Cecelia Dowdy's Blog, page 2

7-22-2025 Newsletter; Hair Care and a Good Meal!

Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC

African-American Hair!

I hope all of you are enjoying your week!

African-American Hair!

Do you like your hair? Do you struggle with taking care of it?

Like many people of color, especially African-Americans, hair has always been a struggle for me. In the late seventies through mid-eighties, I grew up in an all-white area and had extremely limited access to hairdressers specializing in Black hair. My mom used a hot comb to straighten my thick unruly hair after she’d washed and dried it. The entire ordeal took the whole weekend and she had to do this to four girls!

On a related note, I’m still writing The Blacksmith’s Bride! I’m crafting a scene about a twelve-year-old girl who gets her hair done so that she can attend a birthday party. My story takes place in 1867. The hot comb was not widely used in 1867. To care for African-American hair, wide toothed combs made of animal horns or wood were used. Stiff boar bristle brushes were also used to tame hair. Various oils and sometimes lard was used to moisturize. The hair was then braided or coiled and styled with hair pins or ribbons.

An 1867 hair style may have looked like this:

I’m enjoying researching The Blacksmith’s Bride and encourage all to order a copy!

I’m anxious to hear your thoughts about your own hair! Do you like your hair? Did you struggle with hair care when you were growing up? How about now?

Currently, I go to a Dominican salon to get my hair done! Those ladies do an awesome job with my locks! I always receive lots of compliments! They do use some hot dryers though!

Good Times!

I met up with some relatives last Sunday for lunch. Two of them were visiting from out of town. I’d not seen some of them in years! Here’s a group photo! I’m on the end wearing blue and white!

The Candy Beach Series Book Proofs

I’ve selected a winner for the set of book proofs! I’ve reached out to the person who won! Once they’ve confirmed – I will update this blog post – later this week – to let you know the results from the drawing!

The Homefront!

Our bathroom and basement walls are finally finished! Only problem? There are still a few cracked tiles on the bathroom floor. The repair people said that it was virtually impossible to repair separate tiles without replacing the entire floor. I was told that the insurance would not pay to have the floor redone – so that repair would be out of pocket. The cracked tiles are still in our bathroom.

Our finished bathroom wall!

cracked tile

cracked tiles

Christmas In July!

Want a summer treat? Check out my  Christmas Holiday Romance Book Bundle for only $20  – continental US only! Grab a bunch to celebrate Christmas in July! These are paperback books that make great gifts for yourself and your friends and family!

I’m sure you’ll enjoy these wonderful stories as much as I enjoyed writing them!

Summer is Here!

Want a nice emotional treat during the summer? Check out my Candy Beach Series! These are heartwarming delicious novels and novellas that you can read all summer! All are beach themed! Perfect for reading during your summer vacation!

The Blacksmith’s Bride

As stated previously, I’m still writing The Blacksmith’s Bride – a historical novel set a few years after the Civil War. The Blacksmith’s Bride is the third book in the Romance Bride Series.

I’m enjoying writing The Blacksmith’s Bride as each character goes through an emotional journey of change and faith. Pre-order a copy for yourself and a friend!

Writing Services

As a reminder, I offer writing-related services. I work with writers who may need help with their fiction. Interested in working with me? Details here.

Butterscotch Bliss

If you’re reading this on my blog, then I can only assume that you’ve not subscribed to my newsletter! If you subscribe you will receive a FREE eBook, BUTTERSCOTCH BLISS! Subscribe today so that you can immediately enjoy this wonderful, emotional, captivating love story!

“Butterscotch Bliss” by Cecelia Dowdy is a captivating story about how Raquel and Patrick reunite and resolve their past issues. Once deeply in love, they were tragically separated. Now, Raquel discovers that her father is not dead, prompting questions about the truth behind his absence. – 5-star review – AMAZON

A beautiful written story with a lot of feels. This book will stir your emotions and keep you reading to see what’s next. Absolutely loved this book! – 5-star review – AMAZON

7-14-2025 Newsletter

Book Proof Giveaway!

