What does FAMILY mean?

 

Family is more than just a biological connection. It's love and friendship, it's being there when you are needed… and sometimes when the other person doesn't even realize how much they need your comfort and support.

There's the nuclear family, the one you are born into, usually parents and children. Sometimes you are born into the hearts of your parents (adoption). When you are little, this family seems to be your whole world. If you are lucky there are aunts and uncles, cousins, maybe grandparents… As you grow your family takes on other forms, a marriage, your own children, in-laws, and sometimes close friends.

So how do you cope when the people you count on to be there for you as family turn their backs? How far do you push when the other person has no interest in BEING family? It's never easy to close the door on someone you called family, sometimes though they leave you no other options.

I have friends who have been abandoned by those they thought would be there for them in times of turmoil and it's sad. They've told me stories of being excluded from these people's lives and sometimes even getting arguments because they didn't acknowledge an event that they were never even told about.

Sometimes a person whom you accepted as family (maybe they married in) and continued to think of them that way even after the actual blood connection has been lost, may feel the need to "divorce" themselves from that side of the family. It's heartbreaking to lose yet another family member, but there is really nothing you can do about it.

Cling to those who hold you dear and don't waste time on those who seem to have simply forgotten you. Focus on the people who surround you with love and caring, and who allow you in when they need some love and caring as well. THAT is your family.

.

Genealogy

I’ve talked about my genealogy research many times, but I was remembering back to, I think it was 2008, when a distant cousin on my mom’s side began an intensive search to find as many relatives as possible. To my awe, and annoyance, one of my first cousins made it very clear that she was vehemently opposed to this family tree being built and had no interest in it — her pronouncement of “I’ve got too much family already” shocked many of us. What an insult that was!

Several of us were perturbed and felt that she was too self-centered (and indeed through the years she lived up to that hype). But I have often wondered HOW could you have too much family? I am very aware of a traumatic time period where my husband and I lost all four parents within a four-and-a-half year period. I guess when you have family and loved ones, you are vulnerable to that aching pain when you lose someone. Maybe avoiding that pain is worth it, to some, by not allowing yourself to grow attached to someone else; but then look at all of the joy you are missing out on.

 Since that first distant cousin whet my appetite for learning all about my roots, my lineage, and my legacy, I’ve actually gotten to meet (sometimes only in the virtual sense) many, many relatives. I’ve learned things about my family that I hadn’t even thought of before and now, since so many of the older generation are gone, I am having to dig up more of this info on my own. I’ve learned that my paternal grandmother (my dad’s bio mom) was one of at least nine children and I have gotten to meet a couple of her great-great nieces and nephews, or better known as my third-cousins. I had no idea anyone of that side of the family even existed. I’ve actually made good friends with some of the people who share my bloodlines. I’ve become friends with distant cousins on my mom’s side as well.

And yes, it is true that you open yourself up to more heartaches when you care about more people, but the times you can speak with them and share, and find out how many similarities you actually have, it fills your heart with joy and wonder. It’s unfortunate, but I know that I probably will never get to actually meet some of these people face-to-face, but luckily our internet capabilities do allow us to “see” each other and talk in real-time. Being surrounded by family is just so warming. I think the biggest problem I have is not being able to spend time chatting with each, there just isn’t enough time.

And of course my long-term friends and more immediate family members are not lost just because I’ve reached out through the vast web of relations. By the way I saw a meme on Facebook today that said simply “If you’ve been friends for more than seven years, you may as well be family”. Indeed some friendships (non-blood) have lasted longer and have been closer than some people in the family you are born into. Whether there is actual blood between us or not though I could never close myself off to the people that surround me, virtually or in close proximity.

No, you never can have too much family.

It’s My Life

As I wrote in my post “Heritage” I’ve been researching my genealogy. I feel so blessed to have made connections that I never had any idea about before. I’ve met cousins (often 3^rd through…) and we’ve shared stories which are amazing!

One of the most astonishing things I’ve found are so many similarities, so often I find we think alike and even share favorite expressions — even though we’ve never met before, and often the generation before us had no interaction either. Our mutual likes, dislikes, and even political views really makes me believe in genetic memory!

