This one will shock them ~ Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 03/06/16

Hi! Welcome to another Weekend Writing Warrior and Snippet Sunday round. Every week writers post 8-to-10 sentences on their blogs from a published or unpublished book.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

& check out the

Facebook Snippet Sunday group

I am sharing snippets from a new short story I wrote, Always One More Time. This story has just been released in a terrific anthology called HeartWorks ~ Eight Great Stories of Love, Passion, and Romance from Vanilla Heart Publishing Authors Charmaine Gordon, Paul Zunckel, Chelle Cordero, Neva Squires-Rodriguez, Lauren Shiro, Tamara Philip, Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard, and Angela Kay Austin.
  

Last week Callie told the Bernerd family that Jimmy proposed to her in a letter. This week she tells them the real reason she showed up at the Bernerd homestead. This is the final ten sentence snippet for this story.

Creative editing alert!  Here are ten lines... 

The older woman calmly smiled and took Callie’s hand again, “My Jimmy was a fine boy and it’s nice to know that he was loved.” She sighed, “But child, Jimmy is gone and you did not get married.” She stood, still holding Callie’s hand, “Thank you so much for letting us know that you cared for him.”

Realizing that she was being dismissed, Callie stayed seated, “I needed to talk with you.”

Lawrence guffawed, “This alleged proposal means nothing if you think you’re entitled to his benefits.”

Callie turned to Lawrence, “That’s not what I came for.”

Sighing, the mother sat down again, “Then why did you come?”

“I came for family, we have a son.”

Mrs. Bernerd put a hand to her chest, “I have a grandbaby?”

“Yes, his name is Jacob.”

just a hint: Not all arms welcome Callie and Jacob...
~~~~~

For more WeWriWa Snippets, go to: 

www.wewriwa.com

“Have enough courage to trust love
one more time.
And always, one more time.”
~ Maya Angelo

Buy Links

PayHip (.pdf)

Smashwords
Kindle

~~~~~

March 2016 is Women's History Month

• ***Please list 5 of your favorite FEMALE writers (novelists, poets, journalists, etc) in the comments...
  you must do this on my Facebook Author page

• ***On March 8 I'll choose one commenter to receive a free e-book from my back list  Heartworks NOT included

(Remember to celebrate International Women's Day
on March 8, 2016)

Leave a comment ON the

AUTHOR CHELLE CORDERO

FACEBOOK PAGE

(click above to get to the page)

Presidential Proclamation --
 Women's History Month, 2016

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

He said it in a letter ~ Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 02/28/16

Hi! Welcome to another Weekend Writing Warrior and Snippet Sunday round. Every week writers post 8-to-10 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

& check out the

Facebook Snippet Sunday group

I am sharing snippets from a new short story I wrote, Always One More Time. This story has just been released in a terrific anthology called HeartWorks ~ Eight Great Stories of Love, Passion, and Romance from Vanilla Heart Publishing Authors Charmaine Gordon, Paul Zunckel, Chelle Cordero, Neva Squires-Rodriguez, Lauren Shiro, Tamara Philip, Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard, and Angela Kay Austin.
  

Despite accusations that she is lying made from Jimmy's siblings, his mother is willing to hear Callie out. She seems to understand how difficult Jimmy's death was for Callie. This week Callie drops the first bombshell.

Creative editing alert!  Here are ten lines... 

Mrs. Bernerd tapped her foot once, twice, while she waited for the chorus of three “yes, Mama.”

Leaning forward in her seat, Mrs. Bernerd scrutinized Callie’s face, “do you need a glass of water?”

Callie looked at Leisha and Lawrence and felt like cowering under their anger, when she looked back at Jimmy’s mother she shook her head.

“Now, tell me what was between you and my Jimmy.”

“At first we were just friends, but soon we started dating,” her voice calmed a little as she thought of Jimmy, “we had a pretty serious relationship by the time he was deployed; we wrote to each other frequently.” She paused and tamped down the emotion, “Jimmy proposed to me in a letter.”

Leisha shrieked, “she’s lying, Mama.”

Her mother turned quickly towards her and without a word Leisha ran from the room.

“Go on,” she turned her attention back to Callie.

