The Inspiration Behind Hostage Heart

In 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated areas of the Gulf Coast. There were more than 1800 fatalities from Katrina alone and the majority of New Orleans was underwater when the levees broke. It was a total nightmare as horror scenes of destruction and tales of families torn apart were broadcast over all of the news channels.

Many viewers felt helpless as we watched and prayed for all of the victims. Collections of money and resources were started to try to help in the recovery. So many emergency responders went to the devastation and worked around the clock rescuing survivors, digging victims out of the flooded rubble, and eventually helping to rebuild. The Army Corps of Engineers worked on restoring the levees.

My husband was a part of a federal medical team, his team spent tours of three weeks in the various areas — he went twice to the New Orleans area and environs to provide medical assistance. When he finally came home to stay he told us about the wonderful people he met, people whose spirits should have been trampled, but instead they cared about each other, they were looking forward to rebuilding, and they even brought vats of Louisiana home cooking as a thank you to the folks who were bandaging and tending to their medical needs.

The spirit of the people in Louisiana was both admirable and amazing. Those stories remained with me and grew into the heroine's sweet mother and father. And of course being a New Yorker myself I threw the streets of the city into the mix... added a crime, a sexy stranger and Hostage Heart was born. I had a lot of fun studying the contrast of New York-ese and the Cajun dialect. Hostage Heart begins in New York and travels to Baton Rouge and Little Rock, Arkansas. (I love researching new destinations for my stories!)

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!

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Three months later ~ Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 04/26/15

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
& check out the
Facebook Snippet Sunday group

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.

This scene takes place about half a chapter later in the book after Deanna saw Ryan shot. She's mourned him and tried to get on with her life and all of the changes the incident has caused. Three months have passed since Ryan was declared dead and Agent Connie Reed tried to interview Deanna in the hospital. (by the way Deanna has given testimony against the surviving bank robbers). 

...and now the eight:

Connie was seated at her desk hunched over a mound of paperwork when he entered the room; he stood quietly and waited for her to say something.

Finally she broke the uncomfortable silence, “You’re back.”

“Much to your dismay, I’m sure.”

“Yes, I don’t know why you didn’t take my advice and request a transfer Agent Hunter.”

“After three months in the middle of nowhere strapped to a desk there is no way I would want to be stuck in that hellhole, I’m a field agent...”

“You’re a field agent who overstepped your bounds, you are damn lucky she didn’t file charges against you or you would be out of a job and in jail too.”

He did a lot of thinking about Deanna the past three months, he hadn’t had much else to occupy his mind, “How is she?”

“She thinks you’re dead, leave it that way.”

For more WeWriWa Snippets, go to: 

www.wewriwa.com

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 Heart is 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.

~LDB, on Amazon

 AUDIO on Audible  

Print 

Kindle 

AllRomance Ebooks 

Smashwords for All Ereaders 

Payloadz Instant Download 

    ~~~~~~~~

Hostage Heart was my sixth novel published with Vanilla Heart Publishing (summer 2009) - inspired by stories from my husband who was part of a Federal medical team after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and memories of an ex-boyfriend who worked undercover in law enforcement, Hostage Heart was billed as "a hot romantic suspense about deception".

I've posted eight-sentence snippets from Hostage Heart since February and have now pushed the limits of my contract regarding how many words I can post (...ssh), so next week I will be moving on to another story. In the meanwhile if you've missed any of my weekly Hostage Heart postings, just click on the links below (the earliest is the top) to read any of them leading up to this week's (above).

The bank robbery

Danger

Miss Goody Two-Shoes

No money for ransom

Because they sleep together

Mamere called it vibrations

Confusion

Temptation

Foreboding

Death

We have a problem

I hope that you've enjoyed!

We have a problem ~ Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 04/19/15

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
& check out the
Facebook Snippet Sunday group

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.

Still in shock after seeing Ryan shot, Deanna is taken to the hospital after her ordeal and examined. FBI Agent Connie Reed comes in to take her statement. Deanna is getting over her shock and is getting angry. (I chopped this piece up because I wanted to get it all in)

...and now the eight (creative editing used to make it fit):

“Miss Blair, the nurse told us there was, uhm, evidence of sexual contact, do you want to press charges?”

Deanna shook her head, “I wanted to be with him, I wanted to be with Ryan, the man your agents shot. Why did you have to kill him?”

"You were with... Ryan? He, he pulled a gun, he must have known he would be shot once he pulled the gun.” Reed sighed, “Miss Blair, I understand you’ve been through an awful lot, I’ll leave my card at the nurse’s desk, please call me when you are ready to talk.”

Closing the door behind her, Reed walked down the length of the corridor before pulling her cell phone out of her pocket to punch in numbers. She put the flip-phone to her ear. “The girl is okay, we have some serious problems though, we need to talk.”

For more WeWriWa Snippets, go to: 

www.wewriwa.com

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 Heart is 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.

~LDB, on Amazon

 AUDIO on Audible  

Print 

Kindle 

AllRomance Ebooks 

Smashwords for All Ereaders 

Payloadz Instant Download 

    ~~~~~~~~

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Death - Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 04/12/15

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
& check out the
Facebook Snippet Sunday group

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.

