Category Archives: Fiction

Leave It To Claire By Tracey Bateman – From The Blog Archives

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***Note, this is a repeat of an old blog post! Enjoy! I recall this novel being both funny and endearing.

Leave It To Claire by Tracey Bateman

Could you be friends with your unfaithful ex-husband’s new wife? The main character in Leave It To Claire struggles with this predicament.

I really enjoyed this book. The author has the perfect voice for chicklit(or momlit, not sure about the correct way to categorize this story). The story is about Claire Everett, a fairly successful romance author and the struggles she has to go through to raise her four kids as a single mother. Claire struggles to forgive her ex-husband, Rick, for his infidelity. He had an affair, and since their divorce, he’s gotten remarried. Claire finds it hard to have a relationship with Rick’s fairly new wife since Claire has a hard time separating the fact that Darcy is NOT the woman who Rick had an affair with. Subconsciously, and wrongly, she blames Darcy for her marital breakup.

As Claire deals with her issues, she suffers through two carpal tunnel syndrome surgeries, and struggles to accept Darcy’s kind offer to help. As a result of her son’s behavioral problems, she must attend family therapy with her husband and Darcy in order to discover the root to her son’s problems. She also makes a list of things to do to improve her life. She promises herself to strengthen her faith in God, as well as improve her relationship with her family. She decides to have family study time and weekly social events with her kids, hoping to bond with them.

Claire also finds herself attracted to Greg, her son’s handsome teacher. When her mother moves to another state, she is saddened. However, when Greg buys her mother’s home(down the street from her house) and moves in with his young daughter, Claire discovers he is a widower. She fantasizes about having a relationship with her son’s teacher, and he’s there for her when she goes through her anxiety attacks.

In the end, a rude awakening takes place when Darcy forces Claire to admit to her role in her husband’s infidelity. Darcy makes Claire come to terms with her mistakes, and to admit to the mistakes she’s made in her marriage to Rick.

This book was excellent. Although the family would be considered dysfunctional, the author uses her humorous voice to show how Claire deals with her problems. Tracey Bateman also shows us how, if we find our faith wavering, we need to make solid decisions about making our faith stronger in God.

So, could you be friends with your unfaithful ex-husband’s new wife? Leave a comment!

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~Cecelia Dowdy~

Truly Yours Digital Editions – On Sale For $1.99!

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Barbour Publishing is now offering MOST of their Truly Yours re-released romance e-books for only $1.99! You’ll find a list of titles here. Simply search for the titles that you want in your favorite e-book format (Kindle, Nook, Sony, etc.) to purchase. This is a great deal – a plethora of wonderful authors for a low price! Enjoy!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Love Starts With Elle by Rachel Hauck

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Love Starts With Elle by Rachel Hauck

Have you ever been presented with a highly-appealing opportunity, and you accepted it, even though you had serious doubts?

Elle has a happy life living in her small southern town. Realizing she has “no talent” as an artist, she runs her successful art gallery. She’s also dating Jeremiah, a pastor at her church. Jeremiah’s charismatic personality is appealing to Elle, and when he asks her to marry him, she says yes.

However, problems crop up once Jeremiah moves to his new mega-church in Dallas. Jeremiah’s career takes all of his time, leaving little time for him to spend with Elle. His charismatic attitude turns domineering when he “forces” Elle to sell her gallery, and after he breaks an important promise to her, their relationship tumbles downward.

Amidst this downward spiral, Elle finds solace from Heath, a recent widower with a four-year-old daughter. Heath needs some time to heal from his recent loss, plus, he needs to spend some time with his daughter. Taking a hiatus from his high-powered job, he rents Elle’s cottage for six months while she bunks in the nearby art studio.

The story takes an interesting turn as Elle and Heath grow closer and Jeremiah shows up, back from Dallas, wanting to reunite with Elle. Should she give Jeremiah a second chance, or, should she continue her budding relationship with Heath.

This story shows how we should listen to the Lord’s guidance in our lives. At times, we may be presented with an opportunity, and we believe that this opportunity is all that we’ve hoped for. Yet, there’s a niggling doubt in the back of our minds, and such an opportunity may not be what the Lord wants in our lives, but, it’s hard to let such an opportunity go since it’s what we THINK we want.

