Saturday, September 27, 2008

An ego boost of a day!

Writers adore praise and recognition, well, I do anyway.

Today my daughter called me from the Barnes & Noble store in the Palisades Mall, West Nyack NY to tell me that she just passed a display and there were copies of Bartlett's Rule on the table!

She said her thoughts were "Hey, that book looks familiar... wait a minute!"

I chuckled but it really does feel good to hear this. And yes folks, the Barnes & Noble Palisades store DOES carry two of my novels, Bartlett's Rule and Forgotten. So please visit them and buy my books!

Also, be sure to mark your calendars for Tuesday, October 14 at 7PM for the Local Authors Night at Barnes & Noble Palisades - I'll be there!
~~~~~
An online article was brought to my attention today - I'm mentioned in it.
It's a terrific article and very helpful to all writers. Please give it a read and DON'T miss my name... How to Write an Excellent First Draft for Novelists, Freelance Writers, & Editors By Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen
~~~~~
Powell's Books located in Oregon is another source for my novels, Bartlett's Rule and Forgotten - you can order them online right here. Or you can go into any of their six locations and if they don't have it on the shelf (please ask them why not?), they can order it for in-store pickup.
~~~~~
Finally, I have been thrilled ever since Shelagh Watkins sent me the link for the Forever Friends anthology - Forever Friends is collection of stories and poems, created by members of the Published Authors Forum on the world wide web and edited by Shelagh. My short story Not Alone is in this fantastic collection. Please check it out.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Put these on your holiday shopping list!

Bundled Books from
Vanilla Heart Publishing

Gift Pack of all three fabulous
Chelle Cordero novels of 2008!
Great for gift-giving or to treasure yourself!

Bartlett's Rule and Secondary Survivors

This fabulous bundle pack incorporates fiction (Bartlett's Rule by Chelle Cordero) and non-fiction (Secondary Survivors by Namid) to bring comfort and knowledge to survivors and their loved ones in a presentation of healing and hope.

Vanilla Heart Publishing
more great Bundled Books
all at 20% discount!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

check out my Naymz profile...

Chelle Cordero


Find me on the web, read my blogs, network with me and see my professional credits.
Links:

CCE613's Xanga Site
Book promos, Entertainment reviews, Women-in-Charge profiles and lots of random stuff!

Chelle Cordero, Author
All the latest about my books and other writing.

Rikki's Ramblings
...just about life in general
Links

ChelleWrites Yahoo Group
Members sign up for an email newsletter and other info about Chelle Cordero

Triond - chelle cordero
a few random articles - currently "A Writer's Life" series
Professional info

Book tour author Page
Author events and appearances for Chelle Cordero

Chelle Cordero - FREE-LANCE WRITER
list of published credits

LinkedIn - Chelle Cordero
Independent Writing and Editing Professional

Ziggs - Chelle Cordero professional profile
Professional networking site
Profiles

AuthorsDen profile
Where Authors and Readers come together

Chelle Cordero, VHP Author
Vanilla Heart Publishing Author profile

Goodreads - Chelle Cordero profile
What we are reading...
Social networks

Facebook - Chelle Cordero
Social Network

Friendster - Chelle Cordero
Social Network site

Inked In profile
A social Network community for writers, musicians and artists

MySpace.com - Rikki
Social Networking site

Monday, September 22, 2008

A year in the life of this writer...

September 22nd is an important date as it marks the 100 day countdown of 2008.

So many good things have happened in 2008 as far as my writing goes - I made a wonderful connection with Vanilla Heart Publishing and had my novels Bartlett's Rule and Forgotten published.

I've had the excitement of online interviews, meeting reporters, store book signings and blog talk radio interviews. I've spent hours on the phone with Kimberlee (VHP Managing Editor) brainstorming innovative marketing and promotion methods for my books - Thank goodness for nationwide calling plans!

I have made a lot of terrific friendships and contacts with other writers like Namid, Karen Harrington, Sophia Dembling, Smoky Trudeau, Ryan Callaway, Mary Quast, Malcolm Cambell, Jackie, Zulmara, Esmaa and the complete line of VHP Authors. ...and I know I haven't listed everyone! And I don't have room to list all of the new and re-connected friendships I have made courtesy of MySpace and Facebook.

In addition to the hard print copies of my books, VHP also decided to release them in E-Book versions - get your Bartlett's Rule or Forgotten E-Book now and save shipping and handling, get it immediately and read it at your leisure - you can even resize the print on your computer screen!

So 2008 has been a wonderfully productive year for me - and there are 100 more fantastic days to celebrate. By November, my next romance novel will be available, Within the Law. And I have a few author appearances and book signings scheduled, look for me at the West Nyack NY Barnes & Noble (Palisades Center Mall) on Tuesday October 14 and at Rose Memorial Library in Stony Point NY on Wednesday October 15. There's lots more to come!

Saturday, September 20, 2008

I'm so excited...


And I just can't hide it...

I'm going KINDLE...


KINDLE is a terrific concept - a wireless reader that holds hundreds of books and publications in a mere 10.3 ounces - with 6" diagonal E-Ink® electronic paper display, 600 x 800 pixel resolution at 167 ppi, 4-level gray scale. It's as easy to read as your favorite book!

KINDLE uses a wireless technology similiar to cell phones, so you don't have to find any Wi-Fi hotspots to search the Kindle store and download your purchases instantly.

KINDLE has six adjustable font sizes to suit your reading preference. Simply increase the text size of your favorite book or periodical with the push of a button.

Forgotten by Chelle Cordero - KINDLE version

Forgotten by Chelle Cordero - .pdf E-Book

Forgotten by Chelle Cordero - print from Vanilla Heart Publishing

Forgotten by Chelle Cordero - print from Amazon.com

