Yearly Archives: 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!

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We’re heading out of town tomorrow to Durham, North Carolina. I made the desserts for the holiday. I’m about to place the Lemon Pound Cake into the oven and I just removed the Sweet Potato Pies (I made two of them) from the oven. I’ve posted the Lemon Pound Cake recipe before, but thought I’d repost it. I’ve also posted a recipe for Sweet Potato Pie. Since the internet connection is kind of spotty at my in-laws, I doubt I’ll be blogging until sometime this weekend. I realize I still need to do the Kingsbury children’s book giveaway as well as post my views about The Shack.

So, Happy Thanksgiving! If you need dessert ideas, try the ones posted in this blog entry! Enjoy, and stay blessed!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

SWEET POTATO PIE
1 (14 1/2 – ounce) can mashed sweet potatoes or 2 large baked sweet potatoes. (I prefer the baked sweet potatoes)
3/4 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon butter or margarine melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
One refrigerated pie crust

If using baked sweet potatoes, remove potatoes from the skin and place into bowl. Mix all ingredients together, except for the pie crust. Pour into crust. Bake at 400 degrees for first ten minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 35 or more minutes until done.


OLD FASHIONED LEMON POUND CAKE

1 ½ cups butter (3 sticks)
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (I don’t measure the lemon juice. I use the juice from one whole lemon.)
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind (I don’t measure the lemon rind. I use the rind from one lemon.)
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup evaporated milk

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 10-inch tube pan. Beat butter in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add sugar ½ cup at a time, creaming well after each addition. Stir in vanilla, lemon extract, juice and rind. Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir thoroughly after each addition. Pour into prepared pan. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 70 to 80 minutes. If cake is not done after 70-80 minutes, bake longer, until wooden pick comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes; remove from pan.

GLAZE:
Sift one cup of confectioners’ sugar into a bowl. Squeeze juice of one lemon into a separate bowl. Remove seeds from the lemon juice. Mix lemon juice with confectioners’ sugar and drizzle over cooled cake.

Riding Through Shadows by Sharon Ewell Foster

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Riding Through Shadows by Sharon Ewell Foster
Paperback: 350 pages
Publisher: Multnomah Books (June 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590529006
ISBN-13: 978-1590529003
From the back cover:
It’s the sixties, a time of turbulence and change, of worlds being turned upside down – even in small towns like East St. Louis, Illinois, and Tyler, Texas. And no one feels the times like eight-year-old Shirley Ferris, whose life is propelled by the rhythms of integration and televised war. Though her loving family cocoons her in the face of forces both natural and supernatural, Shirley’s life begins to unravel. All that holds her together is a bicycle, eccentric Mother Johnson, a sweet song. . . and the memories of a friend that she cannot seem to let go. Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement, Riding Through Shadows is a story of triumph over tragedy.

I believe I purchased this book years ago from Crossings Book Club, probably before I even got married. Since I’m a confessed bookaholic, I have a BAD HABIT of buying too many books, books that I’ll probably never read. However, I’m glad I dug this one out of my shelf recently!

This book is incredible! Shirley is in a world of confusion. As she tries to make sense of all of the racism, war, and turbulence going on in the world, she makes a secret friend in her neighborhood: the little bad girl. Shirley doesn’t know the name of her new friend, but is glad to have this girl to talk to and to confide in. When her father is sent overseas, Shirley’s mother becomes an emotional wreck. Shirley’s twin uncles try to help with the family’s plight, but her mother irrationally pushes them away.

A traumatic event occurs, breaking Shirley’s world apart and after staying in a mental institution she’s taken in by a relative, Mother Johnson. As she recuperates from her ordeal, her new Mother Johnson takes her under her wing, teaching her about God’s grace and forgiveness.

This book grabbed me from the beginning, and I read it pretty quickly. The story jumps from Shirley’s life in the sixties to the eighties. I enjoyed the way the past and present were woven together.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Book Giveaway LATER THIS MONTH

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I’ll be reviewing and giving away these ZONDERKIDZ children’s books later this month. I’ll let you know when you can post to enter the drawing.


