Author Archives: Cecelia Dowdy

Interview And Book Giveaway For Author Sherryle Kiser Jackson!

Today I’m hosting author Sherryle Kiser Jackson on my blog! After you’ve read the interview and book summary, leave a comment to be entered into the drawing for her book! I’m giving away two copies!However, you must make a comment about something you read in Sherryle’s interview or in the book summary to be entered! If you don’t, I won’t enter your name into the drawing! I met Sherryle about a year and a half ago at a booksigning event in Baltimore and she’s a nice person and I’m glad to feature her on my blog today!

1. Your book deals with the issue of a single mother raising her teenaged son alone. Do you see this situation a lot within the school system? Did you choose this conflict because it affects so many women today?

My characters, and the circumstances they find themselves in were very real for me. I tried to portray a busy, hardworking single mother who must look for resources within the “village” to help raise her teenaged son. She has been “holding it down”, but like many mothers she began to loose touch in the hustle and bustle of life. Deidre, my main character, like many mothers, gets that inevitable wake up call when her son starts to get in trouble in and out of school.

If it takes a village to raise a child, ideally the father should be fall among that village. I think I also show the very vital part the father plays in the life of his child even though he and the mother may no longer be together.

2. Can you share your publication journey with us? How long were you writing before you secured a contract with Urban Christian and did you have to obtain a literary agent before submitting?

My first novel, Soon And Very Soon was published in 2007 by Urban Christian, but it took over ten years to get it to publication. At that time, it was a shell of what it is now. In my zeal to get it published I shopped it around to traditional publishing houses. I knew nothing about target markets or the genre of Christian Fiction. I received a lot of rejection letters. Some I still have to this day. In retrospect, I know I was blessed in that process. I have some of the best rejection letters! Some said the narrative was flawed, characters were underdevolped, but most said the storyline itself, about two pastors that marry and combine churches, was promising. After licking my wounds for awhile, I had a trail of breadcrumbs to follow, especially when I bought a book called, Temptation by Victoria Christopher Murray. I knew that there was a market for my book. I joined a fabulous workshop of writers that met twice a month at Sisterspace And Books when it was located on U Street in D.C. and I got to work on the story. I sent it off again around 2003 and signed with a major publishing house that held up the book for two years then dropped it from its’ roster before publication. Finally a friend of mine attended the Hurston Wright Conference in DC and in her networking found out information about a new imprint devoted to Christian Fiction under the Urban Books umbrella. She gave me the information in 2006, and I submitted my manuscript. Shortly thereafter, I signed a two book deal for Urban Books/Urban Christian/Kensington.

Wow! I can certainly understand all that you went through! I also read Temptation by VCM and it’s a great book! It’s hard for writers to deal with rejection, especially when it appears that a contract is being granted by a publishing house, and then it falls through! I kind of know what that’s like because I had a similiar experience years ago!

3. You are a teacher who is married with children. How do you balance your writing time and working hours with your family duties?

Do I balance it? It is crrrrraaaaaaazzzy! Despite my “day job” and family, I am in that place where one book is on the shelf that you want to move and publicize, one book is set to come out in less than 6 months that you have to ramp up, and one book is in my Brain that the editor is waiting for me to get down in electronic format. I don’t know if you ever balance it. It is daily prioritizing because multi tasking is an illusion for me. I don’t do that well. I have to concentrate on one thing at a time.

Tell me about it! I can certainly understand how hard it is to prioritize your book publishing duties along with your work and family! It’s hard!

4. Who are some of your favorite authors?

Victoria Christopher Murray writes fiction with a beatiful mix of inspiration and pure entertainment.
Pearl Cleage writes so intelligently. Her characters are intelligent and introspective and real. Sometimes writer’s create fantasy characters on the extremes of life. She writes from the SOUL.
Terry McMillian set it off for me. No one writes dialogue like she does. The voice in her pieces have their own cadence, fast pace, gritty and real.
Eric Jerome Dickey writes hot, blood-coarsing, page turning adrenaline.

