Author Archives: Cecelia Dowdy

Shades Of Chocolate – Book Two – The Bakery Romance Series – Coming February 2016!

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Shades of Chocolate – Book Two – The Bakery Romance Series – Available for pre-order!

What do you think about my book cover? Well, I love it! 🙂

Toni enjoys making sweet treats in her bakery. Her world changes when a handsome stranger comes into her bakery, reminiscing about his childhood. Jason Matthews misses his days of working in his family’s bakery. Estranged from his father, he longs to find the joy and comfort of baking again. Can Toni and Jason overcome their pasts and their problems and learn to trust one another?

 

 

Manila Marriage App

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Would you ever fill out an application for marriage?

As a joke Shay Callahan fills out a marriage application, applying for the bridal “position” for a missionary (Timothy Flynn) currently stationed in Manila. Her life takes on a drastic change when her application proves favorable and she flies to Manila to meet Timothy. She’s stunned to discover the cold, brooding man. She can’t get over his puzzling attitude, yet, she’s attracted to him.

Timothy is haunted by his traumatic past, which lends to his brooding nature. He’s surprisingly attracted to Shay, even though she’s a blond.

The scenery in this book was breathtakingly beautiful. You’ll want to visit the Philippines to see this exquisite land and meet the wonderful people.

 

This light, sometimes funny story shows how two opposites can really be attracted to one another. This romance novel also shows us that at times, we have no idea what God has in store for  our romantic future!

So could you ever fill out an application for marriage? Why or why not?

In The Midst of It All

In the Midst of It All

In The Midst Of It All by Tiffany L. Warren

Do you know anybody who’s involved with a cult? Have you ever joined a cult?

Zenovia has always been a loner. She has a schizophrenic mother, and she must watch her mom closely, hoping she doesn’t have one of her “spells” while in the company of others. She can’t have friends because explaining her mom’s condition to others just proves too difficult – plus, they would simply not understand. Things change for Zenovia when her and her mom receive some visitors from a church called The Brethren. Zenovia’s life makes a huge change when her and her mom are befriended by this unconventional, friendly congregation.

This book took me back in time, a long time back. So many things that the Brethren practiced, their weird beliefs, reminded me of my childhood, back when I was raised in the Jehovah’s Witness religion. The things that Zenovia and her mother faced, even the cavalier attitude of the Brethren regarding mental illness, was very realistic. This book is quite truthful in the way that a cult twists scripture and instead of having salvation by grace, they believe that salvation is granted by the heads of their church, which is totally wrong.

If you want to know what it’s like, being in a cult, then this is an excellent book to read. I highly recommend this novel.

So, have you ever been in a cult? Do you know anybody who has been involved in a cult? If so, what happened? Were they able to leave that toxic religion?

A Cedar Cove Christmas

A Cedar Cove Christmas

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A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber

Have you ever had siblings who interfered with your life? Did they interfere so much that you felt you had to run away?

That’s Mary Jo’s dilemma. She’s pregnant (nine months), abandoned by her ex-boyfriend. Her brothers are arguing, claiming they’ll find her ex and force him to marry her. It’s Christmas Eve and Mary Jo is determined to find her ex in Cedar Cove before her brothers find him first!

This was a delightful short book where you’ll become reacquainted with the Cedar Cove cast. It’s like a modern version of the original Christmas story, complete with 3 Wyze men, a King, a stable, barn animals, a drummer boy and even bursting stars! This is a nice quick story to read over the holidays.

So, have you ever had brothers or sisters who’ve interfered with your life? What did you do about it?

Man Of The Family

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Man of the Family by Leigh Riker is a sweet romance from Harlequin’s Heartwarming Line

Have you ever relocated to another state/area?

Griffin, a former news anchor, is now living in a Florida apartment building as a maintenance man. His teen-aged daughter is still bitter of the abandonment of her mom (Griffin’s wife). Griffin tries to get his small family to live harmoniously in their new home, but, he’s failing miserably. His family is full of bitterness and resentment, and his daughter has terrible behavior problems.

Lawyer Sunny, a family acquaintance, has temporarily re-located to Florida. She’s escaping danger, and she is still haunted from a traumatic childhood experience. Griffin and Sunny find that opposites really can attract.

This book was a good, realistic read. I could imagine both Griffin and Sunny struggling with their emotional issues while trying to love one another. A good story.

Have you ever relocated to another state? How was your move? Did things turn out smoothly once you were settled in?

Secretly Yours

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Secretly Yours by Valerie Comer

Have you ever had a secret admirer? 

Well, Lindsey has one! Lindsey is a chef at a popular restaurant in town and she’s agreed to cater the youth group’s Valentine’s Day dinner/fundraiser. Her sister Madison has begged for her support. Lindsey is floored to discover that the youth pastor is Nick, the guy whom she had a crush on in high school! Nick was not very nice to Lindsey back then, so has he changed? Why is he suddenly interested in her?

To make matters more complicated, she has a secret admirer? Why is she suddenly getting all of this attention?

This novella demonstrates how we need to accept God’s grace, no questions asked. Remember His sacrifice for our sins. It’s a sweet, inspiring read.

So, have you ever had a secret admirer? If so, did you ever discover your admirer’s identity?

 

Dashing Through The Snow

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Dashing Through The Snow

Have you ever taken a long road trip during a snow storm?

Ashley, a graduate student, needs to find transportation home. She wants to surprise her mom for Christmas. When she meets Dash, a good-looking man at the airport, they are “forced” to rent the last car on the lot to drive to Seattle. The chemistry between these two strangers is strong, too strong for them to ignore.

Overall, I thought this book was extremely light reading, not too heavy story line. If you like Christmas books with a light plot, then you should give this one a try.

So, have you ever taken a long road trip during a snow storm? If so, did you make it to your destination in time?

Til Grits Do Us Part

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Til Grits Do Us Part by Jennifer Rogers Spinola

What do you recall about planning your wedding?

Shiloh P. Jacobs is getting married! However, her wedding plans are not coming along as she’d like. She’s marrying Adam, a nice Christian southern man. She’s also learning to lean on her new-found Christian faith. Shiloh has an admirer/stalker who keeps sending her dreaded gifts of roses, disturbing phone calls, and threats. How could the Lord allow these things to happen to her? After all, this should be one of the happiest times of her life, not the scariest.

As Shiloh learns secrets about her mom’s past, she continues her friendships with an eclectic mix of southern Christian friends – a far cry from her cronies in Japan.

This book shows us that we need to lean on the Lord ALL the time, especially during times of desperation and despair. This novel also touches upon guilt, you may feel bad about the way you treated a deceased loved one, but, you should not let that guilt fester and make you angry.

So, do you remember planning your wedding? Did you have any problems with your nuptial plans?