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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Forbes Magazine Listed The Top-Earning Authors of 2011

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Top earning authors of 2011 from Forbes Magazine

Here’s the complete list with all of the names. I’ve also copied and pasted below:

James Patterson ($94 million)

Stephen King ($39 million)

Janet Evanovich ($33 million)

John Grisham ($26 million)

Jeff Kinney ($25 million)

Bill O’Reilly ($24 million)

Nora Roberts ($23 million)

Danielle Steel ($23 million)

Suzanne Collins ($20 million)

Dean Koontz ($19 million)

J. K. Rowling ($17 million)

George R. R. Martin ($15 million)

Stephenie Meyer ($14 million)

Ken Follett ($14 million)

Rick Riordan ($13 million)

Just curious, does the list surprise you? Have you ever met any of the authors on this list?

The only one I’ve ever met is Nora Roberts. She’s a member of my local RWA chapter and she’ll sometimes attend the yearly retreat.

I’ll be honest – I’d like to be on this list!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

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~

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~

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~

Saturday Matinee! Worlds Apart

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***Note – this is a foreign movie with English subtitles.

Can you imagine being ousted from the only church you’ve ever known and shunned by your family? Can you imagine being left all alone in the world? What would you do if you were in this situation?

Seventeen-year-old Sara is a devout Jehovah’s Witness. When she goes to a party at a club, hosted by her J.W. friend, Thea, she meets Teis. Teis doesn’t believe in God and he finds Sara’s religion extremely confusing and unfair. Since she is not allowed to date Teis, she meets him secretly, lying to her father that she is out late with Thea doing homework.Teis is smitten with Sara, and he questions her beliefs.

When they are out on their first date, Sara runs into her brother, whom she has not seen in over a year. Teis is disturbed by the conversation he hears between Sara and her brother. Afterwards, Sara reveals that her brother was expelled from the J.W. congregation, and her family is no longer allowed to talk to him. If a practicing J.W. is caught speaking to an expelled (disfellowshipped) member, then the practicing J.W. risks being expelled him/herself.

In the midst of Sara’s romance, her parents go through their own trials. Her father has been unfaithful, and her parents are now separated. The children don’t understand why their mother won’t forgive their father for his sins since he’s repented and is sorry for what he’s done. Sara and her two siblings agree to stay with their dad because they feel he is the parent who is doing what is “right” – repenting. They feel their mother is “wrong” for not forgiving their father for his sin.

When their mother moves out, Sara discovers that her mom had other reasons for moving out on her own. Her mom wants to be able to secretly see her son who was expelled from the church – it’s easier for her to do this when she’s living in her own place.Sara and Teis’s romance deepens and soon, they move in together. Sara convinces her mother to lie for her, stating that Sara’s living with her mother instead of Teis. However, the elders in her congregation find out about Sara’s transgression and things get out of hand from there.

I didn’t really have a positive opinion about Sara’s JW friend, Thea. Thea initially encourages the romance between Teis and Sara, plus, Sara meets Teis at Thea’s party. Then, after encouragement from Thea, Sara secretly starts meeting Teis, then Thea goes to the elders with information about Sara’s romance. I felt as if Thea was setting Sara up for a big downfall – I think Thea wanted Sara to fail as a J.W.

This movie was based upon a true story. Since I was raised Jehovah’s Witness, I can say that the things portrayed in the movie were accurate in regards to the religion. I enjoyed the movie, and if someone wanted to know more about the JW faith, I’d recommend they watch this flick. However, like most foreign films, I wished for a better ending. Foreign movies don’t always end like American movies – meaning, a nice happy ending and all of your questions answered. I felt that Sara needed to find the truth, the real truth of Jesus Christ, having a close relationship with Him.

The ending of this movie kind of reminded me about this book that I reviewed a few years ago. After this woman was expelled from her congregation, she was left with no religion, and I think that’s sad. However, I think that after a J.W. is expelled from their church, I can understand them being leery of all religions since they’re taught that all non-J.W. churches are bad/evil.

So, if you were Sara, how would you have dealt with being shunned by your church and family?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Book Giveaway Winner!

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The winner of the book giveaway is….

Jan Marie Newby – Van Buren, IN

Congrats to Jan! I’m getting ready to send you your box of books! Thanks to all for entering the book giveaway! It was lots of fun!

~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:

Join My E-mail List!

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