Monthly Archives: February 2009

Barbour Publishing And Other Things

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Lloyd asked me the following question:

Why can’t I find your book in bookstores? I saw it featured on the Black Christian fiction site, and I was going to purchase it for my wife. The store said the only book they had for you on file was something called First Mates. Also, I saw your book on amazon.com, but it was a used copy for $99.99!! Do I have to order your book directly from the link you provided to your publisher?
My response…

I’m not sure what to say about the high price of Milk Money, available as a used book on amazon.com. I noticed the high price a long time ago, though. I guess somebody thinks my book is worth close to one hundred bucks?? The price has been coming down, slowly, in recent weeks. So, I’ve got to skip the question about the used price of my novel on Amazon and move on to your next topic.

Okay, I don’t know if all of my blog readers know about my Black Christian Fiction website. About, maybe, five years ago I saw that the domain name blackchristianfiction.com was available, so, I bought it and set up a site with the links of a bunch of African-American Christian fiction authors. Reason being, there are a lot of African American readers who only read novels by AA authors (I’ve blogged about this in the past) and I thought this would be a great marketing tool for my novels, as well as for other AA authors. The books that are featured on this site are mine since it’s my website, and I pay the fees plus I develop the site. However, as I said, I do provide links to other AA authors’ websites, and it’s great to provide a little free publicity to the other authors.

Now, on to the next part of your question: Thanks for looking for my book in the bookstore. But the way Barbour Publishing works is, when the Heartsong Presents titles are initially released, they’re mailed directly to all of the book club members. The book club members subscribe to the Heartsong Presents novels, receiving a shipment of four books per month. So, when the book is initially released, the only place it is available is through direct order through Barbour Publishing. However, maybe, eight or nine months later, the Heartsong Presents novels are available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble directly from the publisher.

I tell people when they order my books from Barbour, they’re only $2.97 plus $4.00 postage. BUT, you can order up to 12 books and pay the same amount of postage! So I advise people to order both of my books, and since the books are less than $3.00 each, buy 12 books – you can easily choose twelve different titles from the Heartsong Presents website if you don’t want to order multiple copies of my novel. I also advertise about the fact that these books make great gifts for friends and book club members.

Most of the Heartsongs are then re-released as a three-in-one book with a state theme. For example, my three novels: John’s Quest, Milk Money and Bittersweet Memories will be re-released sometime within the next year or so with a Maryland-themed title. A majority of the Heartsong Presents romances AND Heartsong Presents Cozy Mysteries will be re-released this way. When they are re-released as a 3-in-1, they are available immediately from bookstores and on websites such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You can also pre-order the 3-in-1s from Amazon before they are released.

I also want to add that the women’s fiction single title novels are NOT handled like the Heartsongs. When the single titles are released, they are available for order through Amazon and they are immediately available in bookstores.

If you go to Family Christian Bookstores, you’ll see a number of Barbour’s re-released three-in-one-state-themed collections and women’s fiction titles on the fiction shelves.

My second published novel, First Mates, was released by Harlequin Enterprises under their Steeple Hill/Love Inspired imprint back in February 2005. Currently the paperback version is out of print and only available used, but it’s also available new as a hardback, large print title. Since First Mates was not a Barbour title, it was released into bookstores and department stores immediately.

I hope that answers your question, Lloyd!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Out Of The Blue by Janice A. Thompson

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Out Of The Blue by Janice A. Thompson
Heartsong Presents #806
Publisher: Heartsong Presents (Barbour Publishing)
ISBN: 9781602600577
Binding: Mass Market
Pages: 176 pages

From Heartsong Presents website:
Will Katie ever stop running? Katie Walken has been running most of her life – from her Amish upbringing, from her family’s expectations, and from an arranged marriage to her childhood friend, Karl Borg. Now a successful real estate agent, Katie feels she finally has the life she always wanted. . .or does she? Karl Borg lost his love when she fled from their future in Amish country. Leaving home, too, he became an attorney specializing in real estate law. But his heart remains with the girl who ran away. When Katie and Karl are reunited out of the blue they seem to have a second chance at love. But then tragedy strikes Katie’s family and a real estate venture sets Katie and Karl on opposing sides. Will they allow God to help them face their past while still looking toward their future?

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This is a sweet, endearing love story that will give you a taste of the Amish life. Katie escaped her Amish home when she was eighteen, leaving her future fiance Karl behind. Now, they meet again, and their romance practically resumes in the face of a major tragedy that hits Katie’s family. Karl comes to Katie’s aid, wanting to help her during this difficult time. Although it’s hard for him to forgive her past actions, he finds that he still has feelings for Katie, in spite of her past mistakes. Karl has also left the Amish community and made a career of his own. Both Karl and Katie learn about forgiveness as travel back to their Amish roots.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Milk Money – A Review

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One of my blog readers, Jane Squires, has posted a review of Milk Money on the Celebrity Cafe. Here is the review for Milk Money posted on the Celebrity Cafe:
Milk Money
by Cecelia Dowdy
A lone woman running a farm meets CPA.

Emily Cooper has lost her dad. Her step-mom has gone to visit her daughter. Emily is not happy when a CPA shows up at her door to audit the books. Her step-mom did not tell her. She is busy trying to run a farm and doesn’t need this man with the chocolate brown eyes invading her home and thoughts.

Franklin Reese is sent to help out in this area where Emily lives and is sent out to audit the books. He uncovers things that he hates to have to share with Emily.

I love the way the author brings opposites together and shows how each dealt with the death of a loved one. I also love the struggles each have to face in finding their love for one another. Real love is like that.