I’m giving away an entire set of book proofs for The Candy Beach Series. You must follow instructions to enter. Again, these are proofs – so the words NOT FOR RESALE are displayed on all of the covers! You must leave your email address on this blog post to enter!

The Candy Beach Series Book Proofs

Homeless Children in 1867 Philadelphia

I’m still hard at work on The Blacksmith’s Bride! I have a 14-year-old secondary character who is struggling. He’s being raised by his grandmother and she can’t afford to properly feed him. So, he’s on the street during the day, finding ways to feed himself. I did some research and found that in 1867 Philadelphia, the setting for The Blacksmith’s Bride, there were many homeless and semi-homeless children.

Some lived at home at night, but, during the day they managed to do odd jobs and petty thefts in order to afford food. Many orphans lived on the street. Orphanages existed, but, they didn’t accept all homeless children. Many orphanages had strict rules and harsh punishment – which was a big turn off for most kids. The cut-off age for most orphanages, at the time, was 10. They believed that kids who were older than 10 could find work.

I’m learning so many things as I write The Blacksmith’s Bride.

Plants

My plants have been sprouting hot peppers! We love eating them on sandwiches and in salads! Here’s a pic of one of my plants!

Do you have any plant pics to share? I’d love to see them!

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Trouble Still on the Homefront!

Our bathroom and basement walls are almost finished! The repairman is here now! He needs to replace paneling and then he must paint. Will post pictures next week!

Summer is Here!

Want a nice emotional treat during the summer? Check out my Candy Beach Series! These are heartwarming delicious novels and novellas that you can read all summer! All are beach themed! Perfect for reading during your summer vacation!

Want an extra treat? Check out my  Christmas Holiday Romance Book Bundle for only $20 ! Continental US only! These are paperback books that make great gifts for yourself and your friends and family!

I’m sure you’ll enjoy these wonderful stories as much as I enjoyed writing them!

The Blacksmith’s Bride

As stated previously, I’m still writing The Blacksmith’s Bride – a historical novel set a few years after the Civil War. The Blacksmith’s Bride is the third book in the Romance Bride Series.

I’m enjoying writing The Blacksmith’s Bride as each character goes through an emotional journey of change and faith. Pre-order a copy for yourself and a friend!

Writing Services

As a reminder, I offer writing-related services. I work with writers who may need help with their fiction. Interested in working with me? Details here.

Events

I have a few events in the works, but they have not been finalized! I will update you when things are set!

BUTTERSCOTCH BLISS – A FREE eBOOK for all who join my email list!

Thanks to all for your wonderful compliments about Butterscotch Bliss. Currently, the eBook version is FREE and only available for those joining my email list. The paperback is on  Amazon  and  Barnes and Noble .   If you feel inclined – please leave a review – only if you enjoyed the book!

Our Country!

Remember to keep our country in prayer as all/some of these changes take place! At times, our country does not run smoothly! Also, remember to pray for all that are suffering in our nation! Be sure to check on your friends and loved ones to be sure they are okay!

Enjoy your day!

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Book Proofs – Giveaway

I recently changed the covers for my Candy Beach Series. After doing so, I received proofs – just to be sure the covers looked good in print. I can’t sell the proofs in my store so am giving the entire set away to ONE person.

I prefer that you enter ONLY if you’ve not yet read the series. Also, you must agree to leave reviews for these books on Amazon, Goodreads and social media sites – only if you enjoyed the books!

Leave a comment letting me know that you want to enter! YOU MUST LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN ORDER TO BE ENTERED. By entering, you agree to join my email list. I will add your email to mailing list database – if it is not already included.

Happy reading!

7-7-2025 Newsletter

Fourth of July!

I hope all of you have had a lovely holiday weekend! We had a barbeque. It was so hot outdoors. My husband reprimanded that we should have started earlier in the day. The reason why we didn’t start during his suggested time was because I was yakking on the phone! After we cooked the food and ate, we offered a variety of ice cream for dessert. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and socializing indoors. We also watched The Twilight Zone marathon on the Sci-Fi Channel!

How was your Fourth of July? I’d love to hear about it!

Fourth of July Food!

Our Barbeque Setup!

Assorted Ice Cream for Dessert! I forgot to include the vanilla ice cream in the pic!

