Love, the Second Time Around

Does being able to love again after loosing your mate mean you didn’t love well enough the first time?

I had this discussion once with a friend who said quite simply that she is so happy with her husband that if she ever lost him she couldn’t see not being married, so she probably would look to marry again and hopefully with love.

I was watching a new show the other night and there was a discussion between the two female leads, one who played the step-mother. Now widowed, the step-mother asked the daughter why she always hated her so. The daughter’s reply was “I thought my father loved my mother enough… until I saw him

with you.”

It’s an unfortunate fact that spouses rarely die together which leaves one with the task of living. Sometimes living means having a new relationship. What happens when the people around you, the ones you love like your children, have difficulty accepting that new love? What happens when you have difficulty accepting that love?

My grandmother, she should rest in peace, was married five times. My grandfather, the one she called the love of her life, left her a young widow with three children. I never knew him or the next three. Years after I was already married and a young mother she called me and wanted to talk. She had met a wonderful man that she enjoyed spending time with, but he insisted on getting married. She was afraid she would lose him if she kept saying no.

I told her that she had to decide if he was more important than the “single life” she was enjoying. She decided he was and they were married. Sam and Kay lived several very happy years together and she never regretted her decision. My sister and I, grandchildren through her daughter who was now gone, were thrilled for her and even learned to call Sam “Zeyda” which is Yiddish for grandfather.

Witnessing this beautiful romance from courtship through Zeyda’s eventual passing was a wonderful and uplifting experience. You’re never too old to fall in love – and you never lose the love you hold in your heart.

(excerpt)

"Where were you anyway?" He had tried to reach her and he had worried when he couldn't.

"Huh?"

"A couple of the guys said you weren't in yesterday."

"You were checking up on me?"

"…and I couldn't get you on your phone at home."

"I went back home to see my dad."

"Oh." He grinned sheepishly. "I'm glad to hear that. I knew that the office heard about me on Tuesday. The hospital found my employee ID and called about insurance and I was real worried 'cause I hadn't heard from you. I figured you were still really mad at me." He stopped to catch his breath. It relieved Adam to know that she hadn't stayed away just because she was angry at him.

"Believe me if I had known earlier, I would have been here."

"Really?" He looked really young and boyish for a moment.

"Of course." Davie laughed. "For some stupid reason I do care about what happens to you even though you keep on pushing me away."

"I'm sorry. Sorry about pushing you away, but not about you caring. I like to know that you care about me." He reached for her hand again. "So, what was the occasion for going home?"

Davie bit her lip. "The sixth anniversary of my mom's death."

"I'm sorry, Davie." Adam knew from the way Davie had talked about her mom that she still took her passing very hard. "I'm glad you were able to be there with your dad."

Davie shook her head and grimaced. "He didn't need me."

"Of course he did."

"Nope. What my father needed was privacy." She looked at Adam with a defensive smile. "I walked in on a lovers' tryst."

"What?"

"It seems that Daddy has a girlfriend and they're getting married."

"That's great!" He saw her hurt expression. "Isn't it?"

Davie stood up and began to pace around Adam's bed. "I guess so. I don't know." Sighing, she stopped at the foot of his bed. "I guess I just have to get used to it."

"You really are upset about this." He frowned.

Davie returned to the chair and leaned closer to Adam. It was comfortable to talk with him. "It's just that I never thought my father could love anybody except for my mom."

"It doesn't mean that he doesn't love her."

"That's what Elizabeth said." Seeing the question in Adam's eyes, Davie added, "…my father's fiancée. She's a widow, too, she said they hadn't planned to fall in love."

"Sometimes, Davie, people fall in…are very attracted to other people and…well, sometimes they don't even realize it themselves…and…" Adam stopped stammering and took Davie's hand in his. "Davie, about those rumors at work…"

"Yeah?"

"We have two options. We can ignore them, or we can give them some fodder for the rumor mill, but," he had to muster up his courage, "I would like to make them come true." Adam suddenly knew just how important this woman had become to him.

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.

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Article - Online Marketing and Promotion

Pleased to say I have an article in the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of

Vision: A Resource for Writers
an online magazine with articles of interest to writers of
fiction and non-fiction

Online Marketing and Promotion

by Chelle Cordero

Getting your book out there is one of the most crucial aspects to success. No matter how well written your story or how enjoyable it is to read, unless it is noticed, it won’t sell. I also read somewhere that it takes an average of three to seven impressions before most people think to buy a book.

