Chelle Cordero, Author: February 2009

Thursday, February 26, 2009

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Friday, February 20, 2009

There wasn’t anyone there who didn’t look like they weren’t ready to heave. Julie felt sorry for the vollies, the members of the local volunteer ambulance corps. At least she and Matt were being paid to be there. Then again, no amount of money was worth witnessing the carnage that was lying there before them.
Matt had done the unwelcome task and already pronounced one of the girls dead. It was obvious death, obvious to anyone. Trying her best not to step into the pool of blood or disturb anything else vital to the crime scene investigation that would follow, she finished preparing the one girl who was still alive for transport.

A young man in his late twenties or early thirties, Julie wasn't sure without reading the patient care report, had been burnt when his shirt had caught fire. He was sitting huddled and guarding his severely burnt arm as Matt treated him. He looked scared and in shock at the events around him and wouldn't look at any of the police officers who had responded. Julie assumed that it was his need to deny the trauma.

A broad shouldered officer came through the door and took command of the scene. He seemed hardened to the butchery, almost as if he had seen too many gruesome scenes just like this one. Dressed in a dark blue baseball jacket, open collar knit shirt and khaki pants, he donned a pair of latex gloves he had carried in his pocket and began an almost detached visual inspection of the room. The springy snap of the elastic gloves stretching to fit his large hands was in sharp contrast to his motionless stance. Other officers at the scene deferred to his judgment and took instructions from him as he calmly took in the entire scene. He was concerned with the best way to collect the pertinent evidence to tell the story of what had happened.

As Julie and one of the ambulance crewmembers moved the surviving girl to the gurney, she risked a quick look at the tall officer’s dark eyes and noted that there was a thinly disguised veil of dismay. He had intrigued her with his stony expression and seeming aloofness to the horrors, and his complete focus on the collection of relevant clues. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, it was a comfort to Julie that the cop was not completely indifferent to this horror or detached from the human cost.

For Matt and Julie, their tour of duty had started out like many others. There had been a call to a minor motor vehicle accident, another for chest pains and one more for a cancer patient who needed to go to the hospital for treatment. Many of the upstate New York communities had contracted with Paramedic services to complement the existing ambulance corps and provide emergency medical response. Whether paid or unpaid, the certified corps always responded with Emergency Medical Technicians who were capable of handling most emergencies. When the Paramedics were dispatched as well, IV drugs and additional hands could often help make critical differences when necessary.

This call had gone out over the radio for a burn victim, so none of the responding police, fire fighters, volunteer ambulance crew nor paramedics were prepared for what they found when they reached this isolated tool shed. From the outside, the grayed wood had seemed serene enough, and the one small window had been caked over with dirt. She didn't think that she would have given the shed a second glance under normal circumstances. But this was far from normal. No one had anticipated the horror scene inside.

Two young women were staked to the dirt floor, both had bled profusely from a variety of wounds. Although one was still alive, barely breathing after severe mutilation and a huge loss of blood, the other had been burned and was only the charred remains of who she once was. Julie wasn’t alone in her prayers that the young woman had died long before the flames had destroyed her body. It didn't look like she had struggled and yet her mouth was open, Julie feared that she might have died screaming. She had still been smoldering when the fire department had arrived and the puddle of water around her had quickly turned into mud.

...watch for it

coming this May

from Vanilla Heart Publishing

Monday, February 16, 2009

Talk to them yourself...

Alli: We, the "characters" whose lives were discussed at length...

Davie: And intimately!

Lon: Okay, wait your turn - Alli, please continue.

Alli: Thanks Lon. Anyway, we all got together and decided that if you have questions about us, you should be asking us and not Chelle...

Paige: Chelle is the author... and actually I think she has done a fine job of representing us.

Brandon: Yes, Chelle has done a great job, but Allie is right - we need to start talking for ourselves.

Tom: I'm not too sure about this.

Caitlyn: Nobody is forcing anyone to do anything. I think it's just fair to let the readers know that we are willing to talk to them directly.

Alli: Besides, Chelle is writing another novel and I don't know how much time she really has.

Paige: Yes, now that you put it that way, I guess it really helps Chelle out too.

Adam: It's a win-win situation.

Alli: Okay Lon, do you want to let everyone now what we are doing here?

Lon: Sure. The eight of us have gotten together and will be here all week to answer any questions you might have.

Tom: It just can't be something about any cases I'm working on like an open investigation.

Brandon: Well sure, but I think most of the questions will be about us and our lives and love.

Adam: What if they ask about Chelle?

Caitlyn: We all know her, right?

Paige: Yeah, I guess we do (chuckle).

Davie: Besides, Chelle always talks about us...

