Author Archives: Cecelia Dowdy

The Amish

26 Replies



When I reviewed the novel, Out Of The Blue by Janice Thompson, Wendy left the following comment:

Why is it that so many Christian titles these days center around the Amish? I have nothing against them, but, it’s like they feel that it’s “wrong” to use electricity and modern gadgets? Wouldn’t most people, both Christians and non-Christians, relate to “regular” people that resemble those they see everyday in public and in their work places?

My response? Well, I’m not sure. I don’t really know a lot about the Amish, but I do know this: When you place the Amish on the cover of a Christian novel, it seems to sell. Why? I don’t know. I know I’ve seen agents blog about Amish books selling well, and take a look at the following link of the top twenty best-selling novels via christianbooks.com. I counted five titles out of the twenty that have the Amish on the cover! That’s 25% of the titles!

If I had to speculate about this a bit, I’d say that people may find the simple life of the Amish to be appealing. Also, the Amish depict a clean, chaste, and faith-filled life that some people may crave? It would be interesting to see if any Amish authors out there can comment on this post and give some of their insight as to why the Amish books sell so well.

Also, there are a few websites/blogs that focus on Amish fiction. I just heard about these within the last week or so. They are:
Amish Reader
Amish Hearts

If you have specific questions about the Amish or Amish fiction, you might want to visit these sites and maybe ask the list owners some questions? Just a suggestion!

So, authors and blog readers, why do you think the Amish books sell so well within the Christian market?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Love Finds You In Last Chance California

6 Replies


Here’s the review I promised a few weeks ago for Love Finds You In Last Chance, California by Miralee Ferrell.

Alexia Travers has had her share of hard knocks. Her father has died unexpectedly, and an older distant relative/neighbor wants to marry her, which would put an end to her problems, however, she has no feelings for her admirer. Her ranch is heavily in debt, and she has no idea why her father has left her in this predicament. She’s shunned by most of the women in town since she dons men’s trousers and runs her ranch by herself. Some of Alex’s ranch workers won’t take a female boss seriously, so some of them quit, leaving Alex in a bind. When somebody mysteriously steals Alex’s horses, she wonders what will become of her ranch. Will she be able to run her business alone?

When handsome Justin Philips arrives with his young son to work on her ranch, Alex finds herself smitten with her new employee. Justin harbors secrets, and is dealing with problems of his own. His wife recently passed and he’s struggling to care for his three-year-old son. However, when Christy, a saloon girl, visits the ranch, making unusual demands that could change Justin’s life forever, Justin feels his faith is weakened and he wonders why God has forsaken him.

Christy doesn’t feel worthy of God’s love because of her background. Alex ministers to Christy, both physically and spiritually, helping Christy to understand that we’re all sinners in this world and we need to accept God’s grace. This novel mixes love, suspense as well as a large dose of inspiration. The book is well-written and you’ll enjoy these wonderful characters! Miralee’s characters are VERY realistic! It especially angered me when the church members were so judgmental towards both Christy and Alex. You find people like this in churches all the time! It’s awful. When we find ourselves judging others for certain lifestyles and choices, we need to remember that Jesus ministered to prostitutes and sinners.

Have any of you ever dealt with judgmental people in your church? If so, how do you deal with it? Have you ever changed churches because of the attitudes of certain members?

One of my blog readers, Kandy Kane, said that the cover of this book reminded her of Little House On The Prairie. As Miralee said, if you like historical novels, then you should read this one! It’s a suspenseful, heartwarming story that teaches us a lesson about God’s love!

Oh, I wanted to point out that, although I enjoyed Miralee’s novel, The Other Daughter, I liked this one more. I felt it was written better than the contemporary book…but, that’s just my opinion!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Tired

1 Reply

I was going to continue looking for the scripture I blogged about yesterday, but, I’m too tired. I was also going to post a review for Love Finds You In Last Chance California, but again, too tired! The one-hour time change is affecting me! I’m off to bed!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Bible And The Weather

99 Replies



Do you remember, less than one week ago, I blogged about a snow storm in my area, and they closed my job on Monday, March 2, 2009 because of the snow accumulation?

Six days later it’s warm and sunny, around seventy-five degrees, and I’m sitting out on the deck with my family grilling hot dogs, hamburgers, and chicken!