My apologies, this past week of Passover has been so busy that I haven't spent much time online - so I missed reading all of your snippets last weekend. The holiday ends this weekend and I have to pack all of my Pesach dishes away, but I will try my best to double up and read snippets during the week.

Despite Ryan's promise to get Deanna home, F.B.I. agents raid the compound and Ryan and one of the other bank robbers are missing. As the agents prepare to bring Deanna to safety, the other missing bank robber appears.

...and now the eight (creative editing used to make it fit):

The man had a rifle pointed at Deanna  — a shot rang out and he went down. Ryan shot him. One of the F.B.I. agents ordered Ryan to drop his weapon; he didn’t.

Another shot rang out, Deanna watched in horror as Ryan’s body jerked and he collapsed.

“Ryan,” Deanna tried to run to him, she was stopped by one of the other agents, “Ryan, please...”

She could see blood staining the chest of the man Ryan shot.

The agent who shot Ryan went to check his pulse and then repeated the gesture on the other man, “they’re both dead.”

“No, no, no...” Deanna collapsed crying Ryan’s name.

For more WeWriWa Snippets, go to: 

www.wewriwa.com

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 Heart is 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.

~LDB, on Amazon

 AUDIO on Audible  

Print 

Kindle 

AllRomance Ebooks 

Smashwords for All Ereaders 

Payloadz Instant Download 

    ~~~~~~~~

Sometimes it seems that there just isn't enough time
in the week to get everything done and
this past week was a perfect example of that.

We have to prioritize the things we do and sometimes have to
give up some activities... It isn't that the things we don't get to
aren't important, we just can't do it all.

My time was spent with family and I concentrated on home life.
In a way it's been kind of a renewal and with the weather finally
showing up with some warmer days, I look forward to a fresher
perspective and greater productivity.

I think spring is finally here.

Foreboding ~ Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 04/05/15

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
& check out the
Facebook Snippet Sunday group

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.

Deanna and Ryan have grown infinitely (& intimately) closer after last week's snake in the shower. Back in the cabin tensions are high as "the boss" arrives and is far from happy about Deanna's presence. Ryan makes a promise to Deanna that he will get her back home.

...and now the eight (creative editing used to make it fit):

“Come back with me, Ryan, turn yourself in; you’re better than this,” she waited through his silence.

He squeezed his eyes and exhaled slowly, “no Deanna, this is me, this is my life.”

“If the police capture you, they are going to put you in jail for a long time.”

“They won’t capture me.”

“Ryan, if you come back with me and turn yourself in, I’ll tell them that you didn’t kidnap me; I’ll tell them you protected me and saved me."

He wished he had the time to see where things could go, “Deanna, trust me, I am not getting out...”

“You could.”

“No Deanna, I expect to die here.”

For more WeWriWa Snippets, go to: 

www.wewriwa.com

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 Heart is 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.

~LDB, on Amazon

 AUDIO on Audible  

Print 

Kindle 

AllRomance Ebooks 

Smashwords for All Ereaders 

Payloadz Instant Download 

    ~~~~~~~~

Happy Passover and Happy Easter
 whichever (or both) you celebrate.

This week as I was frantically trying to complete my Passover shopping (yes, this is a holiday focused around food!) I ran into an acquaintance that I hadn't seen in a while. We chatted for a few and she asked how everyone in the family was doing; she knows all of us through various channels.

She asked if my daughter and her husband would be making it to the Seders and I answered they would be with me for the second night (We celebrate with two Seders); they had plans to be at my son-in-law's family the first.

The next question was whether my son and his new wife (just since last December) would be joining us. My answer this time was that they would be out-of-state visiting her parents.

I laughed then and said that's what comes with marriage, you have two families to split your time with. And then I smiled broadly and told her "Of course that also means that I have double the children, so I'm happy."

Family is a wonderful thing. I've always enjoyed watching my children grow and I am very proud of the adults that they've become. Both of my adult children have chosen exceptional partners and I love each of them as well... My mom used to say "It isn't in-law, it's in-love."

Each of the children I've acquired through marriage have lovely parents and we all love sharing these great kids!

When I write about relationships in my books I often think about the similarities and differences between my real life and my characters' imagined ones. Deanna's parents, which readers meet later on in the book, are very much like my own were — they are protective and loving, and they support their child through anything. In some of my other books the parents and family histories aren't always the nicest and I feel bad for my characters; sometimes I even feel a bit guilty for giving them such hard lives...

Temptation ~ Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 03/29/15

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
& check out the
Facebook Snippet Sunday group

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?

For more WeWriWa Snippets, go to: 

www.wewriwa.com

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 Heart is 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.

~LDB, on Amazon

 AUDIO on Audible  

Print 

Kindle 

AllRomance Ebooks 

Smashwords for All Ereaders 

Payloadz Instant Download 

    ~~~~~~~~

The Inspiration Behind Hostage Heart

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…

* originally published on Lindsay's Romantics