~~~~~

Forgotten is an unforgettable romance about two people who meet by chance, love by choice and are torn apart by intrigue.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Buy it off of the shelf...

Rockland County residents can purchase their very own copies of Bartlett's Rule and Forgotten at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in the Palisades Mall, West Nyack NY.



...but don't worry if you aren't near West Nyack in New York - If your local Barnes and Noble store doesn't carry these books on the store shelves (ask them why not?!), ALL Barnes and Noble stores can order the book(s) in for you - just tell them at the Info desk that you want a Chelle Cordero novel.
~~~~~

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Don't miss out on the latest news!

Sign up for the ChelleWrites Yahoo group - an announcement-only list of people who would like to receive e-newsletters from author, Chelle Cordero. These e-newsletters concern news about new releases of books by Chelle Cordero, major articles, appearances and other author events.




Click to join ChelleWrites


Every time something important happens concerning my writing career,I scramble through my email address book to let my friends and familyknow - and then I always manage to forget someone!

I will not spam - I will not spam - I will not spam.

But what I do plan to do is send out updates about my books and my significant writing news. So... if you choose to accept membership in this group, I will keep you up-to-date on all of the news that's fit to print about what has been printed!

Members have access to downloadable files about my books, photos and my event calendar.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Forgotten is featured in a Nikki Leigh blog

Check out "Start at the Beginning" - a Nikki Leigh promotional blog

Nikki Leigh offers authors some really terrific opportunities to promote our work - check her out.

She is an award winning fiction and non fiction author. She hosts the sensational "Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours" and is the author of "Book Promo 101"

Here are some other Nikki Leigh sites where my books have been featured:



Sunday, September 14, 2008

Online Book Discussion - Bartlett's Rule

Last Sunday we enjoyed a very lively book discussion at Origin Books, Art & Coffee in the Nanuet Mall about Bartlett's Rule.

Among the topics we discussed was Hal's death (I am sure that EVERYONE has read this book by now - if not, skip ahead to learn how you can get your own copy (print or e-book)...

Be advised - if you HAVEN'T read Bartlett's Rule yet, this will be a spoiler: (skip ahead to after the picture of the book)

There was a lot of discussion about Hal's death - Did Lon kill him or was it an accident? Did/should Lon feel guilty? Did/should Paige blame Lon? How do YOU feel about Hal's death? Do you feel literary justice was better served by his death or would have been better served by arrest?

Please weigh in on this topic - leave your answers below under "Comments".


(.pdf file, NO shipping, instant delivery & great price!)

(convenient online shopping)
Some of your local bookstores are carrying it
ON THE SHELF IN-STORE
so go in and ask.
ALL Barnes & Noble bookstores can order it in.
~~~~~

Saturday, September 13, 2008

What Malcolm has to say...

Hey there,

You know Keisha keeps getting upset with me but I really feel for Brandon - I mean the man loves his woman, he really does love her. But she gets all ticked off at him, yeah, maybe I can understand some of that but still, give the guy a break.

I am really trying to be buddies with Brandon, he's a pretty good guy. And I can relate to what he's going through... after all, I spent some time in Africa chasing Keisha. Oh yeah, Keisha is my lady and she's best friends with Caitlyn.

