Category Archives: Fiction

Uncertain Alliance by Mary Davis

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Uncertain Alliance by Mary Davis

Have you ever been swindled by an ex-boyfriend/ex-girlfriend or former-husband/former- wife?

Alice Dempsey is struggling to survive after her husband gambles away their family farm. Her husband was killed while cheating at a card game, and, he’s left their family in dire straits. Alice must work to provide food and shelter for her crippled grandfather, her toddler son, and her juvenile-delinquent brother, Burl.

When she loses her seamstress job, Ian Macgregor, an older man who owns a pharmacy, offers to give her a job. Alice refuses – she can never trust another man since her deceased husband manipulated her so badly. Since she refuses Ian’s kindness, how can she provide food for her hungry family? Her independence proves strong, almost too strong, when it interferes with her ability to support her loved ones. When Burl gets into trouble with the law, Alice finds it even harder to survive each day.

Ian Macgregor has had a secret crush on Alice for a while. He speaks to her each day as she goes rushing to her seamstress job. However, like Alice, Ian has been hurt in the past by his former love interest.

I thought this book was good. The characters were rich and very well-developed. Alice is a caring, stubborn, Christian woman who is extremely determined to care for her family by herself.

Have you ever been swindled by a husband/wife, or former boyfriend/girlfriend? If so, what happened? Was it hard to forgive him/her for their transgressions?

 

Congrats To The Carol Award Winners!

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The Carol Awards were given at last weekend’s ACFW Conference. You can find a list of the finalists on my Carol-Award Blog Post.

The following are the Carol Award Winners – leave a comment – let me know if you’ve read any of these titles:

Lost LegacyCategory
Lost Legacy by Dana Mentink (Love Inspired)

Heart EchoesContemporary
Heart Echoes by Sally John (Tyndale House)

Wildflowers from Winter:Debut Novel
Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert (Waterbrook/Multnomah)

Where Lilacs Still Bloom: A NovelHistorical
Where Lilacs Still Bloom by Jane Kirkpatrick (Waterbrook/Multnomah)

A Promise to LoveHistorical Romance
A Promise to Love by Serena B. Miller (Revell)

The Soul SaverMystery/Suspense/Thriller
The Soul Saver by Dineen Miller (Barbour Publishing)

A Recipe for Hope (An Amish Kitchen Novella)Novella
A Recipe for Hope by Beth Wiseman (Thomas Nelson)

Saving Gideon (Clover Ridge, #1)Romance
Saving Gideon by Amy Lillard (B&H Publishing)

When a Heart Stops (Deadly Reunions, #2)Romantic Suspense
When a Heart Stops by Lynette Eason (Revell)

DaystarSpeculative
Daystar by Kathy Tyers (Marcher Lord Press)

Like Moonlight at Low TideYoung Adult
Like Moonlight at Low Tide by Nicole Quigley (Zondervan)

Please join me in congratulating these wonderful authors! Have you read any of these titles?

==

Category
Lost Legacy by Dana Mentink (Love Inspired)

Contemporary
Heart Echoes by Sally John (Tyndale House)

Debut Novel
Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert (Waterbrook/Multnomah)

Historical
Where Lilacs Still Bloom by Jane Kirkpatrick (Waterbrook/Multnomah)

Historical Romance
A Promise to Love by Serena B. Miller (Revell)

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
The Soul Saver by Dineen Miller (Barbour Publishing)

Novella
A Recipe for Hope by Beth Wiseman (Thomas Nelson)

Romance
Saving Gideon by Amy Lillard (B&H Publishing)

Romantic Suspense
When a Heart Stops by Lynette Eason (Revell)

Speculative
Daystar by Kathy Tyers (Marcher Lord Press)

Young Adult
Like Moonlight at Low Tide by Nicole Quigley (Zondervan)

– See more at: http://www.acfw.com/carol/2013_carol_award_winners#sthash.SFnEeydJ.dpuf

Fall Into Love Contest!

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Announcing the FALL INTO LOVE ultimate giveaway!

Join us as award-winning authors Tracie Peterson, Jody Hedlund, Nancy Mehl, Melissa Tagg, and Jen Turano take us on a journey for love in their upcoming novels. To celebrate the September/October book releases, we’re hosting FIVE incredible giveaways with ONE fantastic grand prize drawing. Enter all five contests and receive FIVE entries into the grand prize drawing with additional chances to enter the FALL INTO LOVE ultimate giveaway throughout the month of September!

