new features on the site

Welcome to the new Chocolatour site! It has the same URL as the old Chocolatour.net site but everything you find here is new or newly polished. That includes six years of blog posts that have been migrated from the former writer’s/lifestyle blog at http://doreenpendgracs.com and the former travel blog at http://diversionswithdoreen.com. Those posts, and any comments you may have made on them have been migrated to this amazing new site that has been created by three of us. Me, along with the expertise of two amazing women:

Jennifer Cook of Cats in the Bag design in Montreal, Canada. Jennifer designed the fabulous chocolate globe logo for Chocolatour that you see at the top of this site, the banner that now appears here as well as on my social media pages, and the icons you see on this page.

and

Sherryl Perry of Keep Up With the Web in Massachusetts, USA. Sherryl has been my web manager since 2011 and is fantastic to work with. She has designed the technical aspects of this site by modifying a custom theme to meets our needs.

Here are some of the new features Sherryl has designed:

On the About Chocolatour page, you will find a slideshow in the body of the page. Please take a look! It’s a quick slideshow with a dozen photos that will take you on a brief tour of what Chocolatour is all about.

On the About Doreen page, you’ll find a lengthier slideshow with 40 different slides from around the world depicting highlights of my chocolate travel journeys. Those appear in the sidebar to the right of your screen. If your device doesn’t display the sidebar, please turn your screen to landscape mode and you will see it.

graphic by Jennifer Cook

You can access the library of blog posts from the homepage or via the Blog tab in the navigational menu. What’s new, is the menu of categories you will find in the righthand sidebar, as well as a mini-image to give you a taste of each post that we have to offer. The main categories are:

Travel: there are 169 posts in this category that will bring you stories from around the world.

Chocolate: there are 214 posts in this category that will share information about a chocolate company or something of interest in the world of chocolate.

Chocolate Events: there are 54 posts in this category that highlight chocolate events I have attended, or chocolate events I have or can organize on your behalf.

Writing: there are 105 posts in this category to share writing tips and discussion on what it’s like to be a writer, blogger, author and professional freelance writer.

Lifestyle: there are 18 posts in this category. Lifestyle posts are those that encapsulate our discussions on virtues, volunteerism, and life in general. We’ve had some great discussions on each of these posts in the past. Please check them out.

Manitoba: there are 89 posts in this category. I live in Manitoba, Canada, and occasionally write about events or culture in my province that I have found of interest, and hope you will, too.

tastings

If you would like to hire me to coordinate a guided chocolate tasting, a chocolate and wine pairing event, or chocolate pairing with any libation or theme, please visit the Hire Doreen Page. If you like what I’m doing in the Chocolatour project, and would would like to partner with me, please visit the Hire Doreen page or get in touch via the Contact page. Recent freelance stories can be found on the Hire Doreen page as well. I can write to please any audience.

The Media Room features a few selected media interviews and video of me explaining my goals for Chocolatour.

And the Store is where you can purchase Chocolatour books in print or e-book (pdf format), directly from me, or via Amazon. I also have a limited supply of my previous title, Before You Say Yes … A Guide to the Pleasures & Pitfalls of Volunteer Boards that I can offer you at a discounted price. It has been called the “volunteer’s bible” for anyone who volunteers on a non-profit board or committee. There is more of a description of that book on the About Doreen page, as I have been a lifelong volunteer.

That’s it in a nutshell! I hope you will enjoy perusing the site, and that you will find a selection of blog posts to tantalize your mind, your quest for travel, or your palate. Please subscribe to the blog via the Subscribe box you see at the right. It will then send you notice (via Mail Chimp) of every new post on this site. Many thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Doreen Pendgracs

Known throughout the Web as the "Wizard of Words", I've been a freelance writer since 1993. I researched and wrote Volume I of Chocolatour that won a Readers' favourite Award in 2014. Always enjoy experiencing new destinations and flavours.

32 Responses

  1. Mohit Goel says:

    Thanks for sharing this valuable post with us.

    You have good content and I am so impressed with your writing style. Thanks for sharing your interesting content with us.

  2. gardenley says:

    Amazing and great look. Your blog is so clean and reads comfortable. Thanks for sharing your expertise with us.

  3. Francis says:

    Really enjoy your post, I have been trying to rank my blog and is struck around 50 to 70 position.

  4. Dhruv Patel says:

    Indeed great information you shared here. People wondering for this information from last couples of days but today you shared awesome tips in free. Because of for making website first of all find the search volume then after keyword and etc. Thank you for most valuable updates.

  5. Debra Smith says:

    Beautiful site Doreen! I could spend hours on here dreaming about chocolate!