So Keisha got really ticked off with me the night of our wedding because I clued Brandon in on where Caitlyn was going to be. I was lucky because Caitlyn wound up covering for me - but you know, if she could give me that kind of a break, maybe she could be a little more patient with poor Brandon. Man, he really has it bad...

Well I'm interested in what you have to say about things. You know we could pop open a couple of beers and complain about the womenfolk. In the meanwhile I'm going to head off to bed. Keisha's already there and, well... I'm no dummy.

Guess I'll be seeing you around. In the meantime, check us out in Forgotten. Hey, you know what, here's a freebie... the whole crowd gets together again in another one of Chelle Cordero's books, Within the Law (due out Nov 2008).

Malcolm

Friday, September 12, 2008

A Gourmet Tour Through My Novels

I noticed that there is at least one prominant dish served in each of my novels so I thought it might be fun to share a few of these recipes with you:


In Bartlett's Rule, Paige cooks Tortellini Alfredo for Lon when he visits her apartment in Delaware -


TORTELLINI ALFREDO
Printed from COOKS.COM

1 lb. tortellini1
pkg. frozen peas partially thawed
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 c. Pecorino or Parmesan cheese
3/4 c. heavy cream or half and half
Walnuts (optional)
6 oz. Prosciutto or ham, shredded (optional)

Place peas in colander. Cook tortellini as directed (on firm side). Drain from colander. In pot on low heat, melt butter, mix with cream. Return tortellini and peas to pot. On low heat, mix well with butter/cream, add cheese, salt, and pepper; mix well. Add optional ingredient(s).


In Forgotten, Aunt Syl cooks up a meal of Hearty Beef Stew because it is one of Tommy's favorites -

HEARTY BEEF STEW
Printed from COOKS.COM

1 1/2 to 2 lb. boneless beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 tbsp. oil
2 c. water
8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 beef-flavor bouillon cubes or 2 tsp. instant beef bouillon
2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 med. onions, quartered
1 bay leaf
6 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 med. potatoes, cut into pieces
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 c. water
1 c. frozen sweet peas
Chopped fresh parsley

Coat beef cubes with mixture of 1/4 cup flour, salt and pepper. In 5-quart Dutch oven, brown meat in oil. Stir in water; tomato sauce, bouillon cubes, celery, onions and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender.
Remove bay leaf. Add carrots and potatoes. Simmer covered an additional 30 to 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
In small jar with lid, add flour to water; shake well. Stir into stew mixture. Stir in peas. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils, stirring frequently. Garnish each serving with parsley. 6 (1 1/2 cup)


And in Within the Law, Alli tries to impress Tom by making Filet Mignon with mushroom gravy -

Broiled Filet Mignon with Mushroom Gravy

4 fillet steaks;
2 ts Vegetable oil
2 tb Melted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
1 cup presliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Brush steaks with oil and butter and broil 4 to 7 minutes per side; never cook until well done. Remove from pan.Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic to pan; sautee 5 minutes. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Place sour cream in a medium bowl. Gradually add mushroom mixture to sour cream, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in minced parsley. Serve gravy with steak.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Remembering - seven years...

Rockland County Residents
Janet M. Alonso 41 Stony Point NY
Calixto Anaya Jr. 35 Suffern NY
Japhet J. Aryee 49 Spring Valley NY
Richard E. Bosco 34 Suffern NY
Sgt. John Gerard Coughlin 43 Pomona NY
Welles Remy Crowther 24 Upper Nyack NY
John D' Allara 47 Pearl River NY
Bernard D. Favuzza 52 Suffern NY
Thomas Foley 32 West Nyack NY
Andrew Fredericks 40 Suffern NY
Robert Joseph Gschaar 55 Spring Valley NY
Dana Hannon 29 Suffern NY
Capt. Frederick Ill Jr. 49 Pearl River NY
Farah Jeudy 32 Spring Valley NY
Joseph Marchbanks Jr. 47 Nanuet NY
John Marshall 35 Congers NY
Patricia A. McAneney 50 Pomona NY
Robert Garvin McCarthy 33 Stony Point NY
Robert William McPadden 30 Pearl River NY
Luke G. Nee 44 Stony Point NY
Gerald O'Leary 34 Stony Point NY
David Ortiz 37 Nanuet NY
Lt. Vernon Allan Richard 53 Nanuet NY
Thomas G. Schoales 27 Stony Point NY
Mohammed Shajahan 41 Spring Valley NY
Gregory Sikorsky 34 Spring Valley NY
Catherine T. Smith 44 West Haverstraw NY
Robert W. Spear Jr. 30 Valley Cottage NY
Loretta A, Vero 51 Nanuet NY
Benjamin Walker 41 Suffern NY
Weibin Wang 41 Orangeburg NY
Steven Weinberg 41 New City NY
Capt. David T. Wooley 53 Nanuet NY

for a complete list: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/memorial/index.html

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Who am I?

