Saturday, December 28, 2013

A Chaunce of Riches continued - #WeWriWa 12/28/2013

Hi! Welcome to another Weekend Writing Warrior round. Every week writers post 8 sentences on their blogs from a published or unpublished book. Then we "hop" around and leave comments on each other's snippets. Whether our work is already published or in progress, the helpful comments help us become stronger writers on our next WIP. We welcome EVERYONE's comments.
See more at the WeWriWa blog

In this excerpt from A Chaunce of Riches, Ben has been doing his job protecting the woman he once loved, now a wealthy widow, and her young son from definite threats. He still is bitter about her betrayal and abandonment when he was at his most vulnerable. After several close "encounters", she has begged him for forgiveness and he has refused. One more serious heart-to-heart and they are both left hurting. Ben enters Sam's room late one night - uninvited. He obviously has been drinking.

            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.
            He laughed, that feistiness was part of the old Sam, the Sam he had loved with all of his heart; 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?”

For more WeWriWa Snippets, go to: 

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. 



Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Anniversary Celebration Giveaway

Dec.28. 1975
My husband and I are celebrating our 38th wedding anniversary on Saturday December 28! That puts me in a real good mood so I’m going to celebrate by giving YOU presents.

…I want to ask you for a favor; my publisher wants us to give interviews and I need questions. Please think of a writing related question you want me, Author Chelle Cordero, to answer and then post it on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChelleCordero (if you haven’t already you will have to “LIKE” the page)

I’ll choose up to 10 questions to answer in a blog on Wednesday, January 8. I will give each person whose question I choose a gift – either a FREE downloadable audio book or an e-book from Smashwords (randomly chosen). 



It’s simple – LIKE my Facebook Author page, post an author interview question, and read my responses on January 8 on The Potpourri Parlor, my Facebook page, my blog (here) and my website.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

more from A Chaunce of Riches ~12/22/13 WEWRIWA

Hi! Welcome to another Weekend Writing Warrior round. Every week writers post 8 sentences on their blogs from a published or unpublished book. Then we "hop" around and leave comments on each other's snippets. Whether our work is already published or in progress, the helpful comments help us become stronger writers on our next WIP. We welcome EVERYONE's comments.
See more at the WeWriWa blog

As we continue with A Chaunce of Riches, Ben decides to stay and protect the wealthy Samantha Chaunce and her son even though his heart hasn't healed after her abandonment so many years before.

            Ben sat quietly and watched her, Sam tried to go back to reading.
            “So what happened to you Sam? I really thought we had the same values and the same dreams, when did money become so important to you?”
            She didn’t want to have to defend herself to him, it would be too easy to be swept up in a lie. Looking away from him, she barely whispered, “what makes you think it wasn’t important all along?” She hoped that he couldn’t read the regret in her eyes.
            “I thought I knew you better than anybody else just like I thought you knew me better; you were the only person I ever let get close to me.” He paused, “I thought our love was important to you.”


Friday, December 20, 2013

The VHP [virtual] Holiday Office Party 2013

Wishing everyone a Joyous Holiday Season!
T'was the week before Christmas
and all through the office
all the authors were festive
and our publisher joyous
Marie was in the kitchen 
putting spice in the cookies
Kimberlee was loading CD's
filled with holiday tunes
Elf costumes were calling to
Lauren and Charmaine and
Malcolm and Angela and Chelle
and we parTAYED the whole night through




Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Vanilla Heart Publishing E-Book Discussion Packets




VHP  E-Book Book Club
Book clubs and their members play an important part in the enjoyment and excitement of reading terrific books. Here at Vanilla Heart Publishing, we appreciate the passion and enthusiasm book clubs generate when reading and discussing books!

Easy! Inexpensive Packages including Ebooks, Author Info, Discussion Starter Questions, and Full Color Bookmarks for your club membership to simply print out and use!


Vanilla Heart Publishing authors can give your book club (across the United States, Canada, the UK and worldwide) an exciting presentation – in person, by Skype, or via forums and group chat on the internet. 



Book Club Extras Packets

Author Info, Title Detail, Discussion Starters and
Printable Bookmarks - All FREE!

Book Club Extras Packets are available as free downloadable packets or viewable online.
To download your free packet, simply click the EBCE link, or view online.




   EBCE      VIEW ONLINE   
     
Common Bond, Tangled Hearts by Chelle Cordero   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. 


   EBCE      VIEW ONLINE   
     
A Chaunce of Riches by Chelle Cordero   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. 

   EBCE    VIEW ONLINE
     
Within the Law by Chelle Cordero   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. 


   EBCE    VIEW ONLINE
     
Hostage Heart by Chelle Cordero   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 

   EBCE     VIEW ONLINE 
     
Courage of the Heart by Chelle Cordero   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.

