AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT -- CHERYL HOLLOWAY!

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June's Double Rainbow

by 
Cheryl Holloway

Genre: Contemporary Romance

When love and monogamy fail…Her fiancé breaks off the engagement.

At first, June is stunned, but then, she is determined to move on to
better things…like an unplanned trip to Paris for her job—where
she falls deeply in love with a man from another part of the world.
He wines and dines June; sweeps her off her feet; and ultimately,
wins her heart. Their short romance echoes an endearing love. When
she returns to the US, he calls her faithfully every day. Then
suddenly, no call…

Can their love survive on different continents?

"An engaging story with beautiful imagery!"

In this heartwarming romance, June learns to
embrace each challenge and wait for a transformation in her life.

This beautifully written romance is complete escapism.
Each of the characters has been well developed, considering the
length of the story, and the dialogue revealed a great deal about
their personalities. ~ Lesley Jones for READERS FAVORITE

A Quick Romantic Read…This is a nice story for someone looking for
love. Everything happens for a reason. Love comes when you least
expect it. ~G. Littlejohn for Philadelphia Publishing House

Readers, this is a quick read; yet, an epic romance. If you’re a fan of
Debbie Macomber, you’ll soon be a fan of Cheryl Holloway!

**Get it FREE!!**

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The Proposal: A Leap of Faith

by 
Cheryl Holloway

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Cheryl Holloway’s knack of presenting an in-depth love story is
remarkable. The detail in each page enabled me to connect with the
characters like I was holding Carol’s hand each step of the way.

–5 Star Readers’ Favorite

If you love contemporary romance with
real-life events…

Carol and Marvin love each other and have
dated off and on for over ten years; however…Carol becomes jaded
about the relationship when Marvin won’t ask her to marry him.
Marvin's commitment to the relationship never waivers despite being
afraid to commit to marriage. Finally, he wants to move their
relationship to the next level—on Valentine’s Day. After a
heartbreaking event and crying for days, Carol is ready and at last
she thinks he is, too. Will he ask her to marry him or does he have
something else on the agenda? Will commitment-phobic Marvin take the plunge…

Smart and sophisticated, with a plot twist that will
give the reader a jolt!

Similar to books written by Shirley Wine and Becky Wade.

Cheryl Holloway’s The Proposal: A Leap
of Faith is inspired by a real-life women and real-life events.

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Love's Ride

The Struggle Book 1

by 
Cheryl Holloway

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Love makes the ride worthwhile…or does it?

Bob is ready to take the next step in his relationship, and he wants to marry Ava, the
woman of his dreams. He’s been secretly saving up money for the
“special” ring that she wants. To quicken the process, he gets a
part-time job as a Ryde driver, but…Bob stumbles upon Ava’s secret. The struggle begins.

Can their relationship withstand secrets and cheating?

Love’s Ride is a literary
roller-coaster ride that will make you happy, scared, excited, angry,
hopeful, and more—not necessarily in that order.

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Cheryl Holloway is a contemporary romance author, journalist and
award-winning editor. She has eBooks, The Cougar Tales Series, Book
1: Father and Son; Book 2: The Italian Basketball Player; Book 3:
Jamaican Love; Cougar Tales Box Set (Books 1-3); The Bane Bath Salts,
(Teen Drug Prevention); The Proposal: A Leap of Faith; A Sisterhood
of Women Living Life: A Short Story Collection Book 1; and June's
Double Rainbow available on Amazon.com and Smashwords.com. 

Cheryl's blog is where an author writes information about writing, literary
events, books, and her writing journey. She pays-it-forward to other
authors with Guest Author Interviews. You can visit the blog
at: www.CherylHolloway.net/blog

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

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HEATHER HEYFORD'S NEW RELEASE!

My sincere apologies for first publishing this post the wrong day instead of the scheduled time today.

KISSES SWEETER THAN WINE

by
Heather Heyford

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pub
Date: 8/29/2017

When the
town of Clarkston, Oregon, welcomes Captain Sam Owens home from the
service, Sophia “Red” McDonald is first in line. The sassy
psychotherapist has known Sam since they were kids, and the grown-up
Sam is darned near irresistible. With his abs of steel and those
gorgeous hazel eyes, he could have any woman he wanted. Naturally,
Red is thrilled when he takes her hand . . .

She’s a
modern woman, happy to canoodle with the sexy soldier, no strings
attached—until her heart changes the rules. Suddenly, after months
of casual hookups, Red finds she wants more. She longs to possess Sam
body and soul. But his warrior's heart was wounded long before he
joined the service. As a therapist, Red has ways of making him talk.
Only if Sam opens up and spills his secrets can they finally have
everything their hearts desire . . .

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to Goodreads

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Heather Heyford is the author of contemporary romances set in the wine
country. See what inspires her writing on her many Pinterest boards,
read more about her on HeatherHeyford.com, and connect with her on
Facebook and Instagram.

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A VISIT TO CHANDOR GARDENS, WEATHERFORD TX

Weatherford TX Courthouse

Weatherford is a city in Parker County, Texas, United States,a western suburb of Fort Worth, and part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Nicknames are Cutting Horse Capital of the World and Peach Capital of Texas. I confess I do not know if these nicknames were bestowed by the Weatherford Chamber of Commerce, or because of the town's reputation.

