Adam is ready to talk - Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / June 22, 2014

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 Every week writers post 8 sentences on their blogs from a published or unpublished book.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 Courage of the Heart. Courage of the Heart was originally published by Xlibris in 1999 (BEFORE they went full vanity press) - with no real marketing efforts from the publisher and before I knew much about the subject, it didn't do very well. However it was revised slightly and republished by Vanilla Heart Publishing in 2009 and has enjoyed a healthier reception.

Davie comes back from her father's to find Adam in the hospital with a serious case of pneumonia. When he is released, she stays with him to nurse him back to health.

This will be the final snippet from Courage of the Heart, next week I'll move on to another story. Your comments have helped me see different views of my writing and it's been really helpful. I used creative punctuation to make this fit:

"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 her, "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 www.wewriwa.com

Courage of the Heart

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.

Audiobook

Smashwords

Amazon (print)  

Seeking comfort ~ Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 06/15/14

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 Courage of the Heart. Courage of the Heart was originally published by Xlibris in 1999 (BEFORE they went full vanity press) - with no real marketing efforts from the publisher and before I knew much about the subject, it didn't do very well. However it was revised slightly and republished by Vanilla Heart Publishing in 2009 and has enjoyed a healthier reception.

Feeling rejected by Adam - again - Davie takes a bus to visit her father in time for the anniversary of her mother's passing. It's always been her habit to be with him to remember her mom together, but since she was busy the night before taking care of the very sick Adam she never got around to calling her dad about her visit. Spurned by one of the men in her life, she was ready to be comforted by her father. Imagine her surprise when she walks in on him and his special lady-friend. (btw, "Gizzy" is her childhood dog that still lives at home.)

Davie stared out the bedroom window into the dark night, she couldn’t sleep; there were so many things running through her mind. Gizzy was snoring as he lay at her feet. She was still upset that Adam had forced her to leave and she was confused to find that her father was moving on with his life without her mother and without Davie’s blessing if need be.

She had been surprised to see her father's tears at the cemetery; her father's grieving over the loss of her mother comforted Davie, at the same time she felt terrible seeing his pain. They had gone to church together and she sat with his arm around her shoulders, it was good to be with him and just him. Davie was grateful that Elizabeth understood that she would only be intruding.

On the drive home from the church, he told her that they would be having dinner with Elizabeth and that's when the fighting started.

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

Courage of the Heart

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.

Audiobook

Smashwords

Amazon (print)  

Is this the end? ~ Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 06/08/14

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 Courage of the Heart. Courage of the Heart was originally published by Xlibris in 1999 (BEFORE they went full vanity press) - with no real marketing efforts from the publisher and before I knew much about the subject, it didn't do very well. However it was revised slightly and republished by Vanilla Heart Publishing in 2009 and has enjoyed a healthier reception.

Davie and Adam has enjoyed a very amicable relationship (finally) and have spent lots of time together. Suddenly Adam is MIA from work and Davie finds him at home suffering from what he says is "just the flu". She stays to take care of him, feed him chicken soup and give him aspirin... He becomes delirious and is afraid he is going to hurt her, so he sends her away and is cruel with his words when she refuses. She tearfully leaves him alone in his misery.

Adam had never felt so sick before; he had to speak to Davie, he had to let her know he never wanted to hurt her. He struggled to get dressed and nearly gave up when he couldn't button his shirt. After he found her and apologized again, he was going to see his doctor. He felt sick.

Adam struggled to get to his front door and the exertion made him breathless. He wondered if the pain he felt in his chest was even worth the effort to breathe. Adam pulled the door closed behind him and only made it a few steps away from his door when he felt himself falling forward. He remembered thinking how far away the floor was when darkness surrounded him.

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

Courage of the Heart

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.

Audiobook

Smashwords

Amazon (print)  

(a previously published post) 

Oy - what I put my heroes through...

I put each one of my heroes into the hospital!!!

I realized that the other day and wondered why. Am I being sadistic? Yikes.

But then I suddenly understood – vulnerability. I like knowing that my muscled and independent hunks are vulnerable. Okay, maybe hospitalizing each of them is a bit extreme, but it helps to point out how very human they are and it gives a chance for the heroines to take care of them.   (read more...)

A turning point? ~ Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 06/01/14

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 Courage of the Heart. Courage of the Heart was originally published by Xlibris in 1999 (BEFORE they went full vanity press) - with no real marketing efforts from the publisher and before I knew much about the subject, it didn't do very well. However it was revised slightly and republished by Vanilla Heart Publishing in 2009 and has enjoyed a healthier reception.

Adam has managed to soften Davie's heart and he has taken her out on a bona-fide date. We're entering during a conversation they are having. By the way, I will probably just do this story for one, maybe two, more weeks. Your commentary has really helped me see the way I present my characters in a very different light and I hope the lessons learned will help my writing get stronger. Thank you.

