Spotlight on Cecelia Dowdy and John's Quest

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. She also loves spending time with her husband and her young son. Currently she resides with her family in Maryland. You can visit Cecelia on her websites: http://www.ceceliadowdy.com/ and http://www.ceceliadowdy.blogspot.com/.

JOHN'S QUEST
by Cecelia Dowdy
Published by Heartsong Presents

ABOUT THE BOOK

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.

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

I work for a non-profit science publisher for my day job. Since a lot of my coworkers are scientists, I started wondering if any of them were atheists or agnostics. My musings led me to write John's Quest.

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that are theirs and theirs alone?

Since I was well into my thirties when I got married, I feel that I could kind of relate to Monica since she's an older heroine (late-thirties) and still unmarried. As for John, I think I created him because, as I said in the first question, I'd wondered if an atheist or agnostic would approach me, wanting "proof" of God, how would I reasonably go about trying to sway that person's beliefs. I made the child Scotty blind since my husband is blind, and I thought it would be an unusual twist to have a blind character in my novel.

3. What themes exist in John's Quest that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

The only theme I felt was dominant in the story was: always trust in God. I know it's hard for us to do that at times. Since John is an agnostic, he doubts God's existence due to the pain and suffering in the world. Why can't God fix everything and make it better? I think, even as Christians, we still have a tough time maintaining a strong faith in God when things get especially rough. However, we need to plow through those bad times, looking to God for comfort and solace, and just remembering that He's always with us.

4. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

Writing from John's viewpoint was kind of hard overall. I guess since I've been a Christian for so long, it was hard for me to imagine what life would be like to doubt God's existence. My favorite part was John's conversion scene.

5. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

The title of my next novel is...Milk Money! The tentative release date is January 2009/ Here's a brief blurb about the story:

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?

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Thank you, Cecelia, for being in the spotlight with us.

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