Hug an EMT or Paramedic...

As EMS Week 2011 winds down, it's a good time to remember the folks who come to our assistance in all kinds of weather and all times of day or night. I am proud to be a NYS EMT volunteer with my local ambulance corps and serving my community. Please check out my post about NYSVARA (New York State Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Association) and all that they do - the address to send donations is there too. Just go to the May Awareness Project on the Tales of Allure blog.

Two of my novels, Final Sin and Hyphema are both thrillers with a healthy mix of suspense, action, mystery, passion, murder and EMS. The medical scenes are real and thrilling, the love is intense, and the suspense is edge of your seat.

The hero and heroine of Final Sin are Paramedic Julie Davis and Deputy Sheriff Jake Carlson. Julie's best friend and paramedic partner, Matt Garratti, comes back in Hyphema.

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...

(excerpt)

For the second time in less than two weeks, there were police in Julie's living room. She was sitting on the edge of her bed and listening to the voices. Jake was talking in hushed tones to one of the officers.

He came to the bedroom door and his heart wrenched when he saw her still looking so dazed. Jake walked over to her and knelt down. "Sweetheart, I want you to go away for a few days."

She looked at him suddenly. "Why?"

"I have to get to the bottom of everything that's been happening. I need to find out why you got this package… and why someone made videotapes of you… and even why your car was vandalized the other day." Julie hadn't made a big deal of the damage to her car but had mentioned it briefly to him during a conversation. She hadn't told him what had been scratched into the hood of her car and until his comment she hadn't even thought of it in connection with the other incidents.

Julie shrugged. "Is someone really looking to scare me or something?" It seemed ludicrous and yet there was no other explanation for the strange and vindictive things that had been happening lately.

"I don't know. But I don't want to take any chances. I can't take any chances, not when it comes to you." He wanted so desperately to protect her and he didn't know who or what to protect her from. He was glad that he had at least been there when she got that frightening special delivery that morning, but then he wanted to kick himself that she had gotten it at all.

"I can't… I can't leave. I have work. I've got responsibilities."

"Just a few days, Julie. I want you out of here for just a few days." I want you out of harm's way, he thought. I want to make it safe for you.

She looked at him defiantly and shook her head. Then suddenly she felt like she was ready to crumble. "Where? Where should I go?"

He thought for a moment. Jake tried to smile. "When is the last time you visited your parents? Let them take you to Disney or Sea World or something."

"They'll worry. It's too sudden. They'll think something is wrong." Her protests were weak. "I don't want to worry them."

Jake wanted to shout at her that there was something wrong, but he didn't want to scare her any more than she was. He didn't want to scare himself any more than he already was either. He forced a laugh. "Tell them you just got proposed to and he's old and he's got a kid. Tell them you need a few days to sort out your feelings before you tell him yes."

Julie laughed, but she sounded like she was ready to cry. "I thought you were trying to remove the stress."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hyphema
Hyphema: Bleeding in the eye caused by trauma… Matt Garratti, a paramedic from New York, moves his wife and son to North Carolina to work at his dream job as a flight medic. Pakistani born Sudah, his wife, receives frosty stares and insensitive comments from their new neighbors... Matt wonders if he is pursuing his dream or bringing his family into a nightmare from which they may never wake.

EMS Week May 15 - May 21 & the HYPHEMA book tour

Those of you who know me know my passion for EMS & volunteering. I am a proud member of the Stony Point Ambulance Corps (25+ years!) and ride as a NYS EMT as well as serve on the Board of Directors, in our Auxiliary and work with our Youth Squad.

May 15 through May 21, 2011 is EMS Week

Visit the May Awareness Project today

My input for the May Awareness Project is all about NYSVARA,
the New York State Volunteer Ambulance Rescue Association

My novels Hyphema and Final Sin are both thrillers with a mix of
passion, mystery, action and EMS

join me on the HYPHEMA virtual book tour,
all past posts are still active links
Please leave comments - lots of them!

Apr 21 Lindsay's Romantics
Apr 23 Jeanne St. James
Apr 24 Anne K Albert
Apr 26 Chelle Cordero, author
Apr 29 The Book Connection
May 1 Rochelle Weber
May 2 CCE613 on Xanga
May 3 Charmaine Gordon
May 8 Malcolm's Round Table
May 10 You Gotta Read
May 11 Roseanne Dowell
May 18 Skylar Kade
May 19 May Awareness Project
May 23 Stephanie Burkhart

...and elsewhere:

Teaser Tuesday on the Writer's Notebook
&
First Book Stories on The Professional Writer's Connection

In the News ~ Floods 2011

When I wrote my novel Hostage Heart this country was reeling from the stories of the tremendous losses suffered by the people of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and the levee failure. Although I was not personally down there at this time, my husband was as a rescue worker and he brought home tales about the people down there and their wonderful spirit.

...ever since that time, we have felt a kinship with the people of Louisiana and the surrounding area. We've been following the news and the reports of a swollen Mississippi River with concern and heartache - and we are sending our prayers for recovery once again.

Updated: 05/13/11 Mississippi River Floods 2011:

People And Animals Flee To Higher Ground

...For the people of this region, floods from rain-swollen rivers
and hurricanes are a familiar hazard. (read more)

Hostage Heart

"Enroll" in an online weekly writing workshop

Celebrating 2 Years this month!

get it on your Kindle

41.

