Author Archives: Cecelia Dowdy

The Edge Of Grace

The Edge of Grace

You’ve just discovered your sibling is gay – what would you do? How would you react? This is the premise of Christa Allen’s novel, The Edge of Grace.

Caryn is a young widow, struggling to raise her elementary-school-aged son alone. She owns her own catering business and she tries her best to solicit food orders so that she can pay her rising mortgage. In the midst her business struggle, she’s avoiding her brother, David, because he’s gay. He’s called her suddenly, announcing he’s gay for the first time. Being gay goes against her religious beliefs, so, she doesn’t allow her son to interact with his Uncle David.

This book dealt with a tough issue – homosexuality – an issue that you rarely see in Christian fiction. I felt Caryn a bit too judgmental, but, I could imagine lots of Christians reacting like she did when they heard the news about their sibling. Also, I found it interesting how Caryn dealt with her brother’s admission. It was a struggle that weighed upon her for a long time.

I enjoyed reading this book – it was extremely well written, and made you stop and think about homosexuality. If you like reading food descriptions, this book is for you! Since Caryn is a caterer, all kinds of desserts and tasty foods are described! Yum!

So, what would you do if you discovered your sibling was gay? What would you say to him or her?

Bittersweet Memories

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Bittersweet Memories

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Bittersweet Memories

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Fall Into Love Contest!

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Announcing the FALL INTO LOVE ultimate giveaway!

Join us as award-winning authors Tracie Peterson, Jody Hedlund, Nancy Mehl, Melissa Tagg, and Jen Turano take us on a journey for love in their upcoming novels. To celebrate the September/October book releases, we’re hosting FIVE incredible giveaways with ONE fantastic grand prize drawing. Enter all five contests and receive FIVE entries into the grand prize drawing with additional chances to enter the FALL INTO LOVE ultimate giveaway throughout the month of September!

The Prizes:

ONE GRAND PRIZE winner will receive the FALL INTO LOVE prize package – a $500 value!

– containing everything you need to snuggle up with a great book…

• A 16GB Kindle Fire HD for all the books you want, right at your fingertips

• Fall into love as you fall into this beautiful free-standing wooden hammock

• A Sherpa & Micromink cream throw to keep you warm as the weather turns chilly

• A selection of gourmet caramel apples

• A copy of each novel represented Unforeseeable by Nancy Mehl, Rebellious Heart by Jody Hedlund, A Talent for Trouble by Jen Turano, The Miner’s Lady by Tracie Peterson, and Made to Last by Melissa Tagg.

FIVE INDIVIDUAL PRIZE PACKAGES! Fall into love with these beautiful stories from 5 amazing authors, and enter each contest for your chance to take home a meaningful part of their story. To learn more about each novel and to enter visit www.FallIntoLoveContest.com.

1) The Miner’s Lady: From award winning author Tracie Peterson, comes a beautiful story rich with the comfort of good food, the love of family, and the struggle for faith and forgiveness. Have a seat in Nonni’s Italian kitchen with a basket of cultural delicacies and experience both the flavor and heart of Italian America with The Miner’s Lady Giveaway! ENTER HERE…

AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 1st!

2) Unforeseeable: Settle into your favorite reading chair with author Nancy Mehl’s delicious story of intrigue, danger, and suspense, all set against the serene setting of the small Mennonite town of Kingdom. Enter the Unforeseeable Giveaway to bring the delicious tastes of Mennonite life right into your home… ENTER HERE…

AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 1st!

3) Made To Last: From author Melissa Tag comes the story of Miranda Woodruff, star of a home-building television show who apparently has it all, until it all threatens to fall apart. Read, laugh, and enjoy the hilarious misadventures of a heroine with a tremendous amount of skill, a lot to lose, and even more to discover about her own heart. As part of the Made to Last Giveaway, experience the joy of having the right tools, the right guides, and something beautiful to reward yourself with on a job well done. ENTER HERE…

AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 15th!

4) Rebellious Heart: From Best selling author Jody Hedlund, Rebellious Heart brings the history of 1763 Massachusetts to life with the story of socialite Susanna Smith and poor country lawyer Ben Ross. When Susanna’s decision to help an innocent woman no matter the cost crosses with Ben’s growing disillusionment with their British rulers, the two find themselves bound together in what quickly becomes a very dangerous fight for justice. Bring the fight for justice and liberty to your home with this meaningful prize package. ENTER HERE…

AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 15th!

