#TBT A Look Back at My All-Time Most Popular Blog Posts

The Countdown

(drum roll please...)

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009

Half year anniversary for my Kindle Blog Writing Workshop

Today marks my half year anniversary for my Kindle Weekly Writing Workshop

Every week since May 29, 2009 I have posted lessons that discuss and teach about being a writer including hints and tips about the industry.  (read more)

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2009

A Four Cup review of A Chaunce of Riches

A Chaunce of Riches was reviewed on Coffee Time Romance
"...it was not long before I found myself wrapped up in the exchange of emotions and sensual pull between Ben and Sam. When the suspense continued to build to an almost breaking point, it made this good story that much better."  (read more)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

and this is a theme that is built into the story of
Common Bond, Tangled Hearts   (read more)

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2009

Honoring The National Domestic Violence Hotline

Vanilla Heart Publishing and Chelle Cordero will donate $1 per copy of Bartlett’s Rule sold from midnight October 18, 2009 through midnight October 31, 2009 to The National Domestic Violence Hotline   (read more)

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2009

I'm a guest at Authors Promoting Authors today!

Hi all, please check out Authors Promoting Authors today and read all about my newest release, Courage of the Heart - there's even an enticing excerpt from the book.   (read more)

& My Most Recent Posts

• • A mother’s wish ~ #MondayBlogs
  • Dini pulls away - Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sun...
  • The Major Arcana in Life ~ #MondayBlogs

• • Introduction to BELIEVING IN SANTA ~ Weekend Writi...
  • Everybody’s Talking ~ #MondayBlogs
  • Charlie issues his demands ~ Weekend Writing Warri...
  • Have a good life ~ #MondayBlogs
  • Justin needs a plan - Weekend Writing Warriors / #...
  • Bloodthirsty Revenge ~ #MondayBlogs

Please Join Me Online:

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• Chelle's Potpourri & Promo Site
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It's Read an Ebook Week - March 7 - 13

Smashwords rocks!

Smashwords: Read an Ebook Week Specials for March 7-13

“We’re pleased to sponsor Read an E-Book Week for the second year,” said Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords. “Working in collaboration with Read an E-Book Week and other participating retailers and publishers, the initiative will introduce tens of thousands of new readers and authors to the joys of ebooks.”

Ebooks are the fastest growing segment of the book publishing industry. According the International Digital Publishing Forum, wholesale ebook sales in the United States grew 172 percent in 2009.

Vanilla Heart Publishing Read an Ebook Week Titles

25% off our regular low prices
during the entire promotion!

DISCOUNT CODE RAE25

Common Bond, Tangled Hearts by Chelle Cordero

Layne Gillette’s world is turned upside down when a man she has never met shows up to lay claim as the father of her 6-year old son. Justin, the victim of a fraternity prank, and Layne, the subject of a forced insemination, have produced a beautiful child that they are both willing to protect at all costs. The two parents realize they can love each other, but when Layne’s abusive “ex-husband” shows up, they are torn apart by danger, kidnapping and lies. Justin won’t give up until Layne is returned to him. Layne uses her new-found strength, courage and knowledge to defy Charlie’s ugliest demands.

A Chaunce of Riches by Chelle Cordero

The day that Ben Johnson was hired as a bodyguard for some rich widow and her kid, he never expected to be working for the woman who had abandoned him just when he had needed her the most so many years before. Damn it all, he still wanted her. Samantha Chaunce never thought she would see him again. She never thought she would have to explain why she married the rich man over the man she had sworn she once loved. And she certainly never expected to find out that her rich husband had been murdered and fingers were pointing to her former lover.

Hostage Heart by Chelle Cordero

Life was hard after the hurricanes swept through, destroying her parents' home and livelihood... An errand for her boss - a chance encounter with a crew of bank robbers - a kind man who tried to help her ... a man who isn't all he seems...no, he is so much more.

Final Sin by Chelle Cordero

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...

