Years ago I used to share office space with a lovely lady by the name of Ruth. Whenever Ruth heard of anyone's misfortune she always uttered the words "There But For The Grace Of God Go I." Through the many years since I worked with her I've often found myself uttering those words in appreciation of my own blessings.
It's hard to hear news of someone else's sorrows and not empathize and when we empathize we find ourselves shuddering in fear as we realize the same thing could have happened to us. And we are thankful that it didn't — and then maybe we feel a tad guilty even though we shouldn't. Being grateful for our own fortunes doesn't mean that we don't feel for them.
We should always realize the things we have to be thankful for and never turn our backs because not everything goes our way. We should also, no matter how strongly we feel someone else's pain, never lose sight of joys. Each morning that we wake is an opportunity and each night that we close our eyes to sleep is an achievement.
A good reminder for me and the way I live my life is the Tarot card, the five-of-cups. The common depiction is of a sorrowful figure who is focusing on three overturned spilled cups and ignoring the two full cups behind; although the meaning is a card of loss, it shows us that there is still something left. Never ignore all the joys and riches you have in life, concentrate on the good things. Like the old adage, "When life gives you lemons make lemonade," life is what you make of it.
Does this mean that we have to settle, no. We are still allowed to want, to set goals for ourselves, and even to appreciate the occasional win. We can be happy. I think the moral is that we shouldn't devalue the good things we have no matter what we may not have gotten in our lives.
Appreciate everyone you have in your life. Be happy with the things you have. Enjoy life.
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 Every week writers post 8 sentences on their blogs from a published or unpublished book.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.
My entry this week is from Hostage Heart, a romantic suspense involving a young lady from Louisiana whose family was affected by the devastation from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Ryan is trying to make things more bearable for Deanna even though he is still refusing to let her go. She makes a simple request, to bathe. He takes her to the bathhouse in the deserted camp. ...and now the eight:
The wooden bathhouse consisted of three door-less
stalls, but the side walls provided enough privacy to change comfortably.
Deanna felt odd knowing that Ryan was on the other side of that short wall
undressing for his own shower and positioned so that she would have to pass by
him if she tried to leave.
She stood naked with her eyes closed letting the cool water
just splash over her, she trusted him not to peek; suddenly Deanna felt
something grab her ankles, she looked down and screamed.
Ryan dropped the bar of soap he had been rubbing over
his body when he heard her scream and he went around the stall divider.
She stood perfectly still with the water still cascading
down her body. “Help,” she barely croaked the words as she motioned downwards.
He looked down at her feet and saw the back half of a
Black Rat Snake coiled around her ankles; he said quietly, “it’s not poisonous.”
“I don’t care, get it off of me.”
Two people, attracted to each other, naked and soapy... Will the temptation be too much?
Hostage Heart by Chelle Cordero is available as an AUDIOBOOK and in All Ebook Formats and Print Editions.
Life was hard after the hurricanes swept through, destroying her parents' home and livelihood...Deanna did the only thing she could do. She moved to New York City, found a job, worked hard, scrimped and saved to send what little she could manage back home to Louisiana to her parents.
An errand for her boss - a chance encounter with a crew of bank robbers - a kind man who tried to help her and deserved her courageous help in return... But he wasn't the man she thought he was...no, he was so very much more!
Review
Hostage Heartis a captivating read…I really enjoyed Chelle Cordero's 'Hostage Heart. It read quickly and kept my interest until the very end. I would highly recommend this book and I plan to read all of the author's other books. It took me along on the adventure. I enjoyed the romance.
In 2005 my hubby spent six weeks in Louisiana as part of a Federal medical team giving aid to thousands of injured and displaced victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. When he came back home, he spoke of all the wonderful folks he had met and related some of the horror stories of what they had endured.And after six weeks down there, he picked up, and brought home with him, many of the colloquialisms of the area.
Listening to his stories I envisioned more than what the TV news had been reporting. I heard about people who had lost homes, possessions and in some cases loved ones. And I learned what it meant to have an indomitable spirit to “pick yourself up” and rebuild. Despite all of the suffering and loss, there were amazing stories of generosity and kindness; people who had lost their homes cooked kettles over campfires as a thank you to the rescue workers and so much more.