5) A Talent for Trouble: Set in the early 1900’s, Jen Turano’s spirited new book, A Talent for Trouble, will leave you feeling like you have lived in the Victorian era of New York City, strolled through Central Park with your best hat on, and had a hilarious and unpredictable adventure with a new friend. With the prize package for A Talent for Trouble you can continue the adventure and bring some of Felicia’s journey home with you. ENTER HERE…

AVAILABLE OCTOBER 1st!

How to Enter:

Click on one of the banners or visit www.FallIntoLoveContest.com to submit your information. Each week during the five-week contest, we will reveal a new method of entering and increasing your chances for the grand prize.

Week 1: Enter one or all of the individual novel giveaways. For every individual giveaway you enter, you gain one entry into the grand prize drawing. (Possible grand prize entries: 5)

Week 2: Like one or all authors on Facebook. Every author liked gains you one entry into the grand prize. (Possible grand prize entries: 5)

Week 3: Refer a friend. One grand prize entry awarded per friend, per contest. (Possible grand prize entries: 5)

Week 4: Submit a review of any book by one (or all) of the five featured authors. 3 entries awarded per review per author (limit one per author). (Possible grand prize entries: 15) **

Week 5: Pin a picture of you with one of the 5 featured novels. One grand prize entry awarded per picture per novel. (Possible grand prize entries: 5)

To enter via the methods available week 2-5, visit each individual giveaway and submit your information through the entry form. Follow the prompts for completing your bonus entries.

**Reviews can be submitted to Amazon, Goodreads, or your own blog. To enter the contest via this method, paste a URL to the review in the entry form where indicated. Entries will be verified before final grand prize drawing.

More Information:

For details about the contest, prize packages, entry methods, or contest rules, visit www.FallIntoLoveContest.com.

Saturday Matinee – Flipped!

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Flipped

Do you remember your childhood sweetheart? How old were you? Who was the first boy or girl that caught your eye, making you believe you were in love?

This was an endearing, sweet young adult movie about first love. Juli is just a child when Bryce moves into her neighborhood. From the moment she sees him, she realizes he’s her one and only love. The story starts when they’re around seven (like a prologue) and then it jumps forward and they’re twelve years old. Juli is still in love with Bryce, and she’s courageous. She’s mesmerized by nature and when the county threatens to chop down her favorite tree, she climbs into the tree, refusing to leave, and is disheartened when Bryce does not help her with her tree-saving cause.

Juli believes that Bryce is her true love, but, is he really the right man for her? Her love for him falters when she discovers things about him, hears him say things about her family, making her doubt her love for him.

I highly recommend this movie for those who love a good romance. Even though the kids are twelve, it’s still a story that adults can enjoy.

So, did you have a childhood crush? Do you remember your first love? How old were you and who was the first boy or girl that caught your eye, making you believe you were in love?

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~Cecelia Dowdy~

Ten-Year Wedding Anniversary!

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Today is my 10-year wedding anniversary!!! Happy anniversary to my beloved husband, Christopher Lloyd Toomer! I love you!

~Cecelia Dowdy Toomer~

The Other Daughter

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from the blog archives….

Other Daughter, The: A Novel (Paperback)
by Miralee Ferrell
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Kregel Publications (October 31, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0825426596
ISBN-13: 978-0825426599

How would you react if your husband’s unknown illegitimate child was forced into your life? Would his/her presence ruin your marriage?

From Amazon:
Book Description
Susanne Carson’s well-ordered family life is thrown into devastating chaos when Brianna, a young teen, appears on her doorstep, claiming to be the daughter of Susanne’s husband, David. The revelation of David’s apparent betrayal adds strain to an already fragile marriage. Will this shocking discovery drive the family apart, or will it draw them closer to God? Guaranteed fiction!

I enjoyed reading this book. I think what I loved most about it was that the author took some tough issues, issues that I’m sure a lot of families are dealing with, and shows us how we need to lean on God during troubled times.

The obvious conflict, David fathering another child, wreaks havoc on their home. Also, Susanne’s faith in God is practically non-existent. Susanne’s and David’s marriage is already in trouble due to their spiritual differences, and having an illegitimate daughter to show up in the midst of a faltering marriage offers the reader a conflict that takes some time to resolve.

Also, Brianna’s sudden appearance affects Meagan and Josh, David and Susanne’s children. They now have a new sister, and although they bond quicker with Brianna than Susanne and David do, it’s still tough-going for them when a serious accident occurs, harming Meagan. Brianna is stricken with guilt and wonders if she’ll ever be a real part of the family.

