Author Archives: Cecelia Dowdy

Another ACFW Conference Pic!

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Here’s another conference pic for you to enjoy! Pam stopped by the conference to meet some authors! She’s won books on my blog and I was thrilled that she came through to meet us! In the photo above is Pam, Susan Page Davis, and me!

I plan on blogging about more of my conference experience next week. I’ve got content edits due October First and the edits are requiring most of my attention at the moment!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

ACFW Book Of The Year Winners!

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The ACFW Book Of The Year Winners and finalists were announced at the banquet at the conference last Saturday night!

2008 Book of the Year Winners

Debut Author

1.Sushi for One? (Camy Tang) – Zondervan, Sue Brower – Editor
2.Bayou Justice (Robin Miller writing as Robin Caroll)
3.In Between (Jenny B. Jones)

Contemporary Novella

1.Finally Home (Deborah Raney) – Barbour Publishing, Susan Downs – Editor
2.Moonlight & Mistletoe (Carrie Turansky)
3.Remaking of Moe McKenna (Gloria Clover)

Historical Novella

1.Love Notes in Love Letters Anthology (Mary Davis) – Barbour Publishing, Rebecca Germany – Editor
2.Beyond the Memories (DiAnn Mills)
3.The Spinster & The Tycoon (Vickie McDonough)

Lits

1.Splitting Harriet (Tamara Leigh) – Multnomah Books, Julee Schwarzburg – Editor
2.Sushi for One? (Camy Tang)
3.One Little Secret (Allison Bottke) & The Book of Jane (Anne Dayton & May Vanderbilt)

Long Contemporary

1.Within This Circle (Deborah Raney) – Steeple Hill Books, Krista Stroever – Editor
2.Like Always (Robert Elmer)
3.Autumn Blue (Karen Harter)

Long Historical

1. Veil of Fire (Marlo Schalesky) RiverOak, editors Jeff Dunn/Jon Woodhams
Where Willows Grow (Kim Vogel Sawyer) Bethany House, editor Charlene Patterson
2. Fancy Pants (Cathy Marie Hake) & Then Came Hope (Louise Gouge)
3. Courting Trouble (Deeanne Gist)

Mystery

1.Your Chariot Awaits (Lorena McCourtney) – Thomas Nelson, Amanda Bostic – Editor
2.Death of a Garage Sale Newbie (Sharon Dunn)
3.Sticks And Stones (Susan Meissner)

Short Contemporary

1.The Heart of Grace (Linda Goodnight) – Steeple Hill Love Inspired, Allison Lyons – Editor
2.Heart of the Family (Margaret Daley)
3.Wedded Bliss (Kathleen Y’Barbo)

Short Contemporary Suspense

1.Caught Redhanded (Gayle Roper) – Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense, Krista Stroever – Editor
2.Pursuit of Justice (Pamela Tracy)
3.Nowhere to Hide (Debby Giusti) & Her Christmas Protector (Terri Reed)

Short Historical

1. Canteen Dreams (Cara Putman) & Golden Days (Mary Connealy)
–Barbour/Heartsong Presents, JoAnne Simmons – Editor
– Barbour/Heartsong Presents, JoAnne Simmons – Editor
2.A Wealth Beyond Riches (Vickie McDonough)
3.A Time to Keep (Kelly Eileen Hake)

Speculative

1.The Restorer’s Son (Sharon Hinck) – NavPress, Reagan Reed – Editor
2.Demon: A Memoir (Tosca Lee)
3.DragonFire (Donita Paul)

Suspense

1.Black Ice (Linda Hall) – WaterBrook Press, Traci DePree – Editor
2.Coral Moon (Brandilyn Collins)
3.Abomination (Colleen Coble)

Women’s Fiction

1.Remember to Forget (Deborah Raney) – Howard Books/Simon & Schuster, Philis Boultinghouse – Editor
2.Watercolored Pearls (Stacy Hawkins Adams)
3.A Promise To Remember (Kathryn Cushman)

Young Adult

1.In Between (Jenny B. Jones) — NavPress, Jamie Chavez – Editor
2.Sara Jane: Liberty’s Torch (Eleanor Clark)
3.Saving Sailor (Renee Riva)

ACFW Conference Pics!

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I know I was supposed to blog about the conference, but, time got away from me and I was too tired! I did manage to drag my camera out on Saturday to take some pics! So…enjoy! 🙂 Me, signing books at the Mall of America booksigning!


The Mall Of America! Wow, this place is HUGE!! An amusement park is inside the mall!
During the signing, there was a running movie of all the writers participating in the signing, as well as their books, featured on a large screen! Don’t we look great?
James Scott Bell signing his tune!
Author and editor Karen Ball, James Scott Bell, and Brandilyn Collins answering questions during one of the many panels featured during the Mall Of America signing!
Angela Hunt, Karen Ball, James Scott Bell and Brandilyn Collins.
Me, signing John’s Quest!
Author Sharon Ewell Foster is in the middle and Janice Thompson is on the right. Can’t recall who’s on the left! You’re welcome to fill in the blank if you’d like!



Wow! Me, on the big screen! 🙂
Camy Tang, Trish Perry, and Rene Gutteridge!
Amusement park in the Mall Of America! Doesn’t it look fun?


ACFW Awards ceremony Saturday night! I’ll be sure to post the winners on another blog entry!

Me, dressed up for dinner!

Too Tired To Blog

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I’ve literally been on the go, and running around since I got here yesterday! I went to bed late last night and was up early this morning.

I went to the Mall of America for a Barbour Publisher event! That place is huge! There’s an amusement park right in the building!

So far, I’m having a great time! I’ll post some of my thoughts about the conference within the next day or so.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Book Blogger Appreciation Week!

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I’d like to remind everyone to continue to pray for the victims of Hurricane Ike.

Also, I’m going to be interviewed TOMORROW on my friend, Lena Nelson Dooley’s blog. Feel free to leave a comment and I’ll also be giving away a copy of my novel, John’s Quest.

Also, this week is Book Blogger Appreciation Week. There are going to be giveaways all week on Amy’s blog! Pop on over to see if you’re interested in the prizes. I’ll be giving away another copy of my novel, John’s Quest.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

My First Sale Story – Part One

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I just want to remind everybody reading this post to keep all the victims of Hurricane Ike in your prayers. I was watching CNN yesterday since they were focusing on the storm.

With my leaving for the ACFW Conference in a few days, I thought I’d blog about how important it is to attend writers’ conferences, especially if you’re seeking publication.

When I first started writing back in the mid-nineties, I joined an organization called Romance Writers of America. They had a conference every year. Each year I would attend and meet with various editors, pitching my stories, hoping I could make a sale. When I initially started writing, the Christian fiction market was just starting to thrive. I found out more about the genre through the Faith Hope and Love Chapter of Romance Writers of America.

Once I joined this chapter, I discovered more about the inspirational market. My initial novels were secular stories, since I was not aware of an inspirational market at first. I sent a few of my chapters away to a paid editorial service and when I got my edits back the editor made the following comment about my writing: is this supposed to be an inspirational?

So I researched the genre, checked out some novels published by Multnomah from the library, and began to focus on the Christian market. I felt that this was the genre that I wanted to focus on since I loved reading the stories! I also joined the Heartsong Presents bookclub. I submitted to Barbour several times for their Heartsong Presents line. I met editor and Heartsong author Tracie Peterson at a Romance Writers of America conference. This contact proved to be crucial in establishing my first sale.

I’ll continue talking about it in a later post!

~Cecelia Dowdy~