The Flower Of Grass by James E. Robinson

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The Flower Of Grass by James Robinson

FICTION / Christian / General
ISBN: 978-0-8254-6286-3
$13.99 paperback
256 pages
JULY 2008 (Available)

I mentioned this book on my blog last August. When the publisher sent me an email with a description of this title, I knew I wanted to read it!

From Kregel:
“John Allen had come back to say goodbye. But he was too late; there would be no atonement.”

John Allen returns to his hometown after the death of his alcoholic, abusive father. He has been gone 16 years and has become a successful writer, but with major addiction problems of his own. Now he struggles to make amends with his careworn sister and dropout younger brother-and, perhaps, to pick up the pieces of his teenage love affair with Jessie.

But Jessie has grown tired of waiting for letters that ceased to come, and has married. At what cost might their love be rekindled.

An exquisitely written, passionate and thoughtful novel, this is a classic love story framing deeper themes of morality and passing time, the true nature of faith, and the delicate balance of human relationships.

I spent my Thanksgiving Day reading this novel. If you want a poetic read, then this book is for you. The author creates wonderful pictures with his words and as you read the scenes, you’ll find that James R. uses his creative imagination to make images that you’ll remember for a long time.

John Allen returns home for his father’s funeral. However, he’s arrived too late, and his dad has already been buried. John, his maimed brother Joey, and his older sister Maggie still suffer from the emotional scars caused by their father’s abuse. John moves into his father’s cabin, hoping the peace and solitude will help him to pen another novel. Instead, he battles with his alcoholism as he struggles with his actions concerning Jessie, his former sweetheart.

Jessie has grown tired of waiting for John over the years, and has since married. When John comes back to town, she struggles with his unexpected meeting invitation. John’s reappearance wreaks havoc in Jessie’s life as her husband, Tuck, feels threatened by John’s homecoming.

This was a beautifully written emotional read. I especially loved the conflicts in this novel.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Booksigning At Security Square Mall in Baltimore, MD

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I just signed up to participate in a Holiday event next week! Come on out to the center court of Security Square Mall
6901 Security Boulevard in Baltimore Maryland on Saturday, December 13, 2008 between 1pm – 5pm! There will be several Christian authors signing books and I’ll be signing both of my novels, MILK MONEY and JOHN’S QUEST. My books are only $3.00 each, so they’d make great stocking stuffers! There’s also a gospel choir competition going on at the same time! Come on out and enjoy some holiday music and buy some books!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Stocking Stuffer Idea!

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Need a cheap way to stuff your friends’ and family’s stockings? Well, I’m taking this opportunity to do a little shameless self promotion!

You can purchase John’s Quest for only $2.97 plus postage. And, get this, you can order up to 12 copies and still pay the same amount of postage.

If you’d like to purchase my novel for $2.97, but don’t want to purchase multiple copies, then you can choose other Heartsong novels for the same price! Again, it’s only $2.97 per Heartsong Presents novel, and you pay the same amount of postage if you order between one to twelve copies! What a deal! What a cheap and memorable way to fill the stockings of your loved ones!

If interested, just fill out this order form!

Or, call (800) 847- 8270 to place your order. If the line is busy, you can also fax the order form to Barbour at (740)922-5948.

I have several drawings that I need to draw names for, and I also will be posting my December Book Giveaway soon!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Karen Kingsbury and Dandi Mackall Christmas Book Giveaway

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We Believe In Christmas by Karen Kingsbury
Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Zonderkidz (October 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310712122
ISBN-13: 978-0310712121
From the inside cover:
On Christmas we give and get presents, we sing songs, and we decorate our homes. But what is Christmas really about? Is our happy holiday a Holy Day?

Find out why we place the star on the Christmas tree. Imagine Christmas guests as travelers of long ago. And let the beautiful song “Silent Night” fill your mind with pictures of the night Jesus was born. Because Chrstmas is God’s gift to us – and we look around and remember, we’ll learn to see the real Christmas.

This endearing story by bestselling novelist Karen Kingsbury will capture the hearts of children, and parents and grandparents will appreciate the applications they can share.

This was a nice story which showed different aspects of the commercialism of Christmas, and then contrasted those aspects to the religious meaning of Christmas. It’s a nice, fun read to enjoy with your children over the holidays, especially as you discuss different Christmas traditions like placing the star on top of the Christmas tree.

The Gift Of The Christmas Cookie by Dandi Daley Mackall

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Zonderkidz (October 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310713285
ISBN-13: 978-0310713289
From Amazon.com:
Review
It’s the Depression, and Jack and his mother struggle to get by in their small town. When Jack’s mother begins to bake cookies to give away to others, she explains the history behind the family’s wooden cookie molds and draws Jack into her baking. As they work together, she tells him the story of European woodcarvers and their families in the Middle Ages making cookies in shapes that could be used to tell the story of Christ’s birth. Jack’s only Christmas gift that year is a large angel cookie, which he then gives away to a stranger who arrives on Christmas morning. Jack offers the angel cookie to the man with a few concluding sentences that convey his beliefs, neatly echoing the Biblical concept that any stranger might be an angel and must be given hospitality. The tale is told in an understated way, complemented by Chabrian’s sensitive watercolor illustrations, which convey Jack’s range of emotions.

