Author Archives: Cecelia Dowdy

Winter Castle

Have you ever attended a destination Wedding?

Jenny is ecstatic about attending her sister’s destination wedding! Her sister is getting married at an ice hotel. Jenny has been set up with Craig, the best man. But, unbeknownst to Jenny’s sister, Craig has brought another female with him to the wedding.

I noticed how crushed everyone was when they found out that Craig had brought a date. I thought their reactions were a bit over the top, I mean, come on, it’s a wedding and Craig and Jenny had never met before – so, Craig’s bringing a date shouldn’t have been such a big deal.

But, alas, it was a big deal. Craig’s date, Lana, just can’t seem to warm up (no pun intended) to the ice hotel. She keeps sneezing and it looks like she’s catching a cold. She seems to always turn up at the wrong time and is anxious to whisk Craig and his cute daughter away from Jenny.

Lana has strong feelings for Craig. After all, she’s been there for him since his wife died. She’s the support system for Craig and his daughter, so, it’s only natural for her to develop feelings for him.

Jenny enjoys spending time with Craig, but, she has other things to do during this trip. She’s destined to become a published author, so, she’s given the go-ahead to write a book and submit it to her boss for publication.

As an aside, I’m a published romance novelist and when you’re published by a big-time publisher, it can take a long time to land a contract. It took me five years before I landed by first contract with Doubleday (The Doubleday Bookclub AKA Bookspan). Since Jenny works there, I suppose that gave her an “in” to get published.

I could really relate to Jenny’s wanting to become a published author. Getting published takes a lot of hard work and rejection, but, when a publisher accepts your manuscript…ah…so sweet. The market has changed since I initially got published almost two decades ago. Authors can now make a lucrative living by publishing their works directly on Amazon, cutting out the traditional publisher, but I digress.

What did you think of Craig?

I liked that he had a good relationship with his daughter. He was very loving towards her. He seemed to be a nice family man and I felt he was a good match for Jenny.

I also loved the pastries! I got hungry seeing them eat those cinnamon rolls and that maple syrup snow candy! Didn’t those treats look delicious?

I LOVED the ice hotel! It was so pretty! The only thing that I’d ever heard of, which reminded me of the ice hotel, was the Gaylord Ice Festival at the National Harbor. The Gaylord has an ice event in my area every year – but, I have yet to attend! It’s a spectacular Christmas show and their 2018 theme was Charlie Brown:

Photo used in compliance with Marriott’s non-commercial terms of use.

I also asked someone on Twitter about the ice hotel. My Twitter pal shared this link with me: Orlando Ice Bar

Doesn’t that Ice Bar look amazing? It reminds me of the ice castle. It’d be neat to go and visit sometime.

Wow! I’m not sure how I’d hold up at the Winter Castle, though. I like warm weather. I’m not sure if I could’ve slept in a bedroom made of ice! Brrr…..

So, have you ever been to a destination wedding? If so, where did you go?

Once Upon A Christmas Miracle

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https://ceceliadowdy.com/christmas-tales/

Have you ever relied on another person for medical reasons (blood transfusion, organ donation, etc.?)

Heather, a medical student, is sick. She has to drop out of school and she discovers she needs a liver transplant. Chris, a stranger, turns out to be a match and he offers to help her.

All, I can say is, whew! Oh my! Can you imagine a complete stranger stepping in to help like that? Yeah, you do hear about it, but, not often. Also, he helped in other ways, too. I thought it was especially kind of him to offer to help with fundraising for Heather. She’s temporarily out of a job and she needs funds for her medical bills.

Chris was definitely a hero that was larger than life. I thought it was really touching when Heather and Chris were alone in the living room. He asks her what’s wrong and she hesitates before finally telling him about how she gets tired so easily. He assured her that that was okay.

There’s also a very touching romance that develops between them. This movie was a bit darker and more compelling than most Hallmark movies. I believe I felt this way because someone’s life was on the line and it was imperative that she find a donor. It was definitely one of the more emotional Hallmark movies.

This movie was based upon a true story! Isn’t that amazing?

So have you ever depended upon somebody for a medical donation (blood transfusion, organ donation, etc.)? Did you connect with this person?

