Getting to Know you Thursday with Cecelia Dowdy

Please welcome Cecelia Dowdy to my blog today. I have loved Cecelia's books and have enjoyed learning more about her.

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I'm a Christian and I love books! Reading and writing are my passions!

2. When you were a child did you have a favourite book or books?

I loved reading Nancy Drew mysteries and Laura Ingalls Wilder books! Those are the two that stick in my mind the most! But I read almost every kind of fiction that I could get my hands on! I got most of my reading material from the bookmobile that came to our neighborhood every other week! (Jenny here I loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder books too.)

3. Do you have a favourite Genre to both read and right write?

Mostly Christian contemporary fiction. I enjoy romance and women's fiction, but I'll try just about any genre.

4. Did you have favourite authors growing up who have influenced you?

Not really. I can't think of an author that influenced me, per se.

5. When did you know you wanted to be an author?

I was about twenty-eight years old. I was on my lunch break and I didn't have a book to read, so I started writing my own book. I've been writing ever since!

6. How did you go about becoming an author?

I just made time to write! I didn't have a husband and family at the time, which made it a bit easier for me to find time to devote to my writing. When I first started, I didn't have a computer, so I'd write my stuff out in long-hand and then type it up on my computer at my job! Needless to say, I didn't do that for very long! I got a second-hand computer, to use for my writing and I also joined Romance Writers of America (RWA). I made my first book sale to Crossings Book Club, and my second book sale to Love Inspired, as a direct result from contacts I'd made through RWA.

 

Later, after American Christian Romance Writers (now American Christian Fiction Writers - ACFW) was formed, I joined that group, too.

 

7. If you were not a writer what would you like to be?

I'd probably be an editor, agent, or a pastry chef! I'd also think it'd be really cool to own my own bakery!

8. Outside reading and writing what do you like to do?

I love to bake sweets! Cakes, cookies, pies... you name it!

9. Do you have a place you love to visit or would love to visit?

I love visiting hot tropical places, like the Caribbean! I love beautiful, lush, blue beaches and white sand!

Finally can you tell us about your current books and/or any that will be coming out soon. Also where we can find you on the web.

My next release will be Chesapeake Weddings! It'll come out in April 2010, and it's a re-release of my novels, John's Quest, Milk Money, and Bittersweet Memories in one volume! -

Chesapeake Weddings -Coming April 2010!
ISBN: 978-1602608023
Re-release of John's Quest, Milk Money and Bittersweet Memories in one volume! Preorder your copy now!
Relax along Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay as you read about three strong African American women who suddenly face upheaval in life. Monica is caring for her abandoned nephew and trying to pick the proper tutor for him. Emily is struggling to save the family farm when a CPA turns up to do an audit. Karen has been deceived by her fiancé, and now she’s expected to trust a neighbor who knows too much of her business. Can God rebuild their tattered lives with new loves? Life sends three African American women into a tailspin. Monica’s blind nephew has been abandoned with her. Emily works to save her dairy farm after her father dies. Karen’s fiancé turned into an embezzler. Can these women let God rebuild their tattered hopes when new romances unexpectedly enter their lives?

 

You can find me at www.ceceliadowdy.com

You can also find me at www.ceceliadowdy.blogspot.com - be sure to visit my blog! I give away a box of novels each month to one winner! Stop by and leave a comment to enter the drawing!

(Jenny here for any Aussies out there I found at least one of Cecelia's books at koorong when I was there in January.)

Focus on Christmas with Cecelia Dowdy

Welcome Cecelia Dowdy to my blog today for focus on Christmas. I am loving seeing how others celebrate and remember Christmas and learning the different foods also.

1. Firstly thanks for coming back to my blog this time we are focusing on christmas.
What do you most associate with Christmas where you live?

The food! Christmas is a time for goodies! Eggnog, apple cider, cookies, cakes and pies! During the holidays, everybody seems to forget their diets as they feast on delectable creations!


2. Do you have any special family traditions you do at Christmas time?
Christmas is when we usually bake tons of cookies. My son and I do this together. We'll usually do this for a few weekends (so we'll be starting soon). We'll make oatmeal-raisin cookies, peanut butter cookies, and chocolate chip.


3. Do you have a favourite christmas Carol and if so do you know why?
I'm afraid I don't have a favorite Christmas carol. I do listen to Christmas music in my car during the holiday season, and I also have an assortment of Christmas CDs by various artists, but I don't have one favorite song. The music artists I listen to over the holidays are: Nat King Cole, The Jackson Five, Vanessa Williams, Kenny G., The Temptations, and I also listen to The Nutcracker.


4. If you could spend Christmas anyway you could how would you celebrate?
I'd go away to a hot, tropical place and spend the holiday sipping drinks and getting the hotel staff to serve me and my family our breakfast, lunch, and dinner!


5. Do you have any special memories of Christmas?
I mostly remember my father making turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce on Christmas. My mom usually did most of the cooking, but on Christmas (and Thanksgiving), my dad would usually cook the meal! The food was excellent! I also recall my dad doing things at the last minute, and it would be Christmas day where I'd be addressing Christmas cards to our friends and relatives!

6. What is a typical Christmas eve and or Christmas day for you.
I wasn't big on shopping and holidays...never have been, but all that changed last year. Our son was three last year and he's now four. He expects Christmas gifts because he hears his friends at school talking about them. Last year, I went shopping for our son via the internet, and we also went to a few stores to shop. I HATE shopping anytime of year, so shopping at Christmas is very trying for me. My husband and I usually tell one another what we want and then purchase the gift from our wish list. We'll spend Christmas day with my family or my husband's family.