(*took this from some promotional material I was working on...)

Who is Chelle Cordero?

Chelle Cordero is the author of Bartlett’s Rule (April 2008), Forgotten (July 2008), Within the Law (coming November 2008) and Courage of the Heart (coming spring 2009); all from Vanilla Heart Publishing.

Bartlett’s Rule shares the story of Lon and Paige’s love affair; a romance filled with hardship, emotion, danger and triumph. Falling in love was never the challenge; being there for each other, knowing just what to say and making it work is the real test. Paige and Lon are “real”; they are human, they cry and they laugh. Paige has to learn to trust. Lon has to learn to be patient.

From the introduction:
When Paige Andrews is given the assignment of courting a famous writer for the publishing company she works for, she meets and entices the sexy, charming and thoroughly dangerous womanizer, Lon Bartlett.

Lon immediately takes a not-so-professional, personal interest in the young woman and pursues her. Lon is thrilled when Paige finally succumbs to his charms only to find that her haunting past sets off a terrifying reaction. Lon learns a heartbreaking reality - Paige is a rape survivor.

Will Lon be able to change his womanizing ways? Will he want to? Will Paige ever learn to trust again? Can they learn to love and live, together?

Chelle Cordero grew up in the Bronx, NYC, the younger daughter of Reva and Marcy Cordero. She studied Theatre Arts/Drama at the High School of Art and Design and Fordham University at Lincoln Center. She married photographer and AV consultant Mark Engelman in 1975 and lives in Rockland County, NY. They raised two children – Jenni Salomon and Marc Engelman.

Forgotten is an unforgettable romance about two people who meet by chance, love by choice and are torn apart by intrigue. Their romance survives a foreign threat to national security, kidnapping, personal tragedy and a murder attempt.

One of the last things a woman wants to hear from the man she is making love with is “Who are you?” When Brandon asks that of Caitlyn less than a day after their Las Vegas wedding, her life begins a wild and out-of-control spin. Even though Brandon can’t remember Caitlyn, Brandon can’t understand why he is so attracted to a woman that his fiancé tells him he has no right to be in love with.

Ms. Cordero is a freelance writer whose articles have appeared in various publications including The Journal News, Hudson Valley Magazine, Emergency Magazine, Spotlight, Auto Trim News, EMS Products, Sound Management Magazine and more. Cordero also writes a monthly column on NYS Emergency Medical Service issues in 1st Responder Newspaper.

Chelle, Mark and both of their children (along with Jenni’s husband and Marc’s girlfriend) all volunteer for the Stony Point Volunteer Ambulance Corps in Stony Point, NY. The premier issue of Rockland Magazine (fall 2005 from The Journal News) featured an article on the family’s volunteerism.

Readers first meet Tom Hughes in Forgotten, now it’s his turn. In Within the Law, Tom is coming to terms with the greatest loss of his life when he meets Alli Davis. Alli and Tom share a mutual and passionate attraction but Alli refuses to make any commitments. She is hiding a huge secret. Tom falls in love with her and pursues her despite a false arrest, kidnapping and attempt on his life. He manages to win Alli and her trust and together they achieve their dreams.

You can learn more about Chelle Cordero and her novels and other writing at her author blog at http://chellecordero.blogspot.com/ or her online list of credits at http://www.geocities.com/bylines333/res_chelle.html
Chelle welcomes comments from her readers – she can be reached at ChelleCordero@gmail.com.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Bartlett's Rule Book Club Discussion Topics

Bartlett’s Rule shares the story of Lon and Paige’s love affair; a romance filled with hardship, emotion, danger and triumph. Falling in love was never the challenge; being there for each other, knowing just what to say and making it work is the real test. Paige and Lon are “real”; they are human, they cry and they laugh. Paige has to learn to trust. Lon has to learn to be patient.

From the introduction:
When Paige Andrews is given the assignment of courting a famous writer for the publishing company she works for, she meets and entices the sexy, charming and thoroughly dangerous womanizer, Lon Bartlett.

Lon immediately takes a not-so-professional, personal interest in the young woman and pursues her. Lon is thrilled when Paige finally succumbs to his charms only to find that her haunting past sets off a terrifying reaction. Lon learns a heartbreaking reality - Paige is a rape survivor.

