Cheryl Blaydon

artist, author

After twenty-plus years as a painter, Cheryl’s portfolio has expanded to include her fifth novel. Hailing from upstate New York, she has worked in big business, sailed boats in the Caribbean and traveled through many European countries. Working from her East Boothbay studio, Cheryl continues to exhibit her oil paintings during Boothbay Region Art Foundation seasonal shows, as well as year-round at Boothbay Harbor Framers’ Gallery. Her work is an extension of her passion for the sea and the vibrant charm of the Maine coast and its people.

Cheryl Blaydon

artist, author

An artist for twenty plus years, Cheryl’s portfolio has expanded to include three novels. Whether painting or writing, her subjects reflect her ancestral ties and her passion for the sea. Hailing from upstate New York, she has worked in big business, sailed boats in the Caribbean and traveled through many countries in Europe. Adding to that, art classes in Florida and plein air workshops on the coast of Maine, and many of her experiences eventually turned into a series of oils on canvas. Her artwork is exhibited in season at the Boothbay Region Art Foundation and year-round at Fore Street Gallery, Portland, and Boothbay Harbor Framers’ Gallery. In 2009 Cheryl began to research her maternal roots, a hobby which eventually led to her first book and a brand new passion for writing. She has since delved into those hardy Mainers that make up her paternal clan, and with the easel set off to one side of her East Boothbay studio, she is presently working on her fourth novel.

SITE BY PORTFOLIO NEW ENLAND™

Dancing at the Colony

Two women, two generations, two weddings. Dancing at the Colony takes the reader through the lives of strong Maine women, the bonds of deep friendship, DNA discoveries, and love with a twist.

"Cheryl Blaydonʹs prose crackles in this insightful tale of life, love, and secrets on the coast of Maine. Two women, from very different generations, plan a wedding. One is haunted by her past and what might have been, while the younger one seeks the promise of a new beginning. Dancing at the Colony is a wonderful read.ʺ

—BRUCE ROBERT COFFIN, Agatha Nominee and bestselling author of the Detective Byron Mysteries.

"Someone once said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, that person obviously never read Cheryl Blaydon’s Dancing at the Colony. Hazel, the protagonist, Ellis, the main character and the ancillary characters are so well drawn they will come to life before your eyes and you will feel as if you’ve known them for years. You will share in their restless sea of emotions and undercurrents of life’s private indiscretions. A consummate wordsmith, Blaydon paints such rich, robust word pictures you will feel the ocean spray on your face and taste the salt in the breeze. The story is steeped in nostalgia and the sense of urgency that comes with aging. The good thing about getting older is that you’ve seen it all, lived it all, felt it all—and now you can take a moment to share what you’ve learned".

—JAMES D.A. TERRY, Chasing the Wendigo

The Heart of Stone

"The charm and eccentricities of Hannah’s cottage—a strange mix of Victorian and God knows what—have made her laugh and cry and at times nearly brought Prudence to her knees. The commemorative treasure (like a smooth stone left in sunlight), the one with the man’s photo inside, is continually around her neck just as it was Hannah’s, the quest for his identity never from Pru’s thoughts."

Cheryl Blaydon

Cheryl Blaydon

Dancing at the Colony

Beyond the Ledge

The Heart of Stone

The Memory Keepers

Island Odyssey

Published by North Country Press , Unity, ME