Behind the Story: The Chapel

Once upon a time, there was a chapel. Yeah, yeah. You get the idea.
Anyway, this chapel is in Montgomery Bell State Park, where Heather Greer, Regina Merrick, Erin Howard, and I met during a writers' retreat. During said retreat, we were prompted to come up with a story idea using a location in the park. We all automatically thought of the chapel. This one is actually a replica of the original, but it's so pretty. There are stained glass windows lining each side and three at the front.
This chapel doesn't have classroom wings or bathrooms or anything like that. But still, you step inside and it fills you with this sense of peace and quiet, something hard to find in the world around us.
From our story idea at retreat came the idea for this whole series. Including the family chapel the series revolves around. Of course, we couldn't make our chapel exactly like the original. It had to fit our stories and characters. 

Hence, the birth of Park Haven Chapel in little Park Haven, TN (a town we made up). Our chapel is built by Uncle Brendan in Window of Opportunity. He's brought the big stained glass window with the Celtic cross all the way from Ireland.
Through the years, the chapel has to go through repairs and additions, but underneath everything, it holds their family, their traditions, and their faith within its walls. It's where they go to find a quiet moment with God. Or to soak in the calm as the sunlight gleams through the stained-glass window.
Do you have a place like that in your life? Could you imagine having a wedding there? Well, get ready. Because that's what's going to happen in my book ... SOON!

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Just a few more days until release! I can't hardly believe it. The book is on pre-order now, and you can save a dollar by ordering your kindle book before release day.

Lennox Malone may not believe in love, but she’s determined to do the best job she can as her friend Sara Beth’s maid of honor. Problem is, the man in charge of fixing up the chapel doesn’t match her determination. Fighting against preconceived notions, a past that catches up to her, and an attraction she wants nothing to do with, this wedding is turning into more than she can handle.
Ty Dunne might be laid back and easy-going, but he’s determined to make sure the chapel is ready for his cousin’s wedding. Not only is it his duty as best man, but he wants to preserve the family’s history in the building. If only he could live up to his family’s other expectations—or those of Lennox Malone, the fiery redhead he can’t stop thinking about. Before he can go any further with her, though, he has to convince her that love is real and worth the risk.
Lennox has built her walls high and sturdy, but Ty is determined to find a way in—even if it’s a window. Maybe the history of the chapel itself along with the romance of a wedding will help.

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