“We were going to get married when he came back home.”

~~~~~

For more WeWriWa Snippets, go to: 

www.wewriwa.com

“Have enough courage to trust love
one more time.
And always, one more time.”
~ Maya Angelo

Buy Links

PayHip (.pdf)

Smashwords
Kindle

~~~~~

Dealing with change

It seems the older I get the more difficulty I have dealing with change! It's the minor things and it's almost laughable.

Hubby bought me a new computer laptop for my writing and I've gone from Windows 8 to Windows 10; he also bought me Microsoft Office 2013 and brought me about six years closer to the present (I didn't want to deal with the subscription aspect of 365). Basically everything is similar... same size keyboard, close enough programs, and my writing assignments (I'm a journalist as well) are the same.

But I am used to the touch of the keyboard on my old machine, which unfortunately was beginning to have problems (hey, I spend a lot of time on the computer!) and the touch pad is soooo sensitive. I've got all of this adjusting to do. Luckily most of my files are kept on external and thumb drives so I just have to plug those in to the new machine.

Woe is me, I just felt like complaining a little, lol. By next week I will have it all conquered.

Meanwhile this machine is GORGEOUS!

When Mama Talks ~ Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 02/21/16

Hi! Welcome to another Weekend Writing Warrior and Snippet Sunday round. Every week writers post 8-to-10 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

& check out the

Facebook Snippet Sunday group

I am sharing snippets from a new short story I wrote, Always One More Time. This story has just been released in a terrific anthology called HeartWorks ~ Eight Great Stories of Love, Passion, and Romance from Vanilla Heart Publishing Authors Charmaine Gordon, Paul Zunckel, Chelle Cordero, Neva Squires-Rodriguez, Lauren Shiro, Tamara Philip, Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard, and Angela Kay Austin.
  

Callie met some opposition when she told the truth about her relationship with Jimmy. Rest assured there is more to come, a lot more will be disclosed next week.

Creative editing alert!  Here are ten lines... 

“Leisha you shut your mouth,” Mrs. Bernerd yelled at her daughter. She turned back to Callie, “now girl, why are you coming here to tell me that my son had some kind of dalliance with you?”

Lawrence sounded suspicious, “are you trying to blackmail us or something?”

“I,” Callie looked nervously between the three, “I just,” she began to hyperventilate.

Leisha strutted towards Callie and pointed her finger, “she probably wants to claim that the black guy forced her.”

Mrs. Bernerd noticed that Callie was having difficulty breathing, “you sit girl and catch your breath then we will talk.” The older woman stood, “Leisha, Lawrence, I am an old woman in mourning for a son, I am not feeble and I don’t need your interference”

“But Mama, she’s—” Lawrence tried to plead with his mother.

“I said to stay out of it, we do not know what she is or what she wants, you are to stay out of it; I will hear her out and I will be the one to make the decision what to do about her.” She stopped and looked at each of her offspring, there was complete silence, “you can stay in the room, but if I hear a single breath from any one of you, you will leave; is that understood?”

~~~~~

For more WeWriWa Snippets, go to: 

www.wewriwa.com

“Have enough courage to trust love
one more time.
And always, one more time.”
~ Maya Angelo

Buy Links

PayHip (.pdf)

Smashwords
Kindle

~~~~~

Eight Great Stories of Love, Passion, and Romance
from Vanilla Heart Publishing Authors

 

HeartWorks

Gleason’s Greetings

by Charmaine Gordon

 Liz Gleason brings laughter and joy into the neighborhood when she opens a card shop. Designing her own humorous greeting cards, business booms and romance blossoms. Is it all too soon when a TV producer shows interest in Liz and her shop? 

Ń Boer maak ń Plan

(A Love Story) by Paul Zunckel

Piet van Zyl finds himself like a fish out of water on meeting the lovely Peggy. The man that will stand down a charging buffalo…the man who is never without a quick chirp…the man, who has an answer for everything has finally met his match…now he is out of his depth, for cupid was around and his arrow hit the burly South African dead center. 

Always, One More Time

by Chelle Cordero

Disowned by her parents because of an interracial love affair, Callie Sanders is left alone to raise her son after his father, Jimmy Bernerd, dies fighting in a war on the other side of the world. Desperate to give her son a family she goes to the Bernerd household — what she finds is a second chance at love, acceptance, and family.  