To this day the TV news images of the flood waters and people on rooftops seem unreal. I certainly don’t mean to trivialize what had happened, but those scenes seemed more appropriate in some horrifying disaster movie than one of our American cities. Tragedies happened all over and not just from the failed levees in New Orleans. Tornadoes, high winds and torrential downpours wreaked havoc on property and the economy throughout the region.
Then again in 2008 Hurricanes Gustav and Ike struck the Gulf Coast. And hubby spent another five weeks down there; this time he was based in Texas. And again the folks down there were examples of humanity. This time hubby came home with tales of people who had been rebuilding their lives only to have waves, wind and rain tear apart their efforts. Some of the Texas victims had been relocated Louisiana survivors. Still, they were determined to rebuild.
The hurricanes of 2005 and 2008 were the inspiration for Deanna Blair and her family. In Hostage Heart Deanna’s “mamere”, the matriarch of her family, was lost when the levees overflowed. Her parents’ business was destroyed along with the home she grew up in. With her parents living in a FEMA trailer outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and no money to rebuild their once flourishing business, Deanna takes off for the call of New York City and the possibility of a salary to send back home. There wasn’t much, but she did what she could.
As for the inspiration for Ryan Hunter, well… suffice to say I used to date a guy (obviously long before hubby) who did undercover work in law enforcement. There was the evening I was visiting friends in an area of the city I normally didn’t frequent and I saw him. I was so surprised and excited – I had no idea he was working until that stranger ran out of the shadows…
Hi! I managed to get Matt Garatti off of the Hyphema pages long enough to answer some questions that I thought would interest our readers, but, ssh… he doesn’t know that I am the one asking questions — he thought he was making time for some famous journalist. I hope you enjoy getting to know more about him.
What is the name of the book where we would meet you? What genre is it?
My story is in Hyphema; a hyphema is blood in the front chamber of the eye usually from an injury and the story’s title comes from a line in the book. English is my wife’s second language and she has trouble with some common American idioms; at one point she refers to the expression “an eye for an eye” and she comments that makes for bloody eyes. I actually was introduced in the book Final Sin, another Chelle Cordero novel. Both books are EMS-based thrillers.
What do you think of the author? You can tell us the truth.
Once you get past her ego, you realize she is very passionate about what she does. I have to say as one of her characters, she really loves us, we can feel that and I’m sure the readers can, too.
Tell us a little about yourself. How would you describe your appearance? Give us enough detail to get a clear idea of how you look.
I think I am sort of average, my wife thinks I am “handsome in my uniform” — I’m a flight paramedic so I wear a uniform every working day. I’m pretty fit, I have to be considering my line of work, and I’m trim, again I have to be as a flight medic. Other than that I have dark hair, I keep it cropped pretty short, I stand about five-eleven, and I’ve been told I look a little like that actor Justin Chambers… I think he’s on some TV medical show, I don’t see it.
What character are you in the book? Are you the hero, the best friend, the side kick, the hero/heroine’s child or someone else?
In Hyphema I’m the hero, in Final Sin I’m the best friend.
Who was your best friend in Final Sin? What brought you together as friends?
I was best friends with Julie Jennings, the female lead character in Final Sin. Julie and I were paramedic partners and we rode together for our job. When you spend a lot of time with someone in a job like that you learn to depend on each other while you work to save lives. It’s very high stress and your partner is the one who understands because they are there right alongside you. There’ve been a lot of jokes about your EMS partner being the equivalent of a work spouse.
Is there a specific reason why you’re in the story? Don’t give us any story spoilers, but you can share some teasers if you want.
By the end of Final Sin I had met and married my wife, Sudah. I was also looking for some kind of career advancement. When Hyphema opens, we’ve just moved to North Carolina and I have a job as a flight medic. Like the tagline indicates, I worry that I brought my family to a new place where we deal with unexpected prejudice and possible danger.
What time period do you live in?
It’s pretty much contemporary, that’s the kind of stories that Chelle writes, although I have a really ironic story about that. My wife was born in Pakistan and she’s a practicing Muslim; we run into quite a bit of prejudice because of 9/11. There’s a scene where my buddy’s wife yells at Sudah that the Pakistanis are hiding Osama Bin Laden; ironically the e-book came out the week before Bin Laden was finally found… in Pakistan.
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in New York State, central New York to be exact.
Do you live in the same place now?