Will Lon be able to change his womanizing ways? Will he want to? Will Paige ever learn to trust again? Can they learn to love and live, together?


Discussion Starters for Bartlett’s Rule by Chelle Cordero


1. How does Bartlett’s Rule explore the two distinct personalities of the main characters?
2. Discuss how the different personalities emerge in the beginning of the novel. Do these personalities stay constant?
3. How much do you think society’s expectations influenced Lon towards building his reputation as a player?
4. What pressures does society place on men in relationships? How different are those pressures now in 2008 as opposed to, let’s say, the 1950’s?
5. Lon admits he has to rethink his view of rape when he learns that Paige was raped by an ex-lover and not a stranger with a weapon. Discuss different concepts of what is rape, what is sexual abuse?
6. Have a discussion about Paige’s emotional scars and the trust she felt was betrayed. Should Paige “just get over it”? How realistic are some of her reactions? Was Paige allowing herself to move ahead? Discuss Lon’s support of her.
7. Hal attempts to blame people like Lon for the way he treated Paige. How does TV/music/movies/novels affect actions and at what point is the individual responsible for his/her own actions? For example, courtroom dramas like to blame the influence of TV, etc. for today’s violence.
8. Some TV/radio/print personalities enjoy an almost cult following and are considered “experts” in their various fields. Discuss some of these self-proclaimed “experts”: Dr. Ruth, Oprah, Dr. Phil, Geraldo, etc. Do these ‘stars’ sensationalize rape? How so?
9. How do you think you would feel if your private life, particularly romance, was scrutinized by the paparazzi? How much does a public figure owe to the public and fans in terms of privacy? How much does the media have the right to report?


To Dance Amongst the Stars – A Journey of Healing and Hope by Namid
To Dance Amongst the Stars is written to share the author’s trials and triumphs of surviving and overcoming a lifetime of sexual abuse and abusive relationships, in the hopes that other abused women can find strength and hope in her story.
The very personal and extremely empowering tone and style is definitely meant to share the struggle and the resolutions for anyone who has been abused or loves someone who is a survivor of abuse.
The author says, “I used my own experience to reach out to other rape survivors. The wording may not be the most flowery, but I hope that by reading my experience in going through the healing process, others can begin to heal. I hope that people can draw something good from my experiences.”
$12.95 ISBN-13: 978-0-9814739-4-9 Vanilla Heart Publishing

A Guide to Survivorhood: Your Personal Journey of Healing and Hope by Namid
This workbook will help guide survivors and the people who love them through the often difficult journey to regain empowerment and self-esteem after sexual assault. Loaded with guided exercises, examples, resources, and discussions, the workbook gives the survivor the tools to rebuild a happy, whole and healthy self.
$12.95 ISBN-13: 978-0-9814739-9-7 Vanilla Heart Publishing

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Melinda Sordino suffers through her freshman year at Merryweather High School in silence. Gradually, readers become aware that Melinda is spiraling out of control as she becomes mute and loses interest in herself, her family, and school. Why? She was raped at a party…
$8.99 ISBN: 9780141310886 Puffin

The Story of Jane Doe: a Book About Rape by Jane Doe
“The Story of Jane Doe is a startling document about a woman who was not willing to play the standard role of victim, a woman who brought attention to how rape was being handled by the police force, the legal system and, more important, by society. I found this book to be a thoroughly engrossing, intelligent account of rape, and I must say quite an eye-opener to boot.” -- The Edmonton Journal”
ISBN 978-0-6793127-5-8 Random House of Canada, Limited

Friday, September 5, 2008

Happy Birthday to My Sister!



I wanted to take the opportunity to wish someone very special in my life a very Happy Birthday today, Sept. 5 -
Happy Birthday Bobi.

Writers are generally a vulnerable breed with loads of insecurities. When you have someone in your life who is 100% supportive of you, encourages you and finds every way possible to praise you, it makes a really big difference.

I have my sister Bobi to help do that for me and I wanted to take the opportunity to publicly let everyone know how I feel about her - she is the best. Love ya!






Tuesday, September 2, 2008

His Lucky Charm (formerly Forgotten) - Casting call

So, if I were casting my newest story, Forgotten, who would I have playing the key roles????

Caitlyn would definitely be

Brandon would be
Keisha & Malcolm would be

and Tom Hughes would be played by

...yep, that' s how I would cast it!
(Jennifer Love Hewitt, Austin Peck, Jada Pinkett Smith & Will Smith, and Kyle Brandt)