   EBCE     VIEW ONLINE   Hyphema by Chelle Cordero  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. 



   EBCE    VIEW ONLINE

Jock Stewart and the Missing Sea of Fire by Malcolm R. Campbell  Mainstream humor with a dash of mystery... Jock Stewart is a mix of Don Rickles and Don Quixote, Stewart is the man for the job when the skirts are up and the chips are down...
   EBCE    VIEW ONLINE   

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.


   EBCE    VIEW ONLINE   

His Lucky Charm by Chelle Cordero  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. Will their romance survive a foreign threat to national security, kidnapping, personal tragedy and a murder attempt? (Previously released as Forgotten, 2008)

  EBCE    VIEW ONLINE
Final Sin  by Chelle Cordero  Deputy Sheriff 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...

  EBCE    VIEW ONLINE
To Be Continued by Charmaine Gordon  Elizabeth Malone wakes up the morning after an amazing night of passion with her husband of forty years to find a note: "Dear Lizzie, it's not you, it's me." Abandoned by her husband, disappointed in daughter Susie's casual attitude – ‘Dad's having a mid-life crisis’, Beth decides to re-establish herself as the winner she once was. When Frank Malone returns, he's in for a big surprise!

  EBCE    VIEW ONLINE
Starting Over  by Charmaine Gordon  Each morning, Emily Kendrick runs on the hard-packed sand of St. Augustine Beach. She runs to clear her mind and heal her heart. From the widow's walk of the house perched high on the dunes, a man trains his binoculars on Emily... One early morning run, he sees tears spill down Emily's tanned face. She stumbles and falls, crumpling into a heap in the sand. . .and doesn't get up. A lone runner reaches Emily's side. Her watcher slams his binoculars onto the railing as he throws his coffee cup against the steel and Plexiglas windscreen...

  EBCE    VIEW ONLINE
Now What?  by Charmaine Gordon  It was 2:30 a.m. when the phone rang. I fumbled for it, my heart starting a race toward bad news. Our doctor s voice urged me to hurry. I crammed into clothes as if I expected this call. It is only a fever that won t go down, isn't it? Our doctor shook his head. ...We did everything possible to save him. I held him in my arms when he took his last breath. Carly, I m so sorry. Settling in beside my Bob, I held his cooling hand and asked the two words spoken many times during our years together. Now what? This time there was no response. I was on my own for the first time. When my fingers touched his wedding ring, I slipped it off and held it in my fist. The gold band was warm. I clung to him. Come back to me, dearest. Sometimes what you wish for is more than you can live with.

  EBCE    VIEW ONLINE
Reconstructing Charlie  by Charmaine Gordon  Charlie Costigan has a secret. Home life gone from bad to the worst when she protects her mother from another vicious attack by her drunken father. Midnight. Clothes thrown into an old suitcase, she races for the bus with a letter to an unknown aunt and uncle. This is my daughter. Embrace her as if she were your own. Determined, Charlie begins again. Alone with her secret.

  EBCE    VIEW ONLINE
Loving Her  by L.E. Harvey   Loving Her is a collection of short stories celebrating love and life between women; each story tells a story, and together, they create a depth and understanding of women's love for each other and for life. Loving Her shares the stories of remarkable and ordinary women- women learning to love and women making a difference, all while managing the world around them...as lovers do.

  EBCE    VIEW ONLINE
Unbreakable Hostage  by L.E. Harvey   Lareina Oliveira; high school math teacher, she wants to share her passion for math. So it is back to school for Lareina…a tough Ph. D. program. A classmate is captivated by Lareina’s beauty and intelligence, and despite her repeated refusals to his attentions, he  kidnaps her! Only her determination and wits can save her… Will her family, roommate, and a wily detective from Missing Persons get to her before it is too late?

  EBCE    VIEW ONLINE
Imperfect  by L.E. Harvey   Carol Mathers, born a sickly child, in a home fraught with undercurrents that threaten to sweep away any chance she might have for a ‘normal’ life.  Now in her mid-thirties, she's a highly sought-after IT guru in St. Louis.  She has built a great life for herself with her partner, Alexandria, even though the two face prejudice as lesbians, and as an interracial couple -fighting tragedy and sometimes, finding triumph.  Carol discovers that she has acquired AIDS as a result of a childhood transfusion from the dark period of time before AIDS was widely known… or understood, not even by the medical profession.  Now, the two women face even more obstacles, prejudice, and a strange, new life as AIDS patients and  it all causes her to wonder about the meaning of and purpose of her own life… or if there is any purpose at all…  


You can also download .pdf book discussion packets
for all Chelle Cordero novels
directly from her website

BOOK DISCUSSION PACKETS:

 Karma Visited (pdf file)
Bartlett’s Rule (pdf file)
His Lucky Charm (pdf file)
Final Sin (pdf file)
Hyphema (pdf file) 
Hostage Heart  (pdf file)
Within the Law (pdf file)
A Chaunce of Riches (pdf file)

Saturday, December 14, 2013

12/15/13 WEWRIWA a community of writers and readers

Hi! Welcome to another Weekend Writing Warrior round. Every week writers post 8 sentences on their blogs from a published or unpublished book. Then we "hop" around and leave comments on each other's snippets. Whether our work is already published or in progress, the helpful comments help us become stronger writers on our next WIP. We welcome EVERYONE's comments.
See more at the WeWriWa blog

I'm continuing with A Chaunce of Riches - Ben has been hired as a bodyguard for a rich widow and her son. In a seemingly cruel coincidence, last week Ben and Samantha saw each other for the first time after many years. (creative punctuation has been used)

When she was sure her voice could sound nearly normal, she smiled sweetly, “It’s good to see you again Ben.” It was difficult to look at him and not remember things she had no right to remember; she absentmindedly played with one of the short tousled curls that framed her face.
He couldn’t ignore the diamond encrusted wedding band she wore on her left hand, he chuckled softly and cynically, “Well, now I know why you left.”
“What do you mean?”

“I never realized how much money meant to you,” he couldn’t help it, he would always be bitter. “When I heard that you got married and left for Europe, I thought it was because you thought I could never be a whole man again, but I really thought you would have at least waited to see. Now I understand, he probably flashed some bills in your face, that was all that it took, wasn’t it?”

For more WeWriWa Snippets, go to: 

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. 


An Amazon Customer Review

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read 

Personal conflict kicks off at the very start of Ms. Cordero's A Chaunce of Riches, as widower Samantha Chaunce comes face to face with a man from her past - Ben Johnson. She told him she loved him oh-so-long ago, and then she departed in the arms of another.

The personal tension between them stands out even against the backdrop of suspense and intrigue - for someone murdered Samantha's wealthy husband. Is it all a matter of money? Or is it an affair of the heart? And...unexpectedly we must now worry; either way, was it Ben?

Suspicions impact all the other emotions Samantha must battle through. And for Ben; it's merely another slap in the face to find his client is his once-lover. And more; for Sam was a trusted friend, since childhood. She let him down back when he so desperately needed her - and now the shoe is on the other foot. Was it all for money?

Samantha's son, eight-year-old, rather sad Phillip drags Ben into the home, and into this unpredictable intrigue. For Julian, the dead husband, seems to have the power to reach beyond the grave to control what was his... and how and why that came to be is the biggest secret of all; something Ben never even guessed.

Nothing is simple in the complex tale of love, danger, and this shared, almost-mourned, past. The past is important here, but once or twice, hearing that history slows the action. However, the two main characters are both strong, edgy people, and their history together creates a rather unusual relationship between the two. There is anger, resentment, yet, somehow, there is an enduring trust that becomes more and more important in the face of danger.

The very focused plot keeps us madly turning the pages, right to the very end. Yet, it's the romantic in us that is waiting, and so hoping, that they are both the people we think they are...that somehow, out of all this emotional clutter, disaster and more, they can find their way to true feeling. The story is simply super on all counts. Mark A Chaunce of Riches a Must-Read.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Sounding Real


The following article was previously

published on my


Product Details

Sounding Real

If you are writing dialogue into your story, it should sound like real people actually talking to one another. Say the words aloud – if it feels awkward to say, it probably is.
Your character’s way of speaking should sound like a person of their class, background, ethnicity and style. That doesn’t mean that every word (or even every sentence) needs to be personalized to the point that the words become unreadable, but insert a word, phrase or accent every so often that is unique to that character
Think of a popular TV show or movie and the catch phrases that were always associated with a particular individual, like Joey Tribbiani in Friends and “How’re you doing?”, or Ricky Ricardo in I Love Lucy and “Lucy, I’m home.” Let your readers identify the person speaking by their style and not just “so and so said”.
If the character is uneducated, or crude, or drunk then they should sound different from the person who is well educated, prim and proper, and possibly snobbish. If they have an accent remember that it would probably be too confusing for your readers to decipher every word, but throwing in the occasional “accented” word will get the point across. You can even use an occasional foreign word, but try to keep it simple so that your readers are not confused.
“Si senor, I do know that yoo can not see…”or “Sir, I can tell that it is not in your view…”or “Hey dude, ya ain’t seeing it…”
The same sentiment, but as you read those three lines, didn’t you get a vision of a different person each time?
Your narrative should be short and simple as well. Don’t use a thesaurus to write just so you can use multiple words to say the same thing. If it doesn’t sound natural, it will likely distract your reader.
You can add expression to your words by using descriptions rather than excess adjectives or needless exclamation points.
“Are you in here?” He whispered through the open door. or “Are you in here?” He yelled as he kicked the door open. or “Are you in here?” He spoke haltingly as he looked around the room.

