Sweet Devotion By Felicia Mason

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Sweet Devotion by Felicia Mason

Have you ever attended a church camp? If so, tell me about your church camp experience. What was your favorite camp activity?

Amber Montgomery relocates to Wayside to forget about the abusive relationship she suffered with her ex-boyfriend in Los Angeles, who also happens to be a cop. Amber hates cops, and when Paul Evans mistakenly handcuffs and arrests her, she’s determined that he’ll suffer for his mistake. There’s no way she’s going to be manhandled by another cop.

Paul Evans is stunned that he’s arrested Amber by mistake. Since he’s accidentally bruised her hands during the arrest, he feels even worse. He’s trying to conquer his own demons and he’s now raising his niece and nephew as he comes to terms with things that have happened in his past.

There’s something about Amber that draws him in, in spite of her prickly, no-Jesus attitude. When Amber is hired as a cook for Paul’s church’s summer camp, the twosome find time to spend together, getting to know one another.

Amber’s a preacher’s kid, plus, she’s done lots of missionary work with her parents. She knows what it’s like not to have friends in remote areas – maybe being alone isn’t so bad. But she second guesses her opinions about relationships and faith as she gets closer to Paul.

I really enjoyed this novel. It shows how our faith can falter, almost disappear, because of traumatic circumstances. The lesson learned from this novel is, no matter what happens in your life, God is always there for you, he’ll never leave you or forsake you.

I encourage you to download this novel onto your Kindle, Nook or other e-reader.

So, have you ever attended a church camp? If you have, tell me about some of your church camp experiences. What was your favorite church camp activity? Leave a comment!

 

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~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Christmas Pony By Melody Carlson

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The Christmas Pony by Melody Carlson

When you were a child, which gift did you MOST want to receive for Christmas? Did you receive this most-wanted gift for the holiday?

It’s 1937 and Lucy Turnball wants a pony for Christmas. However, times are hard and her mother and grandmother struggle to make ends meet since the death of her father. They own a rooming house yet, they have no boarders.

However, things change when two boarders, George and Veronica, show up at their home. Veronica is beautiful, glamorous, and she’s anxious to get to Hollywood to become a movie star! George is quiet and thoughtful. Why are they traveling together? Also, why are there strange vibes between George and Lucy’s mother?

As Lucy gets to know George and Veronica, she realizes that first appearances are not always accurate. She also stresses about playing the angel in the Christmas play. Will she get to play the coveted role this year?

This book was a light, somewhat fun read and I could imagine a lot of children and young teens would enjoy this story since it’s told from the viewpoint of a 12-year-old girl. It’s a nice Christmas story to enjoy over the holidays along with a cup of warm cocoa.

So, when you were a child, which gift did you MOST want to receive for Christmas? Did you receive this most-wanted gift?

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~Cecelia Dowdy~

 

Saturday Matinee! The Secret Life Of Bees!

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The Secret Life Of Bees

Have you ever run away from home? If you did, what happened after you left?

I reviewed the novel, The Secret Life Of Bees, recently. The movie stayed true to the book, for the most part. Lily doesn’t feel loved at all. When her abusive, non-emotional father punishes her for something she did not do, Lily figures she’s had enough. When their housekeeper, Rosaleen, is arrested for an altercation with some white men, Lily breaks Rosaleen out of jail, figuring she’s going to get killed. They run away,  ending up in a small town, a town affiliated with Lily’s  deceased mother.

Set in the sixties, this movie deals with issues of racial unrest, coming of age, and religion. Lily and Rosaleen are taken in by a family of sisters (May, June, and August). The sisters make their living from the honey they produce at their beehives, set on their vast acreage of property. August becomes a mentor to Lily, teaching her about life and the beekeeping business. Lily also meets Zach, August’s employee and a friend of the family. Lily is drawn to Zach as she searches for answers about her deceased mother.

This movie was pretty good. I enjoyed watching it. I especially like how Lily’s character grows and matures throughout the film.

So, have you ever run away from home? If you did, what happened after you left?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Recent News

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I wanted to talk a little bit about the recent storm. I felt blessed that my area was spared from massive damage from Hurricane Sandy. Please remember to keep those people in New York, New Jersey, as well as other areas who were hit hardest by the storm, in your prayers. Were you, or your loved ones, affected by the recent storm? If so, let me know. If you’d like me to say a prayer for you, leave a comment or email me.