Now I admit I am not the first one of my relatives to have pursued building a family tree. Many years ago, about a decade, a cousin on my mom’s paternal side tracked down and recorded EIGHT generations! It was a monumental task. Ironically the family tree showed a connection to a person I had known for a few years… talk about a small world.

But there are more trees that intertwine to make me who I am and I have started researching more on my mom’s maternal side. To be perfectly honest my mother was raised in the same small town where many of these people once resided and so many of them remembered her as a child (unfortunately she passed away several years before this cousin reached out to my sister and me). But I’ve formed precious friendships (several through the convenience of the internet).

My dad’s side was quite a bit more challenging as he grew up in a broken home (and again, he passed away rather early as well) so it hasn’t been easy to find out much. Unfortunately the few generations before me have thinned and not a lot of information has been available. I recently found out that my paternal grandfather had a sister but aside from having the name of the man she married I couldn’t find out anything else about her.

Surprisingly, the one grandparent I had little hope of tracking, my dad’s mother, has recently been the newest “tree” in my history. Thanks to that DNA test I took (23andme) I connected with a lovely cousin. We are close in age and grandchildren of sisters. She and I have shared several wonderful conversations about ourselves, our (current) families and so many of the family names that have repeated themselves in both of our lines. This cousin has been involved in a rather extensive family tree which, to my surprise, actually included my parents although neither my sister nor I were known about.

I never could figure out how one figures out anything beyond first cousins – so whether any of these lovely folks I am connected to are related two generations, or longer, ago, we have just all chosen to drop the numerical value of “cousin”. Trying to figure out the number of “great(s)” that comes before a mutual grandparent AND figuring out if you are of the same generation or not gives me a headache. I just prefer to call each relative COUSIN.

Aside from having this yearning to find out more of my roots, I am hoping o compile a bit of a book which I can pass down to my own children, nieces and nephews to help keep the family story very much alive. I know I have a lot of work to do but I am looking forward to this task because, well, THIS IS MY LIFE!

Who Am I?

I was so excited to find that my “report” was available today, it was more than a week before I expected it. I sent in my “sample” to one of the more popular DNA companies and while I already know SOME of my ancestry (a few cousins and I did lots of research), I want to know more.

Unfortunately my parents died when I was just a young adult and I never had the opportunity to ask questions that I didn’t even think of until I was raising a family. Now grandparents, aunts and uncles are also gone. It is startling to realize that I am now among the elders of my family (I really don’t feel that old!) I have an amazing thirst for my past, where I came from and stories that might also be a bit embarrassing. In many ways my ancestry is what made me who I am today.

My maternal grandparents immigrated to this country as youngsters or teens, I’m really not sure. My paternal grandfather was born in Puerto Rico but that was before PR was a United States territory. I’ve heard romantic stories about my paternal grandmother being conceived (and maybe born?) on a ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean. What made each of them come HERE, to the mainland where I was born and raised? Without their decisions I would not be here. Heck, without my grandparents’ journey to the United States mainland, my parents might not have even met.

I’ve heard rumors of notable ancestors but without substantial proof. I cling to the tales my folks told me as a child about how they met and bits and pieces about their courtship. And even those stories leave questions as my sister remembers some slightly different tales than I do. So I want to know more. I want to leave a WRITTEN history of my family for my offspring and the generations to come. 

A few years ago a distant cousin began a search into our shared lineage (my maternal grandfather’s line) and it was fascinating, it went back eight generations to eight sons, but even that was incomplete as none of the possible daughters were recorded in the many sources. But it was still fascinating to learn some of the details. And imagine my surprise when I talked about some info I learned and an acquaintance that I had known for a little more than a year actually asked me why I was talking about HIS family! I had no idea that I was (even distantly) related to him.

There are those who don’t share my thirst for knowledge of ancestors. Some of these people don’t believe in genetic memories… or maybe are even wary about what they might find out. I respect their sense of “privacy” and not wanting to delve into yesterday — but that is NOT me. I say bring it on, bring on my ancestors and the stories of their lives, bring on my relatives both close and distant. Several of us in my maternal grandfather’s family tree don’t bother with the numerical designations, we are just all cousins.