Susanne has a tough time accepting David’s other daughter, and she drowns her sorrows with alcohol, and her views are swayed further when her worldly friend, Gina, tries to create more havoc in the Carson household by doling out bad advice.

The characters seem so real in this book. When you see Brianna struggling, you just want to hug her, hold her, help her, and pray for her! I loved the way Brianna’s paternal grandfather had an immediate affection for his newly-found grandchild.

I recommend this book for those who like a good Christian read dealing with some tough issues.

So, how would you react if your husband’s unknown illegitimate child was forced into your life? Would his/her presence ruin your marriage?

I also wanted to mention some other Christian fiction titles that deal with illegitimate children. The following three books deal with this issue and I found these novels enjoyable and thought-provoking:

Other Daughter, The: A Novel (Paperback)
by Miralee Ferrell
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Kregel Publications (October 31, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0825426596
ISBN-13: 978-0825426599

I recommend this book for those who like a good Christian read dealing with some tough issues.

– See more at: http://ceceliadowdy.com/blog/2007/page/5#sthash.gBaYNBoZ.dpuf

~Cecelia Dowdy~

– See more at: http://ceceliadowdy.com/blog/#sthash.iDXQrenW.dpuf

~Cecelia Dowdy~

– See more at: http://ceceliadowdy.com/blog/#sthash.tHTTMUjY.dpuf

Sushi For One?

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From the blog archives…

Sushi for One?

Sushi For One?
by Camy Tang
Book One Of The Sushi Series
Publisher: Zondervan
Pub. Date: September 2007
ISBN-13: 9780310273981
352pp

From the back cover:
Lex Sakai’s family is big, nosy and marriage-minded. When her cousin Mariko gets married, Lex will become the oldest single female cousin in the clan.

Lex has used her Bible study class on Ephesians to compile a huge list of traits for the perfect man. But the one man she keeps running into doesn’t seem to have a single quality on her list. It’s only when the always-in-control Lex starts to let God take over that all the pieces of this hilarious romance finally fall into place.

===========================
I purchased this novel at last month’s ACFW conference in Dallas. This is the first time I’ve ever read a Christian fiction title with Asian characters, so I was eager to see how the story played out. I’m always anxious to see Christian novels portraying characters with different ethnic backgrounds.

This book is definitely chick-lit! Camy’s voice reminds me a lot of Kristin Billerbeck’s. The story is full of humor and Tang has created a strong character that will remain in your mind for a long time. Lex is a sports fanatic, and she loves volleyball. She’s in a dead-end job and when she quits on a whim, she soon finds herself landing the job of her dreams, working in the field she loves…sports!

She also wants to play pro-volleyball, and when her dream is about to come true, a serious incident occurs, causing her faith in God to waver even more. To top it all off, her grandmother is threatening to pull funding for the girls volleyball team that Lex coaches, if Lex doesn’t find a boyfriend soon.

I’d recommend this book to those looking for a light, funny, chick-lit read. A lot of the qualities in Lex’s crazy family are familiar to us all!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Sushi for One?

October 23, 2007 Posted by novelistcd Edit

Sushi For One?
by Camy Tang
Book One Of The Sushi Series
Publisher: Zondervan
Pub. Date: September 2007
ISBN-13: 9780310273981
352pp

From the back cover:
Lex Sakai’s family is big, nosy and marriage-minded. When her cousin Mariko gets married, Lex will become the oldest single female cousin in the clan.

Due to a traumatic event in her past, Lex finds it hard to get close to men. The one man whom she can be comfortable with, Aiden, is agnostic, definitely not one of the traits on Lex’s Ephesian’s list! However, once all of the obstacles are overcome, the book has a romantically satisfying ending.

I’d recommend this book to those looking for a light, funny, chick-lit read. A lot of the qualities in Lex’s crazy family are familiar to us all!

– See more at: http://ceceliadowdy.com/blog/2007/10/sushi-for-one.html#comments

Sunday Brunch – Did Philip Disappear?

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From my blog archives…

Photo courtesy of Free Digital Photos
Question:
What happened to Philip at the end of the eighth chapter in the book of Acts?

I wanted to talk about the ending of the scripture involving the Ethiopian eunuch. After Philip has a life-changing conversation with the eunuch, Philip baptizes him. After the baptism, the following occurs:
Acts 8:39-40
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

What I’m wondering is, did the Lord’s Holy Spirit enable Philip to disappear and then re-appear in Azotus? I know some translations use the term “carried” Philip away instead of “took Philip away.” Either way you look at it, it appears to me that Philip literally disappeared from the scene of the eunuch and then reappeared in Azotus. I’m thinking Azotus was where the Lord felt was the greatest need for Philip to preach the gospel. So, that’s why He had to carry Philip away from the eunuch so suddenly – Philip had lots of preaching work to do.