The Blacksmith​​

I’m still working on The Blacksmith’s Bride! The Blacksmith’s Bride is a historical novel that takes place a few years after the Civil War. It’s a story about Benjamin, a blacksmith who relocates to Philadelphia with his twelve-year-old-daughter. He’s a widower and he’s anxious to start a new and better life due to a heartbreaking tragic event. As mentioned in previous newsletters, Benjamin is of African American and Caucasian ancestry. In my novel, I often mention his blue eyes. When I write my novels, I try to picture the characters. I imagine that Benjamin looks similar to this – only with historical clothing and shorter hair!

The Blacksmith’s Bride is also about Francine, a former socialite who is now impoverished. You first meet Francine in The Baker’s Bride – she’s the villain in that story. She redeems herself in The Blacksmith’s Bride. If you’ve not yet read The Baker’s Bride, I highly recommend that you do so!

Morning Walk

I often run into geese during my daily walk. Here’s a pic of me beside some of those birds from this morning’s trek!

Trouble Still on the Homefront!

We’re still dealing with trouble on the home front! The insurance company has finally returned our calls! We’re still ironing out details with the construction and insurance companies! Construction company is supposed to reach out to me TODAY – July 7th – to arrange a time to fix my walls! It was terrible having guests over the holiday weekend with unfinished walls in my house!

Summer is Here!

Want a nice emotional treat during the summer? Check out my Candy Beach Series! These are heartwarming delicious novels and novellas that you can read all summer! All are beach themed! Perfect for reading during your summer vacation!

Want an extra treat? Check out my  Christmas Holiday Romance Book Bundle ! Continental US only! These are paperback books that make great gifts for yourself and your friends and family!

‘m sure you’ll enjoy these wonderful stories as much as I enjoyed writing them!

Do you have any cool summer plans? If so, I’d love to hear about them!

The Blacksmith’s Bride

As stated previously, I’m still writing The Blacksmith’s Bride – a historical novel set a few years after the Civil War. The Blacksmith’s Bride is the third book in the Romance Bride Series.

I’m enjoying writing The Blacksmith’s Bride as each character goes through an emotional journey of change and faith. Pre-order a copy for yourself and a friend!

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful compliments about Butterscotch Bliss. Currently, the eBook version is only available for those joining my email list. The paperback version is on  Amazon  and  Barnes and Noble .   If you feel inclined – please leave a review – only if you enjoyed the book!

Writing Services

As a reminder, I offer writing-related services. I work with writers who may need help with their fiction. Interested in working with me? Details here.

Events

I have a few events in the works, but they have not been finalized! I will update you when things are set!

Our Country!

Remember to keep our country in prayer as all/some of these changes take place! At times, our country does not run smoothly! Also, remember to pray for all that are suffering in our nation! Be sure to check on your friends and loved ones to be sure they are okay!

Caramel Kisses – Water-damaged Copy – Giveaway

I found a copy of CARAMEL KISSES (which displays the old book cover) that has a bit of water damage. I can’t sell it, so, I’m going to give it away. If you want to be entered into the drawing – you must follow these instructions: Leave your name and email address on this blog post. When you leave your email address, you’ll automatically be added to my mailing list. I realize most reading this are already on my list – but – just need to make it clear that if the email address that is used is not my email database, then it will be added. Hopefully that makes sense.

If you win, you must agree to leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or social media. CONTINENTAL US ONLY!

June 23, 2025 Newsletter

Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC
Historical Medicine and Summertime!

I hope all of you have been enjoying your week!

Summertime!

Today, on the third day of summer, we’re in the midst of a heatwave in my area! Right now it’s 98 degrees outside! I love sitting outside on my deck but I’ve been unable to do so lately because of the extreme heat! I’ve been keeping cool by drinking my green tea/hibiscus/fresh mint iced tea sweetened with honey! It’s delicious! A squirt of fresh lime is added to the glass right before I drink it!

Trouble Still on the Homefront!

We’re still dealing with trouble on the home front! All of the mold was removed. The leak was fixed. Now we’re just waiting on the construction people to fix the damage! Hopefully it won’t take very long! I hate not having a wall in my downstairs bathroom!

