elect. She’s asked to go against her religion and change her hair and clothing. Not used to going against the rules of the Elect, Claire refuses, causing her to get fired from her job.

However, she finds herself a job an hour later at a local Christian radio station. Luke Fisher is her new boss, and she’s drawn to his good looks and charismatic nature. However, a love triangle ensues when Ray Harper, an investigator for the rape case appears. He’s drawn to Claire, and he’s suspicious about Luke, so he has Luke investigated. Claire tells Ray that she can’t have a relationship with him because he is not a part of the Elect and because he doesn’t believe in God.

However, as the story unfolds, Claire is wrongly blamed for Luke’s crimes and she gets arrested. Together, she and Ray are able to find Luke and bring the whole matter to justice. Claire does finally admit that the Elect way is not the only way to salvation, and Ray does learn to trust and lean on God.

There were a lot of things about the Elect that I’ve noticed are similiar among some cults I’ve read about over the years. The cultish characteristics of the Elect were:

1. They believe that their way is the only way to Heaven. All other churches are worldly.
2. They place their entire interpretation of the scriptures into the hands of governing members of their organization. (I’ve even heard of cults that change their interpretation of scriptures, and their members are expected to embrace the new interpretation.)
3. They don’t call themselves a church. They call themselves the Elect.(Church is a wordly term.)
4. They don’t call their building a church. Their building is called a Mission Hall.(Again, calling their building a church is worldly.)
5. There are no accounting records available to them about the financial aspects of their group. Giving is totally secret, and how the congregation spends their money, and how much is taken in, is only known to a few select senior individuals.(I think the act of giving can be secret. I don’t have a problem with that. I just think that a church owes it to its members to let them know how much they collected and how those funds have been allocated. Some cults tend to not do this.)
5. Their meeting times were not called church services, they were called Gatherings. (Again, use of the word church is considered worldly.)
6. It is a requirement for them to meet several times a week.
7. It is a sin marry somebody outside of the Elect. You can only marry someone within your organization since all other churches are worldly.
8. If you openly go against their ‘rules’ then you are shunned, and nobody within the organization can talk to you.
9. Some cults don’t give to charities. I noticed in one part of the book, Claire was talking to Luke about how to distribute the funds that had been pouring into the radio station(this was before she knew that Luke was a con-artist and was sending money to fake charities). She had thought about the fact that giving was new to her, and the only ‘charity’ they did in the Elect was invite people to their Gathering.

I’d be interested in reading more books by this author.

Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com

Urban Legend – Sinbad The Comedian

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I received a weird email today from my sister that had been forwarded several times. The email claimed that the comedian Sinbad had died. He’s best known for his role in the TV series A Different World. He played a guy named Walter, I believe? He also starred in a few other TV series as well as a few movies. Well it turns out that his death is a hoax. He’s still alive! But tons of people were thinking he was dead because apparently, somebody had gotten into Wikipedia and edited the encyclopedia entry for Sinbad, giving him a date of death (yesterday’s date). They also said that he’d died of a heart attack!

If you look at Wikipedia now, they’ve corrected Sinbad’s encyclopedia reference and the death date no longer exists. They’ve also locked Sinbad’s entry so that it can’t be edited by new users.

A story was recently posted this evening on the reuters website about this legend:
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=411852007

For some reason, urban legends have always fascinated me. It’s strange, that in a matter of a few hours(or minutes) you can have tons of people believing such untruths!

What a world we live in!

Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com

The Purpose Driven Life Chapter 4

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I read chapter four of The Purpose Driven Life last night. Warren basically says we should focus on the fact that our life here on earth is limited. It is a stepping stone to our eternal lives with God. Then he also preached the gospel, basically saying that each of us needs to accept Christ in order to enjoy an ever-lasting life with Him. I enjoyed reading the chapter. Because of my busy life with working full-time, making dinner each night, and taking care of our young son, I haven’t been able to read a chapter a day of The Purpose Driven Life as Warren recommends. So, it’ll probably be well over forty days before I finish the book.

Last weekend, I made another pound cake. Below, you’ll find the recipe:
No Fault Pound Cake
6 eggs
3 cups sugar
3 cups flour – NOT self-rising
1 cup Crisco(I used butter-flavored Crisco)
1 cup milk
2 sticks butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
1 teaspoon lemon flavoring
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons rum

Blend Crisco and butter. Then blend in sugar. Then add eggs blending one at a time. Then add milk and flour by thirds. Then add flavoring and rum and last the baking powder.

Note: bake in a cold oven at 350 degrees for one hour and fifteen minutes. (You may need to bake a bit longer, depending upon your oven.)

I did not get this recipe from a cookbook. One of my husband’s relatives gave me a handwritten copy of this recipe. We tried it last weekend and I was pleased. The cake was high and very moist.

Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com

Simply Divine by Jacquelin Thomas

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Simply Divine
by Jacquelin Thomas
Paperback
ISBN: 1416527184
Pub. Date: October 2006
Age Range: Young Adult
This book is the first YA novel that I’ve ever reviewed on my blog. YA is an interesting type of fiction, and I’d like to have my own YA(Young Adult) inspirational series someday.

