Danita Minnis

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Cheryl Holt will be awarding an autographed print copy of the book (US ONLY) to 10 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.

Author Interview: Cheryl Holt

1. How did you choose your genre? What made you write this book?

I usually write historical romances, and I am renowned as a “master” of the romance genre.  For years now, I have been writing linked trilogies, where I release all three books on the same day.  I always have very complex plots and riveting characters, as well as a plot thread that ties all three books together.  It’s really complicated and draining!

When I finished my three trilogy books last summer, I was really exhausted.  My brain was fried, and I simply couldn’t get going on my next trilogy for 2021.  Finally, I decided to write something else, so I could refresh my brain and my creative energy.  For years, I had been wanting to write a contemporary women’s novel that would target readers who enjoy authors like Elin Hilderbrand and Jennifer Weiner.  So I wrote a contemporary novel with that audience in mind.

It was fun and invigorating, and when I was done with it, my brain had total reset.

2. Writers write what they know and must observe the world. Are you a first born, middle or last child and how does this shape your view of the world?

I’m a middle kid, but I never think about how that “shaped” me.  I just write books and have fun. 

3. Where is your favorite place to write?

I’ve been lucky with my writing novels.  Since I published my 13th one, I’ve earned enough money to stay home and write full time.  I’m at over sixty novels now and still going strong.  I have an office in my home, and I spend nearly all my time, locked away in it and writing, writing, writing.  I produce three novels per year, so I work really hard.

4. How do you feel about killing your darlings, and what do you do with the remains?

In A Summer Wedding, I don’t kill anyone for a change!  So spoiler alert:  There are no dead characters at the end.  There are some who are so miserable by the end that they probably wish they were dead!

I’m mostly a historical romance writer, and if you’ve read many of them, you will be shocked to hear that I often kill off a villain using very old-fashioned murder.  Usually, in historicals, the hero will duel with the bad guy.  Not in my books.  In my books, the hero takes the bad guy out in the woods and slits his throat.  I’m renowned as the “International Queen of Villains” so I write some of the best (worst) villains in American fiction, and they always get their just desserts.  When I kill them off, it’s always very fun.

5. You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them?

I don’t have a favorite author.  I read constantly.  It’s the only way to become a great writer, and I like any well-written book.  It doesn’t matter what genre or time period.  If the writing is good, I’ll read it.  It has to be fast paced though, with snappy dialogue, and great characters.  Otherwise, I don’t bother.

6. Inquiring minds want to know…tell readers something about you that no one knows.

When I was thirty, I lived on Maui, in the Hawaiian Islands, and I started the first soup kitchen in Hawaii.  It’s still going after 25 years and has served 2 million suppers.  Even though I’ve published over 60 novels, and I’m (sort of) famous around the world, I still view that soup kitchen as my greatest achievement.

7. You are stranded on a deserted island with only a backpack for company. What three items are in your survival pack?

Novels!  It’s the only thing I’d pack.  Maybe some jigsaw puzzles too.  I like to keep my brain busy!

8. If you could have one superpower in your existence, what would it be?

I think I would like to see through walls.  Or maybe fly!

9. Favorite snack?

Chocolate, of course!

10. Indy 500 – Do you know how to get where you’re going or do you drive the speed limit?

I’m the most boring person in the world, so I always drive the speed limit.

A Summer Wedding at Cross Creek

by Cheryl Holt

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GENRE: Contemporary Women’s Fiction

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BLURB:

From New York Times bestselling author, Cheryl Holt, comes a sparkling, fast-paced novel about the complexity of family—and all the ways they can drive us crazy.

The lavish Layton-Benjamin wedding promises to be an event to remember, and the groom’s wealthy parents have spared no expense to impress their guests by hosting it at the exclusive Cross Creek Inn, a private mountain retreat tucked away in the heart of the Colorado Rockies. But the bride and groom are from completely different backgrounds, and they’ve only known each other for a few months, so it’s been a ‘hurry-up’ engagement that has everyone worried.

When the groom arrives late and tempers start to flare, it’s clear the wedding is a minefield that has to be carefully navigated. As parents and friends begin taking bets over whether the happy couple will make it to the altar, secrets are revealed, new loves emerge, and true happiness is finally found.

Book your visit to the Cross Creek Inn! A witty, fun summertime story about family, friendship, and finding out what matters most—that only Cheryl Holt could tell.

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An Amazon ‘Top-100’ Bestselling Author…

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Excerpt:

Jennifer…

“It’s so beautiful here!”

Jennifer Layton spun away from the stunning scenery out the window of her hotel room, and she smiled at her father, Greg.

“I suppose it’s all right,” he replied.

“You suppose?” she asked.  “Don’t injure yourself by exhibiting too much enthusiasm.”

She had three siblings, but she’d always been his favorite.  It was an open and established family fact about which they all joked.  On hearing her remark, he was instantly chastened.

“I’m sorry, peanut.  It’s marvelous, and I’m delighted by it too.”

She grinned.  “That’s more like it.”

From the minute she’d phoned to tell him she’d gotten engaged and was planning a quick wedding, he’d been slow to exhibit the attitude a girl ought to expect from her only parent.  He was a widower and carpenter whose wife died of cancer when his four children were very small.  Jennifer had just been eight at the time.

He’d spent his life providing for them as best he could.  He was sensible and pragmatic, with strong views about the world and his place in it.  He’d never been the type to reach out and grab for more than he’d been given, but he’d wanted more for her and her siblings than he’d ever been able to supply.  In that, he’d been very generous. 

He’d encouraged her to spread her wings, to go to college and move on to a great future, and she’d done exactly that.  She’d fled their home in Portland, Oregon, to attend college in Eugene, then she’d flitted off to sunny, exciting Los Angeles.

In the process, she’d fallen in love with Eric Benjamin.  He was disgustingly rich and had grown up in an environment so different from hers that he might have been raised on the moon.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

CHERYL HOLT is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon “Top 100” bestselling author who has published over fifty novels. 

She’s also a lawyer and mom, and at age forty, with two babies at home, she started a new career as a commercial fiction writer.  She’d hoped to be a suspense novelist, but couldn’t sell any of her manuscripts, so she ended up taking a detour into romance where she was stunned to discover that she has a knack for writing some of the world’s greatest love stories.   

Her books have been released to wide acclaim, and she has won or been nominated for many national awards.  She is considered to be one of the masters of the romance genre.  For many years, she was hailed as “The Queen of Erotic Romance”, and she’s also revered as “The International Queen of Villains.”  She is particularly proud to have been named “Best Storyteller of the Year” by the trade magazine Romantic Times BOOK Reviews.

She lives and writes in Hollywood, California, and she loves to hear from fans.  Visit her website at www.cherylholt.com.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialcherylholt/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/theCherylHolt

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/36853.Cheryl_Holt

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QNMMNJW/ref=sr_1_1

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