We Believe In Christmas by Karen Kingsbury

The Gift of the Christmas Cookie by Dandi Daley Mackall

I’m not sure which day I’ll be posting the review and drawing, but it will be soon. You can subscribe to this blog if you want to be sure you don’t miss entering the drawing. I’ll be sending the books out soon after the drawing just in case somebody wants to give the books to their children as Christmas gifts.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

I Can’t Believe I Did It…

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Last weekend, I actually read my book, Milk Money. Doesn’t sound like a phenomenal thing to do, but…I NEVER read my novels once I get my author copies. Once I get the real novel, I’ve read the manuscript so much that I’m sick of the story. I guess I read this one because I wrote the original version about ten years ago! I’ve re-written and re-submitted over the years (while working on other projects), and I am glad to say that it’s a good thing it was rejected so long ago. I feel this version is much better than the older versions I was peddling to the editors at the publishing houses.

I kind of enjoyed reading the actual novel. It was a great way to spend part of my weekend!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Should Black Books Be Segregated????

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I blogged about a similiar subject matter, sort of, on this post.

My internet friend, Tyora Moody, commented that she’d written an article about this subject matter in the current issue of Christian Fiction Online Magazine.

Also, today on AOL’S Black Voices Blog, they blogged about whether having an AA fiction section was necessary.

Read both post of the links referenced above and comment if you feel inclined!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Dark Pursuit by Brandilyn Collins

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Dark Pursuit by Brandilyn Collins

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (December 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031027642X
ISBN-13: 978-0310276425

From the Back Cover
“Ever hear the dead knocking?”

Novelist Darell Brooke lived for his title as King of Suspense—until an auto accident left him unable to concentrate. Two years later, reclusive and bitter, he wants one thing: to plot a new novel and regain his reputation.

Kaitlan Sering, his twenty-two-year-old granddaughter, once lived for drugs. After she stole from Darell, he cut her off. Now she’s rebuilding her life. But in Kaitlan’s town two women have been murdered, and she is about to discover a third. She’s even more shocked to realize the culprit is her boyfriend, Craig, the police chief’s son.

Desperate, Kaitlan flees to her estranged grandfather. For over forty years, Darell Brooke has lived suspense. Surely he’ll devise a plan to trap the cunning Craig.

But can Darell’s muddled mind do it? And—if he tries—with what motivation? For Kaitlan’s plight may be the stunning answer to the elusive plot he seeks . . .

This book was riveting, and as usual of Collins’ style, the main character finds a dead body at the beginning of the story. When Kaitlan sees the dead woman on her bed, she immediately suspects her boyfriend Craig of the murder. She runs to her convalescing grandfather Darell, begging for his help. Kaitlan is shocked when Darell suggests she return to her home and to her murderous boyfriend. When Craig turns abusive, Kaitlan fears for her life, and wonders about her grandfather’s advice. When Craig takes her car keys and cell phone, making it hard for her to leave her secluded apartment, Kaitlin wonders if Craig is planning to kill her next.

Kaitlin calls upon God to help her through this ordeal, and Darell and his housekeeper assist Kaitlin with her recent plight.

I thought this book was riveting, and depending on how fast you read, you can finish the book quickly as each scene leads into the next. This is an intriguing novel and is definitely a page-turner.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Interview With Author Sharon K. Souza

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Lying On Sunday by Sharon K. Souza

AN INTERVIEW WITH SHARON K. SOUZA

Author of Lying on Sunday

1. In your previous novel, Every Good & Perfect Gift, you address the tough issues of infertility and catastrophic illness. Again, in Lying on Sunday, you’ve tackled a tough subject, that being infidelity. Why do you choose such tough topics?
I like to write stories that speak to women on deep and personal levels. None of us gets through this life without being affected in some form by sadness, loss, a sense of failure over one issue or another, and having been failed. I think when we know we’re not the only one going through these types of situation–and it’s so easy to feel that you are alone–it gives us hope that we really can come through, not necessarily unscathed, but certainly stronger and more equipped to help others.

2. Do heavy topics equal a heavy reading experience?

Definitely not. I firmly believe that pleasure reading should first and foremost be entertaining. Time is a precious commodity. I hope that readers who choose to spend some of their precious hours in the pages of my books will thoroughly enjoy the experience.

So even though I tackle tough subjects, I infuse enough humor to keep those subjects from becoming an albatross around the reader’s neck. Conversely, I love to read for pleasure, but I want to take something away from the experience.

3. What would you have readers take away from Lying on Sunday?

In one day, Abbie Torrington has the underpinnings of her world knocked out from under her. Everything she thinks she knows about her marriage turns out to be false. It leaves her reeling in the aftermath. Years ago, while dealing with health issues in my own life, a close friend gave me a Precious Moments figurine entitled “Light at the End of the Tunnel.” In Lying on Sunday I want to show that even with issues as devastating as betrayal there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and for me that Light, of course, is Jesus.