Divine is the daughter of a famous female singer named Kara, and her father, Jerome, is a has-been actor who has seen better days. When Jerome is arrested for murdering his mistress, and Kara is caught with drugs, and attacking a female journalist, Divine’s life spins out of control. Kara sends Divine to stay with her Uncle Reed and his family. Kara and her preacher brother Reed have been estranged for several years, and Divine has never met Uncle Reed or his wife and family. While Kara is in rehab and Divine lives with her uncle, aunt and her cousins, Chance and Alyssa, she has to leave her posh life behind as she takes residence in the country.

There is major conflict between Divine’s new family and herself since she doesn’t like their ‘country’ ways and is forced to go to a public school and do housework. Some of the kids in her new school tease her about Jerome’s murder arrest, and Divine gets into a fight as he protects her father’s name.

Divine slowly matures and changes as Uncle Reed, who is a preacher, shows her how we need to lean on God when life brings us a lot of trouble.

I think this book shows young people that when our life is spinning out of control, we need to lead on God and look to Him for the answers that we seek.

Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com

The Upper Room

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The Upper Room website has a really nice daily devotional. To check it out, go to the following website:

http://www.upperroom.org/

Click on the Today’s Devotional link.

I haven’t really had a chance to look at all of the content of the site, but I plan on doing so at a later date. Me and my hubby really enjoy reading the devotional.

Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com

Pearl And Breaker’s Reef

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Pearl by Lauraine Snelling
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Bethany House (April 1, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 076422221X
ISBN-13: 978-0764222214

Breaker’s Reef By Terri Blackstock
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (March 1, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310235952
ISBN-13: 978-0310235958

This blog entry is from my old Diaryland blog:
2006-04-29 – 7:14 a.m.

Today is Saturday, April 29th, and I hope all of you had a happy and blessed Easter Holiday. My baby was sick, so my husband and I missed Easter services this year. My husband was sick on Easter Monday, and I was sick on the Tuesday after Easter. Me and hubby are healthy right now, however, our baby seems to either be getting a cold, or, suffering from allergies. Hopefully the little guy will be feeling better soon.

I’ve been doing a little writing here and there during my spare time. I thought I’d take this diary entry to tell you about two great books I recently read.

The first book is called Pearl by Lauraine Snelling. I really enjoyed this historical novel! Pearl “runs away” from home to escape an arranged marriage plotted by her insensitive father. She makes her way to Dakota Territory and makes a new eclectic mix of friends while she is employed as a school teacher in a former whore house that has been converted into a hotel. Pearl has a scar on her neck, which she keeps covered, thinking it will prevent her from finding a suitable mate. I am glad when she is able to find the man of her dreams while living in the Dakotah Territory.

As is common in Lauraine Snelling’s novels, she involves Norwegian characters, and characters with Norwegian ancestry. I like the way she describes their accents and uses a sprinkling of Norwegian phrases in her sentences.

The other novel I’ve read recently is Breaker’s Reef by Terri Blackstock, one of my favorite suspense authors. The murder of a high-school girl has the people on the island of Cape Refuge scared and they are anxious to find the killer. As is common of Ms. Blackstock, she keeps you guessing about the killer’s identity until the very end. There are some interesting characters in this novel, including a quirky writer who turns out to be one of the strongest murder suspects.

Blair, the newspaper reporter, also has to live with scars(like Pearl in Lauraine Snelling’s novel). Just like Pearl, she does end up with the man of her dreams in the end.

I encourage all to read novels by both of these ladies. I’ve read several of their books, and they are good reads that will keep you entertained.

Many Blessings,
Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com

More Soap Opera Musings

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I forgot to elaborate on number four when I did my blog yesterday. I think it’s weird when soap opera writers go back and invent new history for the characters to support a new story line that they want to develop. A few examples of this were when Kendall showed up on All My Children. Kendall is Erica Kane’s daughter, whom she had when she was raped at fourteen, whom she’d given up for adoption. There was no mention of this rape until the writers decided to let Kendall pop into the story.

Another example of this occurs on The Young And The Restless. Cane is an Australian, living in America, searching for his birth mother. It turns out that Jill is supposedly his birth mother. Jill didn’t know she had this son because after she had given birth, Catherine(Jill’s birth mother, whom she didn’t even discover was really her birth mother until a few years ago)had kidnapped Cane and gave him to somebody else. Somehow, Catherine “arranged” for Jill to end up taking a baby home, but it wasn’t hers. So Jill ends up raising a child, that’s not hers, but she thinks it is. So when Cane shows up, she’s floored. Also, the child she did raise, Philip is dead from a car accident.

This whole story line is confusing from the get-go. Just thinking about it almost gives me a headache. Catherine just recently ‘remembers’ that she did this dreadful, not to mention illegal, deed to Jill. (Of course, when she did this to Jill, she had no idea that Jill was her birth daughter, and Jill was going after Catherine’s husband, who happens to be the father of Jill’s baby!) Whew! Now I’m confused for real!

Time for me to blog about a book or something. I’m tired of talking about the soaps for now.

Signing off until next time.

Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com