It also shows God’s mercy and his working to bring people to him and to each other. I found this book one hard to put down.
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Title: Milk Money
Author: Cecelia Dowdy
Publisher: Heartsong Presents
ISBN: 9781602602557
Review written by: Jane Squires
Reviewer’s Rating:9.5

If you haven’t purchased your copy of Milk Money…what are you waiting for! It’s only $2.97 and you can buy several and give them as gifts to your friends! It’s a quick and easy read to consider for your book club, also! Here’s the purchasing link!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Milk Money – More Reviews

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From Amazon.com – A five-star review and Good Reads:

romance and running a farm alone as a woman, February 19, 2009
By squiresj (Wasola, Mo)

I really was amazed at this book and recommend it to everyone. A lone woman running a farm after her father’s death, an accountant, and more. It is amazing to read how God brings opposites together and works things out between couples. I could see a lot of issues dealing with overcoming alchol that Franklin Reese had to deal with. My husband used to drink before he got saved but got delivered from all of it. All through our 30 years of marriage he has never once had a desire to go there again. Franklin had lost his wife and it was hard for him and he turned to achol to handle his grief. Emily Cooper on the other hand handled her father’s death with the help of God. Yet even if we handle things different God works in our lives to what will reach us. I throughly enjoyed this book and it kept my attention.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Love Finds You In Last Chance, CA

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Love Finds You In Last Chance, California by Miralee Ferrell

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Summerside Press (February 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1934770396
ISBN-13: 978-1934770399

From Amazon.com:
Product Description
It’s 1889 and Alexia Travers is alone in the world. Her father has died unexpectedly, leaving her burdened with a heavily mortgaged horse ranch. Marrying one of the towns all too willing bachelors would offer an easy solution, but Alex has no interest in marriage. Instead, she dons mens clothing and rides the range, determined to make the ranch a success on her own. Help arrives when Justin Phillips, an acquaintance of her father’s, comes to Last Chance with his young son. Justin’s and Alex’s combined effort to save the ranch quickly turns into a fierce competition between cowboy and tomboy. But when disaster threatens Travers Ranch, they must work together to save someone they both love. Can these two independent people learn to depend on God and on each other? Love Finds You is a series of full length romance novels that give readers a peek into local life across the United States. The novels are uniquely named after actual American towns with quirky, interesting names that inspire romance and are just plain fun! This means that each fictional story draws on the compelling history or unique character of a real place. Our fresh, original love stories will feature everything from romance kindled in small towns, to old loves lost and found on the high plains, to new loves discovered at exciting vacation getaways. Love Finds You promises to deliver the best of romance, travel and escape, all in one inspirational fiction package.

About the Author
Budding author Miralee Ferrells debut novel, The Other Daughter, released in October 2007 with excellent reviews. Romantic Times Book Reviews magazine awarded it 4 out of 4.5 stars, and two major motion picture studios are considering the book as a possible family movie. She is working on the book’s sequel, scheduled to release in 2008. Miralee lives in a rural community in Washington with Allen, her husband of 35 years. Together they have two grown children. She serves on staff at her local church and is actively involved in ministry to women.

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My thoughts? I haven’t read the book yet, but I’ll be posting a review once I’ve read it! I did enjoy this author’s earlier book, The Other Daughter, so I’m pretty sure I’ll like this one too! Once I’ve posted my review, I’ll be giving this novel away, so look for my review sometime in the future!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Milk Money And A Few Other Things

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The Book Club Queen suggested that if any of my blog (or other readers) read Milk Money, they could stop by her page and rate the book. If you read and liked Milk Money, feel free to rate it using a star system here.

Also regarding the First Wild Card book that I toured via my blog entitled Lost In Las Vegas; I’ve finished the book and am now posting my review for it. My thoughts? Well, I felt the writing was aimed at the middle-grade reader more so than the high school reader. Carter House has five or six? high-school-aged girls living together. DJ, the main character in this book, is the grand-daughter of the woman who runs Carter House. Also, DJ is a resident in the house. This book is part of a series, but I had a hard time following the story, and I guess it’s because I didn’t read the books in the series that were published before this one. There were too many girls to keep straight in my mind, but it was easier to know who was who during the second half of the book since the second half mainly focused on two girls: Taylor and DJ.

Also, I had a hard time understanding why these girls are living together at Carter House. The living arrangement was a foreign concept to me. Usually, when I hear of such an arrangement nowadays with minors it’s usually one of the following:

1. A group home where the kids have mental, emotional or physical problems that their families are not able to handle.
2. Orphanage (which you don’t really see that much anymore in the U.S. – we seem to use foster homes more so than orphanages)
3. Boarding School

None of these examples seemed to apply to the Carter House Girls. I suppose the living arrangement was explained in one of the earlier books. The “grandmother” who runs the house doesn’t really have much control over the girls and they pretty much do whatever they want. It appeared they were living in an unsupervised environment and were basically raising themselves. I think I could have understood the living arrangement more if the girls were living in a dorm and going to boarding school (like the eighties television series The Facts Of Life.)

I didn’t really feel as if I knew the characters very well. I knew DJ was a Christian, but I didn’t really feel as if I knew her or the other girls. However, this may be because I didn’t read the other books in the series.

I think kids might be able to learn a great lesson about the dangers of drinking if they read this novel. However, I felt the second half of the book got kind of tiresome after awhile because scene after scene DJ kept repeatedly pleading with Taylor to stop drinking as the twosome lurked in clubs, bars, and cabanas.

I’ve enjoyed other Melody Carlson books more so than this one, but middle-graders will probably enjoy this story. Also, when you read it, I’d suggest buying all of the novels and reading them in order so that you don’t feel so lost when reading the later novels. I felt that Lost in Las Vegas was just a small slice of a much bigger story.

Changing the subject, I want to announce that my January Book Giveaway winner is:
Gayla Collins – Sheridan, WY

~Cecelia Dowdy~