Nope. Sudah and I, and our son Aden, moved to North Carolina. We’re a bit inland from the Outer Banks. It’s a really nice area and I love to take them exploring.
What special skills or abilities do you have?
I’m a paramedic turned flight medic. Being a paramedic is never boring. I enjoy the excitement and I meet a lot of people in my work. I’m there for them when they need help; I use the skills I’ve been taught to save lives, offer reassurance and sometimes just offer comfort. I admit, I feel good when I get to help someone.
Are you happy with the story?
Yes I am. Chelle was a NYS Emergency Medical Technician for almost 30-years so she is really familiar with the type of things EMS responders do. The story is all very realistic. The way she deals with the cultural differences and prejudice is really down to earth and significant.
Do you have some ideas that the author should consider about the story? You can share them with us. We’re all friends here.
I know that Chelle is busy writing some other stories with other characters, they’re pretty good also, but I would love to see another EMS story. Maybe Julie and Jake could come down from New York and I could get to work with Julie again. That would be fun.
Tell us about your past. Can you share one really good experience and/or one really bad experience? I know that bad experience can be tough, but it would tell us more about what you’ve been through.
Well the bad part of my past, I used to not be able to talk about it, was that my father abandoned us when I was just a little kid. I was always afraid that I was going to grow up and be like him. I was really scared of having a family. When Sudah first told me that she was pregnant with our son I was really scared, but she showed me that I could be a good dad. She helped me to see that there is a difference in fathering a child biologically and being a dad who really loves his kid.
Who is the most important person in your life?
I’d have to say that my wife is the most important person. She really has opened up a whole new world to me. She taught me how to love, I know that probably sounds sappy, but, she has made me very happy.
What do you see in your future?
I love working as a flight medic, I dreamt of doing this kind of work ever since I rode in an ambulance for the first time. I also like the company I’m working for. Eventually I’d like it if Sudah and I had another child or two. I just want to provide for my family and watch our children grow with my wife.
Do you like being a character in a book?
You know, I really don’t think of myself as just a character in a book. My life, my job and my family feel real to me. When Chelle created each of us in her mind she didn’t just give us lives for the beginning and end of the manuscript — she came up with real histories for each of us. I feel like I existed long before Hyphema’s epilogue, even long before I first appeared in Final Sin.
If someone ever decides to make a movie based on your story, who should play you in the movie and why?
I guess we could give that actor Justin Chambers a crack at it, after all people think he and I resemble each other anyway, and I’ve seen a show or two he’s been in and he’s not too bad an actor either.
Scams, liars, and cheaters… when you’re surrounded by
falsehoods and horror stories of “life savings gone in an instant” or the suffering of victims of violent crimes, it’s hard
to feel safe.
Even buying a car proves to be a lesson in how many ways can
you get taken? When the car being sold shows one thing on the odometer and the
Car-Fax substantiates quite a bit more do you believe the salesman when he
claims that the wool was pulled over his eyes as well?
What about the store clerk who pockets your money and then
claims the amount you gave was far less? Suddenly the simple fender bender you
had yesterday, you know the one where the other driver was walking around and
laughing after the mishap, has now turned into a personal injury lawsuit and
claims of partial paralysis. Identities are stolen and folks wind up with
sky-high bills on items they would never have purchased, but it is your credit
card number on the receipt, so…
We seem to be surrounded by liars and thieves. Local politicians
who serve their greed before they serve their constituents… cheating spouses…
backstabbing orchestrated by someone you once trusted… weighted grocery scales
in the produce aisle… It is so hard to know who and what to trust these days. It’s
the world we live in, if you see something, say something.
When was the last time you lied? What excuse did you tell your
boss for not being able to come in the last time you took a sick-day? Even the
simple white lie, yes you look terrific in that dress, is enough to destroy
someone’s faith in your word. Why not lie, everybody’s doing it? Everyone, no
matter the age, vocation or intentions, has to, if they are being honest, admit
to uttering some untruth.
We can’t or shouldn’t be so paranoid as to suspect everyone
we encounter as a thief trying to steal our hard-earned money, or worse, to be
convinced that you can never turn your back because there will always be
someone there to cause you harm. Once trust is destroyed, even if you can mend
the damages, it never goes back intact. Vigilance and paranoia are so close and
yet miles away in productivity and confidence. People become cynics and fail to
give chances even when they should be well-deserved.
