Garrett’s Popcorn!

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Okay, this is the best caramel popcorn I’ve ever had in my entire life! Really! It’s not like eating store-bought popcorn, like Cracker Jack, Fiddle Faddle, or Poppycock! This popcorn is homemade and when you eat this caramel corn, you can just taste the butter and sugar as it dances on your tongue. Yum! The first time I had this popcorn was when I was in Chicago several years ago! When I returned recently for my sister’s wedding, I tried it again and was hugely satisfied with my treat. Warning: the largest bag you can buy is kind of pricey, but since I hardly ever go to Chicago, the extra money you spend on it is well worth it!

So, the next time you’re in Chicago, you should give Garrett’s Popcorn a try!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Better Than Gold

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Better Than Gold by Laurie Alice Eakes

Publisher: Heartsong Presents

ISBN: 9781602600485

Binding: Mass Market

Lily is tired of her one-horse town. Lily Reese can’t wait to escape Browning City, Iowa. She’s sure she’ll be happier in the big city, if only she can save enough money to get there. But then Ben Purcell rides into town, threatening not only Lily’s place of residence and growing sense of family, but her safety and peace of mind, as well. And Ben has every intention of sticking around and becoming a small-town guy. How can Lily even consider the feelings he evokes in her? Rumors of a long-lost cache of gold bring danger swirling around them, but Lily and Ben find themselves on a quest for something more. Will releasing their plans and desires bring heartache or a reward they had never imagined?

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This was a charming book. I think the reason I liked it so much is because I could kind of relate to Lily’s dilemma. The story reminded me of when I was eighteen, about to graduate from high school, and I was eager to see the world! The reason I felt this way was because I had never traveled much, and I felt that my small town was boring and if only I could move away to someplace exciting I would find a world of happiness and adventure! As I finished this novel, the words from the movie, The Wizard of Oz came to mind: There’s no place like home!

The attraction between Lily and Ben is strong, and Ben is determined to court Lily, in spite of her vow to move away from their small town. However, since Ben has arrived to Browning, a strange series of events occur, placing his life, as well as Lily’s, in danger. When Lily gets a job offer that’ll take her away from the small town, she hesitates, wondering if she should accept the position. Lily’s faith in God is strengthened as she struggles to make her final decision about Ben, and about her future plans.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Milk Money

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I received the edits needed from the content reviewer yesterday for my novel, Milk Money, so I have another deadline looming on the horizon: May 19, 2008.

Here is the tentative back cover copy for the novel. The tentative release date is January 2009…

BACK COVER COPY:

Running a dairy farm is a big job, but doing it alone is almost impossible.

When her dad dies, Emily must work hard to save the family farm, but she manages. Until the day the CPA pulls in her drive and announces he’s there to do an audit on the place.

Franklin Reese is appalled at the lack of interest the Cooper women have in the financial end of their livelihood, but he dives in, determined to help them learn. The further he looks into Mr. Cooper’s dealings, however, the more uncomfortable he becomes.

Can he uncover the truth of the situation and still earn the love of the amazing Emily Cooper? Will issues in Franklin’s own life keep them apart, even after the farm is taken care of? Only God can heal hurting hearts and repair broken lives. Will these two let Him in?

Currently, I’m in the Windy City (Chicago)! Later, I’m gonna blog about a great place that serves AWESOME caramel popcorn here. I also have three novels that I finished recently and I’ll review the following titles within the next week or so:

Better Than Gold by Laurie Alice Eakes (A recent Heartsong Presents title)
Treasures of the North (Yukon Quest #1) by Tracie Peterson
What’s Cooking by Gail Sattler (An old Heartsong Presents title)

I also need to post the rest of the winners of my shopping blog book giveaway! I’d meant to choose winners for my novel, John’s Quest, yesterday, but I was too busy spending time with old friends and family members. I will be choosing the five winners for that soon. We’re preparing for my younger sister’s nuptials which take place today! I’m sure it will be a beautiful, joyous occasion!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Book Winners!

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Here are some of the winners for my last book giveaway!

The Pied Piper’s Bride by Myrna Mackenzie – Margaret Chind of Monroe, GA

The Healing Place by Leigh Bale – Christy Hawkes of Tremonton, Utah

Nobody by Creston Mapes – Mrs. Carole Jarvis of Jonesboro, GA

Promises, Promises by Amber Miller – Stacy Johnson of Fort Worth, TX

Sticks And Stones by Susan Meissner – David Brollier of Huguenot, NY,

A Touch Of Grace by Linda Goodnight – Susan Wadkins of Snellville, GA

Enjoy!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Zora And Nicky: A Novel In Black And White

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Zora and Nicky: A Novel in Black and White
by Claudia Burney
Publisher: Cook, David C.
Pub. Date: April 2008
ISBN-13: 9780781445504
416pp

From Publishers Weekly

The voice of beautiful Zora Nella Hampton Johnson-her name echoing the author of her favorite novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God-will take you up and carry you along until she utters her very last syllable. Anger, laughter and delight come from Zora’s sharp, sassy tongue as if she is talking out loud. Burney’s gift for voice is not limited to her heroine, though it takes her longer to get the other main character, Nicky Parker, the handsome but poor son of a racist pastor, to shine as distinctly as Zora. At this novel’s heart are love and race-what happens when a self-described BAP (black American princess), the daughter of a famous megachurch leader, falls in love with a young white man. Zora and Nicky’s dialogue about race is unflinching, with attitude, honesty and occasional humor. Burney pushes her prose to the edge of the edgiest in the “Christian fiction” genre, and then barrels right over. She doesn’t sugar-coat, especially when it comes to sex, yet she manages to create a love story that’s both erotic and chaste. Faith in Jesus comes to life on the page through Zora and Nicky’s intense, if imperfect, soul searching. Though parts are a bit melodramatic, Burney gives readers a page-turner for all audiences, Christian and beyond.

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This book was a page-turner, as I felt as if I were being taken back in time. Although the novel is contemporary, I felt a lot of the racial stereotypes portrayed went back into historical times. A lot of the talk about race, made me think about things I’ve been hearing about Blacks and Whites since I was a child. For example, the Black jockey statue that was seen in Nicky’s yard, I’d wondered if the younger generation, like people in their twenties, would have ever seen a black jockey before? I’ve seen them, of course, knew about them, but I can honestly say that I haven’t seen one in a long time.

If you want a read that touches upon just about every racial stereotype from slavery times to current times, then this book is for you. The romance is sensual and chaste at the same time, and Burney did an excellent job of showing how these two young people are so deeply attracted to each other.

The novel was moving and gripping and I read it in one day.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Heading Out Of Town!

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Going to North Carolina this weekend to drop my son off to spend a week with his grandparents. I’ll also be heading to Chicago next week to be in my sister’s wedding! So, my blogging over the next week will be kind of spotty. I do plan on selecting winners for my last book giveaway this weekend, and I also plan on blogging about Zora and Nicky soon!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Signed!

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I signed two copies of my contract, and I’m placing those in the mail tomorrow.


I also forgot to mention that I read a very thought-provoking book last weekend. It’s a little bit different than what I usually read. It’s called Zora And Nicky and it’s about an inter-racial couple and the problems that they face. The author is Claudia Mair Burney. I plan on blogging about this novel soon, as soon as I can gather my scrambled thoughts!

~Cecelia Dowdy~