When I first moved to the western edge of the Metroplex my mom's friends from Lubbock kept asking her if I’d toured Chandor Gardens in Weatherford yet. Until they did, I'd never heard of Chandor Gardens. And there's a reason. For many years the gardens were closed and in a state of disrepair. One courageous and preservation-minded couple, Charles and Melody Bradford, stepped in and restored the grounds, then sold the property to the City of Weatherford. This spring, I learned that the gardens were having a special discounted-price open house, and Darling Daughter 2 and I attended. We're both fans of discounts, gardens, tours, and goofing off in general. A first trip to Chandor Gardens for each of us, we were pleased to tour this beautiful property.

But that’s the shortened version. Here’s a more complete story.

Douglas Chandor painting

Douglas Granvil Chandor was born 20 August 1897 to Lucy May (Newton) and John Arthur Chandor in Surrey, England. World War I began a few months after he completed his education at Radley, and at seventeen he joined the Life Guards, First Regiment of Household Cavalry. Later, he served as a member of the celebrated Scottish Lovat Scouts.

In 1918 Chandor was discharged from the Scouts after contracting typhoid and severely damaging his knee. He recuperated in Surrey, then pursued his childhood interest of art. In 1919, he received his first major commission, to paint Sir Edward Marshall-Hall, K.C. When it was displayed at the British Royal Academy Exhibition, the portrait attracted further offers for the young artist, including a commission to paint the Prince of Wales, a work he completed in 1921. The painting drew "half of London" to the Grieves Gallery. Two years later Chandor accepted an invitation to portray the prime ministers of the British empire at work during the Imperial Conference held in London at 10 Downing Street.

View of Japanese bridge

Included among the invitations was a request to paint President Herbert Hoover, Vice President Charles Curtis, and the entire cabinet. Chandor's painting of Hoover, combined with his earlier portraits of British aristocrats, established his reputation as a painter of the world's political leaders. During his career he painted about 300 portraits. Significant subjects included President Gerardo Machado y Morales of Cuba, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth II, Samuel T. (Sam) Rayburn, and President Franklin Roosevelt. His portrait of Eleanor Roosevelt is believed to be the only one for which she formally posed; he also painted Sara Delano Roosevelt and the wives of James and Elliott Roosevelt.

Spirea (bridal wreath) and arbor

Chandor was divorced from Pamela (Trelawny) in 1932 and married Ina Kuteman Hill of Weatherford, Texas, in 1934. He returned with his wife to her native city where they lived in the family mansion. I love living in Texas, so please don't misunderstand me, but I've been to England. Talk about culture shock for Douglas Chandor. After the green of his native country, his first glimpse of Northwest Central Texas must have been a killer, but perhaps having "a family mansion" helped soften the blow, no disrespect intended. For the rest of his career Chandor spent half of each year in New York and the remaining time in Weatherford. He developed the grounds of his estate into a showplace that the Chandors named White Shadows Gardens. 

Tiered fountain

The house, which sat on a hill overlooking the city, was surrounded by an elaborate network of walls that enclosed an array of plants and trees, Chinese pagodas, a Japanese water garden, and a miniature replica of Mount Fujiyama. To most, this chalky hill in North Central Texas would seem an unlikely place for a garden of such imagination and splendor. Although his claim to fame was his talent as an artist, Douglas found his real passion as a gardener. He once told Ina that his talent for painting was merely a means that enabled him to fulfill his dreams of building a "living artwork". Douglas Chandor's destiny would be to turn these dreams into a reality.

I was pleased the Koi show up in my photo.

The gardens were carved from 4 acres of rock-hard terrain that was once a cow pasture. The project began in 1936 with the aid of picks, shovels, dynamite and mule-drawn plows. Truckloads of topsoil and tons of boulders were brought in to transform the barren cactus-dotted property into a peaceful haven enclosed by hedges and walls. Chandor devised a series of garden rooms, each with individual character and stunning views, all connected by meandering walkways. His creation combines the styles and ambiance of Chinese and English gardens with such delights as fountains, grottos, and even a mountain waterfall.

Mount Cox waterfall

Another view of Mount Cox that shows
cave-like grotto behind waterfall
(sorry about too much sun)

The Chandors worked tirelessly together in the gardens until Douglas' death from a cerebral hemhorrage after returning from a trip in 1953. Ina renamed them Chandor Gardens as a tribute to her husband. The gardens remained open to the public until shortly before her death in the late 1970s. Because there were no direct heirs, the property remained unattended, overgrown and deteriorating for 20 years.

Half of Dragon fountain

Charles and Melody Bradford purchased the estate in 1994 and took on the enormous task of restoring the gardens and home. In what could only be described as a true labor of love, they painstakingly spent years clearing and cleaning away the debris of decades of neglect. Many large old trees, Douglas' original wisteria and boxwood plantings, and his magical hardscapes remained. Everything else was replanted by the Bradfords, and thanks to their efforts Chandor Gardens was once again transformed into a lush tranquil delight.