And yes, if you ever do an Ancestry kit and find my name in your list of DNA matches please reach out, I will always welcome another Cousin!

His Lucky Charm, formerly published as Forgotten

This book was first published under the name FORGOTTEN, however as a new author I hadn't yet learned to research titles before putting a title on mine. Since titles are not copyrighted there can be quite a few of the same... and there certainly was with this books original moniker. I had even received a few emails from folks who either thought they had found the correct book on Amazon (and sometimes bought it) only to find it wasn't my story, or a few who couldn't scroll through the pages to find my book. However now if you look up the title His Lucky Charm on Amazon, it comes up on the first page, it's a big improvement,

His Lucky Charm is still the same intriguing story as Forgotten by Chelle Cordero  and still an edge-of-your-seat thriller.

And while we are at it, the character of Tom Hughes who is first introduced in His Lucky Charm spoke to me (as an author, not just voices in the head) and demanded his own Happy-Ever-After and so I wrote Within the Law. Welcome to the "cousins series" by Chelle Cordero!

His Lucky Charm

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. 

(Previously released as Forgotten, Vanilla Heart Publishing, 2008)

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.

The story of Brandon Price and Caitlyn Smythe and a love which survives dangers and grows stronger despite modern day threats and personal baggage.)

Editorial Reviews (HIS LUCKY CHARM, previously FORGOTTEN)

Review

“Forgotten is a riveting story and both my wife and I enjoyed it from the first page all the way to the last page. Ms. Cordero’s characters have depth and real personalities and were very easy to get to know through her excellent prose and superb style. Every chapter, every paragraph, and even every word appears to have been written with the sole purpose of enchanting readers and drawing us into the story.” --Jason Martin, new loyal fan and KerriAnne Martin, avid Chelle Cordero fan

“I read Bartlett s Rule and couldn’t imagine another wonderful story that could match my excitement with that, but Forgotten sure accomplished the feat! Caitlyn and Brandon, along with all the other people in the book, feel like old friends now. Thank you! I can t wait for the next Chelle Cordero novel!” --Hope Marshall

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5.0 out of 5 stars Forgotten is Hard to Forget!! January 28, 2009

By D. Harvey

Holy crap! Ok, I know that's not a good literary term, but this is PHENOMENAL!!!! I've only been reading for a short period of time, but this story just engulfs you right away! There is so much depth, intrigue - this book is WAY more intricate than I had had expected. It is BEAUTIFULLY crafted. Not a book you can put down by any means. If you haven't already, you HAVE to read this book! Thank you so much, Chelle! This book ROCKS!!!! :)

...and here is the original cover for the book known as Forgotten 

buy links for His Lucky Charm

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APPLE

KOBO

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Around the World With Passion & Suspense

Hello!

I get blog visitors from around the world!

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I love to hear from my readers.

Chelle Cordero writes stories of Passion and Suspense. Vanilla Heart Publishing has published ten Cordero novels: Bartlett’s Rule; His Lucky Charm; Within the Law; Courage of the Heart; Final Sin; Hostage Heart; A Chaunce of Riches; Common Bond, Tangled Hearts; Hyphema; and Karma Visited.

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Tom is called to the stand - Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 07/27/14

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 Within the Law. The protagonist, Tom Hughes, was created in His Lucky Charm (formerly called Forgotten). Tom is cousin to the female main character in HLC. I fell in love with Tom, I think he might be my favorite hero from all of my books. His character and his history was so compelling that I HAD to write his story, one in which he has his own HEA.

I'm continuing in the courtroom. The defendant, Dunlop, was found with Tom's high school ring, a key piece of evidence regarding Tom's fiance's (Joyce) death. The senior Defense Attorney isn't showing any compassion for the witnesses, he is doing his best to put doubt in the jury's minds. Poor Tom has no idea what he is in for when he is called to the witness box.

The District Attorney’s office called Thomas Hughes to the stand.

As Tom walked to the witness stand, he noticed Alli was giving the senior attorney a folder. Then she looked up and saw him. It was impossible to mask her surprise, but it didn’t take long for her to try to cover up her recognition of him for the benefit of the jury. He gazed at her as he was being sworn in, she looked away.

Tom never expected to feel the emotions he did as he was handed the clear plastic bag containing his high school ring.