626 days in the top 100

Living, Breathing, Writing

Chelle Cordero

5.0 out of 5 stars (3)

Includes a 14-day free trial and automatic wireless delivery

$0.99

5.0 out of 5 stars Author in Residence, December 26, 2009

By

J. B. Naylor "teach4joy"

This review is from: Living, Breathing, Writing (Kindle Edition)

Having Chelle Cordero's blog on my Kindle is like having an author here in residence with me. She gives inspiration, motivation, and best of all, practical advice and solutions. I love the "writing exercises" she offers at the end of each blog, as well as the "writing prompts". I've already used them myself and with my 6th grade writing class!

Editorial reviews for Hyphema listed on Amazon

Paperback Pre-Order from Amazon
Kindle from Amazon

Hyphema: Bleeding in the eye caused by trauma

Matt Garratti, a paramedic from New York, moves his wife and son to North Carolina to work at his dream job as a flight medic. Pakistani born Sudah, his wife, receives frosty stares and insensitive comments from their new neighbors. Before long, Matt wonders if he is pursuing his dream or bringing his family into a nightmare from which they may never wake.

Editorial Reviews

In Hyphema, author Chelle Cordero meets headlong a number of real problems facing her characters. She doesn't sugar-coat cultural differences and prejudice. The series of incidents and the deaths faced by Matt and Sudah cause them to face these problems and gives the love story a depth well-done. --Janet Lane Walters

Ms. Cordero tackles such amazingly current topics-hate, prejudice, fear of the different, with such enjoyable, suspenseful, and well-researched background, that this reader will be following her closely to see what she writes next. Each medical scene resonates with reality, and each chapter flows into the next with a flutter in the pit of the stomach for what is coming, as well as what has been. --Brian Davidson

Back to the Beginning

Omigosh, I was looking over my latest virtual book tour for Hyphema and I surprised myself - I'm a writer! Wow.

This has been a terrific journey since my first published novel, Bartlett's Rule.

Did you see my guest post this past Saturday on The Professional Writer's Connection? Please check it out ~ First Book Stories: Bartlett's Rule by Chelle Cordero

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.

See the page 69 Theory - Bartlett's Rule

Bartlett's Rule by Chelle Cordero

AMAZON B&N OMNILIT PDF

INSTANT DOWNLOAD SPECIAL

KINDLE SMASHWORDS MULTIFORMAT

Oh and by the way - PLEASE join me on the HYPHEMA Tour

Apr 21 Lindsay's Romantics
Apr 23 Jeanne St. James
Apr 24 Anne K Albert
Apr 26 Chelle Cordero, author
Apr 29 The Book Connection
May 1 Rochelle Weber
May 2 CCE613 on Xanga
May 3 Charmaine Gordon
May 8 Malcolm's Round Table
May 10 You Gotta Read
May 11 Roseanne Dowell
May 18 Skylar Kade
May 23 Stephanie Burkhart

A Changing World

As I listened to news reports about Bin Laden’s death, tears formed in my eyes as I remembered the horror of a September day nearly ten years ago. Many Americans and others throughout the world felt the emotions once again surface…

"I never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure." - Mark Twain. That’s quite a quote and several of us posted such lines on Facebook and other social media sites to help explain the myriad of feelings.

I woke the next morning in a world where the man on the FBI’s Most Wanted List was marked deceased. The lives lost because of Bin Laden and his followers are gone forever leaving only tears behind, but the world is changed once again.

I recently wrote a novel involving a very contemporary issue, the heroine is a Pakistani Muslim immigrant. She is a peaceful, gentle woman. I did a lot of research in writing about this potentially volatile subject. I believe that there is good and bad in every people. I also know there are some who refuse to see past a few and blame an entire group.

In Hyphema, Sudah encounters prejudice because of who she is and where she comes from. There is one scene where she is accused of being “the same”… I’ve thought about how ironic these words seem now.
“Wouldn’t you be used to that?” Donna directed her question at Sudah.

“Donna?” Both Laurie and Trisha were shocked by Donna’s question.

Sudah shrugged. “Why am I used to violence?”

Clucking her tongue, Donna waved off her friends. “Well I figure where you come from…”

“I come from Pakistan. We are not near the Afghanistan border where there are skirmishes. My home is in a little town, it is very nice there.”

“Well you Arabs are always fighting.” Trisha tried to stop Donna, Donna ignored her.

“But I am not Arabic, I am Pakistani.”

Donna snorted. “Same thing.”

Trisha broke in. “Donna I don’t understand why you are being so rude. I am so sorry Sudah.”

“Why are you apologizing?” Donna faced Sudah menacingly. “My older cousin’s fiancé was killed on 9/11…”

“Oh goodness Donna, that was almost ten years ago. Sudah was only a little girl back then.”

“I am very sorry for your loss, but we are very much alike then. My father’s dear friend Jamaal also died on that terrible day.”

“Hmmph. On one of the planes I bet.”

Laurie gasped.

“He was working in a restaurant in New York City. He was very proud and working to bring his family to America. He loved this country and was studying to become a citizen.”

Donna rolled her eyes. “So what happened?”

“He ran to the two buildings after the first plane crashed. The restaurant was across the street. He was trying to help when the second plane came. He was lost in the debris and fire.” Sudah had to pause. “We were very sad that day. I remember when Jamaal’s wife was told her husband was dead. I felt very bad for her.”

“And yet you cover your head like those Arab women who cheered.”

“I cover my head because I am Muslim. It is a sign of respect for my beliefs.”

“Muslim? That’s who attacked us.” Donna snorted. “And they say that Bin Laden lives like a hero in Pakistan.”

“I have not seen him. I do not know where he lives. I would tell authorities where if I knew.” Sudah smiled sweetly and shook her head. “The Islamic people are people of peace. The few who murdered so many and the people who were happy about it are not true believers. They are cowards who hide behind a sign that says ‘I am a Muslim’. They do not speak for most of us.”