Unanswered Prayers - #MondayBlogs

“Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers

Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs

That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care

Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers”

~ Garth Brooks

How many of your childhood dreams and plans actually came to be? Is your life today very different from the way you imagined it would be? And how many of you are much happier now than you thought you ever would be?

While dating my 7^th grade boyfriend I filled my school notebooks with scribbles of “Mrs. Stephen H*****” and “Chelle H*****” – obviously it wasn’t meant to be. Later in my years I did allow my dreams to wander about committing myself to one man; fortunately I was never able to force a “yes” past my lips when he asked and as time went on and I saw his true character I understood my reluctance. In the meanwhile I met my husband and swore I couldn’t stand him! But I did go out with Mark (don’t ask, I thought he was joking when he asked me out!) and by our second date I was in love; we were engaged within two weeks.

At the tender age of young adulthood we KNEW what our plans were and all of the things we were going to do. There is a Yiddish proverb “Man plans and God laughs” – even when you are set on a goal and even know what you want, the forces and influences around you are not necessarily in tune with those expectations. So you adjust and continue forging ahead with (hopefully) no regrets and at some point in your life you look back and realize that while it may not be what you THOUGHT you wanted, you have everything you really need.

Unanswered prayers are indeed the greatest gifts.

Characters in several of my books have found that life’s surprises can lead to wonderful happy ever afters. Sometimes a twist of fate, even though at the time it may seem painful, but when we take everything we’ve been given and make the most of it, our lives often turn out being wonderful. Don’t dwell on the things you think are disappointments.

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” ― Charles R. Swindoll

Trying to save the baby - Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 09/28/14

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 Every week writers post 8 sentences on their blogs from a published or unpublished book.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

Welcome to a snippet from Within the Law. The protagonist, Tom Hughes, was created in His Lucky Charm (formerly called Forgotten). Tom is cousin to the female main character in HLC. I fell in love with Tom, I think he might be my favorite hero from all of my books. His character and his history was so compelling that I HAD to write his story, one in which he has his own HEA.

Caitlyn is rushed to the hospital, she's hemorrhaging after falling at the courthouse. Tom is waiting for Cat's husband, Brandon, to arrive.

Tom was pacing the hospital corridor as Alli came running up to him.

“He’s getting on a plane right now,” Tom gave Caitlyn’s cell phone to Alli at the courthouse and asked her to contact Brandon to let him know what had happened. He went in the ambulance with Cat to the hospital, Alli followed over in his car afterwards.

“They’re prepping her for surgery, the doctors said she’s hemorrhaging, they have to try to deliver the baby or... we’ll lose them both.” Tom feared that by repeating what the doctors said, he would make it come true, “they’re going to do a C-section, so far the baby’s vitals are okay. Cat is... weak, she’s lost a lot of blood already.” He drew a painful breath in, “they’re pretty sure they’ll be able to save the baby.”

 For more WeWriWa snippets, go to www.wewriwa.com

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)

.pdf E-Book (Payloadz)

multiple ebook formats (Smashwords)

Apple iTunes

Kobo
AUDIO/Audible AUDIO/Amazon 

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We are asking for your help - become a Living Donor

A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY IS IN URGENT NEED OF A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT!

Hi everyone, this beautiful couple is my sister Bobi and her husband Del,
as you can tell by this picture, they are very much in love.

But Del needs YOUR help ~ he needs a kidney.

Living donors offer recipients the best chances for a healthy life.
You can be tested to find out if you are compatible.
Please help by getting tested and spreading the word.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Here's a letter from my sister:

Many years ago Del was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) a genetic disorder characterized by the growth of numerous cysts in the kidneys. In 1968 Del lost a kidney to PKD and has been managing for the past 46 years with his remaining kidney. Recently his condition has worsened, the enlarging cysts are severely impacting the function of this kidney and it is failing. Del has been told he requires a kidney transplant as soon as possible. His best chances are a kidney from a living donor. Recipients of a living donor kidney live longer and healthier lives.

Time is of the essence so we are reaching out to as many people as we can to alert them to Del’s critical condition. You can make a difference. Please help spread the word to your family members, friends, co-workers, or any groups you are affiliated with. The more people we reach the greater the probability we can find a suitable kidney match for Del.

If you or anyone you know is willing to be tested to see if you are a compatible match for donation please contact Robert Wood Johnson Transplant Center, New Brunswick, NJ at (732) 253-3699 or 1-877-NUKIDNEY and follow the prompts for the living donor program. Tell them you are calling on behalf of Del Du-Bois.

Thank you so much,
Barbara Cordero Du-Bois and family

Some facts :

- We are born with 2 kidneys but can survive with one.

- Polycystic Kidney Disease is a genetic disorder so family members can be affected and are not good donor candidates.

