Chelle Cordero and VHP to Donate to Relief Efforts for Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Disaster

Chelle Cordero and Vanilla Heart Publishing are donating 25% of publisher proceeds on sales of Hostage Heart to aid recovery and cleanup efforts of damages to Breton National Wildlife Refuge caused by Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster…

through June 8, 2010

in any format – Print, Ebook, and Kindle

Chelle Cordero, author of eight romantic suspense novels and a thriller murder mystery, and Vanilla Heart Publishing, are sponsoring a month-long promotion to benefit clean up and conservation efforts resulting from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

Chelle’s romantic suspense, Hostage Heart, published by Vanilla Heart Publishing in July, 2009, is a suspenseful romance deeply rooted in the Louisiana delta, and Chelle and VHP will be donating to a local Louisiana organization involved in the recovery and cleanup of the Chandeleur Islands, barrier islands that are part of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge, teeming with birds, marine life, and plant life that will be affected by the oil slick, tarballs, and more from the oil spill.

The Breton refuge is an important breeding and nesting area for many endangered and threatened bird species. “Oiled birds, including a gannet and brown pelicans, Louisiana's state bird, have been found on the islands,” said Jeff Dauzat of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.

Hostage Heart by Chelle Cordero

Life was hard after the hurricanes swept through, destroying her parents' home and livelihood...Deanna did the only thing she could do. She moved to New York City, found a job, worked hard, scrimped and saved to send what little she could manage back home to Louisiana to her parents.

An errand for her boss - a chance encounter with a crew of bank robbers - a kind man who tried to help her and deserved her courageous help in return...

But he wasn't the man she thought he was...no, he was so very much more!

Excerpt Review from Coffee Time Romance & More…

I enjoyed reading Hostage Heart. It is a well written story with characters that are realistic. … it certainly kept me turning pages to find out what would happen next. The descriptions of Louisiana, and Deanna’s Cajun heritage were obviously well researched and gave the book a great ethnic flavor. I especially liked the parts about Deanna’s grandmother. For those who love to read about sexy FBI agents saving damsels in distress, this book is definitely for you!

Regina
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

BUY LINKS

AMAZON B&N OMNILIT PDF

KINDLE SMASHWORDS MULTIFORMAT

...and the results are in

On Tuesday I posted my contest for the Creative Blogger Award that my friend Lindsay Townsend nominated me for.

Participants had to choose which statement/trait of one of my heroines that I did NOT share - only two people chose correctly and (drum roll please) the winner by random draw was Tina Poznansky. Tina won a copy of Forgotten.

The correct answer, by the way, was #4 - I grew up in da' Bronx NYC, the only borough to start with a "D". ;>

...and for those who guessed other choices:

• #1: I worked in the publicity department of McCall's Magazine through a temporary agency while I was in college.
• #2: I went to the High School of Art & Design in Manhattan.
• #3: I love collecting glass miniatures and even have a shadowbox shaped like a house filled with small glass cats (a cat house?)
• #5: Duh, I live and breath about my volunteering as an Emergency Medical Technician with my hometown ambulance corps.
• #6: I didn't say I married him folks! But yes, one of my ex's was in the F.B.I. (this was apparently a favorite choice...)
• #7: The year was 1977, Mark and I were just leaving my parents' when we came across the scene of a raging and size-able rubbish fire outside an apartment building - there was a car next to the burning rubbish and kids hanging out on a fire escape a few floors above...

Thanks so much for playing along.
I had a lot of fun and hope that you did, too.

Creative Blogger Award

The guilt has finally gotten to me - Lindsay Townsend nominated me for this award last week and I've been putting it off - sigh.
I am supposed to make seven statements - Six true and one false. If you can pick the false statement, then you will be eligible for my prize draw, the winner of which will receive one of my published .pdf ebooks. *If you pick the false statement, then you *LUCKY YOU* will be eligible to be chosen, at random, as the WINNER.

