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 

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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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Do You Believe in Karma?

"My life changed after I died.
It’s not like I had any special powers.
They just didn’t understand me.
They underestimated me.
I had a gift."

an excerpt

The girl sobbed and Annie looked at her again. The girl was staring back at her. Her eyes were wide with fright.

“Can… you… see me?” Annie’s voice was shaky. Her dreams had always taken her to accidents, disasters, and the victim was always ready to die. Annie hoped this girl wasn’t going to die. This wasn’t an accident, this was evil. “Where are we?”

The young woman just continued to stare. Confused, Annie wasn’t sure the girl actually saw her, but when she moved she saw the other woman’s eyes following her. Then she wondered if the girl could hear the things that Annie said, maybe that was the problem.

“You do see me.” The girl still wouldn’t answer, she just cried. “Tell me what you can and I will try to get you help.”

No answer.

“I need you to tell me something, anything. Who are you? Where are we?” The girl cried harder. Annie was frustrated. She looked around the room, it began to spin. She closed her eyes and held her head.

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...available in English, French, Italian, Portuguese & Spanish

from Amazon http://amzn.to/2mQgjSr

...

the story continues...

Writing a Sequel ~ #MondayBlogs

As writer’s we often create characters and mold them according to the convenience of the story plot — it’s an exciting, godlike and powerful feeling to produce “someone” who comes to life through words and who the readers (ideally) care about. By the time we write The End our task is complete. We send our characters out into the world to live on their own, to inspire peoples’ imaginations, and to remain who they are throughout perpetuity.

Unless we decide to revive those characters in another book.

Why, why, why would we do that? They’ve done their time, did their job and now they deserve to rest. …but maybe not. Sometimes our characters stay with us just begging to move on.

Maybe we write a spin-off and our once favorite NAGGING characters appear in the storyline again. When I wrote His Lucky Charm I literally fell in love with a secondary character. Tom Hughes suffered tragic heartbreak in his past and he was just the kind of man to council his cousin and her heartthrob about the need to grab onto each other while you can, and his cousin and her heartthrob did get married. I wanted Tom to have his own HEA (Happy Ever After) ending and I wrote Within the Law. This was pretty easy. While I did create Tom’s character and an important chunk of his history, it wasn’t until I wrote Within the Law that I really concentrated on developing him fully. And while the lovers of His lucky Charm did make appearances all I had to do was put a bit of time into their storyline. Easy peasy.

Another spin-off I wrote stemmed from Final Sin where I created Jake and Julie, and Julie’s sidekick Matt. In the spin off book, Hyphema, I was able to really develop Matt’s character and introduce his wife who had only been mentioned in Final Sin. The focus was entirely on Matt and Sudah in the spin-off book.

Then I wrote Karma Visited about Annie who is able to astral travel in her sleep to people in need and when she needs help who will be there for her? She meets Dave and it’s a tense story. As an author I liked it and readers have told me that they liked it as well. I wanted more of Annie and Dave’s story so I wrote a sequel. A sequel is literally a continuation of a story line and often including the same main characters. A sequel is also in the future in respect to the first book so your characters have to show growth and still remain the same people we fell in love with. If they had an HEA in the first book though we also need to introduce new conflicts or the sequel will effectively be just one long epilogue. I admit it was very difficult, I kept starting and then scrapping everything I had written. It was frustrating.

I believed I had a terrific story in my head, one that presented some major conflicts and great action, but how was I going to tell it? Finally I decided to interview each of my characters, separately, and I asked some pointed questions. What had transpired since Karma Visited? Where had they hoped to be by this point in their lives? What were their biggest fears? And there were many more questions, some much too personal to tell everyone else. I got a clear picture of who Annie and Dave were in the year after Karma Visited ended. The sequel did get written and I am pleased to announce that Annie’s Karma will be available later this month.

Writers have a responsibility to create real people (aka characters) who have had lives before the first pages of our books and will live long after the words The End are typed.

...

Charlie issues his demands ~ Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 10/25/15

Hi! Welcome to another Weekend Writing Warrior and Snippet Sunday round. Every week writers post 8-to-10 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 Common Bond, Tangled Hearts. 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. 

Last week Justin was drugged on morphine and beaten until 2 ribs were broken, the PI his family hired to find Layne went missing, and Charlie had Layne and Dennis kidnapped and brought to his house in Philadelphia.

This will be the last week I'm posting from Common Bond, Tangled Hearts as I've reached the permitted limit... 

  (the following has been creatively edited to fit)  ...and now the eight nine:

Charlie had almost every toy a six-year-old boy could ever want, Dennis felt like he had been let loose in his own personal toy store. Layne regretted the fact that she hadn’t been able to provide a better life for her son so that he wouldn’t have been bewitched by the glitter.

Layne was waiting in Charlie's study just as he had instructed, he made it sound ominous.

Charlie finally walked into his den and closed the door behind him.

He tossed a large envelope onto the coffee table in front of her, "before we start our discussion I would suggest you look inside that folder."

She opened the envelope and gasped. Inside were photos, obviously taken through the fire escape window the night before, there were graphic shots of her and Justin making love.

"It's a shame that you and your lover didn't pull the blinds. Unless you cooperate, you will find yourself out on the street once again while I raise the boy without you."

For more WeWriWa Snippets, go to: 

www.wewriwa.com

About Common Bond, Tangled Hearts

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 newfound strength, courage and knowledge to defy Charlie’s ugliest demands.