Elle had doubts when Jeremiah asked her to marry him. They had not been dating for long, yet, she accepted his proposal. Seconds after she accepted, he throws information at her, information that she should’ve known before he proposed. Sometimes, we should listen to our inner voice, the Lord’s nudging, about our decisions, but, that’s so hard to do once we “know” what we’re seeking.

This was a good read with a strong inspirational message.

So, have you ever accepted a highly-appealing opportunity and regretted your decision later? Did you feel the Lord was trying to tell you “NO” by your experiencing doubts and insecurities about your decision? Leave a comment!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

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Sunday Brunch! Shunning!

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Have you ever had anybody shunned/kicked-out/ex-communicated from your church? If so, what happened? Why was this person released from the church? Did the church now deem this person as unsaved?

I ask these questions because I’ve been talking about the subject of shunning over the last few weeks on the blog posts here and here. I realize the Amish, Mennonites, Jehovah’s Witnesses and some other religious groups shun. Yet, there are other Christian-based religions who ex-communicate. I’m just trying to reconcile this practice with scripture. I’ve heard that, at times, those who have been shunned are more likely to commit suicide since they are now separated and ignored by family members and loved ones from their home church.

While I was involved with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, I did see some people shunned. It just didn’t seem right to me, but, the Jehovah’s Witnesses always provided scriptures to back up their actions. Even when they did this, it still didn’t seem right. I mean, if someone is truly hurting, or, if said person is asking lots of questions, maybe even questioning the church leaders about church doctrine, then such a person should not be shunned if all they’re doing is seeking truth. Also, I don’t feel that the Lord would want to drive a person to suicide – but, if person has been shunned, then, perhaps, the shunners feel that the shunned person is more susceptible to Satan, therefore making him more vulnerable to hurting him/herself?

What are your thoughts about shunning/excommunicating? Should it be done? Or, should there be a method in place so that the shunned/ex-communicated member still has contact of some sort with their family? Leave a comment!

Below are some scriptures that tell about this thought-provoking subject:

2 Thessalonians 3:14-15: “Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister.”

1 Corinthians 5:12-13 “It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, ‘You must remove the evil person from among you.’ “

Galatians 6:1 “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.”

~Cecelia Dowdy~

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Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

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Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

Can you imagine dreaming about your childhood Prince Charming for years, and then marrying him as an adult?

When Meredith Hayes stepped onto the forbidden Archer land as a child, she was only trying to obtain her scattered lunch pail that had been hoisted by a town bully. Dared by other schoolmates, she bravely steps onto the land only to have her leg caught in a steel trap. When handsome Travis Archer comes to her rescue, she discovers that the reclusive Archer brother is not mean and evil as the townsfolk claim. He gets her out of the trap, setting her on her way home.

Now, several years later, Meredith is an adult and she suffers from a gimp leg as a result of the steel-trap accident. Over the years, she’s dreamed about Travis Archer as being her Prince Charming. She’s now devastated that her current guardians, her aunt and uncle, want her to marry terrible Roy Mitchell. Roy only wants to marry Meredith for her land – having control over her land could greatly increase Roy’s wealth. After overhearing Roy give orders to set fire to the Archer property, hoping to force them to sell their land, Meredith feels she can’t sit around and watch the Archers suffer. She sneaks onto the property to warn them of the attack, wanting to return the kindness that Travis showed her several years ago. However, the Archer brothers, especially Travis, are dumbstruck when a woman comes limping onto their property with her warning.

The Archers are recluses, hardly receiving any visitors as they ban others from their property. Meredith’s sudden presence throws a HUGE monkey-wrench into their lives. When she’s kicked by a mule and injured, she’s forced to spend the night on the Archer property. Staying overnight with a houseful of men ruin’s Meredith’s reputation and she’s forced to marry one of the Archer brothers – Travis, of course! 🙂

This book was a real treat for me to read and I loved how the story unfolded. Travis and his brothers have little contact with the outside world due to a promise Travis made to his dying father. Since they live as hermits, their lives are thrown into turmoil when Meredith arrives. Meredith’s kindness, thoughtfulness, and gentle nature reach out to Travis’s wounded spirit, making him see that shutting others out is not always the right thing to do. I also thought the marriage of convenience between Travis and Meredith was touching. I guess I felt that way because I know that Meredith has been dreaming about Travis for years, and Travis is smitten when Meredith shows up on his property again, years later.