 

The Prizes:

 

ONE GRAND PRIZE winner will receive the FALL INTO LOVE prize package – a $500 value!

– containing everything you need to snuggle up with a great book…

• A 16GB Kindle Fire HD for all the books you want, right at your fingertips

• Fall into love as you fall into this beautiful free-standing wooden hammock

• A Sherpa & Micromink cream throw to keep you warm as the weather turns chilly

• A selection of gourmet caramel apples

• A copy of each novel represented Unforeseeable by Nancy Mehl, Rebellious Heart by Jody Hedlund, A Talent for Trouble by Jen Turano, The Miner’s Lady by Tracie Peterson, and Made to Last by Melissa Tagg.

FIVE INDIVIDUAL PRIZE PACKAGES! Fall into love with these beautiful stories from 5 amazing authors, and enter each contest for your chance to take home a meaningful part of their story. To learn more about each novel and to enter visit www.FallIntoLoveContest.com.

 

1) The Miner’s Lady: From award winning author Tracie Peterson, comes a beautiful story rich with the comfort of good food, the love of family, and the struggle for faith and forgiveness. Have a seat in Nonni’s Italian kitchen with a basket of cultural delicacies and experience both the flavor and heart of Italian America with The Miner’s Lady Giveaway! ENTER HERE…

 

AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 1st!

2) Unforeseeable: Settle into your favorite reading chair with author Nancy Mehl’s delicious story of intrigue, danger, and suspense, all set against the serene setting of the small Mennonite town of Kingdom. Enter the Unforeseeable Giveaway to bring the delicious tastes of Mennonite life right into your home… ENTER HERE…

AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 1st!

3) Made To Last: From author Melissa Tag comes the story of Miranda Woodruff, star of a home-building television show who apparently has it all, until it all threatens to fall apart. Read, laugh, and enjoy the hilarious misadventures of a heroine with a tremendous amount of skill, a lot to lose, and even more to discover about her own heart. As part of the Made to Last Giveaway, experience the joy of having the right tools, the right guides, and something beautiful to reward yourself with on a job well done. ENTER HERE…

AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 15th!

4) Rebellious Heart: From Best selling author Jody Hedlund, Rebellious Heart brings the history of 1763 Massachusetts to life with the story of socialite Susanna Smith and poor country lawyer Ben Ross. When Susanna’s decision to help an innocent woman no matter the cost crosses with Ben’s growing disillusionment with their British rulers, the two find themselves bound together in what quickly becomes a very dangerous fight for justice. Bring the fight for justice and liberty to your home with this meaningful prize package. ENTER HERE…

AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 15th!

5) A Talent for Trouble: Set in the early 1900’s, Jen Turano’s spirited new book, A Talent for Trouble, will leave you feeling like you have lived in the Victorian era of New York City, strolled through Central Park with your best hat on, and had a hilarious and unpredictable adventure with a new friend. With the prize package for A Talent for Trouble you can continue the adventure and bring some of Felicia’s journey home with you. ENTER HERE…

AVAILABLE OCTOBER 1st!

How to Enter:

Click on one of the banners or visit www.FallIntoLoveContest.com to submit your information. Each week during the five-week contest, we will reveal a new method of entering and increasing your chances for the grand prize.

Week 1: Enter one or all of the individual novel giveaways. For every individual giveaway you enter, you gain one entry into the grand prize drawing. (Possible grand prize entries: 5)

Week 2: Like one or all authors on Facebook. Every author liked gains you one entry into the grand prize. (Possible grand prize entries: 5)

Week 3: Refer a friend. One grand prize entry awarded per friend, per contest. (Possible grand prize entries: 5)

Week 4: Submit a review of any book by one (or all) of the five featured authors. 3 entries awarded per review per author (limit one per author). (Possible grand prize entries: 15) **

Week 5: Pin a picture of you with one of the 5 featured novels. One grand prize entry awarded per picture per novel. (Possible grand prize entries: 5)

To enter via the methods available week 2-5, visit each individual giveaway and submit your information through the entry form. Follow the prompts for completing your bonus entries.

**Reviews can be submitted to Amazon, Goodreads, or your own blog. To enter the contest via this method, paste a URL to the review in the entry form where indicated. Entries will be verified before final grand prize drawing.

More Information:

For details about the contest, prize packages, entry methods, or contest rules, visit www.FallIntoLoveContest.com.