But... I've never been one to keep things simple, so -

I am listing seven of my heroines below and something about each of them. I DO share something in common with six - YOU pick the one that I don't share the item with.

1. Paige Andrews (Bartlett's Rule) - worked in a magazine's publicity department


2. Caitlyn Smythe (His Lucky Charm) - was an art student at a Manhattan NYC school


3. Alli Davis (Within the Law) - collects glass figurines


4. Davie Prescott (Courage of the Heart) - grew up in southern New Jersey


5. Julie Jennings (Final Sin) - volunteered with an ambulance corps


6. Deanna Blair (Hostage Heart) - dated an FBI agent


7. Samantha Chaunce (A Chaunce of Riches) - suffered smoke inhalation

Email me with your guess to ChelleCordero at gmail dot com by midnight (est) Thursday, May 20. (please do NOT post your response in the comments) be sure to include which of my stories you would like to win as a .pdf ebook

Now, I must pass on this honor - I nominate
ALL of my fellow VHP authors

Giving Birth to Your Characters Workshop

Mark it on your calendars now - October 11 through 17

The Muse Online Conference 2010

- the only FREE conference of its kind!

Our Online Writers Conference is aimed to offer you, the writer, whatever resource we can to give you the opportunity to enhance and improve your craft, to offer the opportunity to make contacts to reach that next level all writers seek - publication!

Our vision for organizing this online and very FREE writers conference as an annual event is to bring the writing world a bit closer for you. I understand many writers out there do not have the monetary resources to attend face-to-face conferences, or perhaps they are situated far, and even some writers may be incapacitated making it difficult for them to travel.

Within the world of the Internet, everything is possible and with this in mind we offer you this chance to come out, chat with our Presenters, ask them questions and even attend a few of our FREE workshops to be held throughout the week.

...and I am very excited to announce
that I will be teaching a week long workshop

Giving Birth to Your Characters

don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity

registrations are underway NOW

Bragging Rights

Bowling For Dummies

By A.J. Forrest, Lisa Iannucci

& photography by Mark Engelman

Very proud to announce that you can now pre-order this book that MY husband, Mark Engelman, did the photography for. One of the models is Trish Stein, my son's girlfriend. The author of the book is my friend Lisa Iannucci.

available July 13, 2010

But – you can pre-order it today

"Bowling is an inexpensive date, an affordable night out for the whole family, and a fun hangout activity for kids of all ages. Bowling For Dummies reveals the tips, tricks, and rules of play for this iconic American sport."

Blog Jog Day

Thank you for stopping by my Blog!

Please explore all this Blog has to offer, leave comments,
subscribe and bookmark for future visits...
then jog on over to http://tinarobertsauthor.wordpress.com/.

If you would like to visit a different Blog in the jog, go to http://blogjogday.blogspot.com.

Welcome to my blog

Tomorrow is both Mother's Day (here in the USA)
and Blog Jog Day
Two terrific events!

First let me wish all Moms,
Anywhere,
a wonderful and Happy Day
filled with lots and lots of joys.

...and now I'd like to welcome you to my blog with a special offer

I am the author behind
the Amazon Kindle blog

Living, Breathing, Writing
http://bit.ly/pILcG

"Having Chelle Cordero's blog on my Kindle is like having an author here in residence with me."

For a limited time only - Anyone who emails me at ChelleCordero@gmail.com with "Kindle Blog Sample" in the subject line by Monday 5/10 midnight EST will receive a FREE .pdf booklet by email containing five (5) lessons from the past year from this Online Writing Course - FREE!

Please enjoy scrolling through my Author Blog, you'll find excerpts and back-stories, some play casting of characters, a recipe or two, and more. If you'd like to learn more about me and the books I write, please visit my website at http://ChelleCordero.com.

And be sure to come back later tonight (after 11pm) or tomorrow for Blog Jog Day
and make sure that you have your jogging shoes on!

I Write Because That is Who I Am

My name is Chelle Cordero and I am a writer.

