Monthly Archives: July 2012

Eyes Of Elisha – From The Blog Archives

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My husband recently asked me for book recommendations. Knowing his reading taste, I immediately recommended Brandilyn Collins. I told him to read Eyes Of Elisha. I read this book several years ago and I was hooked from the first page! I think one reason that I was drawn to this book so much was because it had such a strong suspenseful thread – there’s a murder involved. Also, the main character, Chelsea, has the gift of prophecy. Here’s what I originally said in my review for this novel: A chilling winner! This book was so suspenseful! The story just grabbed me from the beginning and I barely put the book down for two days. If you want to read a gripping, intriguing story then this book is for you! I highly recommend it!

My husband loved the book and I was able to recommend other works by Brandilyn Collins to him.

Do you know of any other Christian fiction titles that have prophets as the main characters? If so, tell me the titles and the authors. Also, have you read Eyes of Elisha? If so, leave a comment and let me know if you liked it.

Below is a summary of the book, from christianbook.com:

Chelsea Adams lives in the fast-paced Silicon Valley area of California. She’s wife to Paul, a successful entrepreneur, and mother to their two sons. Chelsea is a Christian with the unusual gift of visions. These insights from God have helped her pray for people and have led her to save others from harm. But never has she experienced a vision like the one she “sees” during a business dinner with her husband and their prospective new vice-president of marketing, Gavil Harrison. Invited to dinner to check out the new prospect, Chelsea goes into a spiritual state in which she sees the murder of a young women. After the vision, when she comes back to consciousness, she looks into Gavil’s eyes and experiences a terrifying moment of recognition: she’s certain that he’s the killer she saw. But who will believe her? Certainly not her non-Christian husband, who wants to hire this man to work by his side. Nor the police, who must rely on hard evidence. Only one person might believe her-the murderer himself. There are plenty of twists and turns of plot right up to the end of this edge-of your-seat thriller.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Sunday Brunch! Revelations!

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Revelation 22:18-19

New International Version (NIV)

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

Whenever I read this scripture, it always makes me stop and think. What does this scripture mean to you?

I’m thinking, the Lord is telling us that we shouldn’t change or add words to His book, The Holy Bible. However, there are several versions of the Bible out there in several different languages. When I think about this scripture, it just blows my mind. Why? Well, because of the different translations out there – which translation is the most accurate? Has anyone taken liberties when interpreting the Bible?

When I was growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness, I was always taught that their version (the JW version – The New World Translation), was the Bible that was the closest to the original Bible. I’d believed that their Bible was the clearest, most concise Bible that delivered Jehovah’s word to His followers.

I’m a Christian now, and I’m no longer a part of the JW faith for several reasons. Decades ago, I did discover while I was questioning the JW beliefs that their Bible had some scriptures that appeared to be totally different than other versions of the Bible. It was like, the meaning of some scriptures were changed in the NWT and this bothered me, a lot! I felt like I’d been lied to, plus, I felt like the translators were going against the Lord’s request about NOT changing his Holy Word.

So, when I read through the book of Revelations, and see this scripture near the end of the last chapter, it always makes me stop and pause and think, recalling my experiences from my younger days as I sought the true meaning of being a Christian.

So, which Bible do you use most frequently? Do you use several versions? If so, which is your favorite? Do any of you read the King James version of the Bible? Are there any versions of the Bible out there that you don’t particularly like for some reason?

Be sure to leave a comment!!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Submerged by Dani Pettrey

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Submerged by Dani Pettrey

Have you ever read a book and thought, “This would make a good movie?” Well, that’s how I felt about Submerged. While I was reading, I kept thinking that this novel should be placed upon the silver screen.

When Bailey Craig returns to her small Alaskan town of Yancey for her Aunt Agnes’s funeral, she stumbles upon a mystery. Her aunt was the passenger in a small plane that went down into the water. It appears that the plane’s fate was NOT an accident. As Bailey stays in her aunt’s store, The Post, she looks for clues as to why somebody may want her aunt dead.

She also comes into contact with Cole, her old high-school boyfriend. Bailey loved Cole all those years ago, however, she was not good enough for him. Known as being an easy lay, her reputation with the town made it impossible to accept Cole’s love. She breaks his heart, leaving Yancey, never to return until her Aunt Agnes dies.