Writing exercise: Write a few paragraphs about any subject. Now see if you can re-write each paragraph with no more than one to two sentences (not endless run-on sentences, please). Include all of the pertinent information by cutting out unnecessary descriptive terms and redundancy. Although your final words may sound dry because you are so limited, it is a good way to learn to tighten your thoughts.
Writing prompt: Describe the room you are in and your actions from your point of view (first person: I see, I hear…); then describe the room from the viewpoint of someone standing in the doorway and watching YOU (third person: She sat rocking in the chair…) Remember that in third-person the person describing the room cannot be in YOUR head, they cannot know HOW you feel.

Saturday, December 7, 2013

12/8/13 WEWRIWA a community of writers and readers

Hi! Welcome to another Weekend Writing Warrior round. Every week writers post 8 sentences on their blogs from a published or unpublished book. Then we "hop" around and leave comments on each other's snippets. Whether our work is already published or in progress, the helpful comments help us become stronger writers on our next WIP. We welcome EVERYONE's comments.
See more at the WeWriWa blog

This week I decided to share a snippet from my romantic suspense A Chaunce of Riches (and no it is not a misspelling). These 8 lines, thanks to creative punctuation, are from the opening scene.

Only in his fifties, Chaunce died suddenly while using a treadmill at a private gym, he left a wife and son and loads of business rivals behind; now someone was sending threatening notes to the company and the house. Flipping through the folder, Ben frowned and shook his head, the family had tried to keep themselves isolated from the public, probably in an attempt to protect themselves from the same kind of journalists the publication paid on staff. While there was an occasional headshot of Julian Chaunce, Ben had seen no pictures of the family and he was expecting to see a bland middle-age woman when the door finally opened.
“I am so sorry to keep you waiting, my son was having a bit of a crisis,” she stopped short as Ben stood up from his chair and turned to face her; after seeing him her face drained of color.
All Ben could think of was how young she still looked in her light blue slacks and the tailored striped man’s shirt she was wearing; her hips were a little wider, a little womanlier, but she was still as lithe as she ever was. His gaze traveled up to her face, it had been years since he had seen those eyes staring back at him.

“Sam?” his lips felt parched as he managed to say her name.

For more WeWriWa Snippets, go to: 

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. 

iBook/iTunes
KOBO

Book Discussion Packet (freeA Chaunce of Riches (pdf file)


Saturday, November 30, 2013

12/1/13 WEWRIWA a community of writers and readers

Hi! Welcome to another Weekend Writing Warrior round. Every week writers post 8 sentences on their blogs from a published or unpublished book. Then we "hop" around and leave comments on each other's snippets. Whether our work is already published or in progress, the helpful comments help us become stronger writers on our next WIP. We welcome EVERYONE's comments.
http://www.wewriwa.com/2013/11/weekend-writing-warriors-8sunday-111013.html
See more at the WeWriWa blog.

We're jumping quite a bit ahead in the story. Adam has tried, and tried, to push Davie away, but he fears he's fallen in love with her. Pushing her away again during a bout of pneumonia nearly killed him, literally. While recovering (with Davie's help of course), he resolves to let Davie know how he feels... if she'll have him.

"You said earlier that you wanted to talk."

"Yeah. Davie, this is really important…"

Davie knelt on the carpet next to the couch, "I'm here."

Adam twisted to face her, he realized he was having difficulty finding the right words to start. "It's about us, I want there to be an us, I don't know where this relationship will wind up, but suddenly I find myself thinking of tomorrow…with you, I never meant for that to happen."

"Why does that scare you?" Davie spoke softly.

"It scares me that you might not want to be a part of it," Adam swallowed and looked uncomfortably around the room, he realized that this could be the most important thing he ever had to say. His eyes finally settled on Davie, "Davie, there are some things I have to tell you about my past, some things that may make you walk out and never look back."

For more WeWriWa Snippets, go to: 

It's a good thing that Adam opens up to Davie because in the coming days his past comes crashing in and he winds up fearing for Davie's life.

Next week I am going to start featuring snippets from one of my other works.

The original Courage of the Heart was published in 2001; in 2009 Vanilla Heart Publishing re-published a slightly modified version. Since then VHP has published a total of  ten of my novels, the most recent one being Karma Visited. As I look back I can see how much my writing has changed (hopefully for the better) and posting these snippets and reading your wonderful comments has been very helpful as I start work on my 11th novel.
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