I love writing love stories and I have a few romance novels on the market: Bartlett’s Rule, His Lucky Charm, Within the Law, Courage of the Heart, Hostage Heart, A Chaunce of Riches & most recently Common Bond, Tangled Hearts.

My murder-mystery thriller, Final Sin, was published in May 2009.

To learn more about ME, please visit my website at chellecordero.com

To check out free samples of my books, just go to
my page on fReado

Be sure to come back Sunday (May 9) - I will be participating in Blog Jog Day.

It's Cinco de Mayo! Fiesta!

from Wikipedia: "Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a voluntarily-observed holiday that commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. It is celebrated primarily in the state of Puebla and in the United States. While Cinco de Mayo has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico."

Matt Garratti, a paramedic in murder mystery Final Sin, (and SOON to have his own story...) just loves Mexican food. While he was up in the Hudson Valley area of New York he found a favorite restaurant which served a terrific Pulled Chicken Taco. Since he and his wife Sudah moved to North Carolina (oops, spoiler alert) he convinced the restaurant manager to give him the recipe.

And now in honor of Cinco de Mayo he wants to share this recipe with you -

Pulled Chicken Taco
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
applesauce
cayenne powder
chopped cilantro
lettuce
diced tomato
muenster cheese

• Boil the chicken breasts until done and set aside until they're cool enough to handle. With two forks, pull the meat apart and place in a small pot on low heat.
• Mix in just enough applesauce to hold the chicken together---add the cayenne, and chopped cilantro. Simmer until heated through.
• Generously fill the bottom of a corn taco shell with the chicken mixture, top with shredded lettuce, diced tomato and shredded muenster cheese.
• Add hot sauce to taste (Matt likes A LOT of this)
• Serve with Mexican Rice and Refried Beans. Enjoy!

Yummy!

an interview by Kathryn Attalla

Author Chelle Cordero

as interviewed by Kathryn Attalla

Chelle has written some memorable stories over the years. Her books include Bartlett’s Rule, Forgotten, Within the Law, Courage of the Heart, Hostage Heart, A Chaunce of Riches & most recently Common Bond,Tangled Hearts. Her murder-mystery thriller, Final Sin, was published in May 2009.

I was lucky enough to steal her away from her very busy schedule to answer a few questions..

How long have you been in the business?

• It’s hard to decipher which part of “the business” started when. For a few actual dates, I had my first published newspaper article when I was just 18, but I didn’t pursue writing on a full time basis until I was pregnant with my first child; luckily since I freelanced I was able to work from home. I always said that I wanted to “grow up and become a novelist” but I didn’t have my first book actually published until 2001.

Are you a plotter or pantster?

• Definitely a pantser – I’m much too unorganized and random to do anything by outline. Besides I have a tendency to allow my characters to make their own decisions and write their own stories.

Do you write multiple drafts or barely need revisions when typing The End?

• I usually have to do only grammatical and spelling edits on my manuscripts. Since my characters write their stories I find that I rarely have much to say, I just make sure it flows.

What's a typical writing day like for you?

• Very random. I always start my day (whatever hour that may be) by checking and responding to email. Next I move on to social networking and blog updates – this takes me a few hours between email and blogging. That’s when I finally start writing, but if I am working on a deadline (most often for my non-fiction work) I deal with that first. During the “work day” I go in and out of each project as the brain functions – if I am stymied in one project I move to another to keep the words flowing.

What kind of promotion do you do and why?

• I blog, do social networking (FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace and forums), send out press releases and participate in several events which promote writers as a group (hand-outs of promo materials like cards, brochures, etc.)

How do you balance writing with the rest of your life (i.e., day job, family, etc.)?

• Ah, but that would be implying that I have balance in my life… Since my “day job” is a full time freelance writer, my romance writing fits in very well. As I said above I flit between writing projects as ideas strike. My husband’s work hours vary (he is a freelance photographer and AV technician) and my kids are independent adults and not demanding of my time – I can decide to “work” whenever I feel around the clock.

Where do you get your ideas for a romance novel?