The Fourteenth Floorboard

by Neva Squires-Rodriguez

Valentine’s Day uncovers a new world hidden in her home that no one, including Gabriela, can understand.  Not even scratching her own arm helps Gabriela understand that this place is real, and part of the reason is that she uncovers a secret bigger than life itself.  Her family tries to convince her to never go to this place again, but Gabriela soon learns for herself, the price associated with getting her there, and that some things are better left unknown.  

Love, Upside Down

by Lauren Shiro

Chantal is sure of two things: her general contracting business, and her love for her old flame, Desiree. A serious car accident changes everything, causing her to stop working; and she meets someone new in Grace, a friend of a friend who becomes her care giver. This accident turns her world upside down, even her love.  

Feeding Romance

by Tamara Philip

 Excerpts from Tamara’s award-winning debut novel, The Trouble with Playing Cupid  along with the recipes for delicious meals the lovers feed each other along the way, including December’s Favorite Buttermilk Pancakes, Tom’s Creamy Pasta Primavera for Two, and Cupid’s Hot Chocolate (guaranteed to inspire love and adoration from all who drink it).  

Heart of Night

A Nightlife Short Story by Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard

 Lady Jannessa Guillory was the daughter of an ambassador, and therefore it was her duty to marry to her station, and to help her father. Yet, the night called to her in such a way she couldn’t deny it. And when a voice found her in the dark, she knew she couldn’t stop her own passions. 

Sweets for Your Sweet

by Angela Kay Austin

Excerpts from Angela’s Sweet Victory, along with the recipes for a few of the sweet treats Victoria makes after her move back home to Memphis – and too near to Chad. Includes Sweet Victory itself: a delightful chocolate no-bake treasure of coconut and pecans, and Victoria’s favorite comfort food – baked macaroni and cheese. 

She's more than a friend ~ Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 02/14/16

Hi! Welcome to another Weekend Writing Warrior and Snippet Sunday round. Every week writers post 8-to-10 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

& check out the

Facebook Snippet Sunday group

I am sharing snippets from a new short story I wrote, Always One More Time. This story has just been released in a terrific anthology called HeartWorks ~ Eight Great Stories of Love, Passion, and Romance from Vanilla Heart Publishing Authors Charmaine Gordon, Paul Zunckel, Chelle Cordero, Neva Squires-Rodriguez, Lauren Shiro, Tamara Philip, Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard, and Angela Kay Austin.

  

Last week Callie introduced herself to Jimmy's mother as a "friend". The last line was "How did you know my Jimmy, girl?"

Creative editing alert!  Here are ten lines... 

He came in where I work, I do intake at the V.A., he had to come in for a physical.”

“Oh,” The woman’s expression changed when Callie mentioned the Veterans’ Hospital, “he died over there…”

Callie felt her throat clench, “I know, I’m sorry that I missed the funeral service, I didn’t find out —”

Lawrence stepped in, “We tried to contact all of his friends, sorry, we didn’t know about you.”

She looked down to hide her tears, “I realize that.”

“You poor child,” Mrs. Bernerd took her hand again, “to find out your friend has died and no one even let you know. It is so sweet of you to come to pay your respects.”

“Mrs. Bernerd,” Callie was hesitant, “Jimmy and I weren’t just… friends, we… we were together.”

“Oh hell no,” the young woman on the couch sprang to her feet angrily, “my brother dating a white woman? You’re lying.”

~~~~~

For more WeWriWa Snippets, go to: 

www.wewriwa.com

“Have enough courage to trust love
one more time.
And always, one more time.”
~ Maya Angelo

Buy Links

PayHip (.pdf)

Smashwords
Kindle

~~~~~

I love a good, romantic story any day!

Wishing you a wonderful day & the making of terrific memories.

Just for fun,

a bit of

Valentine's Day Trivia

v 110 million roses, mostly red ones, will be sold and delivered within a three-day time period.

v Valentine’s Day is the big time of year for red roses. Mother’s Day sees more pastel-colored roses sold.

v Most roses sold on Valentine’s Day in the U.S. are imported from South America.

v 15% of American women send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day.

v About 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged each year.

v About 25% of Valentine’s Day cards are funny.

v Hallmark, the famous card company, makes over 1,330 different cards for Valentine’s Day.

v More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine’s Day.

v In the U.S., 64% of men don’t make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine’s Day with their sweethearts.