 

Do The Amish Live In Portugal?

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 DO THE AMISH LIVE IN PORTUGAL PODCAST

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing. See the link at the beginning and at the end of this blog post! Tell your friends by sharing this post on social media!

I received the following question recently from a blog reader:

Hello, my name is Sandra, and I live in Lisbon, Portugal.

I am trying to write a book. I have this idea where I would like to include an Amish community, but I have been looking for the possibility of an Amish Community living in Portugal, but I can´t find any. Is there a possibility of an Amish community living in Portugal?

Thank you for your time.

Best regards

Sandra

Hi, Sandra.

Occasionally, I get questions from blog readers about the Amish because of this series of Amish blog posts that I wrote a few years ago. People mistakenly consider me an “expert” on the subject, but I only have surface knowledge about the Amish. I can tell you what I know based upon my limited knowledge. You might want to email some Amish authors to get a more in-depth answer.

Hold on, do you like Christian fiction? Give my Amazon bestselling books a try! My books will make you laugh, cry, and praise the Lord! Now, back to discussing the Amish!

The Amish immigrated here from Switzerland, I believe? And, right now, they mostly live in the United States and Canada? I’d thought that since they immigrated from a European country, that there would still be some Amish groups in Europe? However, I didn’t see anything about this mentioned when I was doing my research a few years ago.

I did find that there are Mennonites in Lisbon, Portugal. It’s possible that you could focus on that group instead of the Amish? I’m unclear if this Mennonite group is “Old-Order”? Since Amish and Mennonites used to be one group, and since the Mennonites are split from the Amish, the beliefs of both groups overlap. Since you live in that area, you might want to research this. Here’s the link about Mennonites in Portugal.

Are you sure you want to limit your setting to Portugal? According to this short article about the Amish living in Europe, there are Beachy Amish in the Ukraine, Ireland, and Belgium. The difference between Beachy Amish and Old Order Amish is that the Beachy Amish are more liberal.

I hope that helps, Sandra!

If you like religious, wholesome fiction, then download Southern Comfort today! Tell all of your friends about this amazing story! 

~Sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing~

The Inn At Shadow Lake

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The Inn At Shadow Lake (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense #36)

The Inn At Shadow Lake by the late Janet Edgar

If someone proposed to you years ago, and you refused, could you see yourself dating that person years later?

Zach and Julie dated in college and when he asked Julie to marry him, she refused, angering Zach. He stormed off on his Harley, not giving Julie a chance to explain why she’d said no.

Now, a number of years later, Julie is stunned when Jack miraculously appears at her inn. He’s the “mystery man” who’s made reservations to stay at her establishment for a lengthy time. Unbeknownst to Julie, Zack is a special agent, seeking a deadly terrorist ring and Julie is a prime suspect.

As part of the ruse, Jack needs to pump Julie for information about one of her “beaus”. He romances Julie, asking questions, however, while romancing her, he finds those dormant feelings of love resurfacing. But his gut is telling him that Julie is innocent, however, he wonders…why hasn’t she mentioned that her groundskeeper was murdered? Is she somehow responsible for his death?

Julie finds herself falling for Zach and her daughter Emmie is smitten with him, too. Since her husband has died, she’s been lonely, and Zach fills a special place, deep in her heart. She senses that Zach is hurting and she wonders what has happened to him since their huge breakup in college.

This book was a good shorter book that you can read in about a day or so. The suspenseful moments keep you guessing until the very end. I enjoyed reading about the classy, secluded inn. It’s a great setting for a good suspenseful story. Both Zach and Julie have been hurt in the past, and they need to learn to rely on God, first and foremost, to help them through their troubles. Overall, this was a nice, inspirational story that wasn’t too preachy.

So, if someone proposed to you years ago, and you refused, could you see yourself dating that person years later?

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~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Secret Life Of Bees – A Secular Title

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Have you read this book (or saw the movie)? If so, what do you recall liking about this story?

This book has been sitting on my shelf for several years. My sister loaned it to me because she’d said it was an awesome novel. Of course, I’ve heard a lot about this book over the years, and I know a movie was made starring Queen Latifah. I plan on watching the movie and compare it to the book for one of my Saturday Matinee blog entries.

