Yearly Archives: 2008

ACFW Book Of The Year Finalists

Leave a reply

Huge congrats to the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Book Of The Year Contest! The winners will be announced at the 2008 ACFW Conference in Minneapolis!

ACFW’s 2008 Book of the Year Finalists:

Debut Author
Bayou Justice (Robin Miller writing as Robin Caroll)
In Between (Jenny B. Jones)
Sushi for One? (Camy Tang)
My Soul Cries Out (Sherri Lewis)
Petticoat Ranch (Mary Connealy)

Contemporary Novella (*six finalists due to a tie)
A Cloud Mountain Christmas (Robin Lee Hatcher)
Finally Home (Deb Raney in Missouri Memories anthology)
Mississippi Mud (DiAnn Mills in Sugar And Grits Anthology)
Moonlight & Mistletoe (Carrie Turansky in Big Apple Christmas anthology)
Remaking of Moe McKenna (Gloria Clover in the Race to the Altar anthology)
Sweet Dreams Drive (Robin Lee Hatcher)

Historical Novella
Beyond the Memories (DiAnn Mills in Mississippi Memories anthology)
Finishing Touches (Kelly Hake in Missouri Memories anthology)
Love Notes (Mary Davis in Love Letters anthology)
The Spinster & The Cowboy (Lena Nelson Dooley in Spinster Brides of Cactus Corner anthology)
The Spinster & The Tycoon (Vickie McDonough in Spinster Brides of Cactus Corner anthology)

Lits (*six finalists due to a tie)
Around the World in 80 Dates (Christa Banister)
One Little Secret (Allison Bottke)
Renovating Becky Miller (Sharon Hinck)
Splitting Harriet (Tamara Leigh)
Sushi for One? (Camy Tang)
The Book of Jane (Dayton/Vanderbilt)

Long contemporary
Autumn Blue (Karen Harter)
Like Always (Robert Elmer)
Taming Rafe (Susan May Warren)
When the Nile Runs Red (DiAnn Mills)
Within This Circle (Deb Raney)

Long Historical (*seven finalists due to TWO ties)
Courting Trouble (Deeanne Gist)
Fancy Pants (Cathy Hake)
Lady of Milkweed Manor (Julie Klassen)
Remember Me (Maureen Lang)
Then Came Hope (Louise Gouge)
Veil of Fire (Marlo Schalesky)
Where Willows Grow (Kim Vogel Sawyer)

Mystery
Days And Hours (Susan Meissner)
Death of a Garage Sale Newbie (Sharon Dunn)
Gone With The Groom (Janice Thompson)
Sticks And Stones (Susan Meissner)
Your Chariot Awaits (Lorena McCourtney)

Short Contemporary
Heart of the Family (Margaret Daley)
The Heart of Grace (Linda Goodnight)
The Perfect Blend (Allie Pleiter)
Wedded Bliss (Kathleen Y’Barbo)
When Love Comes Home (Arlene James)

Short Contemporary Suspense (*six finalists due to a tie)
Caught Redhanded (Gayle Roper)
Her Christmas Protector (Terri Reed)
Nowhere to Hide (Debby Giusti)
Pursuit of Justice (Pamela Tracy)
See No Evil (Gayle Roper)
Vanished (Margaret Daley)

Short Historical (*six due to a tie)
A Time to Keep (Kelly Hake)
A Wealth Beyond Riches (Vickie McDonough)
Canteen Dreams (Cara Putman)
Corduroy Road to Love (Lynn Coleman)
Golden Days (Mary Connealy)
To Trust An Outlaw (Rhonda Gibson

Speculative
Demon: A Memoir (Tosca Lee)
DragonFire (Donita Paul)
The Restorer (Sharon Hinck)
The Restorer’s Son (Sharon Hinck)
Isle of Swords (Wayne Thomas Batson)

Suspense
Abomination (Colleen Coble)
Black Ice (Linda Hall)
Coral Moon (Brandilyn Collins)
Crimson Eve (Brandilyn Collins)
Ransomed Dreams (Amy Wallace)

Women’s Fiction
A Promise To Remember (Katie Cushman)
Bygones (Kim Sawyer)
Remember to Forget (Deb Raney)
The Oak Leaves (Maureen Lang)
Watercolored Pearls (Stacy Adams)

Young Adult
In Between (Jenny B. Jones)
On The Loose (Jenny B. Jones)
Sara Jane: Liberty’s Torch (Eleanor Clark
Sarah’s Long Ride (Susan P Davis)
Saving Sailor (Renee Riva)

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Tired

Leave a reply

My posts over the next couple of weeks will be kind of spotty and sporadic since I’m on deadline again. Bittersweet Memories is due to my editor August 1. It’s coming along slowly but surely. Plus, I caught my son’s cold. I’ve been taking zinc, cold medicine, and vitamin C to get rid of this cold.

