Monthly Archives: June 2010

Only Uni By Camy Tang

Senior biologist Trish Sakai is ready for a change from her wild, flirtatious behavior. So Trish creates three simple rules from First and Second Corinthians and plans to follow them to the letter. No more looking at men as possible dates, especially non-Christians. Second, tell others about Christ. And third, she will persevere in hardship by relying on God. And just to make sure she behaves, she enlists the help of her three cousins, Lex, Venus and Jennifer, the only Christians in their large extended family.

But Trish’s dangerously tempting ex-boyfriend, Kazuo the artist, keeps popping up at all the wrong moments, and her grandmother, who has her eye on his family money, keeps trying to push the two of them back together again. Then there’s Spencer, the hunky colleague at work who keeps turning Trish’s thoughts in the wrong direction.

It just isn’t fair! She’s trying so hard, but instead of being God’s virtuous woman, she’s going nuts trying to stand firm against two hunky guys. Trish thought following her three rules would be a cinch, but suddenly those simple rules don’t seem so simple after all.

I’m afraid I’m doing this review based upon memory since I read this book over a month ago and never got around to blogging about it! The story was entertaining and there were a lot of twists and turns, things that happened that you totally did not expect. Trish has decided to make some changes in her life and to be a better Christian. She even wants to go to divinity school to get her degree among other things. She’s also been assigned a new office mate, Spencer, who’s driving her crazy with his good looks. However, she thinks that Spencer is not a Christian because she’s seen him flirting with female colleagues. Trish is shocked when she discovers Spencer’s true nature. Also, she finds it necessary to join a new church and to become more involved with more ministries. Amidst all this new turmoil in her life, she finds her ex, an artist, has made it his mission to stalk her, begging her to come back. Trish’s grandmother assists Kuzuo, the artist, to win her granddaughter’s affections.

This story was humorous and you’ll also learn a few things about Asian culture. I don’t see many novels in the Christian market with Asian characters. I’d never heard of a K-drama until I’d read this story. It’s an entertaining read that you’ll finish in a few days because it’s written in a way that’ll keep you turning the pages.

I reviewed the first book in the series here.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Questions From Writers

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Marti wrote with the following question:
I am an aspiring author and I wanted to know how you found your publisher for your first book. Did you use an agent or did you just send out cold queries?

I’ve never been agented, and I’m going to talk a little more about that in my response to the question in the next paragraph. I found the publisher for my first book through a direct contact at a writers conference. I used to attend the Romance Writers of America conference every year and I met Tracie Peterson (the former editor of Barbour Publishing’s Heartsong Presents line). Although Tracie didn’t offer me a contract for my story, when her former colleague, Stephen Reginald, was looking for an African American Christian Fiction author to write a novel for a special 3-in-1 collection for Crossings book club, he contacted Tracie for suggestions and she gave him my name. As a result, I landed the contract for Someone For Toni, my first book in the novel collection entitled Promises To Keep that was released back in 2002.

Sue wrote with the following questions:
I’ve written two novels and pressing my way through a third right now. I’ve sent a query letter to a handful of agents, trying to concentrate my efforts to agents who represent “inspirational” or “Christian” fiction. I’ve had several reply with encouraging remarks, half a dozen requests for more material, and a few recommendations to send my project to another specific agency. I find this, so far, encouraging.

My questions are: How do I know an agent is good?

Again, I’m not agented, but can only speak for what I hear at writers conferences and on writers loops. You’ll need to find out the reputations of agents through other authors. Most agents have a list of authors that they represent on their website. Contact these authors and ask if they like their agent. Also, I’ve noticed that if writers have a negative opinion about agents, they’re more likely to open up about their agents if you’re talking to them face-to-face at a writers conference vs. email. However, if they love their agent, they’ll probably have no problem sending you an email singing praises about their agent. Also, I have an idea about which agents I want to avoid. There are a few that I know I’m not going to submit to because of complaints that I’ve heard from other writers. I can just sense that I won’t be a good fit for some agents, but that doesn’t mean that those agents won’t work for other authors.

What can I do to further my cause?

Keep writing books and submitting them. Also, you might want to join a writers organization and attend some writers conferences if you haven’t already done so. It took me five and a half years and several books before I landed a contract. Also, if you’re writing Christian fiction, you might want to join American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and attend their annual conference this September. It’s the best place to be if you’re trying to get your Christian novel published. Most major publishers and agencies will be there, under one roof, and if you’re savvy enough, you can get a chance to speak to all of them. If you can’t afford to go, do some research to see if there’s a Christian writers conference that’s in your area. Sometimes you can find one-day conferences in certain areas that are cheaper than the ACFW conference.

