Another one “Ripped From the Headlines” ~ Hyphema

There are just so many conversations these days about immigrants and even more mistrust of certain groups. Yes, I admit whole-heartedly that I wanted to build that particular hot topic into my EMS suspense Hyphema.

Hyphema is the second EMS (Emergency Medical Services) suspense that I wrote; the first EMS novel is Final Sin. Matt Garratti, Hyphema’s hero, was introduced to my readers as a sort of supporting character in Final Sin (as the best friend and riding partner to the heroine Julie), but he refused to let me type The End on his story when I finished Final Sin. He convinced me that he is actually a pretty interesting guy and certainly worthy of a few words.

Enter Sudah, (she was never seen in Final Sin but she was mentioned near the end of the book). Sudah was born and raised in Pakistan and a practicing Muslim. She fell in love with Matt. It was a mixed-marriage (Muslim and Christian). While she hadn’t achieved her United States citizenship in Hyphema she was in the process of studying for it.

With their infant son in tow Sudah follows Matt down south so that he can follow his dream job of being a flight medic. And that’s when things begin to happen, people look at her with suspicion, and when crimes happen (to others as well as Matt’s family) there are those who don’t trust her. There are those, even among Matt’s new work family, who cannot separate any Muslim from the terror attack of 2001.

I try to show that there is good and evil in all sides, and I try to demonstrate both the acceptance and the prejudice against all immigrants to our country. Hyphema won the Dec 9, 2011 Friday Book Cover Vote on the Shades of Love website and was recommended in the book Summer Reading: 2012 Blue Ribbon Selection published by the Ewen Prime Co.   EMSWorld posted about Final Sin and Hyphema.

Hyphema: Bleeding in the eye caused by trauma…

Matt Garratti, a paramedic from New York, moves his wife and son to North Carolina to work at his dream job as a flight medic. Pakistani born Sudah, his wife, receives frosty stares and insensitive comments from their new neighbors... Matt wonders if he is pursuing his dream or bringing his family into a nightmare from which they may never wake.

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Why I really wrote Final Sin...

Many, many years ago there was a horrendous murder that took place not too far from where I live. It was in all of the newspapers and has been a subject in a few books. The events leading to the murder began in lower Manhattan and ended in a remote smokehouse in a sleepy town in Rockland County.

A few years later I had a summer job as a health supervisor in a local camp and had to drive every day over this mountainous and winding road. While many of the houses were set back from the road the mailboxes dotted the curves, for some reason one of them seemed to stick out more than the others. Then I remembered the stories I had read and I realized I was driving past that horrendous murder site. It was actually haunting to think of the young man who had died there.

Eventually I wrote the setting into a murder scene of my own (fictional!), Final Sin opens with that murder scene although the events and victims were different.  It was nearly cathartic. I say nearly because the research I did in order to bring some reality to my scenes was very frightening. It was terrifying to think that a human being could be so cruel to another, but as a writer I wanted my story to really hold my reader's attention and actually make them shudder. I guess it was kind of mean, but I actually got a thrill when I heard one reader had to put the book down, go to her kitchen and bring back a knife in order to keep reading!

So yes, I took the scene of a real murder and made it into my own wicked story and driving past the location no longer feels so threatening. In some ways I feel a little bit guilty because I certainly am not making light of the victim's horrid fate, but in some weird way I conquered my fear.

Now while I did have to do some research, I already had a base knowledge about the professions of the two main characters, I had been a (volunteer) EMT and road with my local ambulance corps for several years, so did my husband and to no surprise so did both of our kids. Between us we had so many stories of some rather unusual calls, some hysterically funny and some terribly sad. I can't speak of specifics (HIPPA laws and all that) but I did manage to insert some winners into the story. (One of them was the woman who wanted the paramedics to use the defibrillator to start her car!)

I actually felt some relief when the "case was solved" in my story and did give some honest thought to putting the story down (once it was published) — and yet, somewhere in the back of my mind I felt like the whole story wasn't yet complete. Somewhere in the story one of the supporting characters became real and I was driven to tell his story. That was how my book Hyphema came to be, we'll talk more about it next week, and that is an invitation to come back to this spot.

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How A Haunting Murder Led to a Romantic Suspense

It was 1985 and the little town I lived in was horrified at the murder that captured newspaper headlines. The site of the murder was just a few minutes from my home.