“Was this the ring Joyce Keller was wearing on a chain around her neck the day she went on an outing with some girlfriends?”

He had to clear his throat in order to answer, “Yes. I gave this ring to Joyce, she wore it on a chain.”

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

Within the Law

Series: Chelle Cordero's Cousins Suspense, Book 2. 

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.

Amazon (print)

Amazon (Kindle)

.pdf E-Book (Payloadz)

multiple ebook formats (Smashwords)

Apple iTunes

Kobo

Tom first made an appearance in His Lucky Charm, a story about  Caitlyn Smythe (Tom's cousin) and Brandon Price. Caitlyn and Brandon are back in Within the Law. Here is a small piece from that first story with background on what happened to Joyce ...

     When Tom left the night before, he warned them that he would be back on his way to work to find out if he was going to be an “uncle” or not. Tommy had been clearly thrilled that Caitlyn had accepted Brandon’s proposal. He had even begun to ask about wedding plans and dates.

     Brandon had admitted to Caitlyn that he was surprised that Tom was single. It was obvious that the man treasured family, liked the thought of kids and certainly had a lot of solid relationship advice to offer.

     That was when Caitlyn told Brandon about Tom’s lost love. The high school sweetheart he had proposed to on graduation day was killed during a random act of violence. She had been on a shopping trip to a nearby big-city mall with some girlfriends. Their vehicle had been carjacked and she was abducted. Her assailant had never been caught and Caitlyn thought that might have been Tom’s inspiration to become a police officer.

     She didn’t know if Tom would ever again allow his heart to be so vulnerable. The tragic story made Brandon realize even more how fortunate he was. He planted tiny kisses on Caitlyn’s closed eyelids and was only slightly disappointed that he hadn’t woken her.

     About an hour later, Caitlyn stretched in his arms, yawned, opened her eyes and smiled. Brandon felt like he was ready to melt.

     “Good morning.” She whispered to him.

The Acceptance - Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 07/06/14

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 Within the Law. The protagonist, Tom Hughes, was created in His Lucky Charm (formerly called Forgotten). Tom is cousin to the female main character in HLC. I fell in love with Tom, I think he might be my favorite hero from all of my books. His character and his history was so compelling that I HAD to write his story, one in which he has his own HEA.

In the following snippet, it will become a little clearer why Tom is so lost in his memories. I've skipped a few paragraphs and this is in Chapter 1. I had to use a little bit of creative punctuation to make it fit.

The courthouse was already closed by the time Tom had driven into Rome, New York; he knew it wouldn’t have made a difference anyway. The district attorney’s office had been very specific about what time they wanted to see him. All they wanted him to do was identify the Tupper Lake High School ring with his initials engraved in it; all he wanted to do was get a look at the guy who had changed everything in his world. Tom had an almost masochistic need to put a face to the lowlife who had turned every dream he had into a nightmare.

Tom looked at his wristwatch and decided that as tempting as it was to drink himself into total numbness, he wanted to be aware enough the next morning to really get a good look at this guy. He’d been waiting eight years. Throwing a couple of bills on the counter, he paid for his last drink and stood. He took his car keys out of his pocket and weaved his way through the crowd towards the door.

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

Within the Law

Series: Chelle Cordero's Cousins Suspense, Book 2. 

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.

Amazon (print)

Amazon (Kindle)

.pdf E-Book (Payloadz)

multiple ebook formats (Smashwords)

Apple iTunes

Kobo

Within the Law Book Club Extras

Almost every novel published by Vanilla Heart Publishing has a Book Discussion Packet available. These packets are filled with discussion starter questions, printable bookmarks, and other valuable information - and best of all they are FREE. Libraries and book clubs love to get these packets as they really help to facilitate lively discussions. The packet for Within the Law is available for download here. Here is a sample discussion starter:

Tom Hughes’ character was created in a previous book by Ms. Cordero, 

His Lucky Charm (formerly called Forgotten) along with other characters 

Caitlyn, Brandon, Sylvia and Walter. Even though the books are stand 

alone stories, how does it make you feel when a character “lives on” 

beyond the place you first met them? What are your expectations when a 

character makes repeated appearances in several stories?