How do I ask authors to read my material in order to get that seemingly elusive recommendation that so many agencies are looking for?

Hmm. Are you talking about an endorsement? Most writers won’t give endorsements unless they know you. It’s best to hook up at a writers conference and make connections that way. I’ve never sought endorsements for my own work because I write category romances, and for category romances, the publisher usually does not care about having the endorsements for authors on the covers of the books. I’d think if your writing is strong enough, you can let the agency know that you’re a member of a large writers group and will seek endorsements once a contract has been granted. I’ve heard of writers doing this.

And, finally, do you have any experience with specific agencies that would cause you to recommend them to me?

Nope. Never been agented. Since this question has popped up more than a few times over the last six months, I’ll tell you about my agent search. I started searching for an agent about three years ago, but the search has NOT been on-going. I’ve searched for an agent for this project and most agents think it’s a hard sell because I have a blind protagonist. One of my faults is that I’m stubborn, and I don’t always listen to others if something is set in my mind. I’m determined to see this book published in spite of what the agents say. I’ve made some contacts with editors myself at writers conferences and I’ve been submitting it on my own to publishers. Most of the houses that I’ve been submitting the material to require an agent for submission, however, I was able to bypass that requirement since I’ve been meeting these editors at conferences and they’ve invited me to submit. I’ve also had one large Christian publisher to contact me looking for submissions for their African-American line. This project actually made it to committee before it was rejected. Strangest rejection I ever received. The editor did call me and we chatted for over an hour. She did suggest that I submit something in the future and I threw out a few ideas.

Since I’ve started my agent search, I’ve only had two somewhat positive responses. One agent offered representation for this project, but I declined because this agent’s reputation wasn’t very good among the writers’ circles, plus, I felt this agent didn’t always present herself in a professional manner on writers loops and groups.

Another agent did call me about my query letter. The agent called over a year after I’d sent my query, but, at the time, I didn’t have time to finish the novel because I was in the midst of a three-book contract with Barbour Publishing and because of deadlines, I couldn’t focus on my other book. This agent ended up closing their agency a few months after his phone call to me.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Christy Award Winners!

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Last night was the Christy Awards ceremony. Here are the winners:

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Breach of Trust by DiAnn Mills • Tyndale House Publishers

CONTEMPORARY SERIES
Who Do I Talk To? by Neta Jackson • Thomas Nelson

CONTEMPORARY STANDALONE
The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson • Thomas Nelson

FIRST NOVEL
Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent • Tyndale House Publishers

HISTORICAL
Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin • Bethany House Publishers: a
Division of Baker Publishing Group

HISTORICAL ROMANCE
The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen • Bethany House Publishers: a
Division of Baker Publishing Group

SUSPENSE
Lost Mission by Athol Dickson • Howard Books: a Division of Simon &
Schuster

VISIONARY
By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson • Marcher Lord Press

YOUNG ADULT
North! Or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson • WaterBrook Multnomah
Publishing Group

Congrats to all the winners!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

King Nebuchadnezzar

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Daniel 4:28-33
28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. 30 The king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”

31 While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! 32 And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.”

33 That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.

Looks like King Nebuchadnezzar turned into an animal. When God speaks, we should listen! I wonder how hard it is for most of us to hear God’s voice. Can you imagine, hearing that message directly from heaven? At times, I wish I could hear God so clearly. Sometimes, when we go through our lives, we’re unsure about so many things. We pray about them, think about them, wondering what God wants us to do and we still are unsure. Do you think you ever hear God’s voice as clearly as King Nebuchadnezzar?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Sweets

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I’ve recently read the following Love Inspired novels. These are what I call sweet, inspirational, endearing romances that aren’t too complex. The storylines are simple, and you can enjoy one in a few hours since they are so short.

The Pastor Takes A Wife by Anna Schmidt
Everyone in Singing Springs, Wisconsin, is talking about the handsome new pastor. Except single mother Megan Osbourne. With a checkered past, she knows not to speculate about others. Or think for one dreamy minute that Jeb Matthews would even notice her. Yet there she is, telling him about her life and not feeling judged. Soon she’s even helping him set up a church youth center and becoming more a part of the community than ever. And when Jeb slowly opens up to her about why he gave up his former life, she hopes the pastor will soon take a loving wife—her.

Megan is the town outcast. She got pregnant in high school and the father of her baby (a high school star football player) abandoned her, going to college on scholarship and convincing the town that Megan has lied about the paternity of her baby. Devestated, Megan continues to live in the town although she doesn’t feel well-liked or well-respected. Plus, she doesn’t have high self-esteem and she’s always putting the needs of others before her own needs. When the new pastor comes to town, she feels drawn to the newcomer. However, why would Jeb, a handsome pastor with a doctorate degree, want to be with her, an high-school educated single mother who’s never been married before. As they spend time together, they find themselves drawn to each other, and Megan finds that Pastor Jeb has some secrets of his own lurking in his past.

