Author Archives: Cecelia Dowdy

Saturday Matinee – The Wedding Plan

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The Wedding Plan – A Movie Review

Have you ever heard of a bride who plans a wedding WITHOUT a groom?

Well, that’s the premise for this wonderful foreign film. It’s been a long time since I’ve watched a foreign film and I was so glad I chose to watch this one on Amazon Prime!

When Michal’s fiancé breaks off their engagement right before the wedding, she’s determined to move forward with her wedding plans. A Jew, she has deep faith that the Lord will provide a groom for her. She’s deeply religious, sometimes funny and she has an unusual occupation. She owns a mobile petting zoo. It’s kind of cool to see a woman petting snakes and furry rabbits, owning her own business. Michal was so determined to find a husband for her wedding.

I highly doubt I’d have had the guts to go through with a wedding, thinking God would provide a husband for me, if my fiancé were to cancel our engagement. That takes a lot of faith and courage. This story was a labyrinth of Michal meeting men as she seeks for a groom.

Overall, a highly unique, highly recommended movie.

So, have you ever heard of a bride who plans a wedding WITHOUT a groom?

Last Chance To Get A Copy Of These Box Sets

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On Monday (August 6th), I’ll be removing these three box sets from Amazon. I published these via my company, Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. This is a bittersweet moment for me. I’ve had fun publishing these box sets with my author friends and as a result I’ve gained lots of exposure for my other works. Although it’s been fun, it’s time to take down the sets. They’ve run their course and I’ll be publishing other sets later this year! YEAH!!!

I highly encourage you to purchase copies of these sets before they are gone forever. You can’t beat the price – 99c per box set! That’s seventeen stories for less than $3! You can’t beat that! These Christmas and summer sweet stories will fill your heart with gladness!

Frosting and Flurries

Picnics and Promises

Snowflakes and Snuggles

Enjoy!!!

Cottage By The Sea

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Cottage by the Sea by Debbie Macomber

Have you ever suffered a traumatic experience – an experience that’s so devastating that you felt that you’d never heal?

Annie has suffered from a major tragedy. She’s now practically alone and only has a few relatives and close friends on which she can depend. She’s depressed and desperate to find happiness. She’s determined to find it in the cottage where she used to spend childhood summers with her family. When she arrives in Oceanside, she runs into Keaton – a man who remembers her very well from those childhood summers.

Keaton has his own issues. He’s always been a big and strong and he’s been teased by others because of his massive size. When Annie drops back into his life, it’s like a gift from heaven to him.

I thought this book was sweet, endearing and oh, so emotional. I really enjoyed seeing how Annie and Keaton interacted with each other in this beach town. Keaton is a man of few words, so communicating orally is a challenge for him. Plus, there’s an eclectic mix of secondary characters. Annie’s neighbor (Mellie) is a hoarder with a prickly personality. There’s also an animal lover who is interested in Mellie and Annie has a wide range of patients who suffer from massive problems.

I really enjoyed this heartwarming story and I’m sure you will enjoy it, too.

So, have you ever suffered a traumatic experience – an experience that’s so devastating that you felt that you’d never heal?

Bring Me Back

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Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris – a secular title

Have you ever known anybody who was missing? If so, was that person ever found?

Finn was in love with beautiful, red-headed Layla. They vacationed in France, and when she goes missing at a rest stop, Finn feels as if his whole life is spiraling out of control. How can he live without Layla in his life? Twelve years later, he’s now engaged to Ellen, Layla’s sister. Their relationship is a bit strained and tenuous. The threat of Layla’s return hovers between them like a poisonous mist.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s somewhat hard to talk about it without giving spoilers. It’s a suspense/mystery story and it keeps you wondering until the very end. Layla and Ellen used to play with Russian dolls when they were little (the dolls that come in a set and they fit inside of one another). Someone is mysteriously leaving these Russian dolls on their doorstep. Could this person be Layla?

I also loved reading a book set outside of the states. I’ve been mostly reading American novels and it was refreshing to read a European title. I highly recommend this book if you like a good, suspenseful read that’ll keep you guessing until the end.

So, have you ever known anybody who was missing? If so, was that person ever found?

Book Giveaway – The Underground Railroad Brides Collection!

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This giveaway is now closed! I announced the winners here!

 

Have you ever baked bread? If so, what kind of bread did/do you bake? 

 

I’m hosting a book giveaway. I’m giving away 2 copies of The Underground Railroad Brides Collection. These 2 copies are SPECIAL since they’re signed by all nine authors! In order to be entered into the giveaway, you must answer my question about baking bread. You must also leave your email address in your comment! I need an email address in order to ship the books to the two winners!

The title of my story in this collection is called The Bakery Bride. I loved writing this story and I really enjoyed researching how bakeries functioned during historical times. The Bakery Bride is the strongest story that I’ve ever written and I’m so glad that I took a leap of faith and wrote a historical novella.

One thing that I enjoyed learning about, regarding baking, is that during historical times, they couldn’t go to the store and simply purchase yeast. Back then, the yeast used in all breads was from a sourdough starter. The starter was made from natural yeasts captured in the air. Once this yeast is captured, you feed it with water, flour, and maybe some sugar regularly. You use about a cup (or more) of this natural sourdough yeast starter whenever you make loaves of bread. If you feed your starter regularly, and take good care of it, the starter will remain alive indefinitely. This just blows my mind!

I researched this and found that there are some sourdough starters that are hundreds, even thousands of years old! Can you imagine that? Can you imagine somebody during Biblical times starting a sourdough starter and that very same starter could be alive, being used in bread today?? Just thinking about that makes me say “WOW”!!!

So, are you a bread baker? If so, what kind of bread do you enjoy baking? I’d also like to know if you’ve ever used a sourdough starter!