- People with the most common type of PKD progress to kidney failure also called end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

- Living donor transplants represent the best opportunity for a positive long-term outcome.

- Transplants from a live donor has the benefit of lasting twice as long as a kidney from a deceased donor.

- The wait for a deceased donor could take 5 to 7 or more years.

- While the number of people requiring a kidney transplant has been increasing each year, the number of transplants received has remained at a stable and alarmingly low level over the years.

- According to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse there are 101,047 individuals awaiting a kidney as of August 21, 2014 and since January to May of this year 11,845 people who received transplants of which 2,280 came from live donors.

Rosh Hashanah is a time for joy, a time for new beginnings,
celebrations and counting our blessings.
We wish you and your loved ones the best of
health, happiness & prosperity in this new year.

Today is the 1st day of Rosh Hashanah

The Blog Hop Tour - #MondayBlogs

Hi my name is Chelle Cordero 

I'm a writer

Combining Passion & Suspense

I was invited to join this blog tour by Author Lauren Shiro . Lauren Shiro is an author of contemporary and LGBT fiction. Hers are stories of love with no boundaries: love is truly blind to both color and gender. These are stories of regular people in real situations. Her books are sure to touch your heart and remain with you long after you've finished them. You can find out more about her and her list of titles at http://laurenshiro.blogspot.com/

ABOUT ME: I was always making up stories as a child and my imagination ran wild with the possibilities all around me. I studied the arts and theatre through college and at one time had my heart set on being an actress. These days I tend to act out the scenes in my stories as I write and although I may sound as if I am talking to myself, I am really communicating with my characters. I am a full time free-lance writer with two writing personas, one as a novelist and the other as a journalist.  I feel remarkably blessed to be able to earn my income entirely with words.

My favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense, I recently included paranormal to my writing.

CURRENT PROJECT: I am working on a sequel to my contemporary paranormal romantic suspense Karma Visited. Tentatively called Annie’s Karma, this book picks up with Annie and Dave and the relationship they are building. Dave is helping Annie to control her ability to “travel” in her sleep.

Karma Visited
Do you believe in karma? Annie Furman has a gift that allows her, while she sleeps, to visit people in their time of need – but who will be there for her when she needs help? Undersheriff Dave Turner is investigating a series of home invasions and homicides. He has no idea that solving this case will lead him to the woman of his dreams.

I also author an Amazon Kindle blog called Living,Breathing, Writing featuring twice weekly writing lessons, exercises, prompts and challenges. LBW is downloaded to most Kindles by subscription.

WHAT MAKES MY STORIES DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS IN THE SAME GENRE?: Every writer has a unique voice. I decide on a starting point and get a basic idea of where I would like to see the story go, and then I let my characters run wild through the story. They decide what comes next and sometimes I have to corral them back in – sometimes they listen, other times they just surprise me. I merely act as their secretary and record their words and actions.

WHY DO I WRITE THE STORIES THAT I DO?: I write romance because I am a hopeless romantic who believes everyone should be in love. I write suspense because, from my own experience, life is full of thrills and adrenaline rushes. I wrote two mystery/suspense novels based in Emergency Medical Services (Final Sin & Hyphema)  and used my experience as an Emergency Medical Technician to lend excitement and realism.

HOW DOES MY WRITING PROCESS WORK?: Basically I write what I feel when I feel it. With my journalism assignments I am almost always at my keyboard researching or typing. I never really experience writer’s block because I am juggling multiple projects and if I find the words slowing down I change projects. Once I start writing anything I find it hard to stop.

WHO'S NEXT ON THE BLOG HOP? Next in line for this hop is my friend and fellow VHP Author Neva Squires Rodriguez www.nevasquiresrodriguez.com – I hope you’ll pay her blog a visit next week. Her debut book Liliana  is the first in a trilogy and is really an exciting story.

Thanks so much for joining us on the blog hop!
 Happy reading!!!

Tom is reprimanded - Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 09/21/14

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

Welcome to a snippet from Within the Law. The protagonist, Tom Hughes, was created in His Lucky Charm (formerly called Forgotten). Tom is cousin to the female main character in HLC. I fell in love with Tom, I think he might be my favorite hero from all of my books. His character and his history was so compelling that I HAD to write his story, one in which he has his own HEA.

Tom tells the courtroom that Joyce was pregnant at the time of her death and Dunlop's confession. The senior defense attorney, Justin, scoffs at the idea. While Tom waits for the Judge's response he worries about Caitlyn, his pregnant cousin, who fell during the scuffle in the lobby.

[I apologize, I needed to include the last 9th sentence.]

Justin stood defiantly, “he’s making this up.”