Do you think that Philip literally disappeared and then re-appeared? If so, why?

Bittersweet Memories

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Sticks And Stones By Susan Meissner

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From the blog archives…(2007)

Have you ever tried to solve a real mystery? How were your investigative skills?

Sticks and Stones (a Rachel Flynn Mystery) by Susan Meissner

(Paperback)

Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
Pub. Date: January 2007
ISBN-13: 9780736919159
300pp

From Amazon.com
Book Description

Critically acclaimed author Susan Meissner’s Rachael Flynn mystery series started with the popular Widows and Orphans. In the second serving of intrigue, Sticks and Stones, lawyer Rachael Flynn receives an unsigned, heart-stopping letter:

They’re going to find a body at the Prairie Bluff construction site. He deserved what he got, but it wasn’t supposed to happen. It was an accident.

When the body is uncovered, Rachael and Detective Will Pendleton discover that the fifteen-year old victim, Randall Buckett, had been buried twenty-five years before. Is the letter writer and the killer the same person? Why would someone speak up now? And why are they telling Rachael?

Susan Meissners ability to weave a fascinating tale will leave readers wanting more.

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To tell you the truth, I don’t believe I’ve ever read a cozy mystery. I’m not sure if this would be categorized as a cozy, but it reminds me a little bit of the way a cozy is defined.

This book was good, and it was suspenseful without being too scary. Also, although the characters were Christians, it wasn’t a very preachy book. I think people who read secular fiction would enjoy this book a lot, too.

One thing that happened in this story reminded me of the Brandilyn Collins novel, Eyes of Elisha – Rachael has a supernatural ability from God to sense danger, it’s an ability she realizes she’s received since the birth of her child.

As you read the story, you’ll find yourself sympathizing with the children Bucky tormented twenty-five years ago. You’ll find yourself drawn into the story, mesmerized, wanting to know who sent Rachael the three letters tipping her off about the death a quarter of a century later.

There are also some secondary characters that provide comic relief to this serious mystery. You have Trace, Rachael’s artistic husband, as well as Trace’s artistic cronies. Trace and his friends give their opinions using words and drawings to imagine what might have happened to Ronald Buckett.

Rachael’s uncanny ability is tested when she realizes that something dreadful has happened in the cellar of a house in Bucky’s neighborhood. The house has been burned down long ago, and is now replaced by another dwelling. However, although the serious crime happened long ago, Racheal can still sense that there was pain and anguish behind Bucky’s death.

This is a good read to grab for a rainy day, when you just want to curl up in front of the fire with an intriguing and suspenseful story.

So, have you ever tried to solve a real mystery on your own? Were you successful?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Sunday Brunch! Is It Wrong For Christians To Wear Tattoos?

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Photo
courtesy of Free Digital Photos

Photo: Bon Jour Good Morning Buon Giorno

Photo courtesy of Romanticando.

Do you think it’s wrong for Christians to wear tattoos?

I came up with the subject for today’s Sunday Brunch while I was out on Friday evening. I passed a tattoo shop and this scripture came to my mind:

Leviticus 19:28 28“ ‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.

This scripture is taken from the Old Testament, and far as I know, the New Testament does not mention this rule. I’ve seen some cool tattoos on folks, but, I’ve never been of the mind-set to get one. The thought of being pricked by that painful needle…and making that permanent mark on my skin has never appealed to me. Plus, as you get older, the tattoos don’t look as fresh and vibrant, they fade. I definitely wouldn’t want my skin crowded with faded tattoos!

However, I honestly don’t think that getting a tattoo is necessarily “wrong”. I tend to think more of daily-life Christian laws as being taken from the New Testament, moreso than the Old Testament. However, people may disagree with me about tattoos and I’d like to get a discussion going about this subject. I know I was raised to believe that tattoos were wrong and this scripture was used to back up that “rule.” However, as I got older and more exposed to the world, my thinking has changed.

Although I don’t think getting a tattoo is wrong, it’s not something that I would encourage someone to do. Why? Well, like I’ve already said, the idea has just never appealed to me, and if my son were older (like a teenager) and wanted my permission to get a tattoo, I’d tell him NO!

So, do you think it’s wrong for Christians to get tattoos? Leave your response in the comments!

~Cecelia Dowdy~