Category Archives: Bittersweet Memories

Bittersweet Memories! More Reviews!

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Reviews for Bittersweet Memories are up here on Goodreads. You may need to be a member of Goodreads in order to look at these reviews. I’m not sure. That’s why I’m providing the link AND I’m copying and pasting the content from the Goodreads reviewers below:
Erin gave Bittersweet Memories 4 stars!
Bittersweet Memories by author Cecelia Dowdy was my first christian fiction romance novel. I must say, thoroughly enjoyed this book.

As I started reading, I learned about Karen Brown and how her fiance had embezzled money from their church and ran off with his assistant. This left Karen feeling heartbroken, abandoned, and confused. Overall, leading her to return home to her childhood home with her mother in Annapolis, Maryland. After returning home, she comes to realize lots of things have changed.

If you are looking to read something good and wholesome, this is the book for you.
I personally enjoyed getting to know each character, seeing their weaknesses, and following their walks with God through the thick and the thin.
***
Janet gave Bittersweet Memories 4 stars!
Bittersweet Memories is the first book that I have read by author Cecelia Dowdy. From her writings, I can appreciate the bond of family, friendship and forgiveness. Karen and many of the characters were in a close relationship to the Lord. I liked that the characters prayed and did so on a regular basis.

Karen’s fiancé breaks her heart after she learns that he embezzled money from their church, has a secret affair and runs away with the church assistant. Feelings of abandonment, being over-whelmed by pain and embarrassment, she runs home to her mother in Annapolis, Maryland.

I don’t want to give away all the details of this wonderful read. If you enjoy Christian romance novels, then I suggest you read this one. I enjoyed getting to know Karen and her new friend Keith. I think you will too.
***
Renee gave Bittersweet Memories 4 stars!
This is a nice sweet love story. Girl’s heart is broken, tries to escape by leaving town, meets new guy (but won’t admit she’s falling for him), obstacles in the way and a resolution of them living happily ever after. Sometimes I just really enjoy a happy story with a happy ending with no big surprises.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Bittersweet Memories & Heartsong Presents

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If you’re a member of the Heartsong Presents Bookclub, you should have received the shipment including my novel, Bittersweet Memories. I just received my bookclub shipment today, so if you haven’t gotten your novels yet, you’ll probably be receiving them shortly!

After you read my novel, be sure to fill out the Reader Survey in the back of the book and snail mail it back to Barbour. Both the publisher, and the author, enjoy hearing reader feedback.

If you’re not in the book club and haven’t purchased my novel…then what are you waiting for?!! You can call this number: (800) 847- 8270 to place your order. Better yet, purchase all three of my novels (John’s Quest, Milk Money, and Bittersweet Memories) for less than ten dollars! Where else can you get a full-length paperback novel for $2.97 nowadays? Visit this link for more ordering information!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Chesapeake Weddings – Book Coming Next Year!

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I received an email from one of the Barbour editors with the release date of my re-released Heartsongs. Chesapeake Weddings will be released in April 2010! Chesapeake Weddings will contain the following re-released Contemporary Heartsong titles:

794 – John’s Quest by Cecelia Dowdy
826 – Milk Money by Cecelia Dowdy
846 – Bittersweet Memories by Cecelia Dowdy

They are starting to work on book covers, and they MAY have the final cover in a couple of months. This re-pack will be available in bookstores and on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Bittersweet Memories Is Here! Enter To Win!

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I received my author copies for Bittersweet Memories today!

I’m giving away five copies! Leave a comment if interested in winning! Leave your email address so that I’ll have a way to contact you if you win – ONLY CONTINENTAL US MAY ENTER TO WIN! Sorry, I can’t afford foreign postage! 🙂

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Barbour Publishing And Other Things

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Lloyd asked me the following question:

Why can’t I find your book in bookstores? I saw it featured on the Black Christian fiction site, and I was going to purchase it for my wife. The store said the only book they had for you on file was something called First Mates. Also, I saw your book on amazon.com, but it was a used copy for $99.99!! Do I have to order your book directly from the link you provided to your publisher?
My response…

I’m not sure what to say about the high price of Milk Money, available as a used book on amazon.com. I noticed the high price a long time ago, though. I guess somebody thinks my book is worth close to one hundred bucks?? The price has been coming down, slowly, in recent weeks. So, I’ve got to skip the question about the used price of my novel on Amazon and move on to your next topic.

Okay, I don’t know if all of my blog readers know about my Black Christian Fiction website. About, maybe, five years ago I saw that the domain name blackchristianfiction.com was available, so, I bought it and set up a site with the links of a bunch of African-American Christian fiction authors. Reason being, there are a lot of African American readers who only read novels by AA authors (I’ve blogged about this in the past) and I thought this would be a great marketing tool for my novels, as well as for other AA authors. The books that are featured on this site are mine since it’s my website, and I pay the fees plus I develop the site. However, as I said, I do provide links to other AA authors’ websites, and it’s great to provide a little free publicity to the other authors.

Now, on to the next part of your question: Thanks for looking for my book in the bookstore. But the way Barbour Publishing works is, when the Heartsong Presents titles are initially released, they’re mailed directly to all of the book club members. The book club members subscribe to the Heartsong Presents novels, receiving a shipment of four books per month. So, when the book is initially released, the only place it is available is through direct order through Barbour Publishing. However, maybe, eight or nine months later, the Heartsong Presents novels are available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble directly from the publisher.

I tell people when they order my books from Barbour, they’re only $2.97 plus $4.00 postage. BUT, you can order up to 12 books and pay the same amount of postage! So I advise people to order both of my books, and since the books are less than $3.00 each, buy 12 books – you can easily choose twelve different titles from the Heartsong Presents website if you don’t want to order multiple copies of my novel. I also advertise about the fact that these books make great gifts for friends and book club members.

Most of the Heartsongs are then re-released as a three-in-one book with a state theme. For example, my three novels: John’s Quest, Milk Money and Bittersweet Memories will be re-released sometime within the next year or so with a Maryland-themed title. A majority of the Heartsong Presents romances AND Heartsong Presents Cozy Mysteries will be re-released this way. When they are re-released as a 3-in-1, they are available immediately from bookstores and on websites such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You can also pre-order the 3-in-1s from Amazon before they are released.

I also want to add that the women’s fiction single title novels are NOT handled like the Heartsongs. When the single titles are released, they are available for order through Amazon and they are immediately available in bookstores.

If you go to Family Christian Bookstores, you’ll see a number of Barbour’s re-released three-in-one-state-themed collections and women’s fiction titles on the fiction shelves.

My second published novel, First Mates, was released by Harlequin Enterprises under their Steeple Hill/Love Inspired imprint back in February 2005. Currently the paperback version is out of print and only available used, but it’s also available new as a hardback, large print title. Since First Mates was not a Barbour title, it was released into bookstores and department stores immediately.

I hope that answers your question, Lloyd!

~Cecelia Dowdy~