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! 🙂
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?
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!
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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.
The winner for my February Book Giveaway is:
Christy Janes – Bartlett, TN
Christy, I’ll try and mail your books to you by the end of the week!
I’ll be posting my March Book Giveaway soon! Visit or subscribe to my blog so that you don’t miss the next announcement!
We’ve been blessed with SNOW last night and today! As a result of the weather, they closed my job! I now have a free day off! Enjoy the pics! I took them with my cell phone!
I will be drawing a name today for my February Book Giveaway. I’ll be posting my March Book Giveaway soon!
~Cecelia Dowdy~
The Book Club Queen suggested that if any of my blog (or other readers) read Milk Money, they could stop by her page and rate the book. If you read and liked Milk Money, feel free to rate it using a star system here.
Also regarding the First Wild Card book that I toured via my blog entitled Lost In Las Vegas; I’ve finished the book and am now posting my review for it. My thoughts? Well, I felt the writing was aimed at the middle-grade reader more so than the high school reader. Carter House has five or six? high-school-aged girls living together. DJ, the main character in this book, is the grand-daughter of the woman who runs Carter House. Also, DJ is a resident in the house. This book is part of a series, but I had a hard time following the story, and I guess it’s because I didn’t read the books in the series that were published before this one. There were too many girls to keep straight in my mind, but it was easier to know who was who during the second half of the book since the second half mainly focused on two girls: Taylor and DJ.
Also, I had a hard time understanding why these girls are living together at Carter House. The living arrangement was a foreign concept to me. Usually, when I hear of such an arrangement nowadays with minors it’s usually one of the following:
1. A group home where the kids have mental, emotional or physical problems that their families are not able to handle.
2. Orphanage (which you don’t really see that much anymore in the U.S. – we seem to use foster homes more so than orphanages)
3. Boarding School
None of these examples seemed to apply to the Carter House Girls. I suppose the living arrangement was explained in one of the earlier books. The “grandmother” who runs the house doesn’t really have much control over the girls and they pretty much do whatever they want. It appeared they were living in an unsupervised environment and were basically raising themselves. I think I could have understood the living arrangement more if the girls were living in a dorm and going to boarding school (like the eighties television series The Facts Of Life.)
I didn’t really feel as if I knew the characters very well. I knew DJ was a Christian, but I didn’t really feel as if I knew her or the other girls. However, this may be because I didn’t read the other books in the series.
I think kids might be able to learn a great lesson about the dangers of drinking if they read this novel. However, I felt the second half of the book got kind of tiresome after awhile because scene after scene DJ kept repeatedly pleading with Taylor to stop drinking as the twosome lurked in clubs, bars, and cabanas.
I’ve enjoyed other Melody Carlson books more so than this one, but middle-graders will probably enjoy this story. Also, when you read it, I’d suggest buying all of the novels and reading them in order so that you don’t feel so lost when reading the later novels. I felt that Lost in Las Vegas was just a small slice of a much bigger story.
Changing the subject, I want to announce that my January Book Giveaway winner is:
Gayla Collins – Sheridan, WY
Below are the books I’m giving away this month! All of these will be given to ONE winner! Also, I already chose a winner for my January Book Giveaway, but, so far, I have not heard back from the winner. If I don’t hear from the winner by the end of this weekend, then I’ll be choosing another winner for the January Book Giveaway.
Here are the books for February. I’d like you to answer a question for me when you comment. Since it’s February and Valentine’s Day is coming up, I wondered how do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Do you do something special with your spouse? Do you do anything special with your kids or your other loved ones. My husband and I go out to dinner, and we’ll probably buy our three-year-old a card and some candy…but that’s about it! How will you be celebrating Valentine’s Day? When you respond, please leave your EMAIL ADDRESS SO THAT I’LL HAVE A WAY TO CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN.
Milk Money by Cecelia Dowdy
Running a dairy farm is a big job, but doing it alone is almost impossible.
When her dad dies, Emily must work hard to save the family farm, but she manages. Until the day the CPA pulls in her drive and announces he’s there to do an audit on the place.
Franklin Reese is appalled at the lack of interest the Cooper women have in the financial end of their livelihood, 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? Will Franklin’s addiction to alcohol keep them apart, even after the farm is taken care of? Only God can heal hurting hearts and repair broken lives. Will these two let Him in?
John’s Quest by Cecelia Dowdy
John French, a science professor, is an agnostic–he’s unsure if God exists. When he’s hired to tutor a blind seven-year-old child, Scotty, he finds himself falling for the child’s beautiful aunt/guardian, Monica Crawford. Monica’s life changes drastically when her irresponsible younger sister abandons her handicapped son on her doorstep. As John helps Monica to educate her nephew, he falls in love with her. However, problems arise when Monica, a devout Christian, finds herself drawn to Scotty’s handsome and intelligent tutor. Monica finds herself in a bind because she knows it’s a sin to be unequally yoked with a non-believer. How in the world can these two lovebirds overcome the huge problems that stand in the way of their relationship?