Courage of the Heart by Chelle Cordero

Courage of The Heart shows us that sometimes love is the only cure for the very deepest of emotional wounds. The story of the two lovers takes a series of unexpected and fast paced turns where lives, sanity and love are put in jeopardy. Their commitment to one another results in a spirit that binds them together and helps them to overcome physical and emotional dangers.

Within the Law by Chelle Cordero

Tom gave up on ever falling in love again the day that he buried his high school sweetheart and fiancé. He started a career in law enforcement just so that he could find her murderer and rapist. Just when he is about to see justice done, he meets Alli Davis-the defense attorney for the murdering rapist who took his love from him.

Forgotten by Chelle Cordero

Forgotten is an unforgettable romance about two people who meet by chance, love by choice and are torn apart by intrigue. Their romance survives a foreign threat to national security, kidnapping, personal tragedy and a murder attempt.

Bartlett's Rule by Chelle Cordero

Bartlett's Rule shares the story of Lon and Paige's love affair; a romance filled with hardship, emotion, danger and triumph. Falling in love was never the challenge; being there for each other, knowing just what to say and making it work is the real test. Paige and Lon are real; they are human, they cry and they laugh. Paige has to learn to trust. Lon has to learn to be patient.

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.

Lon gets a busted shoulder, that wasn’t too serious. Brandon winds up getting treated for burns, but only 2^nd degree. Poor Tom gets his femur (thigh bone) broken and needs a metal rod inserted (ouch!). Adam comes down with an advanced case of pneumonia and nearly loses his life. Jake is shot in the chest, the bullet pierces his pleural cavity and his lung collapses – luckily for him a paramedic is standing next to him when he goes down. Finally Ryan suffers severe spine and head injuries in a meth-lab explosion and wonders if he will ever walk again.

Omigosh – the insurance companies would have a field day with my novels.

In Forgotten I used Brandon’s injury as a turning point in their relationship. Caitlyn got a very heavy dose of reality that she could lose him forever and while it still took some coaxing from her cousin Tom, she takes care of him through his recovery and has long moments to think while he sleeps from the pain meds.

The room was dark when he opened his eyes. Feeling a little disoriented, he expected to see the familiar surroundings of his hospital room. It took a minute or so for Brandon to realize where he was and who the silhouette at the window was.

He watched Caitlyn in silence. She seemed so absorbed in her thoughts that she never turned around as got up from the bed. He walked up behind her. The moonlight and the neon sign in front of the motel shed a little light into the room. He saw her shoulders shake and realized she was crying. Then he looked beyond her, out the window, and could see the rubble that was all that remained of her home across the street.

“I’m so sorry.” He put his hand gently on her shoulder and felt her jump. “I’m sorry about the house.”

She sniffled, but tried to hide it. “I was just thinking. On around the age of thirteen, I was just so angry and I felt so cheated. My mom’s cousin was super. She and her husband really took me in and tried to give me everything, but it just wasn’t the same. I wanted to know why it was my parents that died. They were such good people.” She waited while she tried not to cry. “I always ran away every time that something didn’t go the way I planned it. But I never ran far. I always ran to the house and sat on the porch. Even though there were people renting the place, it was still my house. One tenant even called the police. They thought my obsession was scary. Tommy had just gotten his driver’s license, and every time I disappeared, he drove by here to find me.”

“It must have been nice to know that someone would come looking for you if you tried to run away.” Brandon figured that his father would have offered him train fare if he had threatened to leave home. “You and Tom are real close. Why didn’t I ever meet him?”

Caitlyn turned to him in the dark. He saw her shrug. “You were always busy. He came to the city once, but you had to go out of town on business. The few times I went back home, you were always working on some project and you never seemed to be interested, so I didn’t push.”

“I am sorry. I should have been more interested.”

“It doesn’t matter.” She turned back to the window. “I was so anxious when the house was mine again. Tommy tried to get me to take it slow. But I just had to get moving with the renovations... and I had to move in. One of the first things I did was take my folks’ stuff out of storage and put it back in the house. Now look at it, it’s all gone.”