Using my EMT skills, I used to work in the infirmary of a local summer day camp in those years. Every day, as I drove to work, I went past the driveway leading to the smokehouse where the victim’s body had been burned beyond recognition. The police caught the murderer and the trial replaced the actual murder headlines.

But each time I passed the mailbox at the end of the crime scene driveway I was filled with an unease, there were nights when the horror at what had occurred there just wouldn’t leave my mind and I would lay awake staring at the ceiling.

When I wrote Final Sin I used a mental image of the crime scene that had haunted my town and I developed a different crime, a crime that included a body that had been set on fire. But that is where the similarity ended…

… Deputy Sheriff Commander Jake Carson has his hands full with the investigation of a brutal multiple homicide, a troubled son and a vindictive ex-wife when he meets young, free-spirited paramedic Julie Jennings. He is immediately drawn to her and finds himself unexpectedly falling in love. Julie finds herself just as drawn to him. When Julie becomes the subject of an obsession, it puts both of their lives in extreme danger… Romance…danger…adventure…suspense…another great Chelle Cordero novel sure to grab readers from many genre!

Final Sin was an Honorable Mention in the
Fiction Category of the 2010 NY Book Festival 

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Final Sin is available in Print, E-book & Audio

Now Available in Spanish and German translations!

Book Discussion Packet

The Ability to Trust ~ #MondayBlogs

Scams, liars, and cheaters… when you’re surrounded by falsehoods and horror stories of “life savings gone in an instant” or the suffering of victims of violent crimes, it’s hard to feel safe.

Even buying a car proves to be a lesson in how many ways can you get taken? When the car being sold shows one thing on the odometer and the Car-Fax substantiates quite a bit more do you believe the salesman when he claims that the wool was pulled over his eyes as well?

What about the store clerk who pockets your money and then claims the amount you gave was far less? Suddenly the simple fender bender you had yesterday, you know the one where the other driver was walking around and laughing after the mishap, has now turned into a personal injury lawsuit and claims of partial paralysis. Identities are stolen and folks wind up with sky-high bills on items they would never have purchased, but it is your credit card number on the receipt, so…

We seem to be surrounded by liars and thieves. Local politicians who serve their greed before they serve their constituents… cheating spouses… backstabbing orchestrated by someone you once trusted… weighted grocery scales in the produce aisle… It is so hard to know who and what to trust these days. It’s the world we live in, if you see something, say something.

When was the last time you lied? What excuse did you tell your boss for not being able to come in the last time you took a sick-day? Even the simple white lie, yes you look terrific in that dress, is enough to destroy someone’s faith in your word. Why not lie, everybody’s doing it? Everyone, no matter the age, vocation or intentions, has to, if they are being honest, admit to uttering some untruth.

We can’t or shouldn’t be so paranoid as to suspect everyone we encounter as a thief trying to steal our hard-earned money, or worse, to be convinced that you can never turn your back because there will always be someone there to cause you harm. Once trust is destroyed, even if you can mend the damages, it never goes back intact. Vigilance and paranoia are so close and yet miles away in productivity and confidence. People become cynics and fail to give chances even when they should be well-deserved.

What a sad, sad world it would be if we totally lost our abilities to trust, to take chances on a new relationship, to feel kindly towards the people who surround us or sometimes even lose the ability to trust ourselves and the decisions we make. It is, in my belief, a minority who use intentional lies or who would do harm and yet how do you tell the difference? Loss of trust can cause up to lose relationships or to choose poorly in making even everyday purchases — it certainly is enough to make us lose restful sleep.

Our previous experiences or passed-down stories should serve as lessons of things to be aware of in the future, but these lessons should never overpower us and our ability to lead normal lives. You may indeed have your heart broken, but if you are not willing to take a chance on a new love, then you may lose out altogether from finding your soul mate. Paranoia may force you to overlook a wonderful new job opportunity simply because you cannot trust the potential promise that’s laid out before you. Think of all the missed possibilities. No great discovery was ever made by someone who wasn’t willing to take a chance, but by someone who trusted that things would work out in the end.

So trust others, yes use caution, but trust that the good in this world will outnumber evils. It’s okay to cast an occasional look over your shoulder, but try walking looking straight forward and seeing all the things before you. Don’t lose the opportunity to enjoy the things you purchase because you are too busy placing these items in a web of deceit. Don’t forget to think and don’t forget to trust.

Wonder if I should trust that distant relative who is promising me a fortune, he contacted me just the other day on the internet?