When Bailey returns to Yancey, Cole is stunned to see her. Still beautiful, he longs to get to know her again, surprised to discover that his love for her has not died after all these years. He finds himself wanting to protect Bailey from the unjust comments from the town’s men – some have not forgotten about Bailey’s lewd high school reputation, and the taunting remarks deeply hurt Bailey’s feelings.

Cole and Bailey work together, along with the Yancey police force, to solve the mystery of the downed plane. People are murdered in the small, quiet town, making the townspeople leery. Tourism is a big draw to Yancey and hopefully the town’s livelihood won’t be affected once news of the murders has been leaked. Cole and Bailey recall their younger years as they dive together, trying to piece together the clues that will assist them in solving the mystery. Time is of the essence – they need to figure out the identity of the murderer before other victims are claimed.

Bailey struggles with her deep feelings for Cole. She loves him, and loves the deep camaraderie and affection he shows for his family. Craving a deep family relationship, Bailey wonders if she’ll ever fit into Cole’s loving family. An only child, she’s never had a healthy relationship with her immediate kin. She was abandoned by her mother when she was a teen and she’s always felt like an odd duck, left out of deep family relationships.

Two diaries, an orb, Russian royalty, and an undersea Alaskan town all play into this unique plot that will keep you turning the pages.

I really enjoyed this book! I also loved how Bailey and Cole were still in love after all those years. The attraction between the two of them was deep and soothing, making you crave to see them work through their issues. This book shows that we need to freely accept God’s grace for our sins and not hold onto past hurts and pains – accepting God’s love with no boundaries can prove to be a blessing.

Many thanks to Bethany House for providing me with a free review copy.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

 

Justin Won!

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Needless to say, I was not surprised. He’s so unique – that’s why I think so many people voted for him. He makes weird/unusual food. In one clip, I saw him making an octopus! It’ll be interesting to see his show. I’m still kinda confused as to when his show airs. I went to the Food Network website and couldn’t find an air date.

Are you surprised that Justin won?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

 

Who Will Be The Next Food Network Star?

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Who do you think will be The Next Food Network Star: Martie, Yvan, Michele or Justin? Did you go online and vote?

I’ve been watching this show from the very first episode. After seeing all four test pilots last Sunday, it’s hard for me to decide who would win. Out of all of the food that was fixed last Sunday, I liked Michele’s dish the best. I’m not a big mac and cheese fan, which is why I wasn’t too crazy about Yvan’s dish. Although I do love shrimp, I didn’t like the way Martie tossed her shrimp with all of that stuff for her dish. I did think it was interesting that she’d baked her shrimp – gives me another option for making shrimp. Justin made an aspic? This is something that I’d never heard of or seen until I’d seen Justin use it? Any of you ever use/make an aspic(?sp) before?

I wish that Leekie (sp?) had not been voted off! I loved that she made desserts and I enjoyed hearing her South African accent! I’d love to see another dessert maker have a show on the Food Network because desserts are my most favorite food to make.

Speaking of food, I’ve been using this cookbook a lot! Somebody on Facebook told me about it and I was hooked! I’ve been using this book for months and it makes baking bread SO EASY!! You make the dough and keep it in the refrigerator and use it whenever you need it. I’ve made sticky buns a few times and I’ve also made the pizza dough countless times.

I’m trying to watch my salt intake, as explained in this blog post. I still eat fast food and we still eat takeout pizza, but, I’ve found a somewhat low-sodium way to make pizza! I make the pizza dough recipe in this book, but, I don’t put any salt in the dough. I also make my own sauce using no-salt-added tomato sauce (I add onions and garlic to the sauce and let it simmer on the stove). When I make my pizza, I roll out my pizza dough, put the sauce on top, then mozzarella cheese, and then on top of that, I place pre-cooked crumbled sausage, pepperoni, and fresh mushrooms.

Granted, the sausage and pepperoni are full of sodium, but, since the other parts of the pizza (sauce and crust) have no salt, there’s not as much salt in this pizza as in the takeout/pizza parlor pizzas. When you eat my version, you don’t really miss the salt, you get enough salt when you taste that pepperoni and sausage! Yum!

Do you have any low-sodium recipes to share? Leave a comment!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Congrats To The Christy Award Winners!

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Mega congrats to the Christy Award Winners! 🙂

Earlier this year, I posted the Christy Award Finalists here.