This was a good story which teaches kids not to be selfish during the holiday season, or any season for that matter. It’s the Depression, and Jack is ecstatic to return home to find his mother baking Christmas cookies. He’s saddened to find out that the cookies are for needy families. His mother then explains how the tradition of giving Christmas cookies started, using the example of Jack’s woodcarving ancestors.

Jack is delighted to awaken and find the large angel cookie as a Christmas present from his mother. However, when a hungry stranger comes to their door, Jack learns the meaning of giving what he cherishes to others.

I enjoyed reading this story, and I’d recommend it as a nice read for youngsters.

I’m giving both of these books away. If you’d like these children’s books, please leave a comment, along with your email address. I will be drawing the names later this week. Also, I will mail out these books quickly so that the winner can enjoy these heartwarming stories with their child(ren) over the holiday season!

If you don’t win, then you can always find these titles at your local bookstore! I’m sure they’d make great early Christmas presents for your little ones!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Happy Thanksgiving!

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We’re heading out of town tomorrow to Durham, North Carolina. I made the desserts for the holiday. I’m about to place the Lemon Pound Cake into the oven and I just removed the Sweet Potato Pies (I made two of them) from the oven. I’ve posted the Lemon Pound Cake recipe before, but thought I’d repost it. I’ve also posted a recipe for Sweet Potato Pie. Since the internet connection is kind of spotty at my in-laws, I doubt I’ll be blogging until sometime this weekend. I realize I still need to do the Kingsbury children’s book giveaway as well as post my views about The Shack.

So, Happy Thanksgiving! If you need dessert ideas, try the ones posted in this blog entry! Enjoy, and stay blessed!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

SWEET POTATO PIE
1 (14 1/2 – ounce) can mashed sweet potatoes or 2 large baked sweet potatoes. (I prefer the baked sweet potatoes)
3/4 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon butter or margarine melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
One refrigerated pie crust

If using baked sweet potatoes, remove potatoes from the skin and place into bowl. Mix all ingredients together, except for the pie crust. Pour into crust. Bake at 400 degrees for first ten minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 35 or more minutes until done.


OLD FASHIONED LEMON POUND CAKE

1 ½ cups butter (3 sticks)
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (I don’t measure the lemon juice. I use the juice from one whole lemon.)
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind (I don’t measure the lemon rind. I use the rind from one lemon.)
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup evaporated milk

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 10-inch tube pan. Beat butter in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add sugar ½ cup at a time, creaming well after each addition. Stir in vanilla, lemon extract, juice and rind. Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir thoroughly after each addition. Pour into prepared pan. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 70 to 80 minutes. If cake is not done after 70-80 minutes, bake longer, until wooden pick comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes; remove from pan.

GLAZE:
Sift one cup of confectioners’ sugar into a bowl. Squeeze juice of one lemon into a separate bowl. Remove seeds from the lemon juice. Mix lemon juice with confectioners’ sugar and drizzle over cooled cake.

Riding Through Shadows by Sharon Ewell Foster

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Riding Through Shadows by Sharon Ewell Foster
Paperback: 350 pages
Publisher: Multnomah Books (June 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590529006
ISBN-13: 978-1590529003
From the back cover:
It’s the sixties, a time of turbulence and change, of worlds being turned upside down – even in small towns like East St. Louis, Illinois, and Tyler, Texas. And no one feels the times like eight-year-old Shirley Ferris, whose life is propelled by the rhythms of integration and televised war. Though her loving family cocoons her in the face of forces both natural and supernatural, Shirley’s life begins to unravel. All that holds her together is a bicycle, eccentric Mother Johnson, a sweet song. . . and the memories of a friend that she cannot seem to let go. Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement, Riding Through Shadows is a story of triumph over tragedy.

I believe I purchased this book years ago from Crossings Book Club, probably before I even got married. Since I’m a confessed bookaholic, I have a BAD HABIT of buying too many books, books that I’ll probably never read. However, I’m glad I dug this one out of my shelf recently!

This book is incredible! Shirley is in a world of confusion. As she tries to make sense of all of the racism, war, and turbulence going on in the world, she makes a secret friend in her neighborhood: the little bad girl. Shirley doesn’t know the name of her new friend, but is glad to have this girl to talk to and to confide in. When her father is sent overseas, Shirley’s mother becomes an emotional wreck. Shirley’s twin uncles try to help with the family’s plight, but her mother irrationally pushes them away.

A traumatic event occurs, breaking Shirley’s world apart and after staying in a mental institution she’s taken in by a relative, Mother Johnson. As she recuperates from her ordeal, her new Mother Johnson takes her under her wing, teaching her about God’s grace and forgiveness.

This book grabbed me from the beginning, and I read it pretty quickly. The story jumps from Shirley’s life in the sixties to the eighties. I enjoyed the way the past and present were woven together.

~Cecelia Dowdy~