The judge addressed the courtroom, “Is there anyone in this courtroom who over-heard what Mr. Dunlop allegedly said to Mr. Hughes?” no one answered.

The judge spoke calmly and compassionately, “Mr. Hughes, it is unfortunate that your loss of control has brought us to this. I do believe that you were provoked and I understand how painful this must be for you, but I also agree that with your training, you should have had more discipline and control. You need to be held accountable for your actions; I am willing to release you in your own recognizance after you surrender your ID and shield and any weapons you have in your possession here in Rome. I intend to make a phone call to your superior officers to discuss further discipline, do I make myself understood, Mr. Hughes?”

“Yes ma’am,” he agreed with everything the judge said, he let his emotions and his temper direct his actions; he knew better than that.

The court officer approached Tom and he handed over his ID and shield. Then, just as he was feeling completely defeated, he turned back to Caitlyn. He watched as she stood with a half-smile of encouragement just for him, suddenly her face drained of color and she clutched her stomach, she cried out in pain and collapsed.

 For more WeWriWa snippets, go to www.wewriwa.com

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)

.pdf E-Book (Payloadz)

multiple ebook formats (Smashwords)

Apple iTunes

Kobo

posted Thursday, Sept 18:

#TBT - It's been ONE year since I joined the #WeWriWa hop! Yay me!

...and Great News!

Within the Law by Chelle Cordero Is Now in Audio!

 

WITHIN THE LAW BY CHELLE CORDERO IS NOW AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIOBOOK ON AUDIBLE, ITUNES, AND ON AMAZON! ALSO IN ALL EBOOK FORMATS AND PRINT EDITIONS.

BUY LINKS 

AUDIO/Audible 

AUDIO/Amazon 

And if you decide to use the Amazon-exclusive Audible.com 30-day free trial membership it includes:

• This audiobook free, plus a bonus audiobook of your choice

• Exchange any book you don’t like with our Great Listen Guarantee

• Total flexibility – cancel, pause or upgrade membership easily and whenever you like

#TBT - It's been ONE year since I joined the #WeWriWa hop! Yay me!

 I am ...since 9/15/2013

9/15/13 WEWRIWA a community of writers and readers

My very first (& hopefully not last) post that is part of the WeWriWa meme!
(thanks to Charmaine Gordon for cluing me into this terrific weekly activity)

Since this is National Preparedness Month, I am choosing my brief excerpt from one of my EMS suspense novels, Final Sin - this is from a scene in the autopsy room, Jake is entering to learn what he can from the autopsy in hopes of solving a crime. Present are the chief investigator Sheriff Jake Carlson, the Chief Lab Pathologist Dr. Ramos, and the remains of Holly, a victim of a sadistic murderer :

        He entered the autopsy suite passing the heavy wooden sign next to the door; It said, “HIC LOCUS EST UBI MORS GAUDET SUCCURRERE VITAE”. Once before when Jake had been here, he had asked for a translation of the Latin words and was told, “This is the place where death rejoices to teach those who live.” He was anxious to learn and he hoped Holly would be anxious to teach; He had high hopes that they could learn something, anything that would lead them to the murderer. Two men were waiting for him as he donned a surgical gown and protective eye-wear.

        Holly’s body was already lying on the shiny, aluminum dissection table. The table, a little more than waist high, was edged with an aluminum channel to allow blood and fluids to drain away from the body. The room was uncluttered and glaringly bright. It was a stark reminder of the lifelessness of the cadavers stored in the drawers along the wall.

For more snippets:  http://www.wewriwa.com 

Amazon Paperback
Kindle
Audio Edition
NOOK
Smashwords
iTunes/Apple

Hola Salud नमस्कार Goededag Cześć Bonjour Shalom 汝好 & Hello

Just an interesting tidbit...

Here are my most recent page views on this blog and where they come from:

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Obviously my blog travels better than I do...

Thanks for visiting!

Please leave a comment below and tell me where you are reading this from.

Changes ~ #MondayBlogs

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears
(from Fiddler on the Roof)

Life seems to change so rapidly, every day presents new experiences and opportunities. Our married daughter and her husband moved out-of-state last year (not far thankfully), our son is getting married the end of this year, and hubby and I (AND the cats) are thinking of downsizing.

Yikes, to think of packing up a home that we’ve been in for more than three decades is monumental! And yet despite my aversion to cleaning, throwing out the excess, and packing dozens of boxes, the thought of moving on with my husband of nearly 40-years is attractive. I’m entertaining myself with dreams of having an idyllic empty-nester dream home. I admit there is more than a bit of sentimentality about the idea of leaving this home where we raised our family…

Right now it’s a dream, a vision, a plan, but it is definitely one we are heading towards with no specific timetable. Just one of the adventures we look forward to in this ever-changing world.