My question is, isn’t there a scripture referencing a sign about the end-times where the weather is mixed up and that you can’t tell the seasons apart anymore? I was glancing through my Bible, looking for this scripture, but came up empty, yet, I thought I’d read it at some point! I searched the internet and found the same question posted on this website. But, according to this site, I don’t know what I’m talking about!

So, blog readers, am I confusing said scripture with something else? Does this scripture exist? The first person to give me the scripture I’m looking for will get a free book(s). Or, if you think I’m confused, just let me know! I’ll continue searching for the scripture myself. I want to say I read it in either Revelations or somewhere in the Gospels? Also, I’m not sure if it’s a full verse, or just a few lines of one verse?

If you like religious, wholesome fiction, then read Loving Luke – only 99 cents! 

~Cecelia Dowdy~

March Book Giveaway

27 Replies


Before I announce my March Book Giveaway, I wanted to let blog readers know about a promotion that Harlequin is doing to celebrate their 60th birthday! Happy Birthday, Harlequin! To celebrate, they’re offering a few of their books as free downloads. There are three inspirational titles being offered for free. Go to the Harlequin Celebrates website to access these three free inspirational Love Inspired titles (there are some secular Harlequin titles available, too):

Homespun Bride by Jillian Hart
A Very Special Delivery by Linda Goodnight Hide In Plain Sight by Marta Perry
So, download those titles and enjoy!
===

For March, I’m giving away the following books! All of these novels will be given to ONE WINNER! If interested, leave a comment WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, so that I’ll have a way to contact you if you win!

1. John’s Quest by Cecelia DowdyIt’s amazing how quickly life can change. Overnight, Monica Crawford finds her neatly organized world turned upside down. Her sister abandons her blind son, Scotty, leaving him on Monica’s doorstep. Caring for a handicapped child brings unexpected conflict-but unexpected joy as well. When John French volunteers to tutor Scotty, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to Monica. But John and Monica are very different. She is a strong believer, determined to live her life for Christ. John is an agnostic who wants nothing to do with God.Will John see the light? Will Monica realize that sometimes letting go of a dream is the way to achieve it? Only in full surrender will either of them be happy- whether they end up together or alone.

2.
Milk Money by Cecelia Dowdy
Emily can’t keep running her dairy farm all alone. When her dad dies, Emily Cooper must work hard to save the family farm. She manages – until the day a CPA pulls in her drive and announces he’s there to do an audit. Franklin Reese is appalled at the lack of interest the Cooper women have in the financial end of their livlihood, 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? Or will issues in Franklin’s own life keep them apart, even after the farm is taken care of?

3. Lost In Las Vegas by Melody Carlson

4. Treasure At Blue Heron Lake – A Mainely Murder Mystery by Susan Page Davis and Megan Elaine Davis
This is a Heartsong Presents Cozy Mystery
Jeff Lewis’s hunting lodge is plagued by an intruder who thumps around in the night. Emily Gray and Nate Holman try to help their friend discover who is invading the resort. Things turn more sinister when one of Jeff’s employees is murdered, with Jeff as a suspect. Is the legend of an old lumber baron’s lost treasure behind the crimes? In the midst of the turmoil, Nate proposes to Emily. Their life together begins with unmasking the murderer at Lakeview Lodge.

4. Everybody Called Her A Saint by Cecil Murphey – A Heartsong Presents Cozy Mystery
Who would want to kill the sainted Twila Belk? Especially since she had footed the bill for an Antartica cruise with 48 of her “closest friends”.

But when a search team discovers the body of the murdered benefactress on Brown Bluff Island, an unlikely duo joins forces to solve the heinous crime.

Though once engaged, Reverend James Burton and Psychologists Julie West are no longer even on speaking terms. Can their mutual love and admiration for a dear, departed friend allow them to set aside their animosities long enough to bring Twila’s killer to justice?

5. Kitty Litter Killer by Candice Speare – A Heartsong Presents Cozy Mystery
Trish Cunningham is Pussyfooting with a Murderer. Amateur sleuth Trish has retired from her short-lived foray into crime solving. No more walking deliberately into danger. Her short-term goal is to see her best friend Abbie marry fiancé Eric Scott in three weeks.