Happy New Year, Hallmarkies!

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I hope all of you had a blessed and fruitful Christmas Season. I still have a few Christmas movies for which I’ll be leaving reviews.

I’ll also be doing reviews for the new Winterfest Movies! Looks like Hallmark is going to continue showing new movies throughout the year! Isn’t that fabulous?

A Christmas Detour

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Have you ever met an interesting stranger while you were traveling?

Paige, who writes magazine articles about love, is on her way to meet her upper-class, stuck-up fiancé, Jack. En route, she sits next to Dylan on the plane. As is classic in many Hallmark Movies, Dylan and Paige start off on the wrong foot and do NOT get along at all.

When their plane is grounded, and they’re stranded due to a snowstorm, they must bunk in adjoining hotel rooms. Paige is anxious, simply too anxious, to make it to Jack’s. Apparently, if she does not arrive in time, their wedding would have to be postponed (which makes no sense when you think of it logically).

Paige doesn’t even LIKE Jack, yet she’s engaged to him. How awful is that? I think Paige is just in love with the IDEA of being in love and having a fairy tale wedding. Jack just needed a bride and Paige seemed to fit the bill. Jack is so uptight and stiff and…just unlikable, and his parents were the same way. I couldn’t stand them. Paige would never have been able to fit into that family.

Dylan is definitely the one for Paige. Even though he has his own set of problems with his family, he knows he needs to go home (after being absent for four years). His ex married his brother, which upsets him. However, he learns that he can’t stay away from his family forever.

This was such a nice, refreshing holiday movie. I loved seeing Paige, Dylan, and the older couple that they befriended (Frank and Maxine) spend Christmas Eve together. It was so nice and magical-looking, but, Paige couldn’t enjoy the beauty of the holiday since she was in despair about meeting up with Jack.

Of course, Dylan and Paige end up being together at the end. He basically crashes Paige’s dinner with Jack and his parents, which was great since she was NOT having a good time with them, anyway!

So, have you ever met an interesting stranger while you were traveling? Did the two of you stay in touch?

Merry Christmas To All Hallmark Channel Fans!

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The Perfect Christmas Present

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Have you ever struggled with finding the perfect Christmas gift for someone?

Well, Paul struggles with finding a gift for his girlfriend, Jenny. Jenny has relocated to Chicago to be with Paul. But, there’s a distance between them – not a physical distance but an emotional distance.

Jenny is originally from Chicago, so, being back at “home” gives her bittersweet, mixed, emotional feelings. She lost her dad when she was young and she recalls the fun times they shared in Chicago.

Since Paul wants to emotionally re-connect with Jenny, he hires his old fraternity brother, Tom. Tom is “Mr. Christmas.” He has a business where he can find the perfect Christmas gift for your loved one. The only catch is, Tom has to get to know the person for whom you’re buying the gift. So, Tom has to spend time with Jenny.

As Tom spends time with Jenny, planning a charity event – finding out her likes, dislikes, personal hangups, etc., he falls in love with her. When Jenny discovers Tom’s true identity as Mr. Christmas, well, things turn sour between Tom and Jenny and between Jenny and Paul.

I REALLY liked this Hallmark M&M Christmas movie! It was fantastic. It was a Hallmark movie, but, a bit more. Meaning, I could actually imagine this movie on the big screen, actually in a movie theater. The movie had a bit more emotional edge to it than most other HM movies. I loved the chemistry between Tom and Jenny and the conflict was amazing.

I also noticed as Tom was getting to know Jenny, he’d read one of her favorite books: The Giver by Lois Lowry. I read this book awhile ago and I loved it! It’s a dystopian story and I felt it was a bit deep for a children’s book. I thought it was so good and I liked that this was one of Jenny’s favorite books. Why? Not sure. Maybe I liked this aspect of the movie because it showed that Jenny was a deep thinker? I just liked how the camera panned onto this book a couple of times during the movie!

I especially loved how Tom showed how much he’d fallen for Jenny. The end, where he gets the album she’s been seeking, her dad’s recording, well…that was just over-the-top sweet, nice and oh so refreshing! Loved it!