The characters in this novel are so well-developed and the plot was excellent. The story moved forward and you were anxious to see what happened to Travis and Meredith once they tied the knot.

Many thanks to Bethany House for sending me a free review copy. I highly appreciated this wonderful novel!

Have you ever had a childhood crush that lasted for years? Leave a comment!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

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John’s Quest – Now Available On Kindle And Other E-readers

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My novel, John’s Quest, is now available on Kindle and other e-readers!

It’s amazing how quickly life can change. Overnight, Monica Crawford finds her neatly organized world turned upside down. Her sister abandons her blind son, Scotty, leaving him on Monica’s doorstep. Caring for a handicapped child brings unexpected conflict-but unexpected joy as well. When John French volunteers to tutor Scotty, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to Monica. But John and Monica are very different. She is a strong believer, determined to live her life for Christ. John is an agnostic who wants nothing to do with God.Will John see the light? Will Monica realize that sometimes letting go of a dream is the way to achieve it? Only in full surrender will either of them be happy- whether they end up together or alone.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Book Giveaway – August 2012!

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THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER!! THE WINNER WAS ANNOUNCED HERE!

 

I’m hosting another book giveaway! ONE winner will receive the new/slightly-used 23 titles listed below. IF YOU WANT TO ENTER THE DRAWING YOU MUST DO TWO THINGS:

#1. You must join my mailing list! You can join my mailing list here:

 

If you’re already on my email list, then you can skip step one.

#2. You must comment on this blog post to enter and LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS – IF YOU DON’T LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT, THEN YOU WON’T BE ENTERED INTO THE CONTEST! I need an email address so that I can contact you if you win! CONTINENTAL U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY.

I’ll be drawing the winner within the next few weeks or so! :-) Remember, I have the right to announce your first and last name, city and state on my blog if you win! Void where prohibited.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Watching The Tree Limbs by Mary E. DeMuth

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Watching The Tree Limbs by Mary DeMuth

***Please note, this novel dealt with a very graphic subject matter. As usual, I’m posting an honest review, but, be prepared for the details that I’ll be discussing about this story. SPOILER ALERT – I couldn’t talk about this story without giving vivid details regarding what happened. 

Nine-year-old Mara has always wondered who she was and where she came from. Raised by two aunts (Nanny Lynn and Elma), her life has been a strange pattern of unanswered questions. When her Aunt Nanny Lynn dies, she’s suddenly thrust into the southern town of Burl with her Aunt Elma.

In Burl, Mara’s life turns extremely traumatic when she’s raped by a red-headed teenaged bully named General. She’s raped for nine days – General threatens to kill her (and her aunt) if she tells a soul about the rape. When her disinterested Aunt Elma suddenly dies, Mara automatically thinks General has killed her aunt and she struggles with the guilt, remaining silent about what she’s endured. Mara makes a friend in Burl, Camilla. Camilla brings a slice of sunshine into Mara’s dreary life, making rhymes, trying to make Mara smile.

After Elma’s death, Mara is sent to live with the mysterious Mr. Winningham. Who is he? He’s the town’s richest man, but, is he her father, or her grandfather? Is he a relative? Due to Mara’s mischief, Mr. Winningham forbids Elma from seeing her friend Camilla any longer. Alone, Mara finds friendship and kindness with Zady, Mr. Winningham’s maid. Zady takes Mara under her wing, taking her to church, teaching her about faith. Mara gets to know Zady’s family as she continues to struggle with her unknown background. She asks questions – questions that initially glean few answers.

While living with Mr. Winningham, Mara has to go to an all-black school since she’s now living in a different district and through limited communication with Camilla and a secret radio announcer named Denim, she struggles to find the missing pieces of her tattered life.

This is probably one of the best books I’ve read all year. Granted, seeing Mara getting raped nine times was extremely disturbing – rape to a child is a hurt that affects the core of your soul, making you feel for the character, desperately wanting the crime to stop. The town of Burl in the seventies also brings life to this book. Most of the adults in this book seemed crazy to me – a bit touched in the head. Most appeared to have such deep issues, issues that made you wonder what else was going on in this town besides what was happening in this novel.

