Thursday, June 30, 2011

from A Chaunce of Riches

A Chaunce of Riches
by Chelle Cordero

The day that Ben Johnson was hired as a bodyguard for some rich widow and her kid, he never expected to be working for the woman who had abandoned him just when he had needed her the most so many years before. Damn it all, he still wanted her. Samantha Chaunce never thought she would see him again. She never thought she would have to explain why she married the rich man over the man she had sworn she once loved. And she certainly never expected to find out that her rich husband had been murdered and fingers were pointing to her former lover.

Between the letter of introduction that Samantha Chaunce sent to the school and a few personal phone calls she made, Ben had no trouble being allowed on school grounds. He was close by whenever Philip needed him. The teacher even seemed amused when Philip stated that he wanted to bring his bodyguard to class one day for show and tell.

The teaching staff was friendly and so were a few of the moms of other students. In less than a week, Ben had politely turned down two dinner invitations, a theatre ticket to accompany one woman, and had received assorted phone numbers. He was charming, polite and friendly to all. Each day he kicked himself. Ever since he saw Sam again he wasn’t interested in anything any other woman had to offer. Ben told himself he was pitiful. Not only had Sam dumped him once already because he was broke, but now that she was wealthy on her own, he knew there was no way he could ever be of interest for her again. Then he got annoyed with himself for even entertaining the possibility.

The atmosphere back at the house was surprisingly pleasant. Sam seemed to go out of her way to make him feel comfortable. Cook prepared a few of Ben’s favorite dishes for dinners and he couldn't help but suspect that it had been more than simple coincidence. He marveled that Sam might actually have remembered such things about him. Ben wondered if his services were really needed though. There had been only one incident since Ben had been there. Sam received a letter at her office mentioning some of the security measures she had arranged. It even mentioned the security agency where Ben was employed. She seemed not to be worried by the unfriendly surveillance. Ben didn’t like it at all. He wasn’t comfortable with the level of knowledge her tormentor seemed to possess about her home and her dealings.

The next afternoon while Ben was waiting for Philip to appear after school, he noticed a strange man wielding a camera on the corner of the school block. The man was watching the front of the little school building intently. As soon as Philip appeared, the camera was lifted and pictures were taken. Ben made sure the teacher would keep a close eye on Philip and he took off after the unknown man with the camera. The guy ran fast, but Ben was faster. He caught him in an alleyway just a block from the school.

Grabbing him by his jacket front, Ben pressed his face close to the culprit. “Who the hell are you and who are you working for?” He moved one large hand to the guy’s throat. Ben was ready to strangle the man if he didn’t answer quickly enough.

“Hey, it’s just a picture.” The frightened man tried to escape Ben’s clutches. “The Chaunces’ are news especially since the old man kicked the bucket. And who the hell are you?”

Still holding him by the throat, Ben relaxed his stance a little bit. “You’re press?”

The uninvited photographer nodded against Ben’s hand at his throat.

“Let me see your ID. And your camera.”

As soon as Ben read the media identification, he let go of the guy. He flipped open the back of the camera and pulled out the film.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

“My job.” Ben handed the empty camera back and unrolled the film in the daylight.

“Well that’s my job you’re wrecking there buddy!”

“If I ever see you taking pictures again I will break the damn camera. And it will definitely be in the company of some of your body parts. Am I understood?”

After calling Ben several foul names, none of which even made him flinch, the dejected photographer finally left. Ben threw the exposed and ruined film out in a trash can on his way back to the school.

Philip was gently swinging on a swing set on the school’s lawn; he was under the concerned eye of the young teacher. He had no idea that anything untoward had happened and Ben decided to keep it that way.

A Chaunce of Riches by Chelle Cordero

AMAZON B&N OMNILIT PDF

KINDLE SMASHWORDS MULTIFORMAT


Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Exposing Ourselves


WALKING NAKED – HOW MUCH DO WE EXPOSE OURSELVES IN OUR FICTION?

BY CHELLE CORDERO

It’s fiction… or is it?

Every time a reader picks up our writing we are allowing them deep, DEEP, insights into things that are personally meaningful to us. Everyone wonders how much of our story is true and how much of our main character is really the author.

How can we not influence our characters as we write? Every experience that we have colors our own view of right and wrong so it’s only natural that our heroes and heroines do the kind of things we think are good. Many of us are told to write what we know and by doing that we are literally undressing ourselves each time, no masks, no protective attire – just us. It’s those subjects we feel passionate about that give us foundation for the best stories.

In the long run we do insert ourselves into every tale. We wind up writing our biographies in bits and pieces Obviously we can’t write every story about “ourselves”, even if we do deny it. We research and listen to others, we allow our imaginations to wander, we combine people that we know into one. Our characters are pretend, fiction, not real. But in the long run our ideals, our desires and our fears infiltrate our writing.

Readers often ask authors if the people in our stories are real; they are real to us. Have we visited the sights we speak about in our books? Did we do the things our characters do? Did we overcome the same odds? Do we know people like the other characters? What they are really curious about is how much of our stories is autobiographical.