I read a nice Heartsong Presents historical called The Prisoner’s Wife by Susan Page Davis. I plan on blogging about that book soon.

Also, I’ve had another agent to show some interest in the story I blogged about here. I’d sent this agent a query, so, we’ll see what happens. Perhaps my story will get published after all…
~Cecelia Dowdy~

ACFW Conference Blog Tour

1 Reply

The first ACFW Conference I attended was back in 2006. I made a wealth of publishing contacts as well as new friends that year. The conference was truly awesome, and I looked forward to participating the following year.

The second ACFW Conference I attended was in 2007. That year, I made some key contacts with agents, and, hopefully, I’ll land the right agent soon. I also had a great dinner with my publisher, Barbour. Barbour is gracious enough to treat all of their authors to dinner on Friday night at the ACFW conference each year. This allows us to interact and mingle with other Barbour authors.

I’m looking forward to going to Minneapolis in September! This will be the first year that I’ll be participating in the booksigning!

If you’re curious about the entire ACFW Conference Blog Tour, I’ve copied and pasted the schedule for you below:

6/11/2008 Chip MacGregor http://acfwconference.blogspot.com/
6/11/2008 Cara Putman http://carasmusings.blogspot.com
6/12/2008 Wanda Dyson http://acfwconference.blogspot.com/
6/12/2008 Pamela James http://pammer.blogspot.com/
6/13/2008 Jennifer AlLee http://jenniferallee.blogspot.com
6/13/2008 Ane Mulligan http://anemulligan.blogspot.com
6/16/2008 Robin Miller http://robinswritingworld.blogspot.com/
6/16/2008 Christina Nelson http://christinanelson.blogspot.com
6/17/2008 Annette Irby www.annetteirby.blogspot.com
6/18/2008 Martha Rogers www.marthawrogers.com
6/18/2008 Sharon Hinck http://sharonwriting.blogspot.com
6/19/2008 Susan May Warren http://scribbles.susanmaywarren.com
6/20/2008 Camy Tang http://camys-loft.blogspot.com/
6/23/2008 Deb Raney www.deborahraney.com
6/23/2008 Ronie Kendig http://supernaturalcraving.blogspot.com
6/24/2008 Colleen Coble http://girlswriteout.blogspot.com
6/25/2008 Rachel Hauck http://www.rachelhauck.com/blog.htm
6/26/2008 Brandilyn Collins www.forensicsandfaith.blogspot.com
6/26/2008 Cathy West http://writersrest.blogspot.com
6/27/2008 Jill Elizabeth Nelson
http://www.jillelizabethnelson.com/artisticblogger.shtml
6/28/2008 Eileen Watson http://eileenastels.blogspot.com/
6/30/2008 Lynette Sowell www.lynettesowell.com
6/30/2008 Sue Brower http://acfwconference.blogspot.com/
7/1/2008 Gina Conroy http://ginaconroy.com/ginablog/wordpress/
7/2/2008 Lena Nelson Dooley http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com-
7/2/2008 Rachelle Gardner http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/
7/3/2008 Linda Fulkerson http://scrivenings.com
7/4/2008 Terry Burns http://www.terryburns.net/
7/4/2008 Rebeca Yeager http://acfwconference.blogspot.com
7/7/2008 Susan Downs http://editcafe.blogspot.com/
7/7/2008 Carla Stewart http://carlastewart.blogspot.com
7/9/2008 Rebecca Germany http://editcafe.blogspot.com/
7/9/2008 Leanna Ellis http://www.leannaellis.com/news.html
7/9/2008 Rose McCauley www.rosemccauley.blogspot.com
7/10/2008 Sharon Dunn
http://marilynngriffith.typepad.com/faithchick/
7/11/2008 Pam Meyers http://pammeyerswrites.blogspot.com/
7/11/2008 JoAnne Simmons http://editcafe.blogspot.com/
7/14/2008 Celia Tomer www.ceceliadowdy.blogspot.com
7/14/2008 Janice Olson www.janiceolson.com
7/15/2008 Angie Bredenbach
http://godusesbrokenvessels.blogspot.com
7/16/2008 Christina Berry http://authorchristinaberry.blogspot.com
7/17/2008 Roxanne Rustad http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com
7/18/2008 Margaret Daley http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com
7/18/2008 Margaret Daley http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com;
http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com
7/22/2008 Pam Hillman
8/1/2008 Christa Allen www.cballan.wordpress.com
8/3/2008 Deborah Vogts http://www.deborahvogts.com
8/4/2008 Michelle Hutchinson
http://edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com
8/6/2008 Tiff Stockton http://www.ambermiller.com
8/28/2008 Gail Gaymer Martin www.gailmartin.blogspot.com