4. Lying on Sunday deals with the betrayal of infidelity, but are there other forms of betrayal that the book might speak to?
Types of betrayal obviously vary, but the end results can be equally devastating. Any time a trust is broken between people in relationship, someone is going to be hurt. We can either allow those hurts to hinder us, or we can allow the Lord to use them as lessons to make us better and stronger. That brings to mind the old adage “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.” Well, through her own devastating experience Abbie becomes a stronger, more independent person than she knew she could be.

5. Once again you’ve written a story with a strong and vital friendship that’s central to the story. Was that coincidence or by design?
Absolutely by design. I’m all about relationships and so are my characters. Having gone through a period in my early adulthood without a close friend, I know how important friends are in our lives. In fact, I’ve recently reconnected with two friends from high school, one I hadn’t seen in 25 years, and the other in over 30 years. But relationships between women, while vital, can be very complex. That’s certainly true for Abbie. Besides her close friendship with Shawlie Bryson, she has a close relationship with one daughter and a challenging relationship with the other, mostly because of the very different emotional place these girls are in while dealing with the death of their father. Not only that, but Abbie has a strained relationship with her own mother for reasons she eventually discovers. I’m certain that women of each one of these generations will relate to one or the other of these characters, especially the woman caught in the middle, where she’s both the daughter and the mother.

6. Truth is a theme you deal with extensively in Lying on Sunday. In a book that deals with betrayal, wouldn’t forgiveness be a more fitting theme?
I believe forgiveness is the key to getting beyond the kind of hurt Abbie experiences – which doesn’t necessarily equate to restored relationship. (In Abbie’s case, of course, that’s impossible anyway.) But the discovery of truth is a huge first step in the process. In any difficult situation we can choose to ignore the facts and try to keep life on an even keel. But there inevitably comes a day of reckoning. For Abbie to arrive at the desired destination, there are some unpleasant truths she must acknowledge and deal with. She’s dogged by a scripture from John 8:32 that says the truth will set you free. Only she can decide whether or not she’ll let it.

7. What is the most satisfying thing that comes out of your writing?

I love hearing from readers, especially those I don’t know, who say my stories have touched them in one way or another, and most importantly, have helped them see more clearly how good and loving our Lord is.

8. What are you working on now, and does it continue in the style of Lying on Sunday and Every Good & Perfect Gift?
My work in progress, Unraveled, is another contemporary novel about a young woman who gives a year of her life to help teach children in Moldova, a small country in eastern Europe. While there she experiences a crisis of faith (the story ultimately deals with human trafficking). And yes, it continues in the style of my previous novels.

9. Is there anything you’d like to add?

Naturally I love to hear from readers. You can email me through my website: http://www.sharonksouza.com. If you’re in a book club and choose to read any of my books I’ll send a complimentary book to the person who contacts me on behalf of their group. Then, after you read the book I’d love to participate in your group discussion, either by phone or in person if you’re close enough for me to drive to.

It was great having you here, Sharon! If you are interested in being entered into the drawing for Lying On Sunday, simply leave a comment on this blog post! Don’t forget to leave your email address when you comment so that I’ll have a way to contact you if you win!

If you want, you can read another interview with Sharon that I posted earlier this year.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Author Copies of Milk Money Arrived Today!

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I received my author copies of Milk Money today! To celebrate, I’m giving away one copy on this blog! Leave a comment on this blog post to be entered into the drawing! THIS DRAWING IS SEPARATE FROM MY NOVEMBER BOOK GIVEAWAY DRAWING. If you want to win this book, you’ll need to leave a comment on this post, along with your email address!

Coming in January 2009 – Milk Money – A Barbour Heartsong Presents Title!

ISBN: 978-1-60260-255-7
From the back cover:
Running a dairy farm is a big job, but doing it alone is almost impossible.
When her dad dies, Emily must work hard to save the family farm, but she manages. Until the day the CPA pulls in her drive and announces he’s there to do an audit on the place.
Franklin Reese is appalled at the lack of interest the Cooper women have in the financial end of their livelihood, but he dives in, determined to help them learn. The further he looks into Mr. Cooper’s dealings, however, the more uncomfortable he becomes.
Can he uncover the truth of the situation and still earn the love of the amazing Emily Cooper? Will issues in Franklin’s own life keep them apart, even after the farm is taken care of? Only God can heal hurting hearts and repair broken lives. Will these two let Him in?

~Cecelia Dowdy~