  6. I just discovered your blog site and as a chocolate lover myself, I’m looking forward to reading about your chocolate travels. What a fun concept…I’m jealous!! 🙂
    Laurie Oien recently posted…Soul Searching With Grace and FrankieMy Profile

  7. Hi Doreen, Beautiful website redesign. I’m so glad to see that all your writing and philosophical “how to live well” posts were retained, as well as all the people who already subscribed. As usual, you are an inspiration.
    Tracey Arial recently posted…Vincent Massey’s War-time ContributionMy Profile

  8. What a beautiful website. Congratulations! I love how you’ve set it up. The art is incredible. Your new logo is fabulous. The blog is amazing. It’s obvious you had a great team to work with and compliment your own special vision! Well done. Kudos all around.
    Suzanne Boles recently posted…BlogMy Profile

  9. Jeri says:

    Congrats on taking the plunge and bringing all of your blogging endeavors together under one domain! The new logo is absolutely fantastic and quite memorable 🙂
    Jeri recently posted…#AuthorInterview: Diana MarinovaMy Profile

  10. Doreen,

    It’s been a pleasure working with you on this project. A lot of brainstorming went into this and we definitely have a few more tweaks that we can make.

    I love seeing your new brand across all your social networking accounts too!
    Sherryl Perry recently posted…How Convincing Content Can Get Your Customers to BuyMy Profile

  11. Ceci says:

    LOVE the new look, new site and new functionality. When I first opened it up the amazing banner and logo design at the top captivated me! Well Done!!!!!

    • Thanks so much, Ceci. Jennifer is truly an amazing designer. If you happen to be on Google Plus, she posts there daily and always has a unique design and message of the day to share.

  12. Looks great, Doreen! I love the new banner, and it makes sense to consolidate it all into one blog. Congratulations!
    Rachel Heller recently posted…Hong Kong ImpressionsMy Profile

    • Thanks so much, Rachel. I think I’m going to order a physical banner from VistaPrint.com of my new site banner so that I can have it up at chocolate events that I do. By the way, they’re having a 50% off site-wide sale that ends tomorrow. VistaPrint is great to deal with!
      Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…new features on the siteMy Profile

  13. Congratulations, Doreen! Love your new masthead. Will you focusing your blog now exclusively on chocolate? I enjoyed your other topics, too.
    Jeannette Paladino recently posted…To Order a New Service Press 1 – Again and AgainMy Profile

    • Absolutely not, Jeannette! Chocolate and chocolate events are just 2 of the 6 categories of posts you will find on my new blog. It is an integration of the previous 3 sites, and I will continue to write on all those topics. I’m glad you like the new design. My designer felt it was important to drive home the Chocolatour message as that’s where the efforts of my business point to, but I am still a freelance writer and will be adding a bit more about that. Did you read the About Doreen Page? There’s a super slideshow there in the sidebar as well as a pretty detailed bio. Cheers!

  14. Such a terrific looking website Doreen! Am getting ready to hop over to your media page. That’s usually where I really find out about my blogger and author connections. The redesign from Sherryl, Jennifer and you, looks well, so chocolaty! Best wishes going forward.
    Patricia Weber recently posted…Studies that show extroverts are generally happierMy Profile

  15. Wow – the site looks fantastic Doreen! Very user friendly, professional, and so much info under one roof. Well done to you and your team:-)
    Kathy Andrew recently posted…9 Famous #Authors Rejected by PublishersMy Profile

    • Thanks SO much, Kathy. It indeed has been a lot of work to get to this point, but I am thrilled at what we have collaboratively come up with. It’s not 100% finished yet, but we will add a few more features as time goes by. Thanks again for your friendship and support. 🙂
      Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…new features on the siteMy Profile

  16. Catarina says:

    Love your new site, Doreen. It is so much better in every sense and way. Jennifer, Sherryl and you did a fantastic job!
    Catarina recently posted…Branding for success in our global world!My Profile

    • Thx so much, Catarina. Having a website means nurturing and evolving a ‘living’ thing. If you don’t keep it new and fresh, you lose people, don’t you? Thx for being along on the Chocolatour journeys with me virtually over the years.
      Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…new features on the siteMy Profile

  17. Cheryl says:

    It looks fantastic! Well done to everyone involved. I appreciate the explanation as well.
    Cheryl recently posted…#greenworks Twin Force Dual Blade Mower: ReviewMy Profile

  18. Very nicely done. I know it was allot of hard work, but it sure was worth it in the end. Now onward and upward.
    Susan Cooper recently posted…Folie à Deux Chardonnay: #WineMy Profile

    • Thanks, Susan. I felt this explanatory post was necessary, as one of my friends had looked at the site and only got the chocolate message. I hope she (and others) will now understand that the site offers so much more. Cheers!

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