Alli: Okay, if you have a question for one of us, just leave a comment in the box below and we will make sure it gets answered during the week.

Lon: Just let us know who you are directing the question to.

Alli: Okay, I think we did it.

Davie: Please leave us your questions...

Caitlyn: In the meanwhile, come on everyone, lunch is waiting...

Davie: Do you think we'll have any questions to answer this afternoon?

Adam: I don't know, we'll check.

Brandon: Yes, we'll keep checking.

Caitlyn: Come on, lunch...

Lon: Bye for now, we'll be back.

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.

Forgotten is an unforgettable romance about two people, Caitlyn and Brandon, 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.

In Within the Law Tom gave up on ever falling in love again the day that he buried his high school sweetheart and fiance. He started a career in law enforcement just so that he could find her murderer and rapist. Just when he is about to see justice done, he meets Alli Davis-the defense attorney for the murderer who took his love from him.

Courage of the Heart shows us that sometimes love is the only cure for the very deepest of emotional wounds. Adam and Davie's commitment to one another results in a spirit that binds them together and helps them to overcome physical and emotional dangers.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Happy Birthday YouTube - Feb. 15, 2005

"2005 - YouTube, the popular Internet site on which videos may be shared and viewed by others, is launched in the United States" (ANSWERS.COM)

I admit, the first time I heard about YouTube, I had no idea what it was. So when I experimented with a video to help recruit members in EMS (Emergency Medical Services) for my ambulance corps, I really thought I was being brazen.

You can see my JoinEMS video here http://tr.im/joinems - and an interesting side note for you while you watch... My next novel, due out in May 2009 is Final Sin. Final Sin's main characters are a Paramedic (Julie) and a Deputy Sherriff (Jake) - the emergency situations in the book get pretty real. (And fortunately my storyline is a lot better quality than my first attempt at YouTube!)

Final Sin

by Chelle Cordero

Deputy Sherriff Commander Jake Carson has his hands full with the investigation of a brutal multiple homicide, a troubled son and a vindictive ex-wife when he meets young, free-spirited paramedic Julie Jennings. He is immediately drawn to her and finds himself unexpectedly falling in love. Julie finds herself just as drawn to him.
When Julie becomes the object of an obsession, it puts both of their lives in extreme danger...
Romance...danger...adventure...suspense...another great Chelle Cordero novel sure to grab readers from many genres!

Final Sin is a murder-mystery and a pyschological thriller - it is my first venture into a non contemporary romance genre. Keep your eyes open for this edge of your seat thriller and I will have lots more about Final Sin posted here in the coming months.

...and now for your pure enjoyment, my daughter's cat - Butters "In the Jungle"