 

WOOL – Silo Series 1-5

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Wool Omnibus (Silo, #1) (Wool, #1-5)

THE SILO SERIES VIDEO

#wool #silo #siloseries #hughhowey #dystopian #futuristic

WOOL by Hugh Howey

***Note, this is a secular title.

Can you imagine living hundreds of feet below the earth with your people, having no contact with the outside world?

That’s the premise of WOOL, a five-part series about large group of people who live underground in their home, a SILO. The SILO is huge, several hundred feet beneath the earth and the population makes their living by doing a host of jobs: machinery (to run the electricity in the huge underground home), agriculture, cafeteria worker, etc. These people live without contact with the outside world – they have little knowledge of what lies beyond the great door leading outside.

However, being below ground for decades can cause strife amongst people. Some get depressed, curious about what lies beyond those underground walls. Sensing their fate of death, they volunteer to “clean.” This means they are suited up, sent Outside, and when they’re sent out, they clean the SILO window, giving the people a clear view of the outside. The suit does not hold up under the strife of the outside world – so people are sent to die – both voluntarily, and non-voluntarily. The non-voluntary cleaners are those who create strife in the SILO, firing up the people, giving them all sorts of forbidden ideas that go against the Pact.

One SILO worker, Juliette, who works in the Mechanical department is particularly strong and courageous. Her life takes an interesting twist after a certain man is sent to clean.

This is a sci-fi title (I don’t read many of those). I kept hearing about this book in my writers’ circles so I felt that I should read it. I was NOT disappointed. I LOVED this  book! Although the plot mesmerized me, I still felt there were a few things that were not fully explained – like, what happened to make the world unlivable beyond those SILO doors? A couple of the characters talk about this briefly, but, I was still left wondering. Is the entire world unlivable outside of the silo?

So, could you imagine living hundreds of feet below the earth with your people, having no contact with the outside world? How would  those living conditions affect your mind?

Childhood Favorites – From The Blog Archives

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What are your favorite childhood stories? Which books really resonated with you?

If you know me very well, you’ll know that I LOVE READING! It’s one of the few things in my life that has been constant from early childhood until now. When I think about my time as a kid, I think about some of my favorite books. I’ve listed A FEW of them here, but, as I think about it, I’m sure there are others:

1. The Dick And Jane Series – Actually, I don’t consider this one a “favorite” but, these books kind of stay in my mind because these are the books that were used to teach me to read. I just remember the joy of being able to string words together and to actually read an entire book aloud!

2. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House Series – I read these books over and over again. I really enjoyed seeing these characters through the pages of these novels! The family went through lots of trouble in the wilderness and Laura had lots of struggles with her nemesis, Nelly Olsen. There was also a popular TV series on in the seventies that was based upon the characters in the Little House books. I watched most of the episodes of Michael Landon’s series, too.

3. The Boxcar Children – A group of four orphaned children hide out in an abandoned boxcar to escape the care of their “evil” grandfather. The rest of the series focuses on their being raised by their grandpa and the adventures they faced. I read this entire series a couple of times I believe when I was around nine or ten?

4. The Nancy Drew Mysteries – the originals. I read the original Nancy Drew mysteries when I was in the fifth grade. I was mesmerized by this courageous, smart, 18-year-old woman who solved mysteries and…she didn’t accept payment for her services. Her mother died when she was three and she was raised by her lawyer father, Carson Drew and her housekeeper, Hannah Gruen (sp?).

5. Heidi

6. The Secret Garden

I recall reading Heidi twice and I believe I read The Secret Garden more than once. Both of these stories involved ill children, struggling to get well. In Heidi, she lives in the mountains with her grandfather, the Alm (sp?) Uncle and there’s a shepherd boy named Peter in this story too. Heidi loves to read and I recall her reading to a blind woman in the story. I believe this book took place in the Swiss Alps. Also, there was a little girl in a wheelchair, but I can’t remember her name. My memories of The Secret Garden are a bit sketchy, but I recall the garden served as a solace to a sick child as the youngster struggled to get better. I believe there was a boy named Dicken? in The Secret Garden?

So, what are your favorite childhood stories? Why were they your favorites? Have you read any of the stories that I’ve listed above?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Millionaire’s Nanny Arrangement by Linda Goodnight

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The Millionaire’s Nanny Arrangement by Linda Goodnight

***note – this is a sweet romance!

The Millionaire's Nanny Arrangement (Harlequin Romance, #4053)

How would you cope if your cheating husband has died, leaving you pregnant and alone?