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Christy Award Winners

Leave a reply

The Christy Award winners were announced last night. Congrats to all the winners:

Contemp stand alone: CHASING FIREFLIES by Charles Martin
Contemp. series: HOME TO HOLLY SPRINGS by Jan Karon
Historical: A PROPER PURSUIT by Lynn Austin
Lits: HALLIE’S HEART by Shelly Beach
Romance: REMEMBERED by Tammy Alexander
Suspense: THE CURE by Athol Diickson
Visionary: SCARLET by Stephen Lawhead
YA: HOLLYWOOD NOBODY by Lisa Samson
1st novel: THE STONES CRY OUT by Sibella Giorello

~Cecelia Dowdy~

As American As Apple Pie

Leave a reply



As American As Apple Pie by Andrea Boeshaar, Kristin Billerbeck, Joyce Livingston, and Gail Sattler
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Incorporated (April 1, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1586605054
ISBN-13: 978-1586605056

From Amazon.com
Editorial Reviews

Product Description
If it’s true that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, then what better way to entice the typical American male than with apple pie? Talia believes An Apple a Day and a few herbs are the key to healthy living, but Dr. Coridan scoffs at the natural products she sells in her store. Can a slice of warm pie neutralize the friction between them? Kayli wants to prove herself as a French pastry chef, but Adam prefers simple cooking, believing there’s nothing as Sweet as Apple Pie. Can their plain and fancy lifestyles mesh? Apple Annie loves running her father’s restaurant, and she is fast falling in love with the handsome man who always orders her apple pie. But when she is about to lose everything, can Brad help her? Lynette is a hard worker at church and not at all interested in a church romance. When she is paired with Rick on a fund-raiser, will a little Apple Pie in His Eye help Rick break down the walls around Lynette’s heart? As friendship is allowed to ripen and blended with love and grace, a recipe for a wonderful, lasting relationship is formed. When it comes to romance, the sweetest desserts are no match for God’s timing.

==============
I purchased this novel years ago at an RWA conference. One of the authors, Joyce Livingston, signed the book for me. I happened to find it on my shelf, and never got a chance to read it until recently. All four stories are quick, well-written reads. They’re fun to enjoy when you don’t have a lot of time to read an entire novel, but just want something to entertain you for an hour or so. In An Apple A Day, a unique conflict used: Talia owns a health food store, but she only believes in natural healing. She doesn’t think doctors have a place in today’s society. Can’t people use nature to cure their illnesses? When Dr. Coridan comes to town, she finds her views MAY be swayed.
In Sweet As Apple Pie, Kayli’s fancy french cookery doesn’t appeal to Adam’s love of simple country meals and basic desserts such as apple pie. Kayli is determined to bake a pie that’ll win Adam’s heart.
In Applie Annie, Annie is determined to run her father’s restaurant and dinner theater, in spite of her father’s alzheimer’s. However, when her half-sister comes to town, claiming her rightful half of the restaurant, she forces Annie to make a decision about selling her beloved establishment. Her sister threatens a lawsuit, and Brad, a lawyer, and Annie’s love-interest, steps in, determined to help Annie to save her business.
In Apple Pie In The Sky, Lynette is determined NOT to date any of her father’s congregation members. Rick, a youth leader, has been in love with Lynette for several years. However, he has not been able to date her because of her no-dating-congregational-members rule. As they work together on a church fundraiser, Rick is determined to win Lynette’s heart.

This book was enjoyable. Also, each story ended with an apple pie recipe! I won’t be giving this book away anytime soon. I want to try out those recipes!

I recall Tyndale House used to do this years ago. They would have novella collections featuring recipes at the end. I wonder why Tyndale stopped doing romance novella collections? I’ll probably try some of the recipes out in the winter since my husband is a big fan of apple pie!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Ten Books To Read Before You Die

2 Replies

I saw this list on AOL today. In case the link stops working, I’ve provided the list below:

1. Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell – I read this when I was about thirteen. I didn’t really like the way she depicted the slaves and I didn’t appreciate that she used the N word a lot. However, I was interested enough in the book to finish it. I thought the writing was good, but I just didn’t care for some of the elements of the story.

2. The Lord Of The Rings by J. R. R. Tolkein – I’ve read some books by Tolkien while in college, but I don’t think I’ve ever read The Lord Of The Rings.

3. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling – I read the first book in this series, but wasn’t impressed enough to read the others. I did finish the novel, though, so I didn’t think it was boring. I just didn’t feel compelled to read the rest of the stories in the series.

4. The Stand by Stephen King – I never read this. As a matter of fact, I’ve never read an entire Stephen King novel. I started reading one a LONG time ago, but could not finish because I was too spooked! I thought his writing was pretty good, though.

5. The Davinci Code by Dan Brown – Yes, I read this. Thought it was a bit ridiculous, but it was written well enough that I was compelled to finish the novel.

6. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – No, I’ve never read this, but have heard that it’s a great classic! I guess I’ll have to read it sometime?

7. Angels And Demons by Dan Brown – No, I’ve never read this.

8. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand – No, I’ve never read this.

9. The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger – No, I’ve never read this, but have heard great things about this classic! Perhaps I should read this sometime, also?

10. Drumroll please….The Holy Bible! – Yes, read this, countless times! Now, why couldn’t this one be listed as number one?


~Cecelia Dowdy~

Calico Canyon

2 Replies

Calico Canyon
by Mary Connealy
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Incorporated
Pub. Date: July 2008
ISBN-13: 9781597899383
From Barnes And Noble.com
Synopsis
Let yourself be swept away by this fast-paced romance, featuring Grace Calhoun, an instructor of reading, writing, and arithmetic, who, in an attempt to escape the clutches of a relentless pursuer, runs smack dab into even more trouble with the 6R’s—widower Daniel Reeves, along with his five rowdy sons. When a marriage is forced upon this hapless pair—two people who couldn’t dislike each other more—an avalanche isn’t the only potential danger lurking amid the shadows of Calico Canyon. Will they make it out alive? Or end up killing each other in the process?
=============
Schoolmarm Grace Calhoun finds it hard to control Daniel Reeve’s five rambunctious boys in her classroom. Her inability to teach the youngsters causes her to lose her job. When her stepfather threatens her life, she finds the most unlikely hiding place: Daniel Reeve’s cave/farm home. When she spends the night with Daniel and his boys, she’s forced into an unwanted marriage. Grace’s life spins out of control since she is now the mother of five boys. She’s never taken care of a home, and finds her basic skills are lacking, and the antics of the boys, plus their brooding father, add a lot of comedy as well as emotional drama into the Reeve’s household.
Daniel finds himself falling for his new wife, however, he’s afraid to love her. He’s already lost one wife in childbirth, and doesn’t think he can bear to lose another mate due to the birth of a baby.
You’ll need to read this historical novel. Mary Connealy will provide a few hours of comedy and a romance that will warm your heart.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Book Giveaway!

29 Replies


I’m giving away the following books this month! If you’re interested in winning, simply leave a comment along with your email address! When you comment, let me know which book(s) you would be interested in winning. All of these books are new or slightly used. I’ve also reviewed most of these titles on my blog. Here is the list:

Bygones by Kim Vogel Sawyer
The Ex Files and A Sin And A Shame – both of these titles are by Victoria Christopher Murray, and I’m giving them away as a set.
Tuesday Night At The Blue Moon by Debbie Fuller Thomas – I have 2 copies of this novel to give away.
Ain’t No Mountain by Sharon Ewell Foster
The Spinster Brides Of Cactus Corner – A Barbour Anthology by Francine Devine, Lena Nelson Dooley, Vickie McDonough, and Jeri Odell
The Visitation by Frank Peretti
Married In A Month by Linda Goodnight – please note, this is a sweet romance, it’s NOT an inspirational title
John’s Quest by Cecelia Dowdy

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Twilight Zone Marathon

3 Replies


After barbequing for most of the day, I took some time yesterday evening to watch the Twilight Zone Marathon on the Sci Fi Channel. I love watching this on the Fourth of July and on New Year’s Day. Each year, I’m able to catch an episode or two which I’ve never seen before! I do have episodes that are my favorites, also. I’ve even mentioned how much I like this show to a few acquaintances, and about how it’s good to be entertained with the show since a lot of the episodes are new to me. I’ve had people to say: “Don’t you remember when the Twilight Zone used to come on every week? You don’t remember that?”

Then I’ll reply, “No, I don’t remember that. I can honestly say this show ran before I was born.”

Do any of you enjoy this show? I’m not really into science fiction much, but I do like Twilight Zone. Also, it’s nice to watch because I’ll see stars that were famous in the seventies (I especially remember the seventies!) and eighties, who got their start on the Twilight Zone. One episode I was watching last night had Carol Burnett on it! She looked like she was in her twenties. This episode aired in 1962, I believe.


~Cecelia Dowdy~