So have you ever struggled with finding the perfect gift for your boyfriend/significant other? What did you do? Would you consider hiring someone like Mr. Christmas?

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

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This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you like movies such as The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, then you MUST READ The Bakery Romance Series by Cecelia Dowdy at ceceliadowdy.com/books. The Bakery Romance Series is a heartwarming Amazon bestselling romance series. The book link is also at the end of this blog post.

Have you ever taken a stranger into your home?

Single mother Jennifer has two visitors for Christmas – her Uncle Ralph (a retired police officer) and Morgan, a nomad that assisted her Uncle Ralph at the airport. Since Morgan’s flight to his final destination is cancelled because of a snowstorm, Ralph invites him to spend the night at Jennifer’s home.

Of course Jennifer his hesitant, but, agrees to let Morgan stay in her home. Morgan really connects with Jennifer’s son, Brian.

However, trouble brews when Jennifer’s stuck-up, snobby boyfriend (Richard) notices the new houseguest. Jennifer is having a really hard time this Christmas. She’s having Richard and his parents over for Christmas dinner, and she must cook the turkey herself.

But, Jennifer doesn’t know how to cook, at all! She has nightmares about cooking the Christmas turkey and one reason why she agrees to let Morgan stay in her home is because he’s a chef. Morgan makes great pancakes and he knows how to cook a turkey, too. Perhaps she can solicit his help!

I really loved how Morgan, a nomad and a total opposite to Jennifer, made Jennifer see how she was short-shifting Christmas. Jennifer is so busy that she barely looks at her Christmas cards. She has a fake tree and Morgan makes her see how a real tree with enlighten her home.

Morgan really connected with Brian, too. He actually gets on the roof to play Santa for Brian! That was so nice of him. He also karate-chopped a man so that Jennifer could get the bike that was rightfully hers (purchased for her son Brian).

The premise of Jennifer’s fear of cooking reminded me of my romance novel, Sweet Dreams. In my book, the heroine is fearful of cooking – but, she must work to overcome her fear as she works in a soup kitchen. She must learn to cook to make a better future for her daughter – and she struggles with that.

I thought Henry Winkler did an AWESOME job of playing Uncle Ralph! He was funny, realistic and oh, so, endearing. I loved his role of matchmaker between Jennifer and Morgan. Uncle Ralph COULD NOT STAND Richard and neither could I! It was quite obvious that Richard was not an ideal choice for Jennifer. They would’ve been miserable if they’d gotten married!

So, did you enjoy The Most Wonderful Time of the Year? What was your favorite part? Have you ever taken a stranger into your home?

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you like movies such as The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, then you MUST READ The Bakery Romance Series by Cecelia Dowdy at ceceliadowdy.com/books. The Bakery Romance Series is a heartwarming Amazon bestselling romance series. The book link is also at the end of this blog post.

THE BAKERY ROMANCE SERIES BOOK LINK

SWEET DREAMS ROMANCE NOVEL BOOK LINK

A Gingerbread Romance

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Have you ever built a gingerbread house?

Well, architect Taylor hasn’t! Her job has signed her up for a gingerbread house making contest – they figure it’ll be good PR for their company. But, Taylor is an architect for REAL buildings, not gingerbread houses. She needs help and when her job pairs her up with a well-known French pastry chef, she figures she’ll win the contest.

The pastry-chef decides not to work with Taylor, so, she ends up using the skills of Adam, a wonderful baker. I thought that Taylor and Adam got off on the wrong foot, but, as they got to know one another, the chemistry between them was as hot as grease sizzling in a skillet!

Adam has a lot going on in his life. He’s single and he’s raising his daughter, Brook, alone. Brook and Taylor really hit it off, which was nice.

I enjoyed seeing Adam and Taylor design and built a giant gingerbread house. Just because someone is an architect, it doesn’t mean that they can build a solid gingerbread house! Adam has to experiment with different ingredients to make sturdy bricks for their house.

I loved the special effects that were added to Adam’s and Taylor’s gingerbread house. But, I wondered, when you have a house sitting out like that, a gingerbread house, what happens to it? Do folks actually EAT a huge house like that when it’s been sitting out there for all to see? What do you think?