Workaholic Ryan Storm runs his multi-million-dollar company to ensure his motherless daughter, Mariah, has a better life than his. Widowed, he finds himself lacking a nanny/tutor for his highly-intelligent daughter. When he meets Kelsey Mason, a woman he knew in high school, at the airport, he realizes that Mariah and Kelsey get along well. There’s only one big problem, Kelsey is very pregnant – can he be sure that her pregnancy is safe – he’s not the best person to have around when a woman is expecting a child.

Kelsey recalls Ryan from her high school days, and wonders about his commitment to his daughter. He never spends time with her since he’s always working and poor Mariah craves to spend more time with her daddy. Kelsey and Ryan argue over the best way to raise Mariah while Ryan worries about Kelsey’s pregnancy – she’s recently widowed and alone – plus she’s beautiful. Although they disagree on many things, their mutual attraction sizzles.

This was a delightfully enjoyable read. A short, sweet romance that you can finish in a few hours.

So, how would you cope if your cheating husband has died, leaving you pregnant and alone?

***My e-book, Milk Money, is only 99 cents! Download it now before the price goes up! :-)

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~Cecelia Dowdy~

 

Like Sweet Potato Pie by Jennifer Rogers Spinola

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Like Sweet Potato Pie by Jennifer Rogers Spinola

Shiloh Jacobs, a new Christian, continues to struggle with her ever-growing faith. She’s still getting settled in the deep south, getting used to southern folks doing the following things: talking with a southern accent, eating grits, and shooting deer. She misses Japan, but wonders if she’ll ever find a way to make it back to her beloved former home. She’s still suffering from the sting of her plagiarism mistake, which temporarily ended her journalism career.

Now that she’s living in the home she’s inherited from her mother, she tries to find a way to make a living. The IRS is breathing down her back, wanting her to pay her back taxes. Will she find a way to get herself out of her financial quandary? After all, if she doesn’t find the money to pay the back taxes, she could lose her home.

Meanwhile, she’s somewhat confused about her attraction to Adam, the local gardener. He’s not all that great-looking, (totally the opposite of her cheating ex-fiancé), yet, there’s something about him that’s utterly appealing.

Amidst all of this, there’s a sparkling cast of realistic southern characters as they work through their own set of problems, of which include infertility.

I really enjoyed this novel! The characters were realistic and the descriptions of scenery, the seasons, feelings, etc. were so good that the words literally sparkled on the page. You really felt Shiloh’s struggles and it was easy to empathize with the issues she was facing.

I also liked the fact that the hero is not drop-dead gorgeous (unlike most romance-type/women’s fiction novels). Adam is just an ordinary-looking guy with a strong faith in Jesus – yet Shiloh, who used to be superficial, is smitten with Adam. Overall this was a great read and I highly recommend it!

***My e-book, Milk Money, is only 99 cents! Download it now before the price goes up! :-)

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~Cecelia Dowdy~

A Time To Laugh by Kelly Eileen Hake

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A Time To Laugh by Kelly Eileen Hake

If a man proposed to you, and did not mention the word LOVE in the proposal, what would you do? Would you accept his proposal?

Nessa and Isaac have known each other since they were children. Now that they are adults, both of their families automatically assume they’ll be getting married. Isaac proposes to Nessa, but, surprisingly, she turns down his proposal, refusing to tell him the reason. Isaac is stumped – after all, isn’t he supposed to marry Nessa?

Nessa loves Isaac, however, when he proposed, he did not mention his love for her. Why should she marry him if he’s only marrying her out of duty instead of love?

When Lawrence and Clementine, an urban brother and sister come to town, Nessa realizes she’ll have some competition for Isaac’s affection. Fashionable, petite, bothersome, Clementine sticks to Isaac like glue, and Lawrence finds himself smitten with Nessa.

I thought this was a light, enjoyable read, but the conflict was not very deep. I enjoyed reading about Yellowstone, and I enjoyed the wonderful characters, however, I felt that Isaac and Nessa could’ve worked out their differences earlier in the book if Nessa had simply told him why she didn’t accept his proposal.

I’d recommend this book as a light, sometimes funny, and gentle story with real, likeable (and sometimes unlikeable) characters!

So, if a man proposed to you, and did not mention the word LOVE in the proposal, what would you do? Would you accept the proposal?

***My e-book, Milk Money, is only 99 cents! Download it now before the price goes up! 🙂

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~Cecelia Dowdy~