It was also interesting to see Mara, the only white person, as part of an all-black community when she moves in with Mr. Winningham. When she goes to church with Zada, she’s the only white person, and when she goes to school, she’s the only white person in the entire school. In spite of her color difference, she fits into the black community easily, making friends that help her get through her dark days.

This book was definitely a page-turner. I couldn’t put it down. Overall, a great read, but,  the subject matter was disturbing, causing this story to stay in your mind for a long time.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

 

The Scent Of Cherry Blossoms by Cindy Woodsmall

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The Scent of Cherry Blossoms by Cindy Woodsmall

When young Annie Martin leaves her mother’s home, she takes up residence in her grandfather’s house. Her grandfather (Daadi Moses), lives next door to Aden Zook and Aden’s family. Aden’s family owns a diner and that’s how they make their living. Since Aden’s father and Moses are in business together via ownership of the diner, the diner is allowed to have electricity.

The Zook family is Amish and the Martins are Mennonite. The Amish are forbidden from using electricity and their business partnership with Moses allows them to have the necessary electricity to run their business – Mennonites are allowed to have electricity in their homes and businesses.

When Annie and Aden begin courting, meeting secretly at night in Moses’s cherry blossom field, things become heated between the two families – Mennonites and Amish are forbidden from dating one another. Moses threatens to pull his partnership from the Zook family business, which would force them to shut down and they’d no longer be able to make a living. Moses poses this threat because Annie and Aden are courting and it’s forbidden. Aden’s family pushes him to end things with Annie, but, his heart is telling him to do otherwise.

Aden has a twin brother, Roman, who was injured in a buggy accident and now he’s bound to a wheelchair. There’s a side story about Roman being sent away to fix a generator for a relative. A mechanical whiz, Roman feels useful doing something helpful since his independence has disappeared since he can’t walk. Roman becomes enamored with a girl living next door to his relative.

I enjoyed this book, however, there were several things that bothered me about the story. The things that bothered me have no reflection at all on the author or the story, but, it’s just things that stuck in my mind that didn’t seem Christian about the way the Amish and Mennonites live.

Aden and Annie are in love, and they’ve always had feelings for one another, but they didn’t begin courting until they were adults. Both have taken a vow to their respective churches. I think it’s the vow concept that is so foreign to me and it was hard for me to connect to the characters in this fashion. It was implied if Annie and Aden had broken their vow to the church (by marrying one another) then they’d be doomed to a life in hell. Also, Moses tells Aden that the Bible states that it’s wrong to be unequally yoked.

I guess that whole unequally yoked comment from Moses bothered me a lot because I feel he’s implying that the only Christians on this earth are the Mennonites – everybody else are unbelievers – which is not the case – is everybody on this earth doomed to a life in hell if they don’t commit to the Mennonite faith? I felt that both groups were grossly misinterpreting scripture and making both Aden and Annie unnecessarily miserable.

Also, this “vow” makes no sense to me. I understand the concept of accepting Christ as your savior, becoming baptized, growing closer to Him. However, there’s nothing in the Bible that says you can’t use technology to make a living – the only reason the Zook family was pardoned by their church for using electricity was because they had a Mennonite partner. If Moses were to sever the partnership, they would’ve lost their business because they would not be “allowed” by the church to use electricity. Does that also mean that their salvation would be lost if they chose to continue the business as is if Moses were to leave? It’s almost as if both groups are placing extra “rules” onto Christianity and then acting like “God” himself by deciding who’s saved and who’s going to hell – basing the decision on superficial things like the use/non-use of electricity, cars, buggies, etc.

SPOILER ALERT:

 

 

I really LOVED that both Aden and Annie discovered that God would forgive them for breaking their vow to the church in order to live in holy matrimony. They realized that God would bless their marriage and that there was nothing wrong with their being together as a couple. I also liked it when Annie was speaking to Moses on the phone, asking him if his beloved deceased wife had been Amish instead of Mennonite, if he would’ve walked away from her. That hit a nerve with Moses, and I think he began to see the error of his ways at that point.

Overall, a nice, heartwarming read. Many thanks to Waterbrook Press for providing me with a free review copy.

~Cecelia Dowdy~