The Blacksmith’s Bride – Medical Research

I’m still working on The Blacksmith’s Bride! In my novel someone gets hurt. As you are probably aware, medicine back in 1867 was a lot different than what we have today. Sometimes a topical solution made with honey or sugar could prevent infection. Laudanum – made from opium, was often used for pain relief. Alcohol and willow bark tea might also be used to prevent pain.

If a person had broken bones or internal injuries then the doctor might recommend rest and immobilization. Sometimes a warm poultice made of mashed herbs could be applied to the affected area to reduce swelling.

It’s interesting to research different subjects while writing my novel!

London

My sister recently returned from her trip to London and Paris! She purchased gifts. Tee shirts for my husband and my son. We’ve not had a chance to give our son his tee shirt since he’s working at Towson University for the summer. Here’s my husband, Chris, in his tee shirt.

I was gifted a shopping bag from Harrod’s department store. Isn’t it pretty? The material is shiny and reminds me of patent leather. I’ve included a few pics close up so that you can see the detail:

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Summer is Here!

Want a nice emotional treat during the summer? Check out my Candy Beach Series! These are heartwarming delicious novels and novellas that you can read all summer! All are beach themed! Perfect for reading during your summer vacation!

Want an extra treat? Check out my  Christmas Holiday Romance Book Bundle for only $20 ! Continental US only! These are paperback books that make great gifts for yourself and your friends and family!

I’m sure you’ll enjoy these wonderful stories as much as I enjoyed writing them!

Do you have any cool summer plans? If so, I’d love to hear about them!

The Blacksmith’s Bride

As stated in previous weeks, I’m still writing The Blacksmith’s Bride – a historical novel set a few years after the Civil War. The Blacksmith’s Bride is the third book in the Romance Bride Series.

I’m enjoying writing The Blacksmith’s Bride as each character goes through an emotional journey of change and faith. Pre-order a copy for yourself and a friend!

Butterscotch Bliss

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful compliments about Butterscotch Bliss. Currently, the eBook version is only available for those joining my email list. The paperback version is on  Amazon  and  Barnes and Noble .   If you feel inclined – please leave a review – only if you enjoyed the book!

Writing Services

As a reminder, I offer writing-related services. I work with writers who may need help with their fiction. Interested in working with me? Details here.

Events

I currently have one in-person event – scheduled for June 28th. More information here.

Our Country!

Remember to keep our country in prayer as all/some of these changes take place! At times, transitions do not run smoothly! Also, remember to pray for all that are suffering in our nation! Be sure to check on your friends and loved ones to be sure they are okay!

Enjoy your day!

The Bakery Romance Series

​Loving Luke Raspberry Kisses Shades of Chocolate Sweet Dreams

​Sugar and Spice Southern Comfort Sweet Delights Cinnamon Kisses​

The Candy Beach Series

​ Caramel Kisses   Chocolate Dreams   Milk Chocolate Kisses   Bittersweet Dreams   Coffee and Kisses   Rocky Road Dreams ​

The Romance Bride Series

​The Baker’s Bride The Doctor’s Bride The Blacksmith’s Bride​

Signed Paperbacks

​Christmas Book Bundle – $20 + postage – continental US

​The Bakery Romance Series – $75 + postage – continental US

​The Candy Beach Series – $55 + postage – continental US

Spare by Prince Harry

I did a Facebook post recently – asking who had read Spare. The post blew up – 506 comments, 317 reactions, and 6 shares. I did a Youtube book review. Watch it and enjoy! #spare #princeharry #meghanmarkle #harryandmeghan #royals

6-9-2025 Newsletter

Divine Desserts Publishing LLC

The Blacksmith’s Bride & Summertime

I hope all of you have been enjoying yourselves!

Train Porters

I wanted to update you on my current work-in-progress, The Blacksmith’s Bride!

As I mentioned last week, I have a train ride that occurs in 1867 from New York City to Philadelphia. I also shared information about porter’s uniforms in my previous newsletter. I found other information about this profession. Porters only served the white passengers. The African-American passengers had to load their own baggage – this rule even applied to handicapped and elderly passengers. I’m assuming if there were persons of color needing assistance with their luggage – then other black passengers may have assisted.