“I wish I could undo what happened.” Brandon had a whole laundry list of things he wished he could undo. Be honest with her; that was what Tom had said. “Your cousin told me about the insurance. Caitlyn, I can help you to rebuild.”

She took a long time responding and he worried that he had said the wrong thing. “I don’t know if I do want to rebuild.”

“But why not?”

Again, she was silent for a while. “It just wouldn’t be the same. And I couldn’t replace the material things that really mattered anyway. The family photo albums are gone. So is my mom’s wedding dress. Even my dad’s love letters to my mom are only memories now.”

“I am so sorry Caitlyn.” His voice was very low. Even though it was dark in the room, he couldn’t stand the possibility that she would turn to face him. So he walked back to the bed. “It seems all I have brought to you has been misery. You’ve lost everything because of me. I’m sorry. I really am.” He sat on the edge of the bed again.

“Brandon.” Her voice was stronger, almost reprimanding. Caitlyn came back to the bed. She switched on the lamp that sat on the nightstand. Brandon squinted from the glare. “You have done everything to protect me. My gosh, you saved Tommy and me. You saved our lives. And you almost lost yours.”

Caitlyn could no longer contain her tears. She sat next to Brandon and began to sob. He put his arm around her and she leaned into him. Her tears stained his T-shirt.

Brandon felt uncomfortable. He really hadn’t thought about his dying. He was definitely frightened when he saw the timer. “We’re all okay. Ssh. I was just scared that you would be hurt.”

“I heard the explosion and you were jumping out of the window... and you were on fire.” She clung to him. “I thought you were going to die. I thought I was going to lose you forever. I was never so scared in my life.”

He was surprised. He had never expected Caitlyn to react that way. He had never even given thought that his dying would even be mourned.

She clung to him until her sobs subsided. Brandon just felt good holding her. He hoped she wouldn’t regret saying the things she did to him. He needed the time to show her that he still loved her, and always would.

After her tears stopped, Caitlyn used her shirt sleeve to wipe her eyes. Then she backed away from him. Tentatively she looked up at him. He got the impression that there was something he should be saying to her, but he didn’t know what. There was an awkward silence.

Finally, Brandon had to break the silence. “Uh, how long did I sleep?” Damn, he thought, she’s going to figure I’m changing the topic because I don’t want to share. “By the way, thank you.”

“For what?”

“It was beautiful waking up and seeing you.”

She sniffled and then she chuckled. “You’re welcome. You slept for a couple of hours” Caitlyn stood up and walked to the bathroom. Brandon heard the running water. When she came back, she was drying her face. “Are you hungry? I brought you some dinner.”

He put a hand over his stomach. “I guess I do feel a little bit empty.”

“I got you a turkey breast sandwich. I figured burgers would just be too heavy.” She had filled the ice bucket with ice and was using it to keep his food cool. Using the tray from underneath the bucket, she spread a napkin and unwrapped a sandwich. She placed a small container of potato salad and a plastic fork next to it and popped open a can of ice tea with a straw. She brought the tray to the nightstand and placed it there. “Sorry, I know it’s not that fancy hospital fare you’ve come to love...” She grinned.

“Thank you. I think I can manage.” He caught her hand before she could walk away. Brandon figured out what he should have been saying. “Caitlyn, I love you.”

In Chaunce of Riches, coming out later this year, I do NOT put Ben into the hospital – but then I realized it was his hospitalization after a car accident several years before that separated him from Samantha. Oh well.

I do have this WIP on my desk and he never winds up in the hospital, but we’ll see what happens in re-writes.

~~~~~

All of my novels are available through Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com and other major online retailers in print (& Kindle from Amazon) – and ask at your favorite bookstore, some of them are carrying my books on their shelves. My books are also available as instant-download-ebooks from SmashWords & PayLoadz.

Download a FREE First Chapter Chapbook of Bartlett’s Rule, Forgotten, Within the Law, Courage of the Heart, Final Sin & Hostage Heart