Enjoy an Evening of Books at Palaia ~ #MondayBlogs

Dynamic VHP Authors
Chelle Cordero and Charmaine Gordon

Will Be At Palaia Vineyards on
Friday, July 31 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM

Multi-published Vanilla Heart Publishing Authors Chelle Cordero and Charmaine Gordon will be at Palaia Vineyards on Friday night, July 31, 2015, 6:00PM to 8:00PM to read from their books, host an interactive discussion of the stories and the writing process, and sign book copies. Copies will be available for purchase. There is no cover fee; participants must be at least 21-years old.

Chelle Cordero is an award-winning author who writes stories of Passion and Suspense; VHP has published ten Cordero novels including Final Sin, a murder mystery based in the Hudson Valley. You can find more information about Chelle Cordero at her website http://ChelleCordero.com.

Charmaine Gordon is a former actress who writes books about women who Survive and Thrive; Charmaine's first novel with VHP, To Be Continued, has been optioned for a television movie. More information about Charmaine Gordon is available at https://AuthorCharmaineGordon.wordpress.com/.

Kimberlee Williams, Managing Editor at Vanilla Heart Publishing, said “Our VHP Dynamic Duo certainly promises to be entertaining and make for a fun-filled evening at Palaia Vineyards.” Vanilla Heart Publishing is an independent publisher based in Washington State.

Palaia Vineyards is named for the winemaker's grandfather, Angelo Palaia, who emigrated here from Italy and passed his winemaking skills on to his son and grandson. Over ten acres of vineyards are situated on a 200-year old Hudson Valley former dairy farm. The old barn has been restored and is now a beautiful, clean winery on the lower level, with storage and a tasting room above preserving the look and feel of the historical building.

Palaia Vineyards is located at 10 Sweet Clover Road in Highland Mills, Orange County, New York; it’s easy to get to by car, the vineyard is five miles north of the Woodbury Commons Outlet Stores on Route 32. The phone number is (845) 928-5384. (directions)

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realism in a fictional story

When I wrote my romantic suspense Hostage Heart about a Louisiana gal who came to New York City to try to earn money to help her parents get their lives and business back on track after devastating hurricanes, I was living vicariously through stories my husband told me - Hubby was part of a federal medical team that provided assistance to the people of New Orleans and surrounding areas after Katrina and Rita.

Last fall though, I lived it. Superstorm Sandy hit the Hudson Valley with devastating winds, rain and water surges. The waterfront town I live in literally saw homes floating away. And while I know from personal experience (Florida in 1969, the year of Hurricane Camille) that the storm could have been far worse, the folks who lost homes, our community that lived without power, and first responders who sacrificed their comfort and safety to help will never forget Sandy's impact.

I was also a part of our town's emergency shelter which provided a temporary home to dozens of town residents at our local ambulance corps building. Some inhabitants left their homes before the brunt of the storm on the advice of our local town government, some were brought to the shelter after being rescued by volunteer ambulance corps and fire department members. We were lucky to have a new, large building with a running generator. As a shelter volunteer I lived in that building for a week alongside people who came in shell-shocked and scared; I watched as family members were part of rescue crews who were out during the height of the storm. We all ate meals together, talked together and sometimes cried together. This experience will live in my memories and heart forever.

Another shelter volunteer wrote about our efforts as part of an effort to keep the public informed and help to raise funds to help people get their lives back together...

What We’ve Been Doing the Past Week: 
Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts for

Stony Point & North Rockland

I added a few thank-you's to others who helped as well here

I recently re-read my novel Hostage Heart in anticipation of the soon-to-be released audio-book version and even this author has to admit the emotional impact of personal experience resonates even more.

When I listened to my husband's stories of the people he met in the month and a half he was stationed down in Louisiana, I noticed the glimmer in his eyes as he remembered and admired the survivors and their strength. Personally seeing the faces of people who came into our ambulance building, some clutching few possessions, some clutching loved pets, and all determined to survive and rebuild now puts a glimmer in my eyes as I remember.

Stories Set in the Hudson Valley

 

Every time I write a story, I have the location clearly in my mind even if it is not specified in the manuscript. Two of my novels, Courage of the Heart and Final Sin were both set in the beautiful Hudson Valley region of New York State. Both novels have vague references to the area.

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

When I wrote Courage of the Heart I imagined areas in Rockland County as the living and work areas for Adam Sherman and Davie Prescott. I even had a strong mental picture of Rockland Community College as the place Davie went to for her college classes.

In Final Sin, 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...

And when I penned Final Sin, I pictured the beautiful backdrop of Dutchess County for the area that Julie and Matt responded to emergencies and that Jake’s department helped to protect. In reality it was a genuine (although unrelated) crime scene that occurred in Rockland County that inspired the gruesome and frightening opening scene.

New York’s Hudson Valley is the area surrounding the majestic Hudson River and is generally considered the area just north of New York City up to the area of Albany. The area is not only a scenic wonderland, it is also extremely rich in both history and folklore.

Significant events took place in the Hudson Valley during the American Revolution.

The British used the river in order to split the opposition, the military fortress known as West Point was utilized by General George Washington to repel the British stronghold. A 150-ton iron chain was strung across the Hudson at the West Point outcrop to control river traffic. President Thomas Jefferson later signed legislation establishing the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1802.

A tale of treason that could easily have changed the history of the United States before they even began took place in the Hudson Valley. Revolutionary General Benedict Arnold was so disenfranchised with his treatment by the Continental Army that he made plans to surrender West Point to British forces. The plot failed and Arnold switched sides after that.

The British army was in control of an outpost called Stony Point on the river south of West Point. In 1779 Continental Army troops under the command of General "Mad Anthony" Wayne defeated British troops in a daring assault on their outpost. The Stony Point Battlefield is now a Historic Landmark.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving is a thrilling ghost story that was set in Westchester County in the Lower Hudson Valley. Modern day ghost investigator and renowned author Linda Zimmerman has centered her eerie investigations in the Hudson Valley.

The controversial Indian Point Energy Center nuclear power plant is located in Buchanan, New York just south of Peekskill and on the east river bank of the Hudson. The Appalachian Trail, one of the three major hiking trails in the continental U.S., runs through part of the Hudson Valley. The area has also been home to famous personalities such as the Rockefellers, the Vanderbilts, Washington Irving, Helen Hayes, Edna St Vincent Millay, and many, many more.