A Summer Wedding at Cross Creek
by Cheryl Holt
GENRE: Contemporary Women’s Fiction
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.
* * * *
An Amazon ‘Top-100’ Bestselling Author…
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.
Interview with Cheryl Holt
**What made you want to become a writer?
From the time I was a little girl, I always wanted to be a writer. I didn’t know how to do it though. I had no idea how a novel was written. Nor did I know anything about the fiction market, the genres, the publishing companies, or anything else.
Then, I had two babies back-to-back, and my husband and I decided I would stay home with them, while he continued to work at his job. I had to replace the income I lost by leaving the job market, and I decided (like the clueless person I am) that I would have plenty of “free time” while I was loafing at home with two tiny babies to take care of. I figured I could use that time to start writing novels. I would write fast, sell them quickly and easily, then make a ton of money, and all of my financial problems would be solved.
Have I mentioned I’m clueless about life? I started writing and quickly learned that I had no idea how to write a commercially saleable novel. What I found to be even harder was the business side of things, such as finding an agent and actually selling a novel. That was horrendously difficult!
It took me four years of writing constantly before I got good enough to sell a manuscript. It was quite a pitiful historical romance. And the price I was paid? $2,000!
It took a very long time to get going and to actually make some sustainable money at it, but I’ve always been stubborn, so I didn’t quit Now, I’ve written and published over sixty novels. I’m glad I took this path, and it’s been a good career for me. But it was never easy.
**What inspired you to write A Summer Wedding at Cross Creek Inn?
I made a name for myself as a historical romance writer, and nearly all of my published novels have been historical romances set in Regency England. (That’s the time period Jane Austin lived and wrote in.) But last summer, I finished my Summer, 2020, books earlier than I thought I would. I needed to get writing on my trilogy for 2021, but the trilogy I’d just finished was very complex, with involved plotting and characters, and my brain was tired. I couldn’t get working on another book.
So I decided to take a break and write something else that would be fun and different. I knew it would give me some new energy, and it really did. Once I finished, I was happy and relaxed and eager to get back to my next historical novels.
**Can you tell us a little bit about the characters?
I’m renowned for my intricate characters and detailed plotting, so this is a novel that has several plot threads, and there are several main characters. I’m also known as the “International Queen of Villains”, so I have some characters who really wreak havoc. And of course, every character gets his or her just desserts in the end.
Basically, it’s a story about two very different families who get together for their kids’ wedding, but the two families are so different that it’s like they’re from different planets.
One family is uber-rich, with the dad a Hollywood mogul. The other is a working-class Oregon family with a dad who is a carpenter. The bride and groom have only known each other for a few months, and they got engaged much quicker than they should have. As they all lock themselves away at the exclusive, posh Cross Creek Inn, in the heart of the Colorado Rockies, the disparities start eating away at everyone, and very quickly, all the guests begin to wonder if the wedding will actually happen.
**You know we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?
I don’t have a favorite author. I like any well-written book, set in any era or genre, but it has to be great writing. It has to be fast-paced, have snappy dialogue, and keep me turning the pages. Otherwise, I don’t bother. There are so many great books out there, and I like to whip through as many as I can.
It’s one of the ways to become a great writer too: by reading all the time. So I read constantly.
**Can you tell us about your next book or what you have planned for the future?
I am one of the “masters” of the romance genre, so my next project will come in August, 2021, and it will be my new ‘Cads’ trilogy. For several years now, I have released linked trilogies where the three novels are bound by a single premise that starts with the plot set-up at the beginning of Book #1 and resolves at the end of Book #3. Each book is a stand-alone novel, but they’re connected by the plot and characters. I release them on the same day so my fans can read the whole story without having to wait for the next installment.
The three books are titled, CAD’S PICK, CAD’S WISH, and CAD’S CHOICE.
**What did you enjoy most about writing A Summer Wedding at Cross Creek Inn?
I loved writing it because I always write historical novels that are set in London around 1814. I use very typical characters for the time period, so the people, clothes, settings, dialogue, and every other aspect are always constrained by the social rules of the time.
A Summer Wedding is a contemporary novel, so I was able to use more shocking circumstances and place my characters in racier situations. The female characters especially get to have a bigger “world” in which to roam in the story. The groom’s family are all uber-rich and from LA, and I live and write in Hollywood, so I was able to let my vivid imagination paint pictures of the kinds of people I encounter here.
It was a ton of fun to write, and I think readers will find it to be a ton of fun to read.
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.
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