Smoking

In The Blacksmith’s Bride I have a secondary character who is a juvenile delinquent. When he’s first introduced in the story – you will see him chewing tobacco. I paused when I wrote the scene – realizing that I didn’t know much about chewing tobacco! Historicals are a lot of work because so many things need research! It’s fun but adds extra time to craft a realistic story.

Back in the 1800s boys as young as 10 or 12 often smoked. If the boy was part of a trade such as blacksmithing they may have picked up the habit early. Schools and well-to-do households may have discouraged such behavior, but it was not shocking to see. These boys might smoke/chew cigars, pipe tobacco or chewing tobacco. Although cigarettes existed during the timeframe of my novel – they were not very common. Cigarettes didn’t become popular until the late 1800s.

Another fact that I discovered – back then, smoking was often accepted as a stepping-stone to becoming a man. The tobacco came in different forms, it could be loose (like tea), plug (you’d bite it off of a block), or twisted like a rope. The container might look something like this:

The tobacco might have looked like this inside the tin:

Want to know more about The Blacksmith’s Bride?  Pre-order  today and tell a friend!

Have you ever known anybody who chewed tobacco as a child? When I was growing up, I had a friend. Her brother was only ten and he chewed tobacco. My friend usually came to my house to play. When I went to her house for the first time I saw wads of brown stuff nestled in their yard. I asked what that was on the ground. (I wanted to be careful to avoid stepping on it!) She said that it was her brother’s chewing tobacco. I was surprised since I’d never known anyone to consume nicotine at such a young age!

Summer is Coming!

Want a nice emotional treat during the summer? Check out my Candy Beach Series! These are heartwarming delicious novels and novellas that you can read all summer! All are beach themed! Perfect for reading during your summer vacation!

Want an extra treat? Check out my Christmas Holiday Romance Book Bundle. Continental US only! These are paperback books that make great gifts for yourself and your friends and family!

I’m sure you’ll enjoy these wonderful stories as much as I enjoyed writing them!

Do you have any cool summer plans? If so, I’d love to hear about them!

Speaking of summer, I’ve finally finished my planting! Here’s a few pics. Also a pic of me after my planting!

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As stated earlier, I’m still writing The Blacksmith’s Bride – a historical novel set a few years after the Civil War. The Blacksmith’s Bride is the third book in the Romance Bride Series.

I’m enjoying writing The Blacksmith’s Bride as each character goes through an emotional journey of change and faith. Pre-order a copy for yourself and a friend!

Writing Services

As a reminder, I offer writing-related services. I work with writers who may need help with their fiction. Interested in working with me? Details here.

Events

I currently have one in-person event – scheduled for June 28th. More information here.

Our Country!

Remember to keep our country in prayer as all/some of these changes take place! At times, transitions do not run smoothly! Also, remember to pray for all that are suffering in our nation! Be sure to check on your friends and loved ones to be sure they are okay!

Enjoy your day!

6-3-2025 Newsletter

Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC

A Day Late!

I hope all of you had a great weekend!

This week’s newsletter is one day late since we’ve been so busy! More about that later!

I wanted to update you on my current work-in-progress, The Blacksmith’s Bride!

I have a train ride that occurs in 1867 from New York city to Philadelphia. I had to do a bit of research when I wrote the scene. I came across some interesting information about train porters that I’d like to share with you!

A train porter’s uniform was made of wool or heavy cotton and was usually a dark color, such as navy blue or black. The suitcoat could be single or double breasted and it reached just below the waist or hips. The buttons might be brass or pewter and may have been embossed with the railroad company’s logo. The pants were usually worn with suspenders. The porter also wore a military-style cap. Sometimes a patch labeled PORTER would be attached to the jacket or the cap. A white or light-colored shirt with a dark tie and sometimes white gloves, completed the outfit.

Sometimes porters carried a ticket punch, pocket watch, or a small pouch or tool belt. Many porters were African-American. A railroad porter’s uniform might have looked like this in 1867:

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Want to know more about The Blacksmith’s Bride? Pre-order today and tell a friend!