Stone of the Immortals,
sculpted by  Douglas Chandor. This
was my least favorite feature.

In time, the Bradford's had completely restored the property and decided to sell and offered the gardens to the City of Weatherford. They must have given the City a really good deal, because Weatherford  purchased Chandor Gardens in May 2002. After minor renovations necessary for compliance with the American Disabilities Act and City building codes, Chandor was re-opened to the public in the fall of 2002.

I know they're everywhere, but purple
iris were my mom's favorite flower

The gardens are available for public and private tours. The gardens along with the Chandor mansion are available for rental, and are popular venues for wedding ceremonies and receptions, photography, meetings, and special events...and for just strolling through for photos and relaxation..A walk in a garden is always time well spent!


Thanks to Wikipedia, http://www.ci.weatherford.tx.us/index.aspx?NID=457
and http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fch17

Thanks for stopping by!

The Green, Green Hills of Ireland

My latest release, OUT OF THE BLUE, is a time travel romance with suspense elements. The heroine, Deirdre Dougherty is an Irish clairvoyant herbalist and healer who travels from 1845 Ireland to drop into our time. I thought I’d set the mood by discussing the first trip Hero and I took to Ireland.

Do you love green rolling hills, thatched cottages, corner pubs, and friendly people? Who doesn’t love those things? Which is why Ireland is a great travel destination. Unless you're a smoker--public smoking is no longer allowed in Ireland. Great for people with allergies, like Hero and me. Not great if you're a pack a day person who has no intention of quitting.

The Irish are friendly to Americans. After so many Irishmen emigrated to America, Irish citizens seem to consider that visitors from the U.S. are only coming “home” for a visit. Hero and I found open, welcoming people wherever we traveled in Ireland. As they should be. After all, our ancestry includes many Scot-Irish, and we were visiting the old country.

Our first visit was through Brendan Tours, and Willie Guilfoyle was our driver and guide. His knowledge of Irish history amazed us. In other trips since then, no guide has been as well informed as Willie. In fact,on all counts Brendan Tours is a lovely group with whom to travel.

Flying in to Shannon airport, the verdant landscape surprised me. I’d heard about the Emerald Isle, but was unprepared for the landscape's vibrant shades of green. In travels across the United States, Canada, Mexico, the UK, and western Europe, I have to say that Ireland is the prettiest spot we’ve seen. In fact, I wanted to move into a lovely cottage in Adare, but my husband dragged me to the rest of our tour. In subsequent trips, we've noticed the country is changing since the adoption of the Euro and entrance into the European Common Market. This has brought Europeans buying up land and building houses as vacation homes.

The food was superb. Irish dairy products are the best I've ever eaten--even tastiet than in Switzerland. Fresh wild salmon is often served. Potatoes are served with everything in the evening, often in two dishes such as boiled new potatoes and mashed potatoes at the same meal. Carrots and parsnips mashed together--the thought of which gagged me until I ate it--turned out to taste delicious. Strict guidelines are in place to protect the Irish environment. Only clean businesses are invited. (Once at home when we booked an American hotel, the registration agent was in Ireland. No toxic waste from a phone call.)

We couldn't miss Blarney Castle and the Blarney Stone. Hero climbed to the top and kissed the stone—not an easy feat. To accomplish this, he had to lie on his back partially suspended over a wall and tilt his head to kiss the opposite wall. Fortunately, there was an assistant to keep him from plunging to his death. Me? I waited at the bottom of the 110 steps for Hero's return. After all, no one in my family needs to actually kiss the Blarney Stone. We were born with the gift of (sometimes creative) gab!

We also attended several Ceilidhs. These are musical parties. Dancers and singers are always accompanied by violinists. Usually the music also includes the bhodran (hand drum), harmonica, concertina or accordian, and the Irish bagpipe. Differing from the Scots, an Irish piper pumps the bellows between his ribs and his arm and the sound is sweeter than from the Scottish cousin. Sometimes a guitar or a banjo completes the accompaniment.The Ceilidh is a cheerful and fun way to spend an evening..

Across Ireland, we saw celtic crosses either as tombstones or decoration. Beside the roads in many places are creches dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Ruins from when the English destroyed Roman Catholic chapels litter the country. I hate to make general statements, but I consider the Irish to be religious and most to be Catholic. We stopped at the site of miraculous healing at the Chapel in Knoch. Nuns will pray for you and you can fill out a card to let friends and family know you’ve placed them on the special daily prayer list. Blessed water is also for sale.

Dublin is a bustling city formed where once sat a Viking stronghold. The town’s name means black pool. Dublin is a modern city with cheerful businesses and lots of flower boxes and hanging baskets brightening up the streets. Most homes have lovely gardens and hanging baskets. Although we entered through Shannon airport, we departed from Dublin on our first visit. 

One thing to remember, not every place has air conditioning to which we in the United States have become accustomed. For this reason, you might want to avoid the high summer months. We usually travel in May or September. The weather is still fine, but not as hot as in July and August.
Our visits were all too short. Next time, we plan to rent a cottage, purchase a rail pass, and spend a month in Ireland. Hmmm, I wonder if that cottage in Adare is available?