Yes, I’ve read all of those authors except for Pearl Cleage (I’ll be sure to check her out.) I also believe Terry McMillian set the stage for more African-American authors to get published!

5. What’s your favorite scripture?

Wow, there are so many. I am so thankful for my home training in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School because verses will come to me when I am writing and I go back and study. Romans 8, the whole chapter, is particularly special to me. Like John 3:16, it reminds me of how special I am to God. It reminds us that we are joint heirs with Christ and that he predestined, called and justified us for a purpose. Read it; it’s good stuff!

Yes, John 3:16 is one of my personal favorites, too! Okay, here’s some information about Sherryle’s book! Read it and then leave a comment to be entered into the drawing!

The Manual by Sherryle Kiser Jackson

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Urban Books; Original edition (October 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1601629354
ISBN-13: 978-1601629357

Need a manual on raising children and having healthy relationships? Refer to the Bible. That’s what Deidre Collins’ inner spirit is telling her to do now that Andre, her son’s father, is back in town after deserting them eight years ago.

At fourteen years old, her son, DeAndre, is struggling with his own issues peer pressure, problems at school, and fi guring out how to navigate his first crush. When DeAndre gets suspended from school for ten days, Andre sees it as the perfect opportunity to get to know his son—and to get closer to Deidre. Can this couple overcome the past for the sake of their son’s future?

It was nice having you on my blog, Sherryle, and everybody, don’t forget to leave a comment for the book drawing! You also need to leave an email address so that I can contact you if you win!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Enter To Win Chesapeake Weddings!

How Much Money Does A New York Times Bestseller Make – Part 2

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Lynn Viehl, author of Twilight Fall, a New York Times mass market bestseller, was kind enough to share her first two royalty statements on her blog. I posted about the first royalty statement here.

You can find the information about her second statement here.

There are a few things that I wanted to highlight about her second blog post:

#1. The net sales units are 61,663 copies
#2. According to the statement, the author made a net amount of $30,155.69. HOWEVER, after you subtract her agent’s commission and taxes, the amount she actually kept for herself was $24,517.36!
#3. If she were forced to live solely upon the $24,517.36, for her family of four for one year, she would only be slightly above the US poverty level! 🙁
#4. The author mentioned that she wondered how her numbers compared to other New York Times mass market bestsellers. It’s hard to say because other authors don’t offer up this information, publishers don’t offer up this information, or, if they do, it’s always done anonymously!
#5. She still hasn’t earned out her $50,000 advance yet!

I’d like to take a moment to tell what I heard about advances and earning out recently. I was listening to the CDs from the last American Christian Fiction Writers Conference. One of the workshops was on advances. I heard an industry professional state that more than 80% of the advances they pay DON’T earn out! That’s shocking! I’m thinking that Lynn’s numbers might be comparable to other authors.

I’d like to publicly thank Lynn for offering this information to her blog readers. She’s answered questions that I’ve often wondered about.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Dawn’s Light By Terri Blackstock

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Dawn’s Light by Terri BlackstockPaperback: 411 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (May 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310257700
ISBN-13: 978-0310257707
In the face of a crisis that sweeps an entire high-tech planet back to the age before electricity, the Brannings face a choice. Will they hoard their possessions to survive—or trust God to provide as they offer their resources to others? #1 bestselling suspense author Terri Blackstock weaves a masterful what-if series in which global catastrophe reveals the darkness in human hearts—and lights the way to restoration for a self-centered world. As the Pulses that caused the outage are finally coming to an end, thirteen-year-old Beth Branning witnesses a murder. Threatened by the killer, she keeps the matter to herself. But her silence could cost her life. Meanwhile, as Deni’s ex-fiance returns to Crockett with a newfound faith and the influence to get things done, Deni is torn between the man who can fulfill all her dreams and Mark Green, the man who inhabits them. As the world slowly emerges from the crisis, the Brannings face their toughest crisis yet. Will God require more of them than they’ve already given? How will they keep their faith if he doesn’t answer their prayers?