v About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine’s Day gifts to their pets.

courtesy of KW

She meets his mother ~ Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 02/07/16

Hi! Welcome to another Weekend Writing Warrior and Snippet Sunday round. Every week writers post 8-to-10 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

& check out the

Facebook Snippet Sunday group

I am sharing snippets from a new short story I wrote, Always One More Time. This story has just been released in a terrific anthology called HeartWorks ~ Eight Great Stories of Love, Passion, and Romance from Vanilla Heart Publishing Authors Charmaine Gordon, Paul Zunckel, Chelle Cordero, Neva Squires-Rodriguez, Lauren Shiro, Tamara Philip, Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard, and Angela Kay Austin.

  

Last week Callie introduced herself to the man who opened the door, "I’m Callie Sanders and I, I was… I was a friend of Jimmy’s."...

Creative editing alert!  Here are ten lines... 

She noticed how his lips thinned and saw his Adam’s apple bob; he stepped back and motioned her in.

Callie followed him into a busy living room. She saw a slightly overweight older black woman sitting on an overstuffed chair in front of the TV, there was a young woman in the room tucked into an equally overstuffed couch doing her nails, and across the room sat a teenage boy hunched over a notebook at a barren dining room table.

“Mama,” His voice was gentle as he leaned over the older lady, “Mama, this girl,” he reached out to bring Callie closer, “she’s a friend of Jimmy’s.”

The woman reached out to Callie and took her hands in hers, “You knew my Jimmy?”

Callie smiled timidly and nodded.

Mrs. Bernerd looked at the man, “Bring her a chair, Lawrence,” he grabbed a chair from the table and placed it near his mother. “Sit child,” she pointed at the chair.

Callie sat on command and politely folded her hands in her lap.

“How did you know my Jimmy, girl?”

~~~~~

For more WeWriWa Snippets, go to: 

www.wewriwa.com

“Have enough courage to trust love
one more time.
And always, one more time.”
~ Maya Angelo

Buy Links

PayHip (.pdf)

Smashwords
Kindle

~~~~~

I am really into a family mood lately, tonight hubby and I will have our kids here for dinner (trying to make that a regular thing every few weeks)...

This story is a love story (just in time for Valentine's Day, who'da thunk?) but it is the family unit that is really pivotal. 

Some of us are blessed with large families and constantly involved with family activities - some of us are blessed with smaller families and very tight connections. Mostly because of "the circle of life" my family isn't nearly as large as I once thought it was, but what I have is outstanding.

For the immediate family, hubby and I have two offspring and four kids (each is married) and great friendships with each. And while they don't live close by, we each have sisters (and their families) that have become great friends to us. And I have a few cousins still around that are pretty much like siblings. I consider myself pretty blessed.

I was five years old when my paternal grandfather passed away and it scared me so much - my daddy had lost his daddy and it was just too much for my 5 year old mind to grasp. I told my dad that I never wanted to grow up if it meant losing my own parents. He consoled me and told me it was true, people grow old and in the natural order you can lose parents; then he told me that as sad as that was, if he and my mom hadn't grown up, met and gotten married they never would have had my sister and me, and that was something they never would have wanted to miss.

It helped to console me, just a little, and I repeated those words to my children who never had the opportunity to grow up with grandparents (on either side). The lesson I learned was to enjoy each day and never let a day go by without saying "I love you" to the people I care about.

My story, Always One More Time, is about love and loss and acceptance and family. I hope that everyone enjoys this short tale that does have (spoiler alert) a Happy-Ever-After.

The family – that dear octopus from whose tentacles we never quite escape, nor, in our inmost hearts, ever quite wish to.

-Dodie Smith

Family Dynamics ~ #MondayBlogs

“Our Family Puts the FUN in Dysfunctional”

Not everyone in a family has the same beliefs and desires. Each person is an individual; each person is capable of forming his or her own opinion. Sometimes children and parents squabble over their differences. Most times those differences are resolved in reasonable ways and at other times they may cause tension and division.

Every parent who has raised more than one child is aware, at some point, that although the children were raised in the same household and allegedly with the same values and influences, there comes a time when they are just so different from each other.

I look at my own two offspring, both independent adults holding down responsible positions — a daughter and a son. As much as I respect them both and am often in awe of their skills and compassion, I notice they are each unique in their own way, both awesome but still different.