Which puts us into the uncomfortable position of feeling like we are standing naked in front of people, many of them strangers. We are forced to admit truths and tell people why things are important to us; everyone expects things to mean something. Saying “it sounded good to me” is not an acceptable reason for throwing an obstacle in our character’s path. We have to know WHY we saw that event as a conflict.

After we have poured our emotions into our writing – then comes an even harder challenge. People review our work, sometimes professionally, sometimes as an individual reader seeking enjoyment. And since so many of our “truisms” have been included we tend to view criticism quite personallly. After all if I’ve shared my ideology with my heroine and she’s not liked, then am I? Simple things like dressing my character up for a night on the town may be my idea of “lookin’ good” and if someone else doesn’t agree, it really gets personal

Once we get over the trauma of our first book, we learn to breathe once more and get ready to stand naked in front of our public all over again.

Bio – Chelle Cordero

Chelle was born in the Bronx, NYC to Marcy and Reva Cordero. The younger of two daughters, Chelle’s dad really wanted a son; he wanted to do father-son things and refused to be done out, so he taught his two daughters that they could do anything they wanted to do.

Chelle has multiple romantic suspense novels and one murder mystery published with Vanilla Heart Publishing and short stories in anthologies Forever Friend, With Arms Wide Open, Nature’s Gifts and Passionate Hearts. She also freelances for several newspapers and magazines. She’s currently working on her next novel, a murder mystery called Hyphema.

Chelle lives in the scenic Hudson Valley of NY with her family. In her spare time, Chelle volunteers as an EMT with her local ambulance corps where she is presently serving as President of the all volunteer corps.

Visit Chelle’s website at http://ChelleCordero.com


Wednesday, June 15, 2011

All my books are available through Smashwords


Hyphema
56270 words. Fiction by Chelle Cordero and
published byVanilla Heart Publishing on April 18, 2011

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.
Living, Breathing, Writing:
A Lesson A Day

22710 words. Non-Fiction by Chelle Cordero and
published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on October 28, 2010

A complete month of lessons about the craft of writing
and being a writer, from time management to social
networking, organizing queries to publication, and more.
In the Bonus Section of this book you’ll find more than
50 brain-starting exercises to help you get those
words on paper.
His Lucky Charm
74520 words. Fiction by Chelle Cordero and
published byVanilla Heart Publishing on March 20, 2010

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.
Common Bond, Tangled Hearts
71170 words. Fiction by Chelle Cordero and
published byVanilla Heart Publishing on December 16, 2009

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.
A Chaunce of Riches
59430 words. Fiction by Chelle Cordero and
published byVanilla Heart Publishing on October 31, 2009

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.
Hostage Heart
72450 words. Fiction by Chelle Cordero
and published byVanilla Heart Publishing on July 20, 2009

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
Final Sin
84500 words. Fiction by Chelle Cordero
and published byVanilla Heart Publishing on June 13, 2009

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...
Courage of the Heart
79380 words. Fiction by Chelle Cordero
and published byVanilla Heart Publishing on April 12, 2009

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.
Within the Law
73480 words. Fiction by Chelle Cordero
and published byVanilla Heart Publishing on April 12, 2009

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.
Bartlett's Rule
55810 words. Fiction by Chelle Cordero
and published byVanilla Heart Publishing on April 12, 2009

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.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Living, Breathing, Writing

Do you have a Kindle? If you do, you can subscribe to my
Monthly Price:$0.99 includes wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet

Living, Breathing, Writing by Chelle Cordero is filled with weekly articles about writing, tips, trends, methods. Imagine a weekly writers' workshop and the convenience of your Kindle!

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

Created in July 2009, the Living Breathing Writing Amazon Kindle Blog has seen

655 days in the top 100 Amazon blogs!

Some of the topics over the past 2 years include:
A Bit of Legalese, Creating Believable Characters, The News Release, VBT To Go, Your Own Worst Enemy, KISS, Rejecting Rejection, Marketing Yourself Online, Blogs and Websites, ...and more

What?! You don't have a Kindle???
Then buy the book - Living, Breathing, Writing: A Lesson a Day
based on this weekly blog
Living, Breathing, Writing: A Lesson A Day
Ebook Price: $4.99 USD. 22710 words.
A complete month of lessons about the craft of writing and being a writer, from time management to social networking, organizing queries to publication, and more. In the Bonus Section of this book you’ll find more than 50 brain-starting exercises to help you get those words on paper.

Writing exercise: Choose any object on your desk or in front of you, make a list of all words you would use to describe the object WITHOUT saying what the object is. See if you can have a friend guess what you are talking about by just telling them descriptive words.

Writing exercise: Write your obituary. What would you want folks to know about your life and the kind of person you were? (after you do this, it might be a little easier to write your brief bio).

Writing Exercise: Social network site Twitter allows you 140 characters and spaces (approximately 20 words) to send a message. Practice short blurbs about your day, about yourself, the content of a book, etc.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Romance Fiction – not just Porn!