This book continues Terri Blackstock’s saga that involves all of the world’s electronics and electricity – both segments cease to work, leaving people scrounging for food, water, and survival since there is no way to transport food and there is no heat or electricity to cook or clean. People still struggle to survive, but the book opens with the lean times getting a bit better, the banks open and customers are allowed to withdraw 2% of the balance shown on the last printed bank statement they received. Thirteen year old Beth Branning sneaks to the bank to see the action, and instead finds herself the witness to a brutal murder. The murderer threatens Beth and her family if she mentions what she’s seen that day. Scared, Beth suffers in silence while her family struggles to understand what kind of demons are haunting her.

Meanwhile, Deni Branning is falling in love with Mark, a Christian neighbor. When Deni’s unsaved ex-fiance, Craig, surpisingly appears from Washington, he makes a big announcement: He’s saved now, and he wants to court Deni again. Deni is torn – Craig has major pull in Washington and he might have the power to get all of the lights in their district turned back on before the others since the Pulses is now over and in a matter of time, things could be back to normal.

When Beth is hurt, Craig comes to the rescue, and Deni is somewhat drawn to Craig’s newfound kindness. What should she do?

I thought the ending to this book was bittersweet. I think I would have had a somewhat different ending. I thought the book was enjoyable and it was a quick fast read that held my interest.

I also noticed that this book alters the way that I think about some things. Like, when my son doesn’t finish his food on his plate, and I throw it away, I remember how the characters in Terri’s books are starving and about how they’d enjoy the food that I’m tossing in the garbage! I know that’s weird, but I think it’s because we’re a land of plenty, but wouldn’t realize it until a crises of this magnitude were to happen, and it would change our attitudes and perceptions about life drastically.

I reviewed the other three novels in this series, here, here, and here.

I emailed Terri Blackstock to ask her some questions about this series and she responded:
How did you come up with the Restoration Series idea?
I came up with the idea when we were all preparing for Y2k (the turn of the century). We thought computers would crash and our power grid would fail. The whole thing captured my imagination. When it didn’t happen, I decided to create an event like that on my own.

Did you lose power and wonder what would happen …?
While I was writing Night Light, Book Two, Katrina hit my state. My power was out for several days, and we had to sit in line for three hours or more to get gas, so I was kind of thrust into the world I was writing about. It turned out to be great research and helped me with the rest of the series.

I hope that helps. Thanks for asking, and for blogging about the series.

You’re welcome, Terry, and I really enjoyed the series! You provided me with several hours of reading pleasure!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Win A Copy Of Chesapeake Weddings!

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Lena Nelson Dooley is hosting me on her blog today with an interview and a book giveaway! You have to leave a comment on THIS BLOG POST in order to be entered into the drawing! Be sure to read the interview before commenting!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Plain Perfect By Beth Wiseman

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Plain Perfect by Beth Wiseman
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (September 9, 2008)
ISBN-10: 1595546308
ASIN: B0023RSZT6

A search for peace in Amish country proves anything but simple for a woman on the run from life…and herself.

On the rolling plains of Lancaster County, PA., Lillian Miller is searching for her grandparents’ house…and so much more. After years of neglect and abuse, she’s turning to a lifestyle of simplicity among the Amish to find herself.

As she discards the distractions of her former life, she befriends the young boy working on her family’s farm and his attractive widowed father, Samuel Stoltzfus. Despite Lillian’s best efforts to the contrary, her feelings for Samuel–and his for her–deepen. Will Lillian find her faith in Plain living, or will she be forced to return to her former life?

This was a sweet story about a woman who is searching for something. Miserable with her life, she escapes from her abusive, live-in boyfriend and goes on a quest to find her estranged grandparents in Amish territory. Lillian’s life is full of questions: Why did you mom leave the Amish community when she was young? Who is Lillian’s father? Can she find the peace she seeks by living as an Amish woman for awhile?