Tom is in trouble ~

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

Welcome to a snippet from Within the Law. The protagonist, Tom Hughes, was created in His Lucky Charm (formerly called Forgotten). Tom is cousin to the female main character in HLC. I fell in love with Tom, I think he might be my favorite hero from all of my books. His character and his history was so compelling that I HAD to write his story, one in which he has his own HEA.

Last week Tom turned his rage on Roy Dunlop, the man on trial for raping and killing Tom's fiance. Now, while /Dunlop lies in the hospital unconscious, Tom finds himself in the hot-seat. Alli, on the defense attorney side, is in an uncomfortable position - she cares for Tom but is trying not to cross any ethical barriers.

[I condensed this down to make it fit the 8 sentences]

The courtroom was packed with the lawyers, court security, family and witnesses related to Dunlop’s case. No outsiders were allowed to enter and the press was barred; the jury was being held in the deliberation room. The judge was aware that newspaper photographers had snapped several pictures of Tom beating Dunlop and there would be headlines no matter how she handled this.

Alli whispered fiercely to her partner Justin, the Senior Defense Attorney, until he was overheard saying, “Just shut-up!” She sat stone faced at the table and refused to look at anything other than her tightly clasped hands.

“My client is currently in the hospital’s emergency room receiving treatment for the brutal beating he took at Thomas Hughes’ hands.”

“Your honor, Mr. Hughes was provoked,” the District Attorney spoke in Tom’s defense.

Justin continued, “Should the people of the State of New York feel safe with a peace officer who cannot control his rage over a poor choice of words?"

 For more WeWriWa snippets, go to www.wewriwa.com

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)

.pdf E-Book (Payloadz)

multiple ebook formats (Smashwords)

Apple iTunes

Kobo

Previous Within the Law #WeWriWa Snippets

The pregnant ones always squeal ~ 09/07/14

Tom feels Cat's baby kick - 08/31/14

Cat is there to give support - 08/24/14

A Clandestine Relationship ~ 08/17/14

Tom can't avoid his attraction to Alli - 08/10/14

Tom "licks his wounds" - 08/03/14

Tom is called to the stand - 07/27/14

The next time he sees Alli - 07/20/14

Tom meets Alli - 07/13/14

The Acceptance - 07/06/14

Introducing Tom in Within the Law - 06/29/14

#TBT - September 11, 2001 Never Forget...

We use the #Throwback Thursday meme to remember things from the past, what happened on 9/11/01 is a memory I am sure many of us wish we didn't have...

Never forget the innocent souls that we lost on that day and never forget the way the world changed.

We saw the opening of the

this year

"The National September 11 Memorial is a tribute of remembrance and honor to the nearly 3,000 people killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center site, near Shanksville, Pa., and at the Pentagon, as well as the six people killed in the World Trade Center bombing in February 1993."

Rockland County Residents

Janet M. Alonso 41 Stony Point NY
Calixto Anaya Jr. 35 Suffern NY
Japhet J. Aryee 49 Spring Valley NY
Richard E. Bosco 34 Suffern NY
Sgt. John Gerard Coughlin 43 Pomona NY
Welles Remy Crowther 24 Upper Nyack NY
John D' Allara 47 Pearl River NY
Bernard D. Favuzza 52 Suffern NY
Thomas Foley 32 West Nyack NY
Andrew Fredericks 40 Suffern NY
Robert Joseph Gschaar 55 Spring Valley NY
Dana Hannon 29 Suffern NY
Capt. Frederick Ill Jr. 49 Pearl River NY
Farah Jeudy 32 Spring Valley NY
Joseph Marchbanks Jr. 47 Nanuet NY
John Marshall 35 Congers NY
Patricia A. McAneney 50 Pomona NY
Robert Garvin McCarthy 33 Stony Point NY
Robert William McPadden 30 Pearl River NY
Luke G. Nee 44 Stony Point NY
Gerald O'Leary 34 Stony Point NY
David Ortiz 37 Nanuet NY
Lt. Vernon Allan Richard 53 Nanuet NY
Thomas G. Schoales 27 Stony Point NY
Mohammed Shajahan 41 Spring Valley NY
Gregory Sikorsky 34 Spring Valley NY
Catherine T. Smith 44 West Haverstraw NY
Robert W. Spear Jr. 30 Valley Cottage NY
Loretta A, Vero 51 Nanuet NY
Benjamin Walker 41 Suffern NY
Weibin Wang 41 Orangeburg NY
Steven Weinberg 41 New City NY

Capt. David T. Wooley 53 Nanuet NY

for a complete list: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/memorial/index.html

Scripture tells us "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." There's no better way to honor the best in those who died than by discovering the best in ourselves. (President Obama, 9/11/2012, Pentagon Memorial Service)