The Baby Bond by Linda Goodnight
Firefighter Nic Carano relishes his bachelor lifestyle. Then he loses his heart to a rescued baby. And when he meets the infant’s lovely aunt–suddenly a mother–Nic starts considering love, marriage…and a baby carriage.

Yet Cassidy Willis isn’t convinced. Nic’s been a lifesaver with all that he has done, along with his big-hearted family and fellow firefighters, to help the new mom. But after all she’s been through, could she really be happy with someone whose life is always in danger? Now it’s up to Nic to show Cassidy that his bond with her and the baby is forever.

Cassidy’s life takes a drastic turn when her sister and her sister’s husband are suddenly killed in a fire. Firefighter Nic Carano rescues Cassidy’s nephew and Cassidy suddenly finds herself the new single mother of her infant nephew. Nic discovers that Cassidy is all alone and he vows to help her through her plight. He bonds with Cassidy’s infant nephew, and finds himself drawn to Cassidy as well. However, Cassidy, orphaned at a young age, is hesitant about having a relationship with Nic. He’s a firefighter, and she’s had more than her fair share of brushes with traumatic fires and natural disasters. Nic has a dangerous profession, and she doesn’t want to love him, only to lose him in the blazes of a fire. Also, Nic is a playboy – he has more female friends than Cassidy can count, and she wonders if he could seriously handle a mature romantic relationship. Both of these two lovebirds need to learn trust God with their romantic intentions and not worry about their fears.

A Family Forever by Brenda Coulter
A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS When her fiancé was killed just three weeks before their wedding, violinist Shelby Franklin’s “happily ever after” dreams were shattered. The discovery of her unplanned pregnancy guaranteed those dreams would never be rebuilt.

A KNIGHT IN A BIKE HELMET Tall, husky cyclist Tucker Sharpe promised his dying brother he’d look after Shelby. When he learned there was a baby on the way, a marriage of convenience seemed his only option. But would love for the unborn child be enough to bring them — and keep them — together?

Shelby was in love and on her way to the alter…now she’s alone – her fiance killed in an accident. Tucker has promised his deceased adopted brother that he’d care for his fiancee if anything should happen to him. Tucker finds he has to keep that promise, and with the promise comes more responsibility – Tucker also needs to care for Shelby’s unborn child.

Shelby is initially appalled at the idea of marrying Tucker. However, she does, eventually, find herself drawn to the big attractive biker. She also finds herself resenting Tucker because she’s always felt that Tucker thought she was not good enough to marry his little brother.

Shelby has secrets lurking in her past, and this book has a subtle suspenseful thread. Shelby feels as if she’s being watched and followed, and she has no idea who’s sniffing around, trying to scare her.

A tragic event occurs, and it appears that it may shatter Tucker’s and Shelby’s relationship.

Shelby finds that she needs to face the fears of her past in order to have a happy, fullfilling life.

Rainbow’s End by Irene Hannon
Shelter from the storm… To lessen the pain of his wife’s death, Keith Michaels headed cross-country. Yet though he had reached the Pacific Northwest, he still felt broken, empty and alone. When a sudden storm stranded him with the local widow, who was no elderly matron, but a reclusived young woman. What was it about shy Jill Whelan and her charming cottage that made Keith want to stop his wandering ways? Did faith and love await him at Rainbow’s End?

A vagrant, Keith finds himself staying overnight in an empty cottage on a young widow’s property. The young widow, Jill, lives in the town of Rainbow’s End. She lives alone, and has minimal contact with people. Due to an accident, half of her face his terribly scarred, and she’s resorted to spending the rest of her life all alone. In spite of her scars, Keith finds himself attracted to the young widow, and she hires him to build an art studio on her property.

As the story unfolds, Keith and Jill find themselves helping a practically homeless boy, and falling in love with one another. However, Keith has secrets about his past that Jill doesn’t know about. Can she trust him? Why has he suddenly appeared in Rainbow’s End, broke, as if he’s running away from something? Keith needs to learn to face his own fears and to tell Jill the truth about his past.

This book was different than most romance novels because the heroine is severly disfigured. Usually in romance novels, the heroes and heroines are attractive…and that’s not the case in this story.

All four of these romances were heartwarming, simple reads that you’ll enjoy.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Cults

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In the book that I’m working on now, I’ve got a major emotional conflict involved. When he was a young boy, the hero’s mother was involved in a religious cult, and it ultimately led to her death. The negative experience has colored his view of all religions and he has nothing to do with Jesus as a result of his boyhood experience.