Chelle Cordero book trailers on YouTube
Bartlett's Rule by Chelle Cordero
Forgotten by Chelle Cordero
Within the Law by Chelle Cordero
Courage of the Heart by Chelle Cordero

~~~~~

Saturday, February 14, 2009

J.K. Coi blogs today on Xanga

Read J.K. Coi's special Valentine's Day blog over on Xanga today at http://tr.im/jkcoi

Friday, February 13, 2009

On Demand! Happy Valentine's Day

On Demand! ... sounds impressive.

Today as I signed on to my email,

I got a Google Alert that led me to
Vanilla Heart - Blog Talk Radio archives

& on demand shows

The particular show you'll find in the on-demand column was

taped after the release of Forgotten but

before the release of Within the Law
...this really brings me back through time!

2008 began my journey as a

PUBLISHED Romance Author

and it continues in 2009, Woo-Hoo.

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and

while you shouldn't wait for this

once a year opportunity to say "I Love You"

to the ones you care about,

I thought I might share a few suggestions

on how to make the day

romantic, warm and memorable...

1) Dinner for two ~ Whether it's a fine restaurant or dining at home, have a nice meal together (hint, forget the diets - enjoy the meal) with easy, relaxed conversation. If you are dining at home, think about using disposable plates so no one has to get stuck doing the dishes and you can move on to better things. However if you do use the fine china, wash and dry as a couple - it CAN be romantic.

2) Fill an empty jar with chocolates ~ or you can use any favorite sweet (like jelly beans). Paste heart shaped stickers around the jar, or cut and paste shapes from colored craft paper or magazine pics as decorations, tie a ribbon around the cap and present to your special valentine.

3) Have a romantic trip down memory lane ~ plan a picnic lunch in that park where you first strolled together, catch a movie at the place you had your first date (or miniature golf, play arcade games, etc). Maybe even spend an evening away visiting your honeymoon spot or the place you first made love together...

4) Have a date night at home ~ don't let the lack of a babysitter or funds deter you. Rent a DVD or video of the first movie you saw together, pop a bag of popcorn, send the kids to bed, and cuddle up on the couch in each other's arms. Spend the evening sipping wine/champagne/soda while reading romantic poetry to each other. Dance to a few romantic tunes on the CD player.

5) Some saucier, hotter ideas for Valentine's Day ~ Make love in a different room of your home. Edible undies are always delectable. Gift your partner with a good book of "positions", and then start trying them out. Dirty word "Scrabble" can lead to some hot ideas. Play a strip game of ANYTHING. Have some clean fun in a shower for two. Read hot, torrid romance novels aloud together and stop whenever the "mood" strikes you.

Have a wonderful

Valentine's Day

filled with the warmth

of friendship and love!

Drop by at the Vanilla Heart Publishing Forum between 12:01 am and 11:59 pm on February 14, 2009 ~~~ Start a discussion (or add to one), introduce yourself, leave a favorite recipe, chat about favorite characters -

just about anything, really - and win an entry to the

1st Annual VHP Love Festival of Books Gift Basket drawing!

Buy Chelle Cordero books on Amazon

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

KINDLE HOOPLA

KINDLE HOOPLA - okay, that is just one of those phrases that tickles me when I say it (try it yourself).

Anyway, it seems that almost every site I go to the last few days is filled with discussion about the new Kindle2 due out later this month from Amazon.

While there are many of us die-hards who love the actual feel of a book beneath our fingers, there seems to be A LOT of benefits of owning a Kindle: small size with big storage to hold lots of books, instant downloading and no wireless charges, less expensive book purchases, variable size font and now there is even a read-aloud feature. Imagine packing a whole library worth of books in your travel bags in pretty much the same space it would take to pack a magazine - wow!

Don't worry, even though there is a link to purchase the new Kindle2 (pre-order it now until Feb. 24), this is NOT a sales pitch for Amazon -

I wanted to let you know that ALL of my novels from Vanilla Heart Publishing ARE AVAILABLE for Kindle downloading - so instantly download, save money, and enjoy Bartlett's Rule, Forgotten, Within the Law and Courage of the Heart.

Monday, February 9, 2009

5 star review of Bartlett's Rule

Real people, Real Problems and Real Solutions

Review of Bartlett's Rule by
Malcolm R. Campbell "The Sun Singer"

*****

At first glance, Paige Andrews' approach to celebrity writer and celebrated womanizer Lon Bartlett is reminiscent of a child's first day at the beach, a child who runs down to the incoming waves only to run back to the safety of the dunes beyond the water's reach, and then again, and then again. Indeed, she desperately wants her evolving relationship to be as spontaneous and carefree as first love. ...read more

Bartlett's Rule
by Chelle Cordero

4 Star Review of Forgotten

Forgotten

Reviewed by

Kate Evans, For the May Queen

****

This book is billed as "Contemporary Romantic Suspense," not the type of novel I'd normally read. My mother was a romance novelist, though, and even though romance and suspence aren't my cup of tea, I read, edited and enjoyed my mom's books. So I wanted to give "Forgotten" a chance, especially since Chelle and I are in the same wonderful publishing family, Vanilla Heart. ...read more

Forgotten
By Chelle Cordero

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Preditors & Editors Poll Results 2008

category: Anthology

#5 "Forever Friends, Mandinam Press," http://mandinampress.co.uk/

(includes the story "Not Alone" by Chelle Cordero)

~~~

category: Romance Novel
#16 "Bartlett's Rule, Chelle Cordero, Vanilla Heart Publishing," http://www.vanillaheartbooksandauthors.com/Chelle_Cordero.html
TOP 20 Finisher

~~~

category: Bookart
#2 "Forever Friends, Shelagh Watkins and Christopher Tovo (photographer)," http://www.shelaghwatkins.co.uk/mandinampressforeverfriendscover.htm
(includes the story "Not Alone" by Chelle Cordero)

~~~

category: Author

#16 "Chelle Cordero," http://www.vanillaheartbooksandauthors.com/Chelle_Cordero.html
TOP 20 Finisher

***

I would like to thank each of you who voted for me in the

2008 Preditors and Editors Readers Poll

& congratulate ALL of the nominees!

Always, Chelle

Friday, February 6, 2009

5-Star Review of Courage of the Heart

*****

Courage of the Heart by Chelle Cordero begins as an office romance that quickly turns into an unlikely love affair.

In one fell swoop, life changes when the past confronts the present with mystery, intrigue and life threatening situations. More than once I found my heart racing as I turned the page. Kudos to Ms. Cordero for penning an entertaining read.

~kgcummings, author of The Wind Whispers War and it's sequels