But the brutal murder of Abbie’s ex-husband could ruin the nuptials, especially since Abbie was the last one seen with him—when they had a hostile argument at a local convenience store.

With evidence pointing at Abbie and the possibility of jail instead of a walk down the aisle, Trish comes out of self-imposed sleuth retirement. And as the clock ticks down to the wedding date, Trish once again puts herself in reach of the claws of a murderer—this time to protect her best friend.

6.
Valiant Bride by Jane Peart
When Noramary’s cousin, Winnie, surprises her family by secretly eloping during the night, Noramary is asked to step into Winnie’s place as the bride of Duncan Montrose. Valiant Bride is a historical romance that brings to life a young woman’s choice between duty and love.

7.
Buffalo Gal by Mary Connealy – A Heartsong Presents Romance Will Buffy and Wyatt ever see eye-to-eye? Buffy Lange has spent her life learning about and caring for buffalo. She’s landed the job of her dreams, managing a huge buffalo ranch in South Dakota. With stars in her eyes, she imagines all of the Midwest given over to free-ranging buffalo. To her, buffalo embody beauty, majesty, and strength.To Wyatt Shaw, however, the buffalo are a constant threat- wild, untamable, and dangerous. Wyatt’s ranch adjoins the Buffalo Commons and he watches in trepidation as its owner expands and rides roughshod over the local ranchers. When disaster strikes, Wyatt’s worst fears are realized and Buffy can do nothing but clean up the mess. With one determined to rid the area of buffalo and the other determined to see them flourish, the dust seldom settles around these two. Will they ever be able to find a common ground?

8. Of Mice And Murder – A Heartsong Presents Cozy Mystery by Mary Connealy

Being named in Great-grandma’s will was like hitting bankrupt on Wheel of Fortune. The whole family held their breath while the wheel ticked around and around, or rather while the lawyer opened the envelope. Then they all heaved a sigh of relief when the wheel stopped on Carrie’s name. Carrie the heiress. Great. Clean up the house. Clean up the yard. Clean up Great-grandma’s rap sheet.

Carrie hates mice and loves the big city. So why is she living in a huge mouse infested house in her dinky hometown? The dead guy in her pantry closet is the most interesting thing that’s happened since she came home. Of course the carpenter who’s helping her trap her mice and solve the crime is pretty interesting, too.

9.
Petticoat Ranch by Mary Connealy
Sophie Edwards’ life is one long struggle for survival, and, more importantly, the survival of her four daughters. She wants to avenge her husband’s murder, but she has no idea how to do it. And as if she hasn’t got enough to do, now a wounded man is disrupting her family’s lonely life.

Clay McClellen left an idyllic, all-male world in the mountains. But, after plunging headfirst over a cliff, Clay finds himself at the mercy of a widow and her four girls.

A suspenseful romantic comedy about a mountain man trapped in a pretty, sweet smelling, confusing all-girl world.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Amazon Review For Milk Money

1 Reply

Enjoy the following review posted on Amazon.com:
The loss of a loved one is enough to create a myriad of emotions for the average person. For Emily Cooper expressed emotions are something she has little time for. The necessity to keep the business running after the loss of her father is her major focus.

Author Dowdy’s detail for life on a dairy farm and the ease in which dialogue is exchanged is both insightful and engaging. Her ability to create conflict without over-the-top familiarity was refreshing.

Throughout the pages of Milk Money you are shown how God will use what you may consider too hard or hopeless as an example of what is possible when we get out of the way.

Reviewed by Dr. Linda Beed
On Assignment Reviews

Feel free to post your own thoughts about my novels via comments on my blog, or on amazon.com!

I will be posting the March Book Giveaway sometime this weekend! Visit often so that you won’t miss it!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Milk Money – First Wild Card Blog Tour

4 Replies

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today’s Wild Card author is:

and the book:

Milk Money (Maryland Wedding Series #2)

Barbour Publishing, Inc (2008)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cecelia Dowdy is a world traveler who has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. When she first read Christian fiction, she felt called to write for the genre.She loves to read, write, and bake desserts in her spare time. Currently she resides with her husband and young son in Maryland.