• Life. I look around me and observe people and I let my imagination run wild. I use my own daily experiences (not necessarily all romantic!) and build on little bits. I naturally like to embellish events and stories – if nothing else, everyday becomes very interesting.

How important is it for you to have a critique partner?

• I don’t really work with a critique partner for the most part. I enjoy having someone I can bounce ideas off of – like my sister – because talking out loud sometimes brings that “aha!” moment.

If your book was made into a movie, which actors would you like to see play your characters?

• I almost always cast my characters, especially my heroes, while I am writing because it helps me to focus on the person – in A Chaunce of Riches I would want Ben to be played by Galen Gering (he plays Rafe on Days of Our Lives) and Samantha by a young Mary Page Keller.

What do you know now about writing/publishing that you wished you knew before The Call?

• I wish I had known more about marketing and promotion – my first book (the original version of Courage of the Heart) published in 2001 sold very few copies. I didn’t know how to get my name out there nor did I have a realistic expectation of what publishers and authors do to promote the stories. I’ve made it a point to learn and between my new-found knowledge and a very supportive publisher, I can certainly see the difference.

*******

*special note: Kat interviewed me on the Hudson Valley Romance Writers website in January 2010, she's given me permission to re-post this interview here.

Thanks Kat!

Window Shopping

Imagine a lazy afternoon stroll down the aisles of your favorite bookstore ~ imagine seeing a book that interests you. Pick it up, flip through the pages, see if you like it...


Just imagine...


You can sample each of my novels - just like that. Click on the widgets below and read the first few pages. Take your time browsing... enjoy.

Common Bond, Tangled Hearts

Layne Gillette’s world is turned upside down when a man she has never met shows up to lay claim as the father of her 6-year old son. When Layne’s abusive “ex-husband” shows up, they are torn apart by danger, kidnapping and lies.
Amazon - print
Amazon - Kindle
Smashwords - ebook formats

A Chaunce of Riches

Ben Johnson was hired as a bodyguard for a rich widow and her kid, but he never expected to be working for the woman who had abandoned him just when he had needed her the most. Damn it all, he still wanted her. Samantha Chaunce never thought she would have to explain why she married the rich man instead of Ben. Or that her husband had been murdered...and Ben was the prime suspect.
Amazon - print
Amazon - Kindle
Smashwords - ebook formats

Hostage Heart

Life was hard after the hurricanes swept through, destroying her parents' home and livelihood... An errand for her boss - a chance encounter with a crew of bank robbers - a kind man who tried to help her ... a man who isn't all he seems ... no, he is so much more.
Amazon - print
Amazon - Kindle
Smashwords - ebook formats

Final Sin

Deputy Sherriff Commander Jake Carson has his hands full... investigation of a brutal multiple homicide, a troubled son and a vindictive ex-wife. He meets young, free-spirited paramedic Julie Jennings. When Julie becomes the subject of an obsession, it puts both of them in danger...
Amazon - print
Amazon - Kindle
Smashwords - ebook formats

Courage of the Heart

COURAGE OF THE HEART shows us that sometimes love is the only cure for the very deepest of emotional wounds. The story of the two lovers takes a series of unexpected and fast paced turns where lives, sanity and love are put in jeopardy. Their commitment to one another results in a spirit that binds them together and helps them to overcome physical and emotional dangers.
Amazon - print
Amazon - Kindle
Smashwords - ebook formats

Within the Law

Tom gave up on ever falling in love again the day that he buried his high school sweetheart and fiancé. 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 murdering rapist who took his love from him.
Amazon - print
Amazon - Kindle
Smashwords - ebook formats

His Lucky Charm

What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas... this time it follows Brandon and Caitlyn across the country and into a world of espionage and danger. The one thing that Brandon knows for sure is that he can't afford to lose his lucky charm, Caitlyn.
Amazon - print
Amazon - Kindle
Smashwords - ebook formats

Bartlett's Rule

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.
Amazon - print
Amazon - Kindle
Smashwords - ebook formats