Here are the winners! Again, congrats to all! ~Cecelia Dowdy~

The 2012 Christy Award winner in Contemporary Romance category is: Wolfsbane by Ronie Kendig (Barbour Publishing)

The Amish Midwife wins Contemporary Series by Mindy Starns-Clark & Leslie Gould.
The 2012 Christy Award in the Contemporary Standalone category is: Promises to Keep by Ann Tatlock (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
The 2012 Christy Award in the First Novel category goes to: Words by Ginny Yttrup (B&H Publishing Group)
The 2012 Christy Award winner in the Historical category is: Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
The 2012 Christy Award winner in the Historical Romance category is: The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
The 2012 Christy Award winner in the Suspense category is: The Queen by Steven James (Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
The 2012 Christy Award winner in the Visionary category is: Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
The 2012 Christy Award winner in the Young Adult category is: by Lisa T. Bergren (David C Cook)

 

Congrats To The Carol Award Nominees!

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I’d like to wish a heartfelt congrats to the Carol Award Nominees. The Carol Award is American Christian Fiction Writers’ Award for the best Christian fiction published in the previous calendar year by traditional publishing houses. Here are the nominees, along with their book covers! Enjoy! ~Cecelia Dowdy~

 

Debut Novel:

 

Fairer Than Morning by Rosslyn Elliott (Thomas Nelson – Ami McConnell, Editor)

The Loom by Shella Gillus (Guideposts – Beth Adams, Editor)

Give the Lady a Ride by Linda W. Yezak (Sky Sail [Port Yonder Press] – Chila Woychik, Editor)

 

Long Contemporary:

Lost Melody by Lori Copeland/Virginia Smith (Zondervan – Sue Brower, Editor)

The Search by Suzanne Woods Fisher (Revell – Andrea Doering, Editor)

Larkspur Cove by Lisa Wingate (Bethany House Publishers – Sarah Long/Dave Long, Editors)

 

Long Contemporary Romance:      

Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones (Thomas Nelson – Jamie Chavez/Natalie Hanemann, Editors)

Lilly’s Wedding Quilt by Kelly M. Long (Thomas Nelson – Natalie Hanemann, Editor)

My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren (Tyndale – Karen Watson, Editor)

 

Long Historical:

Captive Trail by Susan Page Davis (Moody Publishers/River North – Deborah Keiser, Editor)

Fairer Than Morning  by Rosslyn Elliott (Thomas Nelson – Ami McConnell, Editor)

Mine Is the Night by Liz Curtis Higgs (WaterBrook Press – Laura Barker, Editor)

 

Long Historical Romance:

The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen (Bethany House Publishers – Karen Schurrer, Editor)

Lilies in Moonlight by Allison Pittman (Multnomah Publishers – Alice Crider, Editor)

To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer (Bethany House Publishers – Karen Schurrer, Editor)

 

Mystery:

Falling to Pieces: A Shipshewana Amish Mystery by Vannetta Chapman (Zondervan – Sue Brower, Editor)

Died in the Wool by Elizabeth Ludwig/Janelle Mowery (Barbour Publishing – Rebecca Germany, Editor)

Yesterday’s Secrets by Kelly Ann Riley (Guideposts – Beth Adams, Editor)

 

Novellas:

An Accidental Christmas from A Biltmore Christmas by Diane T. Ashley/Aaron McCarver (Barbour Publishing – Rebecca Germany, Editor)

Reese: All Along  from Smitten by Denise Hunter (Thomas Nelson – Ami McConnell/LB Norton, Editors)

A Star in the Night from A Log Cabin Christmas by Liz Johnson (Barbour Publishing – Rebecca Germany, Editor)

 

Romantic Suspense:

Lonestar Angel by Colleen Coble (Thomas Nelson – Ami McConnell, Editor)

Deadly Pursuit by Irene Hannon (Revell – Jennifer Leep, Editor)

Wolfsbane by Ronie Kendig (Barbour Publishing – Rebecca Germany/Julee Schwarzburg, Editor)

 

Short Contemporary:

The Protector by Shelley Shepard Gray (Avon Inspire/Harper Collins – Cindy DiTiberio)

Lakeside Reunion by Lisa Jordan (Love Inspired – Melissa Endlich, Editor)

Oklahoma Reunion by Tina Radcliffe (Love Inspired – Melissa Endlich/Rachel Burkot, Editors)

 

Short Contemporary Suspense:

Double Identity by Diane Burke (Love Inspired Suspense – Sarah McDaniel-Dyer, Editor)

Nightwatch by Valerie Hansen (Love Inspired Suspense – Melissa Endlich, Editor)

A Deadly Game by Virginia Smith (Love Inspired Suspense – Tina James, Editor)

 

Short Historical (four finalists due to a tie):

Promise of Time by S. Dionne Moore (Heartsong Presents – JoAnne Simmons, Editor)

Revealing Fire by Connie Stevens (Heartsong Presents – Rebecca Germany, Editor)

Light to My Path by Erica Vetsch (Heartsong Presents – JoAnne Simmons, Editor)

The Deepest Waters by Dan Walsh (Revell – Andrea Doering, Editor)

 

Speculative Fiction:

The Story in the Stars by Yvonne Anderson (Risen Books – Reagan Reed, Editor)

The Chair by James L. Rubart (B & H Fiction – Julee Schwarzburg, Editor)

Broken Sight by Steve Rzasa (Marcher Lord Press – Jeff Gerke, Editor)

 

Suspense/Thriller:

Over the Edge by Brandilyn Collins (B & H Fiction – Karen Ball, Editor)

Fallen Angel by Major Jeff Struecker/Alton Gansky (B & H Fiction – Julie Gwinn, Editor)

Freedom’s Stand by Jeanette (J.M.) Windle (Tyndale – Jan Stob, Editor)

 

Women’s Fiction:

A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner (WaterBrook Press – Shannon Marchese, Editor)

When Sparrows Fall by Meg Moseley (Multnomah Publishers – Jessica Barnes/Shannon Marchese, Editors)

Dandelion Summer by Lisa Wingate (Penguin Praise/Berkley – Ellen Edwards, Editor)

 

Young Adult:

Wreath by Judy Christie (Barbour Publishing – Rebecca Germany/Jamie Chavez, Editors)

The Merchant’s Daughter by Melanie Dickerson (Zondervan – Jacque Alberta, Editor)

There You’ll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones (Thomas Nelson – Natalie Hanemann/Becky Monds/Jamie Chavez, Editors)

Questions From Writers

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Photo courtesy of Suat Eman

 

I received the following questions from Kelsey and Mary:

Hi my name is Kelsey. I recently visited your blog website and wanted to seek your help. I recently finished a young adult novel and I am seeking help in getting it published.

Hi, Kelsey. Thanks for writing to me. There’s no nice “pat” answer about how to get your book published. If you’re trying to get your book commercially published, the first thing I’d recommend is attending a writers’ conference. That way, you’ll come in touch with like-minded people who share your passion and who can give you some insight about seeking publication. Editors and agents are also in attendance at writers’ conferences, so, you can get a chance to see which publishers are seeking YA stories. You can also meet with editors and agents, making it possible to determine if they may be interested in your novel. Also, you should have your book either critiqued by a good critique group or professionally edited before you submit to publishers.

Hopefully, that’ll be enough to get you started! Since I write Christian romance, the conferences that were most helpful to me were American Christian Fiction Writers conference and Romance Writers of America conference. Simply do a Google search for writers conferences. You might find one in your area if you can’t afford to go to the ones that are far away. I don’t attend writers’ conferences as much as I used to since they can be a bit pricey.

 

This question came from Mary. Mary’s book cover is to the left:

I love your blog. [I like the] heartwarming photos and great info. I am a published author of Inspirational Romantic Suspense.
I am new to the publishing world. This is my first novel. What happens after the two year contract is up? If neither myself or publisher decides to sign another contract where does that leave my novel? I think what I’m trying to ask is: Do I get to keep the edited novel or does all the edits made revert back to the publisher? If I wanted to self-publish the book myself would I start from scratch with my unedited copy making sure non of the publishers edits are in the manuscript?

 

Hi, Mary

Thanks for the compliments about my blog! I enjoy blogging and I’m glad when people tell me that they like to visit and look at the wonderful pics!

Congrats on your release of Escape To Big Fork Lake. I’m not a lawyer, but, I’d think it all depends upon what’s stipulated in your contract. I’d imagine if they have rights to the book for two years, after that time span is up, you then need to request the rights back to your book and then you can do what you want with your book – using whichever version you choose to use. Before you sign a contract with a publisher, it’s probably best to get a literary lawyer to review the contract if you don’t have a literary agent.

~Cecelia Dowdy~