"…and of course you don't want to get married," Davie really felt she was a long way off from that herself although she eventually did want a family.

"I used to think I didn't," he looked away and left his answer hanging.

"Adam," Davie waited for him to turn back to her, "why are we spending time together?"

He shrugged, "why not?"

"We both know that I'm not your usual type."

"Tell me what my usual type is," Adam grinned; his potent smile was enough to make Davie stammer.

"Uh, you know…older, pretty, sophisticated…and more experienced," she blushed slightly.

He answered her quietly, "you are very pretty, I thought you knew that Davie."

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

Courage of the Heart

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.

Audiobook

Smashwords
Amazon (print)  

(excerpt previously published Jan 2009, and yes, it comes AFTER the 8 sentences above))

There is a theory that if you pick up a book and turn to page 69, you will know if the book is interesting or not
so we are putting it to the test...
~~~~~~

p 69

"Really?" He looked really young and boyish for a moment.

"Of course." Davie laughed. "For some stupid reason I do care about what happens to you even though you keep on pushing me away."

"I'm sorry. Sorry about pushing you away, but not about you caring. I like to know that you care about me." He reached for her hand again. "So, what was the occasion for going home?"

Davie bit her lip. "The sixth anniversary of my mom's death."

"I'm sorry, Davie." Adam knew from the way Davie had talked about her mom that she still took her passing very hard. "I'm glad you were able to be there with your dad."

Davie shook her head and grimaced. "He didn't need me."

"Of course he did."

"Nope. What my father needed was privacy." She looked at Adam with a defensive smile. "I walked in on a lovers' tryst."

"What?"

"It seems that Daddy has a girlfriend and they're getting married."

"That's great!" He saw her hurt expression. "Isn't it?"

Davie stood up and began to pace around Adam's bed. "I guess so. I don't know." Sighing, she stopped at the foot of his bed. "I guess I just have to get used to it."

"You really are upset about this." He frowned.

Davie returned to the chair and leaned closer to Adam. It was comfortable to talk with him. "It's just that I never thought my father could love anybody except for my mom."

"It doesn't mean that he doesn't love her."

Trying Again - Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 05/25/14

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 Courage of the Heart. Courage of the Heart was originally published by Xlibris in 1999 (BEFORE they went full vanity press) - with no real marketing efforts from the publisher and before I knew much about the subject, it didn't do very well. However it was revised slightly and republished by Vanilla Heart Publishing in 2009 and has enjoyed a healthier reception.

Adam and Davie have reached a point of amicability and it makes working together a little easier. They are both still attracted to each other. Will they ever move beyond mere friendship into the kind of relationship they both really want?

As far as Davie was concerned, it was obvious that their relationship had no future anyway. There was nowhere for them to go as a couple, especially since she was relatively inexperienced in physical love; Adam's position on commitment, or lack of, was well known throughout the company. She did enjoy spending time with him though.

He had a gentle, vulnerable side that reached out to her as a woman. He had a rakish-quality that titillated her even if their physical relationship never went any further. His interest in her made her feel desirable even if, unfortunately, not enough to him. Even if it was only a fantasy, Davie wanted to be with him.

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

Courage of the Heart

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.

Audiobook

Smashwords
Amazon (print)  

When I write my stories I often think of who I would have playing the main parts as if it were a movie... okay, I admit, I just want to be prepared for that big movie deal, lol. (One never knows?)

Here is how I would cast

Courage of the Heart

Davie Prescott would be played by Anna Belknap

Adam Sherman would be played by Brandon Beemer

Can you see these actors as Davie and Adam?

What about family? - Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 05/18/14

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 Courage of the Heart. Courage of the Heart was originally published by Xlibris in 1999 (BEFORE they went full vanity press) - with no real marketing efforts from the publisher and before I knew much about the subject, it didn't do very well. However it was revised slightly and republished by Vanilla Heart Publishing in 2009 and has enjoyed a healthier reception.

Thanks to all of your insightful comments last week, I saw Adam's perseverance in a different light and it is a big help to me in my current WIP. This week I'm skipping ahead a bit - Adam and Davie are working on being friends again. This week we'll learn a little about Adam.

Adam, were you alone for Thanksgiving?" Davie was so used to big family gatherings on every holiday and the idea of being alone seemed abhorrent to her.

"I watched the game on TV."

"Alone?"

For the first time Adam had actually felt alone for the holiday; he kept wishing Davie had been by his side, "not everyone goes home for the holidays."

"It's just, uh," she hadn't meant to offend him, "I was just raised with a huge family and these colossal gatherings every holiday; I'm sorry if I offended you."

"We never really spent time with family. My mother usually worked the bar on holidays anyway and then later, it was just my father and me."

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