Although married and truly in love for more than 40-years, my husband and I often have differences of opinions. During our children’s’ teen-age years we had a household of four very headstrong individuals. Despite the occasional “loud disagreement” we found ways to live together, love each other, and most times LIKE each other anyway. One thing that has always been evident is the laughter, we’ve always found ways to laugh together.

And now I enjoy the times when we all get together for a family dinner or other occasion (and now there are SIX headstrong individuals as they each chose spouses who are equally opinionated and unique). I am pleased to say that each of us knew then and now that we truly belong together, we are part of something together.

Look at all the different TV families depicted through the years and all of the different dynamics: the Goldbergs, the Ricardos, the Connors, the Bradys, the Hechts, the Baxters, and many, many more. What I personally like about the more modern shows is how they depict real people, flaws and all, and not just the “cookie-cutter” versions of the much earlier years.

What are/were your family dynamics? Do you have memories of family dinners, vacations together, road trips? How many of your family happenings were carry-overs from your own childhood? And how many of you see your household traits in your own children’s homes?

...

The door opens ~ Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 01/31/16

Hi! Welcome to another Weekend Writing Warrior and Snippet Sunday round. Every week writers post 8-to-10 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

& check out the

Facebook Snippet Sunday group

I am sharing snippets from a new short story I wrote, Always One More Time. This story has just been released in a terrific anthology called HeartWorks ~ Eight Great Stories of Love, Passion, and Romance from Vanilla Heart Publishing Authors Charmaine Gordon, Paul Zunckel, Chelle Cordero, Neva Squires-Rodriguez, Lauren Shiro, Tamara Philip, Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard, and Angela Kay Austin.

  

Last week Callie was very apprehensive as she climbed the steps to knock on a door - today we see who answers the door...

Creative editing alert!  Here are ten lines... 

The lock tumbled just before the door swung open.

“Can I help you?”

The man standing there was tall, much taller than she imagined, taller than Jimmy. She could tell that this man was related, they had the same build, but his shoulders were broader; he was darker and his gaze was piercing.

He repeated, “Can I help you?”

“I… I was looking for Mrs. Bernerd.”

“My mom?”

“Uh, yeah,” she realized that his wife, assuming he was married, would be too young to be the woman she was asking for, “is she home?”

He glanced back into the house and then turned back to her, “can I ask your name and what you want to see her about?”

She swallowed, “I’m Callie Sanders and I, I was… I was a friend of Jimmy’s.”

~~~~~

For more WeWriWa Snippets, go to: 

www.wewriwa.com

“Have enough courage to trust love
one more time.
And always, one more time.”
~ Maya Angelo

Buy Links

PayHip (.pdf)
Smashwords
Kindle

~~~~~

Omigosh, can you believe it's February (almost) already? Weren't we just cleaning up after New Year's Eve? LOL.

Lots of things happen in February — everyone knows about Groundhog's Day, Valentine's Day, President's Day and Washington's Birthday... here's a few more significant days: 

February 3 has been dubbed "The Day the Music Died", Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash in 1959... just in case you haven't heard someone wrote a song about it; February 7 is Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbor Day, I'm curious... which finger(s) did you wave before?; 

February 14 is Valentine's Day, but it is also National Organ Donor Day... my family is searching for a kidney donor for my brother-in-law Del, a living donor would be best, you can read about it here http://bit.ly/1YRDp9H; now this one is just sad and cruel, February 15 is Singles Awareness Day as if watching all those happy twosomes wasn't obvious enough; but February 16 is Do a Grouch a Favor Day so at least you can try to cheer up everyone who was made aware the day before; 

February 20 is Love Your Pet Day and I have three felines who are planning to celebrate, in honor of the day here's a You Tube video my daughter filmed of her cat Butters, she called it In The Jungle (Hey Ed, Effing Feline might enjoy this day too); then we pretty much give a bunch more days to our animal friends including Walking the Dog Day (22nd) and Polar Bear Day (27th);

February 27 is National No Brainer Day, woo-hoo, I could get behind that one!; And finally, it happens only once every four years, February 29! It's Leap Year folks... actually it happens ALMOST every four years, it does not occur in years ending '00' unless it can be divided by 400.

So, hope you have a Fabulous, Fantastic February 

and have enjoyed this bit of dated trivia