“Hi, my name is Chelle and I am a romance writer.” I receive a round of applause and several personal shouts of “Hi Chelle!” And over milk and cookies, we discuss the 12-steps towards REAL writing… (the preceding is a dramatization and should not be attempted, etc and so forth)

Why is it that many writers in the romance genre feel that they must announce their forte in clandestine meetings and apologize for their behavior?

Hey all, I write romance. I am not ashamed of the stories I weave. Yes, there is sex and sometimes I may even find myself blushing as I read aloud at an author event. I have oft been the recipient of “tsk, tsk” and “I’m sorry, I won’t read romance books.” And men, oy, they won’t be caught reading a romance novel, no matter how good a story you may tell. My son-in-law teased me that he planned to cover my first novel with a cookbook cover so he could read it on the train while heading in to work!

The romance genre has gotten a bad rep and romance writers are regarded with condescending amusement. And yet, Romance Writers of America has the following statistics on their website: “Romance fiction: $1.375 billion in estimated revenue for 2007, Religion/inspirational: $819 million, Science fiction/fantasy: $700 million, Mystery: $650 million, and Classic literary fiction: $466 million. Of those who read books in 2007, one in five read romance novels.” Impressive.Often referred to as escapism or fluff, the romance genre is known for the “formula” – boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy loses girl over some stupidity that can’t be helped, boy wins girl back, and they live happily ever after. But if all writers followed the “formula” without a real story plot, do you honestly believe that $1.375 billion would have changed hands in 2007? Romance has many sub-genres as well and contemporary romance (the here and now, situations the average reader can relate to) remains the leader of the pack.

During a recent discussion with my editor/publisher, I asked for her definition of romance, erotica and porn – all too often used to delineate categories of romance. Her response was simple, the focus of the story and whether the plot and love came before or after the sex in the book. This put it all into perspective for me. Just like the ingredient label on our breakfast cereals, which comes first?

To date I have written four contemporary romance novels; three have been published and the fourth, Courage of the Heart (actually a modernized re-release from 2001) is due out in February. The ingredient labels on Bartlett’s Rule, Forgotten, Within the Law and the aforementioned Courage of the Heart would read: Love story. Sub-plots and twists, Sex – yep, they are romance novels. A fifth novel, due out in the summer, is called Final Sin. Final Sin’s ingredient label would read Crime-Suspense story, sub-plots and twist, love story and sex; while there is certainly sex involved, it is more relevant to the crime than to the love story. (I have been assured by the haters of romance novels that they are looking forward to reading my NON-romance.)

Some of the most popular stories throughout time have involved intricate love stories although some do not have happy-ever-after endings: Romeo and Juliet, Gone With the Wind, West Side Story, Guys and Dolls, Gift of the Magi, and more. Many modern day movies and box-office hits illustrate the theme of love and sex: 27 Dresses, Pretty Woman, Love Story, Casablanca, Sleepless in Seattle…

It seems that the story of romance is here to stay. And if you decide to pick up a romance novel, you just might find yourself intrigued by the story.

I've written a few more books since I originally wrote this post...
a total of 7 romantic suspense and 2 mysteries.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

...and what kind of day have you had?

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.

Justin, the victim of a fraternity prank, and Layne, the subject of a forced insemination, have produced a beautiful child that they are both willing to protect... at all costs.

The two parents realize they can love each other, but when Layne’s abusive “ex-husband” shows up, they are torn apart by danger, kidnapping and lies. Justin won’t give up until Layne is returned to him. Layne uses her newfound strength, courage and knowledge to defy Charlie’s ugliest demands.

"Damn it!" Justin paced the short length of his motel room several times. This little nothing town was one of the last places he wanted to be. Damn Davis for insisting that he had to "get this matter cleared up". Damn the college pranksters that robbed him of a choice. Damn his brother for leaving him the only heir. And damn his grandfather for dying and dumping everything on his shoulders. He stopped short of cursing his frail mother for making him feel guilty enough to accept the duties of running the three stores.

After a very rocky start, Justin had been a model student for years until he earned his master's degree. He drank only moderately and partied occasionally. There had been a few college girls he saw on a serious level, but he never got carried away. He never made promises and he never once thought of a future with any of them. That was why he was so surprised when the family attorney, Larry Davis, told him he was a father.

"That's impossible!" Justin protested. "I was always very careful. If some girl told you it's mine, don't believe it." He had always been a careful and considerate lover and when it came time to end a relationship, he always did it gently. He'd bet his life, he never got any girl pregnant.

"Justin, maybe you'd better sit down…" Larry put his unlit pipe in his mouth and waited until Justin was seated. "It seems that you and some of your friends decided to do a little bit of celebrating just prior to your graduation, when you received your masters."

A little bit of a celebration was an understatement, Justin thought. He remembered having gotten totally drunk, he spent at least two days nursing a hangover. He suddenly laughed. "If you're going to tell me I went out and got laid, there was no way… I was too far gone for that."

"You were… the victim of a fraternity house prank." Larry had known about this for a few years, but Justin's grandfather wanted it kept quiet for the time being. "I don't know how to say this delicately, but… you passed out in the offices of a sperm bank."


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