What a sad, sad world it would be if we totally lost our
abilities to trust, to take chances on a new relationship, to feel kindly towards
the people who surround us or sometimes even lose the ability to trust
ourselves and the decisions we make. It is, in my belief, a minority who use intentional
lies or who would do harm and yet how do you tell the difference? Loss of trust
can cause up to lose relationships or to choose poorly in making even everyday
purchases — it certainly is enough to make us lose restful sleep.
Our previous experiences or passed-down stories should serve
as lessons of things to be aware of in the future, but these lessons should
never overpower us and our ability to lead normal lives. You may indeed have
your heart broken, but if you are not willing to take a chance on a new love,
then you may lose out altogether from finding your soul mate. Paranoia may
force you to overlook a wonderful new job opportunity simply because you cannot
trust the potential promise that’s laid out before you. Think of all the missed
possibilities. No great discovery was ever made by someone who wasn’t willing
to take a chance, but by someone who trusted that things would work out in the end.
So trust others, yes use caution, but trust that the good in
this world will outnumber evils. It’s okay to cast an occasional look over your
shoulder, but try walking looking straight forward and seeing all the things
before you. Don’t lose the opportunity to enjoy the things you purchase because
you are too busy placing these items in a web of deceit. Don’t forget to think
and don’t forget to trust.
Wonder if I should trust that distant relative who is
promising me a fortune, he contacted me just the other day on the internet?
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.
My entry this week is from Hostage Heart, a romantic suspense involving a young lady from Louisiana whose family was affected by the devastation from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The strain of maintaining their pretense is getting to both of them. Ryan has tried to keep her by his side and claims it's for her protection. He's admitted that he wants to be with her and just hold her. He kisses her, but when she kisses him back he's afraid she thinks she has to. He apologizes for "everything". In answer to a question from last week, the name "mamere" that Deanna called her grandmother has French origins and reflects the French/Cajun influence of New Orleans where Deanna's grandmother was born, lived and perished in the floods. ...and now the eight:
“Ryan, if you are so sorry,
why don’t you just let me go?”
“I can’t,” his expression was troubled, “not yet.”
“Ryan, I have a life, I
have friends, I have a job,” she swallowed back a sob,
“I want to go home.”
“Do you have a boyfriend or someone special?”
Deanna was surprised by his question, “no.”
“When you walked into that bank, if I hadn’t known what was going to happen…” he trailed off.
“You’re just confusing me.”
He smiled impulsively, “you’re not the only one who is confused.”
Hostage Heart by Chelle Cordero is available as an AUDIOBOOK and in All Ebook Formats and Print Editions.
Life was hard after the hurricanes swept through, destroying her parents' home and livelihood...Deanna did the only thing she could do. She moved to New York City, found a job, worked hard, scrimped and saved to send what little she could manage back home to Louisiana to her parents.
An errand for her boss - a chance encounter with a crew of bank robbers - a kind man who tried to help her and deserved her courageous help in return... But he wasn't the man she thought he was...no, he was so very much more!
Review
Hostage Heartis a captivating read…I really enjoyed Chelle Cordero's 'Hostage Heart. It read quickly and kept my interest until the very end. I would highly recommend this book and I plan to read all of the author's other books. It took me along on the adventure. I enjoyed the romance.
This
booklet is intended as a guide to help you get through a medical or trauma
crisis – it is not intended to replace professional medical or emergency
response or advice.
I
was an Emergency Medical Technician, CPR and First Aid Instructor, and
volunteer with a local ambulance corps for nearly three decades. I responded
to numerous emergencies, performed CPR, delivered babies, transported trauma
victims and sometimes just offered comfort to a patient en-route to the
hospital.
People
deal with emergencies differently, but no matter how serious or minor the event
may seem to someone else, each person who experiences pain, fear or loss for
themselves or a loved one is dealing with a true crisis. It is my hope that
this booklet will give a little comfort when it comes to dealing with an
emergency.
So much to say and so little room to write - Grew up in the Bronx, NYC and went to school at JHS80, HS of Art & Design, and Fordham U. Lincoln Ctr campus. I always had an overactive imagination and parents who encouraged creativity and individuality. I am married to a terrific guy and we raised two extraordinary kids. My sister and I are real close. And I've always tried to give back to my community.
Oh, by the way, I like to write.