Castles In The Air by Anita Higman and Janice A. Thompson
From Heartsongpresents.com
Nori’s clock is ticking. Nori’s biological clock has been going off forever, it seems. Loud and clear. She tries to tell herself that she isn’t really ugly…or fat…or useless. She’s a successful entrepreneur, after all! So where are the eligible men-make that interested men-in her life? They don’t seem to exist. The only men who pay her any attention to her are losers with a capital L! Zachary Martin knows he’s a nerd. He can’t even carry on a conversation with Nori without making a fool of himself-like when he choked on some candy in Nori’s store or bought the stupidest clothes to impress her… Man looks on the outward appearance, but God sees the heart. Will Nori and Zachary ever see themselves-and each other-the way God does? Will they trust God or their self-help books to find true love?
Captive Dreams by Cara C. Putman
From Heartsongpresents.com
Anna doesn’t know how to go on. Anna Goodman’s mother is dead, her father has given up on life, and her brother, Brent, is missing in action in World War II. Even though she has a full-time war job, she feels she must keep the family farm going so that Brent will have something to come home to. She won’t let herself think that he might never return. Any dreams Anna has for her future are held captive by the responsibilities the war and life have thrust upon her. If only Anna didn’t have to rely on help from German prisoners-or from Specialist Sid Chance, the cocky know-it-all who oversees the prisoners’ work. In her heart, she knows she can’t do everything demanded of her, but whom can she trust to carry the burden with her? 
Left Behind The Kids Book #1 – The Vanishings by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye
From Amazon.com
The first book in the children’s version of Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye’s sleeper-hit Left Behind, The Vanishings introduces us to Judd (“The Runaway”) and his three imperfect companions: Vicki (“The Rebel”), Lionel (“The Liar”), and Ryan (“The Skeptic”). These four teens, for one reason or another, all failed to submit to the power of the living Lord, despite their friends’ and parents’ best efforts. And when Pastor Billings’s Rapture actually happens–sending Christian-piloted trains, planes, and automobiles crashing as millions of true believers literally vanish in the blink of an eye, leaving behind nothing but their skivvies and their W.W.J.D. necklaces–the four wayward teenagers get religion and fast. The saga continues when they receive a second chance in book two.
Love Finds You In Valentine Nebraska by Irene Brand
White Christmas Pie by Wanda Brunstetter
The Making Of Isaac Hunt by Linda Leigh Hargrove
Daily Devotions For Women – 365 Inspirational Readings
Simple Thoughts For A Complex World – Inspirational Devotional Audio CD 
Butterfly Trees by Gail Gaymer Martin
From Heartsongpresents.com
Alissa is capable and in control. Alissa Greening is proud of all she’s accomplished. Her bed-and-breakfast is well known and profitable. Her life is organized and happy-a little lonely, but she trusts God to deal with that. The rest of it she can handle. Ross Cahill’s Southern California ranches keep him busy. When his mother talks him into traveling to Pacific Grove to witness the annual Monarch migration, he reluctantly turns responsibility over to his managers and takes a long overdue vacation. Can these two busy, self-sufficient people stop long enough to see the hand of God moving in their lives? Will they learn to give God the reins, or will they continue on alone, missing out on the great blessing He wants to bestow?
My author spotlight is featured on the Write By Faith blog! Head on over to enter the drawing for Milk Money!
I’ve been so busy doing promotional work for my own novels that I never got a chance to annouce the January Book Giveaway. I’m giving away these titles, and please leave a comment WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS if you want to be entered into the drawing. I’m using the same procedure as last month’s drawing: all of the books will be given to ONE winner.
Here are the new/slightly books that I’m giving away:
Heartsong Presents Romance Titles:
John’s Quest by Cecelia Dowdy
Milk Money by Cecelia Dowdy
Quills and Promises by Amber Miller
Deceptive Promises by Amber Miller
Courting Disaster by Andrea Boeshaar
Heartsong Presents Mystery Titles:
For Whom The Wedding Bell Tolls (An Ivy Towers Mystery) by Nancy Mehl
The Wiles of Watermelon by Lynette Sowell
Treasure Under Finny’s Nose (A Finny’s Nose Mystery) by Dana Mentink
Another Hour To Kill (A Volstead Manor Mystery) by Anita Higman
Savoring God’s Love – 25 Devotions For Women
The Making Of Isaac Hunt by Linda Leigh Hargrove
Here’s the winner of Linore Rose Burkand’s novel, Before The Season Ends:
Katherine Enders of Rohnert Park, CA
I hope you enjoy the novel, Katherine! Linore will be sending your book out to you!
Also, wanted to mention that I’ll be posting another book giveaway soon!