...read more

When Love is Not Enough

A common thread in all of my stories is trust. Sometimes there is complete lust, sexy attraction, passionate opportunities – but if the couple has a chance in hell, or heaven, they have to trust each other.

In Bartlett’s Rule Paige’s past makes it difficult for her to trust any man and nearly impossible for her to trust her own judgment. Along comes Lon whose patience and compassion teaches her she can trust. Then when events occur that put Lon in jeopardy, Paige never loses her faith in him even though she’s prevented from showing her support. Brandon deceives Caitlyn in a vain attempt to keep her safe in His Lucky Charm, instead though he almost loses her for good when his duplicity is too much for her to accept.

Adam shares his deepest secret with Davie in Courage of the Heart. While Adam trusts her enough to take the risk he is scared of her reaction, but thrilled when he receives her acceptance. In Final Sin a psychopath targets Jake and Julie when they act on their mutual attraction. Despite the torrid passion between them, they are torn apart when they lose trust in each other, it’s that trust that will, hopefully, save them both.

This theme is prevalent in all of my novels and stories whether is a passionate love affair or a close, platonic friendship –In Not Alone, a short story in the Forever Friends anthology, trust is questioned when a mutual friend dies in a car accident and when trust is regained and strengthened, the friends stand by each other.

Most of my stories involve love, many even include mind-blowing sex, but sometimes even love isn’t enough to make and keep my characters happy and bonded with each other. I believe that trust is the foundation of any worthwhile relationship.

(excerpt from A Chaunce of Riches)

“Where are you going? You’re the one who wanted to... have sex. I just want to see what you wear to bed.” He was talking in a loud whisper so that no one else in the house was disturbed.

“You weren’t drunk when I said I wanted to make love with you.” She tried to pull her hand away again but he wouldn’t let her go.

“I told you I am not drunk.” He sounded annoyed. “And I didn’t come here to have sex with you.”

She relaxed and stopped pulling away from him. “Then why are you here?”

“We need to talk.” He sat down heavily on the side of her bed and leaned back against the headboard. Ben kicked his shoes off and stretched his long legs out in front of him. He was still holding on to her.

She was annoyed that he had frightened her. “What do you want to talk about?”

Ben took her by the shoulders and turned her towards him. He squinted in the dark. Sam felt exposed under his gaze. “Is that a nightgown? How long is it?”

“To my knees.” She still wasn’t convinced of his sobriety.

He released her suddenly. “It’s not very sexy.”

“Well excuse me, I didn’t know I had to dress for company.” She sounded indignant.

“I remember when you used to wear one of my T-shirts to bed. Now that was sexy.” He told himself that her tousled hair and the simple fact that she was lying there in a bed wasn’t turning him on.

“That was a long time ago.” She painfully whispered.

He laughed. Then there was silence.

Finally Sam sighed and relaxed beside him. “What did you want to talk about?”

He looked at her in the dark. “You, me, sex, your husband, who killed him and who is trying to scare you?”

“Is that all one question?”

“Don’t be bitchy.” He sounded exasperated. “Did you love him?”

“Julian? He was a good man.”

Ben snorted. “That doesn’t sound like you loved him.”

“He’s gone.” She sounded sad. “Why do you need to ask?”

He grimaced. “Did you ever love me Sam? I know you said you did. But did you really?”

“Yes.” She still did but she knew he would never believe her.

“Then I don’t understand why you did what you did. If it were just the money... Sam, it’s not like you had a fling with the guy. You married him... you gave him a son. You lived in his world.” His words hung in the air. “And you never thought twice about me.”

He could hear her breathing in the dark. Sam was struggling not to cry.

“I can’t undo the things I did. I am so sorry I hurt you Ben.” Her voice cracked and she had to pause. “I really thought you would have found someone else and would be married by now...”

“I will never again put myself out there. I will never again trust a woman with my heart.”

“But Ben,”

“Don’t sound so surprised. That’s the lesson you taught me Sam.” He shook his head. “I never needed someone as much as I needed you when I woke up in the hospital. You have no idea what I went through.”

“Tell me.” He didn’t know how much she knew. He didn’t know that she was willing to do anything to save his life. He didn’t know that she was willing to sell herself to Julian to pay for his medical care.

“No. It was a long road. If you had cared, you would have been there.”

“So are you saying we’re stuck now? We can’t move on?” Sam turned to him. “Ben, we’re here now, together. We can be together now. Ben, you could have died but you didn’t...”

“We both could have died.” He thought she was talking about the car accident. “And you could have stayed.” He was quiet for a long time. “I wish I could forgive you, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to.”

http://ChelleCordero.com