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Back to College for Research

We dropped our son off yesterday. He’s back at school for a summer research internship. It was nice that he was able to find a summer job at his college. Yesterday, before we left to drop him off, I made pizza for breakfast. Pizza is one of his favorite foods! Here’s a few pics!

Pizza dough rising!

Our son’s living quarters for the summer!

Dining room.

Gardening – Late This Year!

Another reason why my newsletter is a day late – I had to start my garden! I’m getting a late start this year! My son accompanied me when I went shopping for plants at Lowes!

They didn’t have any oregano plants! I ordered some online! They should be arriving shortly!

The Blacksmith’s Bride

​

I’m still writing The Blacksmith’s Bride – a historical novel set a few years after the Civil War. The Blacksmith’s Bride is the third book in the Romance Bride Series.

I’m enjoying writing The Blacksmith’s Bride as each character goes through an emotional journey of change and faith. Pre-order a copy for yourself and a friend!

Writing Services

As a reminder, I offer writing-related services. I work with writers who may need help with their fiction. Interested in working with me? Details here.

Events

I currently have one in-person event – scheduled for June 28th. More information here.

Our Country!

Remember to keep our country in prayer as all/some of these changes take place! At times, transitions do not run smoothly! Also, remember to pray for all that are suffering in our nation! Be sure to check on your friends and loved ones to be sure they are okay!

Enjoy your day!

The Bakery Romance Series

​Loving Luke Raspberry Kisses Shades of Chocolate Sweet Dreams

​Sugar and Spice Southern Comfort Sweet Delights Cinnamon Kisses​

The Candy Beach Series

​ Caramel Kisses   Chocolate Dreams   Milk Chocolate Kisses   Bittersweet Dreams   Coffee and Kisses   Rocky Road Dreams ​

The Romance Bride Series

​The Baker’s Bride The Doctor’s Bride The Blacksmith’s Bride​

Signed Paperbacks

5-19-2025 Newsletter

Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC
Simple Pleasure!

I hope all of you are having a wonderful week!

My husband recently commented that we’d not had Krispy Kreme donuts in years. We normally buy them during our North Carolina trips – but had not taken the time to purchase them the last few times. They are also sold at local grocery stores – but we prefer the ones that are freshly made at the Krispy Kreme bakery. We discovered that we could get them delivered from a D.C. location – so we did! They were delicious!

They now have a specialty-themed, limited edition Pac Man donut collection. We wanted to try some of these but they weren’t available for delivery.

Do you have a Krispy Kreme bakery in your area? If so, do you ever indulge?

Hide and Seek

A cool thing about writing historicals is researching. In The Blacksmith’s Bride I have a scene where two people are playing hide and seek. While writing the scene it occurred to me that I wasn’t sure if kids played hide and seek back then – so I had to do some research!

Did you know that hide and seek has been played since ancient times? The method of playing was the same, where one person counts while the others hide. The last person who is found is usually the winner. The first person found is the loser and must be “it” for the next round. If the seeker can’t find everyone, then he/she will call out ” “Olly olly oxen free” and the still-hidden players would then come out. An earlier version of the game was ancient Greek and was called apodidraskinda.

As a child, I often played hide and seek with my friends and with my siblings. How about you? Did you play hide and seek when you were a child?

The Blacksmith’s Bride

​

I’m still writing The Blacksmith’s Bride – a historical novel set a few years after the Civil War. The Blacksmith’s Bride is the third book in the Romance Bride Series.

I’m enjoying writing The Blacksmith’s Bride as each character goes through an emotional journey of change and faith. Pre-order a copy for yourself and a friend!

Writing Services

As a reminder, I offer services where I work with writers who may need help with their fiction. Interested in working with me? Details here.

Events

I currently have one in-person event – scheduled for June 28th. More information here.

Our Country!

Remember to keep our country in prayer as all/some of these changes take place! At times, transitions do not run smoothly! Also, remember to pray for all that are suffering in our nation! Be sure to check on your friends and loved ones to be sure they are okay!

Enjoy your day!