7. Do you have any Christmas movies or Christmas books you like to see or read each year? I like those old Christmas cartoon/claymation shows that came on when I was a child: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, The Year Without A Santa Claus, Rudolf The Rednosed Reindeer. I also like How The Grinch Stole Christmas - the original cartoon, NOT the movie with Jim Carey! I also enjoy The Polar Express.

8. Do you have a Christmas message for my readers?
Focus on Jesus and his birth this holiday season! Think about the ultimate gift of eternal life that Jesus provided to us sinners!

first wildcard tours Milk Money, by Cecelia Dowdy

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Cecelia Dowdy

and the book:

Milk Money (Maryland Wedding Series #2)

Barbour Publishing, Inc (2008)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cecelia Dowdy is a world traveler who has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. When she first read Christian fiction, she felt called to write for the genre.She loves to read, write, and bake desserts in her spare time. Currently she resides with her husband and young son in Maryland.

Visit the author's website and blog.

Product Details:

Mass Market Paperback: 170 pages
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc (2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602602557
ISBN-13: 978-1602602557

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Dumbfounded, the accountant gazed at a cow giving birth. He dropped his briefcase when he saw the feet of the baby sticking out of the mother’s canal. A rope was looped around the legs of the young animal, and a brown-skinned woman pulled so hard that the muscles in her slender arms flexed. Her eyes squeezed shut while she grunted, reminding him of the noises people made when they bench-pressed weights.

She opened her eyes.


“Casey, hold on,” she cooed. When he watched the birth, his sour stomach worsened, and the bagel and cream cheese he’d managed to eat for breakfast felt like a dead weight in his belly. Her tears mingled with the sweat rolling down her face. She continued to pull and glanced in his direction. “Oh, thank God you came. Come and help me.”


A plethora of unfamiliar scents tingled his nose. He swallowed, losing his voice. What was he supposed to do? She continued to look at him, pulling on the rope periodically.


“I already left a message on your answering service that it was coming out backward.” Pushing the door open, he entered the room adjoining the barn, still hoping he wouldn’t throw up. She nodded toward the rope, still tugging. “With both of us pulling, maybe we’ll be able to get the calf out.”


“Okay.” He swallowed his nausea and pulled, mimicking the way he used to grunt when bench-pressing heavy weights. He followed her example, keeping tension on the rope and pulling each time the cow had a contraction. She grunted also, and their noises continued until the calf exited the birth canal minutes later. She dropped the rope, and he rushed behind her to look at the young animal. He touched the newborn,

awed by the birth. She glanced at him as she cleaned gunk off the calf ’s nose and mouth.


Her sigh filled the space when she noticed the animal was breathing. “Aren’t you going to examine the cow and calf?”


Before he could respond, a young man holding a large black plastic tote entered the pen. “This the Cooper farm?”


Confusion marred her face when she glanced at Frank. Then she focused on the new arrival. The newcomer rushed to the baby cow and began examining it. “I’m Dr. Lindsey’s son. I’m taking over my daddy’s practice this week since he’s on vacation. He told you that, didn’t he?”


She nodded, still looking confused. “I left a message on your answering service earlier.”


The vet grunted. “I was down the street at the horse farm helping out with another birth, so I couldn’t leave.”


“Are the cow and calf okay?”


“They both look fine.” He stopped his examination and looked at them. “I’m glad you had somebody helping you. You might not have gotten him out in time if you’d been pulling him on your own.” He pulled a tool out of his bag. “You have antibiotic on hand for the calf, right? If not, I’ve got some.”


The attractive woman nodded, her dark hair clinging to her sweaty neck as she promised the vet she would give the new calf the medicine. Frank watched, mesmerized by the whole process. A short time later, the newborn nursed from the mother. “Thank you, doctor,” said the woman, patting the man on the shoulder.


The doctor shook his head, placing his tools back into his bag. “Don’t thank me. You two got him out in time.” He told Emily he would send her the bill, and then he left the farm.


Emily glanced at Frank, as if taking in his khaki slacks and oxford shirt. Noticing his bloody hands, she beckoned him over to a room containing a sink and a large steel tank. After ripping off the long plastic gloves covering her hands and forearms

and dropping them into the trash can, she turned the water on, pumped out several squirts of soap, and washed. “I thought you were the vet,” she said, continuing to scrub her hands and forearms. “I’ve never met Dr. Lindsey’s son, so that’s why I

assumed you were him.” After rinsing, she pulled paper towels from a dispenser and gestured for Frank to use the sink.


Frank shrugged and walked to the sink, placing his hands under the running water. “Sorry. I helped you out, but I didn’t have any idea if I was doing it right. It’s probably good I showed up when I did. It looked like you’d been trying to help

that cow for a long time.”


She shook her head. “Cows are tough. They can be in labor for hours before giving birth. When you came, I’d just started pulling the calf out with the rope.” She continued to stare, frowning. “Well, if you’re not Dr. Lindsey’s son, then who are

you?”


He offered his recently washed hand, glad the nauseous feeling had evaporated from his stomach. “I’m Franklin Reese, Certified Public Accountant.”

My Review:
I just finished this book and its just as good as the first book by Cecelia. I enjoyed the rural setting as I come from a rural area also. When we first meet Frank he helps Emily deliver a calf with her thinking hes the vet. I liked how this book started then as Emily finds out hes the Accountant who she didn't want to hire it gets interesting. Frank has baggage which we see right from the start and I was interested in how Cecelia would work with it. I enjoy the country girl city boy encounters and look forward to reading more of Cecelia's work. 4.5 our of 5