Lily lives in the south with her mean, unlovable, abusive father. Living on her dad’s peach orchard proves a bane existence. She’s an outcast at school and her only friend is Rosaleen, her father’s African-American housekeeper. Lily wonders about her mother. Her mother died when she was four, and she has vague memories about her mother’s sudden death – was she the cause of her mother dying?

Due to a racially tense incident, Rosaleen gets arrested and beaten. Lily is able to help Rosaleen escape from jail. Fearful for Rosaleen and herself, Lily sets foot to Tiberon, a town where she believes her mother used to live.

With images of a Black Madonna and a weird succession of events, Rosaleen and Lily are taken in by three beekeeping sisters (named August, June and May) who live in a quirky pink house.

This book was an excellent story. I really loved how you learned about beekeeping. Also, as you get to know the beekeeping sisters, you find out about their struggling relationships and personalities. This book takes place in the South during the times of racial tension – during a time where it would appear strange that a white girl would live with a family of black women.

I especially enjoyed reading about the sisters. Each has a side to them that adds a good amount of momentum to the story. August is the oldest, the leader of their group. May has serious emotional problems which she has trouble controlling. June has been heartbroken once, so she refuses to marry again. June resents Lily’s invasion into their home.

Most of all, this story is poignant because of Lily, who is determined to find the truth about her mother. What really happened to her?

One thing about this novel that kinda bugged me a bit was how the sisters and Lily use a Black Madonna image to worship. The sisters have a “church-like” service and it includes praying to this Black Mary. I guess this bothered me a bit because I’ve never been one to use a token/idol to pray. I prefer praying directly to Jesus himself. The sisters had a historical story about how the Black Madonna/Mary had come into their possession.

This book reminded me of the novel, The Help. One reason is because the author is white, yet a lot of the characters are black. Another reason this book reminded me about The Help is because it takes place during the racially-tense days of the south. I could imagine if you enjoyed The Help, then you’d enjoy The Secret Life of Bees.

Have you read this book (or saw the movie)? If so, what do you recall liking about this story?

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~Cecelia Dowdy~

 

Double Blind By Brandilyn Collins – Review And Book Giveaway

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Double Blind

Double Blind by Brandilyn Collins

***I’m giving away one copy of Double Blind. To be entered into the giveaway, you must read my review and ANSWER THE following QUESTION:

If you were suffering from severe depression, and were offered a unique cure, a computer chip implanted into your brain to cure your depression, would you do it? Keep in mind that the chip implantation would include brain surgery. Also comment about why you would or would not do this.

Lisa Newberry is battling a deep, dark depression. Her husband was recently killed in a car accident, a short time later she was mugged, and before her husband died, she suffered from multiple miscarriages. Lisa feels she has no hope, so, when a company, Cognoscenti, offers help, she decides to be a part of their new trial study. The study requires Lisa to have a chip implanted into her brain. This new brain chip supposedly offers a “cure” for her depression.

Desperate, she agrees to the terms, which require her to have brain surgery. There’s no guarantee that the chip will help her depression – it’s possible that Lisa will be implanted with a placebo. After the surgery, Lisa feels much better, realizing the chip has “cured” her depression. However, while still in the hospital, recuperating from surgery, Lisa begins having strange dreams and visions – she sees images of a woman being murdered. Are these images just nightmares, or, is she really seeing visions of a real person being murdered?

Determined, Lisa storms into the Cognoscenti offices, wanting to know what they’ve done to her, demanding answers.

Lisa continues to be plagued with these visions and, her mother arrives, offering to help Lisa. Lisa’s relationship with her mother is strained, and she’s not sure if she wants her mother to help her right now. Her best friend, Sherri, also offers assistance to Lisa.

I could easily tell that this was a Brandilyn Collins book. The woman seeing the visions of the murder kind of reminded me of Collins’ book, Eyes Of Elisha. This book kept you guessing until the very end, and it was deeply suspenseful and chilling. It was a quick, page-turning, enjoyable read. There were so many unexpected things happening in this book – you’ll be surprised when you read it.

Amidst all this turmoil, Lisa realizes she needs to stop and think and evaluate her relationship with God, where does she stand with Him?

So, if you were suffering from severe depression, and were offered a unique cure, a computer chip implanted into your brain to cure your depression, would you do it? Leave a comment with your response in order to be entered into the drawing! Don’t forget to leave your email address so that I can contact you if you win!

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~Cecelia Dowdy~