Courage of the Heart

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.

Audiobook

Smashwords
Amazon (print)  

E-book Club Discussion Packet: Courage of the Heart

(FREE Download)

Book Club Extras Packet includes author bio and photo, title information,
covers, discussion starters, and full color printable bookmarks.

Bid on a Bartlett’s Rule audiobook & 

raise money for Diabetes Research

I’m participating in Brenda Novak’s 10th Anniversary Online Auction for Diabetes Research – the auction runs through May and there are LOTS of terrific items being auctioned off; proceeds go to The Diabetes Research Institute.

AN AUDIO COPY OF BARTLETT’S RULE IS BEING AUCTIONED OFF. 

40 years of E-Books

Happy Birthday to

Michael Stern Hart
born March 8, 1947

from Wikipedia: "Michael Stern Hart (b. 8 Mar 1947 in Tacoma, Washington) is an American best known as the founder of Project Gutenberg which makes electronic books freely available via the Internet. At least one version of each book is a plain text file that can be displayed on virtually any computer. Most of the early postings were typed in by Hart himself. Today, the e-texts are produced (usually scanned) by Project Gutenberg's many volunteers. The collection includes public domain works and copyrighted works included with express permission."

Love a Tree,
Read an Ebook!

Read an Ebook Week
Specials for March 6-12
on Smashwords

Use the code RAE25 at checkout for 26% off during this

site-wide promotion!
(Offer good thru Mar. 12, 2011)

Bartlett's Rule
Ebook Price: $4.99 USD. 62820 words. Fiction by Chelle Cordero and published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on April 12, 2009
Bartlett's Rule shares the story of Lon and Paige's love affair; a romance filled with hardship, emotion, danger and triumph. Falling in love was never the challenge; being there for each other, knowing just what to say and making it work is the real test. Paige and Lon are real; they are human, they cry and they laugh. Paige has to learn to trust. Lon has to learn to be patient.

Within the Law
Ebook Price: $4.99 USD. 73480 words. Fiction by Chelle Cordero and published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on April 12, 2009
Tom gave up on ever falling in love again the day that he buried his high school sweetheart and fiancé. He started a career in law enforcement just so that he could find her murderer and rapist. Just when he is about to see justice done, he meets Alli Davis-the defense attorney for the murdering rapist who took his love from him.

Courage of the Heart
Ebook Price: $4.99 USD. 79380 words. Fiction by Chelle Cordero and published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on April 12, 2009
COURAGE OF THE HEART shows us that sometimes love is the only cure for the very deepest of emotional wounds. The story of the two lovers takes a series of unexpected and fast paced turns where lives, sanity and love are put in jeopardy. Their commitment to one another results in a spirit that binds them together and helps them to overcome physical and emotional dangers.

Final Sin
Ebook Price: $4.99 USD. 84500 words. Fiction by Chelle Cordero and published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on June 13, 2009
Deputy Sherriff Commander Jake Carson has his hands full... investigation of a brutal multiple homicide, a troubled son and a vindictive ex-wife. He meets young, free-spirited paramedic Julie Jennings. When Julie becomes the subject of an obsession, it puts both of them in danger...

Hostage Heart
Ebook Price: $4.99 USD. 72450 words. Fiction by Chelle Cordero and published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on July 20, 2009
Life was hard after the hurricanes swept through, destroying her parents' home and livelihood... An errand for her boss - a chance encounter with a crew of bank robbers - a kind man who tried to help her ... a man who isn't all he seems...no, he is so much more

A Chaunce of Riches
Ebook Price: $4.99 USD. 59430 words. Fiction by Chelle Cordero and published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on October 31, 2009
Ben Johnson was hired as a bodyguard for a rich widow and her kid, but he never expected to be working for the woman who had abandoned him just when he had needed her the most. Damn it all, he still wanted her. Samantha Chaunce never thought she would have to explain why she married the rich man instead of Ben. Or that her husband had been murdered...and Ben was the prime suspect.

Common Bond, Tangled Hearts
Ebook Price: $4.99 USD. 71170 words. Fiction by Chelle Cordero and published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on December 16, 2009
Layne Gillette’s world is turned upside down when a man she has never met shows up to lay claim as the father of her 6-year old son. When Layne’s abusive “ex-husband” shows up, they are torn apart by danger, kidnapping and lies.

His Lucky Charm
Ebook Price: $4.99 USD. 74520 words. Fiction by Chelle Cordero and published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on March 20, 2010
What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas... this time it follows Brandon and Caitlyn across the country and into a world of espionage and danger. The one thing that Brandon knows for sure is that he can't afford to lose his lucky charm, Caitlyn.

Living, Breathing, Writing: A Lesson A Day
Ebook Price: $4.99 USD. 22710 words. Non-Fiction by Chelle Cordero and published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on October 28, 2010
A complete month of lessons about the craft of writing and being a writer, from time management to social networking, organizing queries to publication, and more. In the Bonus Section of this book you’ll find more than 50 brain-starting exercises to help you get those words on paper.