Visit the author’s website and blog.

Product Details:

Mass Market Paperback: 170 pages
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc (2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602602557
ISBN-13: 978-1602602557

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Dumbfounded, the accountant gazed at a cow giving birth. He dropped his briefcase when he saw the feet of the baby sticking out of the mother’s canal. A rope was looped around the legs of the young animal, and a brown-skinned woman pulled so hard that the muscles in her slender arms flexed. Her eyes squeezed shut while she grunted, reminding him of the noises people made when they bench-pressed weights.

She opened her eyes.

“Casey, hold on,” she cooed. When he watched the birth, his sour stomach worsened, and the bagel and cream cheese he’d managed to eat for breakfast felt like a dead weight in his belly. Her tears mingled with the sweat rolling down her face. She continued to pull and glanced in his direction. “Oh, thank God you came. Come and help me.”

A plethora of unfamiliar scents tingled his nose. He swallowed, losing his voice. What was he supposed to do? She continued to look at him, pulling on the rope periodically.

“I already left a message on your answering service that it was coming out backward.” Pushing the door open, he entered the room adjoining the barn, still hoping he wouldn’t throw up. She nodded toward the rope, still tugging. “With both of us pulling, maybe we’ll be able to get the calf out.”

“Okay.” He swallowed his nausea and pulled, mimicking the way he used to grunt when bench-pressing heavy weights. He followed her example, keeping tension on the rope and pulling each time the cow had a contraction. She grunted also, and their noises continued until the calf exited the birth canal minutes later. She dropped the rope, and he rushed behind her to look at the young animal. He touched the newborn,

awed by the birth. She glanced at him as she cleaned gunk off the calf ’s nose and mouth.

Her sigh filled the space when she noticed the animal was breathing. “Aren’t you going to examine the cow and calf?”

Before he could respond, a young man holding a large black plastic tote entered the pen. “This the Cooper farm?”

Confusion marred her face when she glanced at Frank. Then she focused on the new arrival. The newcomer rushed to the baby cow and began examining it. “I’m Dr. Lindsey’s son. I’m taking over my daddy’s practice this week since he’s on vacation. He told you that, didn’t he?”

She nodded, still looking confused. “I left a message on your answering service earlier.”

The vet grunted. “I was down the street at the horse farm helping out with another birth, so I couldn’t leave.”

“Are the cow and calf okay?”

“They both look fine.” He stopped his examination and looked at them. “I’m glad you had somebody helping you. You might not have gotten him out in time if you’d been pulling him on your own.” He pulled a tool out of his bag. “You have antibiotic on hand for the calf, right? If not, I’ve got some.”

The attractive woman nodded, her dark hair clinging to her sweaty neck as she promised the vet she would give the new calf the medicine. Frank watched, mesmerized by the whole process. A short time later, the newborn nursed from the mother. “Thank you, doctor,” said the woman, patting the man on the shoulder.

The doctor shook his head, placing his tools back into his bag. “Don’t thank me. You two got him out in time.” He told Emily he would send her the bill, and then he left the farm.

Emily glanced at Frank, as if taking in his khaki slacks and oxford shirt. Noticing his bloody hands, she beckoned him over to a room containing a sink and a large steel tank. After ripping off the long plastic gloves covering her hands and forearms

and dropping them into the trash can, she turned the water on, pumped out several squirts of soap, and washed. “I thought you were the vet,” she said, continuing to scrub her hands and forearms. “I’ve never met Dr. Lindsey’s son, so that’s why I

assumed you were him.” After rinsing, she pulled paper towels from a dispenser and gestured for Frank to use the sink.

Frank shrugged and walked to the sink, placing his hands under the running water. “Sorry. I helped you out, but I didn’t have any idea if I was doing it right. It’s probably good I showed up when I did. It looked like you’d been trying to help

that cow for a long time.”

She shook her head. “Cows are tough. They can be in labor for hours before giving birth. When you came, I’d just started pulling the calf out with the rope.” She continued to stare, frowning. “Well, if you’re not Dr. Lindsey’s son, then who are

you?”

He offered his recently washed hand, glad the nauseous feeling had evaporated from his stomach. “I’m Franklin Reese, Certified Public Accountant.”