I was wondering if anybody reading this blog has ever been involved with a cult or know someone who has? If you did, what was your/their experience like? How did you/they get out of the organization? If you feel like sharing the name of the cult, that would be fine, but it’s not necessary.

This inquiring mind wants to know…

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Reader Mail About Bittersweet Memories

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A reader recently wrote to Heartsong Presents about my novel, Bittersweet Memories, and my editor was kind enough to pass the message to me. Here’s what Candi had to say about Bittersweet Memories – book #3 in the Chesapeake Weddings collection:

I really enjoyed reading Cecelia Dowdy’s book Bittersweet Memories. I picked it up from a Christian Store, In Kansas City, Mo. I must say I have never in my whole life read a book that was so good. Finished it in one day, that’s how much I loved it. I would like to see more of her books.

Thanks so much for your kind words, Candi! Your compliment has really made my day!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

A Passion Redeemed By Julie Lessman

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A Passion Redeemed by Julie Lessman

From Amazon.com:
From the Back Cover
No man can resist her charms. Or so she thought. Charity O’Connor is a woman who gets what she wants. Her stunning beauty and flirtatious ways have always succeeded with men. Until Mitch Dennehy, that is. Brilliant and dangerously handsome, Mitch is a no-nonsense newspaperman who wants nothing to do with her. Charity burned him once, destroying his engagement to the only woman he ever truly loved. He won’t play with matches again. But Charity has a plan to turn up the heat, hoping to ignite the heart of the man she loves. And she always gets what she wants–one way or another. Or does she? Will her best-laid schemes win his love? Or will her seductive ways drive him away forever? Book 2 in the Daughters of Boston series, A Passion Redeemed will captivate your heart and stir your soul with a story of faith and redemption rising from the ashes of temptation, desire, and shame. Praise for the first book in the series: “Full of romance, humor, rivalry, and betrayal, A Passion Most Pure will captivate readers from the first page.” –Historical Novels Review “Superb! Incredible! I loved Julie Lessman’s A Passion Most Pure from the second I picked it up until the very last moment I stopped reading.” –Armchair Interviews “I devoured this book and loved every single page. . . . This is a thick, juicy read, and one I would pick up again in a heartbeat.” –christianreviewofbooks.com Julie Lessman is the author of A Passion Most Pure and the recipient of ten Romance Writers of America awards. She resides in Missouri with her family.

I loved this book! I’m afraid my review is based upon memory since I finished reading this book weeks ago, before I temporarily shut my blog down due to a self-imposed writing deadline!

Charity O’Connor is used to getting what she wants. Beautiful, flirtateous, and somewhat self-centered, she gets angry when a man doesn’t fall for her feminine charms. When she falls for Mitch, her sister’s former fiance, she feels she’s finally found a man that she wants to spend her life with, however, her lies and deceitful ways are a big turn-off for Mitch since he’s a Christian. However, as Mitch gets to know Charity, he discovers a woman who has been tormented by an early childhood experience that fuels her current, somewhat destructive behavior. Mitch doesn’t know if things can work between him and Charity since she doesn’t share his deep faith in the Lord. However, a traumatic event forces Charity to take a good hard look at her life and her actions, makes her think about how her behavior has affected others, and makes her take a deep hard look at her own faith.

This book was full of lust, passion, and real feelings. There was also a very deep inspirational message. This is the second book in the Daughters Of Boston Series, and as I’d mentioned before, YOU NEED TO READ THE BOOKS IN ORDER. I didn’t read them in order because I “discovered” this author when the third book was released and I read it for a blog tour. All three books are exceptional reads and I highly encourage all of you to check out Julie’s books if you haven’t already done so. Here are the books, listed in order:

I thought the author did an awesome job with the setting. A large portion of A Passion Redeemed takes place in Ireland! She used elements that made me feel that I was in another place and time!

I’m going off on a tangent here and I’m going to talk about Irish food for a minute. While I was reading this book, I noticed that Julie mentioned several Irish dishes. I wondered about these dishes and so I looked them up online and found some recipes. If you’ve ever tried these dishes, leave a comment and let me know if you liked them. Here are the dishes that I was curious about when reading Julie’s book:

Coddle – this was a ham, sausage and potato casserole
Apple Duff – this looks like it’s similiar to apple pie.
Crubeens – Pig’s feet!!! I haven’t had pig’s feet since I was a kid! I know people eat these, though, but I don’t care for pig’s feet!

If you’ve been reading this blog long enough, and if you’ve read my writing, you know that I like to talk about food. I doubt I’d try the crubeens….pig’s feet? Not my favorite, but I would be interested in trying the Coddle and Apple Duff!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

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