While living among the Amish, Lillian grows closer to her grandparents, feeling sadness about her grandfather’s cancer. He is suffering, but will only do so much to ease his own pain because of his Amish beliefs. Lillian’s grandmother is worn out, and Lillian attempts to make the lives of the elderly couple easier as she learns the Amish way of life.

Romantic sparks fly when Emily meets Samuel, a young Amish widower. She grows close to Samuel’s son, but the couple struggles with the fact that it’s a sin to be unequally yoked and Lillian is not an Amish woman.

I thought this story was sweet and enjoyable. It was a light, inspiring read.

SPOILER BELOW:

Don’t read the following if you haven’t read the book but plan on reading it in the future.

I did think it was a bit unrealistic that Lillian became Amish at the end. I’ve noticed in some of the Plain/Amish stories that an English person will become Amish at the end – this especially happens when they want to live happily ever after with their Amish mate. I’d think it would be a rare feat to give up all modern conveniences that we’ve enjoyed since birth and convert to the Amish way of live. Although it’s possible, I don’t feel that it’s plausible. This comment has no bearing on the story – I still thought it was a nice read, but I just couldn’t imagine the ending to turn out like it did.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Mom’s The Word By Marilynn Griffith

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Mom’s The Word by Marilynn Griffith

Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Steeple Hill (January 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373786417
ISBN-13: 978-0373786411

When her tall, dark, delicious husband joins their three kids in calling her “Mom,” Karol Simons has an identity crisis. Sure she loves the pint-sized trio, but what’s happened to her dreams of writing a novel? Determined to have it all, she turns to her neighbor for help.

Dyanne Thornton is thrilled to stand in as Mom for three weeks so Karol can write. Bursting with baby fever, the career-woman trades her glamorous clothes and four-inch heels for the playground and potty training. She hopes to convince her reluctant husband they should start a family of their own, right away.

Everyone’s in for some big surprises….

This book was a refreshing read that took me back in time – back to the days when I was growing up and we were close to our next-door neighbors. Karol misses her best friend, Hope and Hope’s husband, Singh. Their former next-door neighbors and their tribe of children have moved away leaving Karol mystified and sad. Their new neighbors, Dyanne and Neal, are quite different from their old neighbors. Dyanne is a career woman, and she fancies herself as a future mom, only if she can convince her husband that it’s time for them to multiply.

When you add Fallon, a mature eccentric author, into Dyanne’s and Neal’s household, the story becomes even more interesting.

Karol is facing a crises – she wants to write her book but has no time since she’s a full-time mommy. Dyanne wants to try her hand at motherhood so she steps in, offering to help Karol and her family while Karol takes a vacation from being a parent so that she can finish writing her book.

Both couples find their marriages in trouble when Karol discovers the real reason that Hope and Singh left and Dyanne and Neal face their own problems especially when Dyanne continues her quest for pregnancy.

I recommend this book if you want a good, insightful, refreshing story that you’ll read pretty quickly. The characters are quirky, but realistic and I believe lots of people could find something in this book that they can relate to.

I haven’t gone off on a tangent like this for a book review in a long time, but this novel got me to thinking about my childhood. We were close to our next-door neighbors when we lived on the military base. I recall playing at each other’s houses and I remember my mother being friends with the mom who lived next door. I remember she was a large woman who wore glasses and she had a loud voice. When she laughed, she threw her head back and opened her mouth so wide that I could sometimes see her tonsils when she was laughing about something! I remember their names, but not sure if I should post them here! I did look up the boy on Facebook and I think I found him! I’m not sure if he’d remember me if I contacted him, though!

The reason why I have fond memories of next-door neighbors is because it’s something that I have NOT experienced as an adult. After getting out of college and working full time, living in apartments and houses, I just never really connected with next-door neighbors the way we did while on the military base when I was a kid.

Are you close to your next-door neighbors? Do you think people are close to their neighbors nowadays, or are people just too busy working and living their own lives to develop close relationships with people in their neighborhood?

~Cecelia Dowdy~