Kudos to Hallmark for again featuring people of color in their movie. I loved seeing Tia Mowry. I remember seeing her a long time ago, with her sister Tamara, on Sister Sister (an old sitcom).

So, have you ever built a gingerbread house from scratch? How long did it take? Was it a huge house?

A Godwink Christmas

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Have you ever gotten engaged and then regretted it later?

Paula has recently accepted a marriage proposal from her overbearing boyfriend, Daniel. Upset and confused, she talks to her Aunt Jane about her mixed feelings. Aunt Jane invites Paula down for a visit to Nantucket. Her Aunt then sends Jane to Martha’s Vineyard where she meets Gery the owner of the inn where she’s staying.

Paula and Gery really seem to hit it off. The emotional connection between them is amazing! Only problem is, Paula is engaged…is it okay for her to have feelings for Gery while she’s engaged to Daniel?

I really liked this movie. I thought the characters were strong and oh, so believable. Didn’t Daniel get on your nerves? He sure got on mine.I hated the way he kept texting and taking phone calls while he was supposed to be visiting Paula. When Paula came to visit him at his job, he even set an alarm to ensure that their visit didn’t last too long! Who does that?

He also was overbearing towards his family, too. His own sister had issues with him, too. He was not the right match for Paula, even though they’d been dating for two years. I’m kind of surprised that they didn’t break up sooner. I felt that Daniel strong-armed Paula into accepting his proposal. She’d not been expecting him to propose – so, it was a bit of a shock for her when he did that. Also, she refused to wear his ring….which spoke VOLUMES as to how she felt about him!

Gery likes Paula, too. He’s divorced and he tells Paula why his marriage ended. Paula struggles with her feelings for Gery while being engaged to Daniel. Aunt Jane reminds her that sometimes God winks and the unexpected can happen!

The Godwink Christmas movies are based on the Godwink series of books. Have you read them?

The publisher for God Winks recently sent me a copy of God Wink Christmas Stories in the mail. I was surprised to receive it. I read the first story and it was inspiring. It was a true account of someone helping an elderly couple. Such a touching story for the Christmas holiday!

So, have you ever gotten engaged and then had second thoughts about it? Did you regret your decision? Did you end up getting married or did you break off your engagement?

A Majestic Christmas

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Have you ever acted in a theater production?

Majestic: having or showing impressive beauty or dignity

Beauty and dignity – that’s what Nell sees when she admires old buildings.

Nell is an architect, and she’s up for a big production at her job. She loves old buildings and she doesn’t like destroying them to build new establishments. I mean, come on, she loves the historical things one can learn from these old buildings! When she’s given the job of turning turning The Majestic Playhouse into a multiplex, she hesitantly agrees. She tells her boss that she’ll do a great job.

In order to complete this architectural project, she must return to her hometown of Briar Falls – that’s where the Majestic is located. Nell, along with the townsfolk, have fond memories of the Majestic. While Nell is in town, the townsfolk agree to one last production before the theater will be renovated after Christmas.

Conner is the theater’s new owner. His aunt has died and he’s inherited the Majestic from her. As is typical in many Hallmark movies, Nell and Conner clash via an innocent misunderstanding. When she re-meets him, she discovers that he’s the owner of the Majestic.

Conner is not used to a festive Christmas and Nell is determined to celebrate the holidays with him. She needs to show him how important Christmas traditions are in Briar Falls. Hopefully he’ll realize just how much the townsfolk treasure The Majestic. Nell and Conner lovingly celebrate Christmas together during Briar Falls Twelve Days of Christmas festival.

I loved seeing Nell and Conner work together, finally putting aside their differences, as they worked on the theater project. I also loved seeing the town of Briar Falls – seeing the town work together and celebrate Christmas together. There’s just something about small towns coming together for a cause that just warms my heart – especially at Christmas. I loved seeing the Christmas celebrations – there was good food, long walks in the snow, and there was even a snowman-building contest! Imagine that!

Kudos to Hallmark for another heartwarming movie! Double kudos for featuring an African-American hero and heroine. It makes me glad that Hallmark is finally realizing that the main characters can be different races! We’re all God’s children and all of us should be featured in these productions as main characters!

So, have you ever acted in a theater production? If so, what part did you play?