A Clandestine Relationship ~ Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 08/17/14

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.

Tom brings Alli back to her place and they spend the night talking. They agree to keep their friendship outside of the courtroom a secret and to just remain good friends... there are too many complications. She tells him about her ex-husband, her family and her job. Tom can't resist kissing her, but when the kiss deepens he pulls back.

His breathing was stilted. “I’m so sorry,” he barely mouthed the words.

“No... don’t stop,” Alli tried to hold him there, “Tom, it’s been so long since a man has touched me like this.” She looked fragile, she looked as if his next touch would either break her or fortify her.

He mumbled more to himself than to her, “my timing sucks.” Why now, he thought, why now when all his memories of Joyce had been stirred up? Tom sat up on the couch; he pulled her to him and held her against his chest while he stroked her hair.

He thought about what she had just said to him, “have you been with anyone since your husband?”

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

Within the Law

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.

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~~~~~~

Previous Within the Law #WeWriWa snippets:

• Introducing Tom in Within the Law
• The Acceptance
• Tom meets Alli
• The next time he sees Alli
• Tom is called to the stand
• Tom "licks his wounds"
• Tom can't avoid his attraction to Alli

Oneida County Courthouse, Rome NY

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Tom can't avoid his attraction to Alli - Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 08/10/14

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.

This picks up just a few paragraphs after last week's snippet... Tom wavers between his anger at what he feels is Alli's duplicity and his attraction to her. Finally his anger wins out and he storms out of the diner in anger. BTW, Cat is his cousin, the heroine from His Lucky Charm. (Sorry, I went 9 sentences this week)

Years ago, his mother had said to him that Joyce had died, he didn’t. He felt like giving up on life back then; Tom didn’t want to leave the house or see his friends, it was just too painful. The only one he ever let close to him was Cat, he didn’t want to talk to anyone else; he just wanted to build a wall around himself and keep the outside world away. It hurt to admit it, but his mother was right, it had taken some coercing and the help of a few friends pushing him, but he’d dated since then and even had a few very satisfying relationships. He didn’t feel like he was cheating on Joyce, he was just trying to live.

He briefly had thought about showing up on Alli’s doorstep sometime just to see where things might go, when he had left her apartment last night, he was amazed at how many of his senses felt alive again, but, after today...

“Tom,” he stopped and let her catch up to him, “if we had met under different circumstances, do you...”

He took her in his arms and kissed her, she kissed him back without hesitation. Finally, they stepped apart, “Does that answer your question?”

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

Within the Law

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

...coming soon, the audio-book of Within the Law
Listen to the Samples

Tom "licks his wounds" - Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 08/03/14

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.

The Senior Defense Attorney (Justin) grilled every witness and even tried to lay some of the blame on Tom in order to cast doubt about the defendant's (Roy Dunlop) guilt. Alli couldn't look at Tom in the courtroom. Later after court is recessed for the day and after he calls his cousin to talk and calm down, he goes to the motel's diner for a quick bite. While he's there, Alli approaches him and apologizes...

“Tom, I am sorry that Justin grilled you like that today...”

“He was just doing his job, get the scum buckets back out on the street, that was nice investigating work you did by the way, did he really have all that information about my cases or was some of it just lucky guesses?” He sounded cynical.

“I try to do my job thoroughly,” Alli sat back while the waitress poured her coffee and put the salad on the table, “I really can’t discuss the case, I just wanted to say that I had no idea who you were last night.” She chuckled, ”I guess I wasn’t as thorough as I thought, I never had your photo ID pulled.”

He couldn’t help but wonder if she would have smiled at him the way she did if she had known who he was the night before. “Well, I guess you were lucky that I wasn’t another Dunlop, who knows who else is out there walking the streets after some smooth lawyer got him off?”

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

Within the Law

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

Chelle Cordero's Cousins Suspenses

   

That was fast!

Final Sin is ALREADY available for Pre-Orders
through Barnes & Noble (dot) com!

Final Sin
by Chelle Cordero
Available for Pre-Order
This item will be available on May 1.
(Paperback)

Publisher: Vanilla Heart Publishing
Pub. Date: May 01, 2009
ISBN-13: 9781935407133
324pp

Note from BarnesandNoble.com: Save on Pre-Orders: We've added an extra 5% discount to thousands of pre-order titles online. Order today and take advantage of the savings! See Details