Smashwords (multiple e-book formats)

Amazon.com (print)

Kindle from Amazon

Kobo

Apple iTunes

Barnes & Noble

 ~~~~~

Trick or Treaters stop by on Oct. 26, 2015. 

Meet the authors and stick around for the party and you'll have a chance to win some treats.

This is a Virtual Party on Facebook

from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM (PDT)

I'll be there from 12:30-1PM to chat and give away prizes!
(that's 3:30-4PM EST)

Justin needs a plan - Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 10/18/15

Hi! Welcome to another Weekend Writing Warrior and Snippet Sunday round. Every week writers post 8-to-10 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 Common Bond, Tangled Hearts. 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 returns to his apartment to figure out what to do to get Layne back... and to heal. He calls on Larry Davis, the family attorney; they previously had words about his pursuing Layne and it didn't end well.

  (the following has been creatively edited to fit)  ...and now the eight nine ten:

Justin went straight to his apartment, if he showed up at the office or at the house he'd have far too much explaining to do. His face looked battered, one eye was black and his cheek was bruised and swollen, that was just what was visible; his heart was battered beyond belief.

He made a phone call to Larry Davis, he needed Larry's help.

Justin peeled back his shirt to look at his side again, the angry bruising on his rib cage was just as ugly as it felt. He was downing another three Ibuprofen when his doorbell rang; if he were lucky it would be Larry, if it were an answer to his prayers it would be Layne.

Larry was at the door, he looked at Justin’s bruises, "what the hell happened to you?"

"It would seem that I pissed somebody else off," Justin said wryly.

“You left the message that you needed my services," Larry noticed Justin's grimace as he turned, "you really are hurt."

"I'll live," Justin sat gently, "Layne and Dennis were kidnapped this morning, although everyone would like to think that she went back to her husband."

"The PI’s report never said anything about a husband, by the way our PI is missing."

For more WeWriWa Snippets, go to: 

www.wewriwa.com

About Common Bond, Tangled Hearts

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 newfound strength, courage and knowledge to defy Charlie’s ugliest demands.

Smashwords (multiple e-book formats)

Amazon.com (print)

Kindle from Amazon

Kobo

Apple iTunes

Barnes & Noble

 ~~~~~

There is a scene in my novel Karma Visited (one of the dream sequences) where the heroine watches a large group of bedraggled and soaking wet people entering a shelter after a devastating storm and flood ~ this scene was stolen in full from my own memory of Superstorm Sandy in October 2012.

A section of my hometown in New York's Hudson Valley was devastated by the high tides, pouring rain and violent winds. Homes that sat alongside the majestic Hudson River were literally washed away; other homes, more inland, suffered downed trees crashing through rooftops. In total nearly 100 residents had no where else to go and needed shelter to ride out the rest of the storm and to live temporarily until other arrangements could be made. It was heartbreaking.

As an Executive Board Member of our local ambulance corps it was my responsibility to liaison with the town and emergency services to set up a shelter for the displaced. The night the storm was at its worst, while my husband, son and daughter-in-law were riding the rigs and rescuing people from the high waters, I stood in the hallway of our building with other volunteers when a busload of frightened residents were dropped off and I watched them come down the hall - the memory remains burned into my mind.

Writers are often told to write what they know - I did. 

Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc three years ago this week

And thank you to all the volunteers who left the comfort & safety of their own homes to help.

Annie was standing at the end of a long hallway. A group of people were walking towards her. She noticed tear streaked faces and vacant eyes that had already seen too much. One woman was holding a toddler to her chest; both of them were soaked through and shivering. A young girl was holding a calico cat; the cat clung to her, and both of them looked scared. Arms around the furry feline, paws around the little girl’s neck, both of them looked like all they had in the world was each other. Silent tears were rolling down the girl’s cheeks.

The destination for the mass of bedraggled storm victims was a rickety table. Two women sat there asking gentle questions and taking names. As the evacuees signed in they were ushered into the room behind the table. A man brought in a heavy wool blanket and wrapped the woman and toddler in it. Through the tears and anxious whispers Annie heard the words rain, tornadoes and death. The shocked expressions and quivering voices bore testimony to the fierce winds of the monsters that left devastation in their path.

Looking around the room now teeming with both the rescued and the rescuers, Annie saw trophies and photos of uniformed men and women marching next to fire trucks and ambulances. The local fire department opened its doors as a shelter for the survivors of the storm. Even the heroes who were doling out blankets, hot coffee and comfort looked scared and overwhelmed. Every now and then she saw a shelter worker offer a consoling and light touch on the arm, a hug, a shoulder – human touches that were beyond her ability. Annie wondered why she was there, what she could do to help them.

The evacuees clung to family members and friends who walked in with them. She heard people crying as they spoke about homes that collapsed around them. A few people stood and shouted random names with passionate pleas for any information. A shelter volunteer began handing out dry clothes for people who needed, others got blankets and toiletries, a few of the very young were given stuffed animals and toy trucks. A non-stop stream of coffee, juice boxes and cookies were offered all around. People sat at tables clutching their new possessions, an armful of material things that represented all they owned.

Karma Visited

Trying to keep a brave face on - Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday / 10/11/15

Hi! Welcome to another Weekend Writing Warrior and Snippet Sunday round. Every week writers post 8-to-10 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 Common Bond, Tangled Hearts. 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. 

A scene switch follows Justin's frustration at the police station. We're picking up a few lines later; Layne and her son Dennis are in the back of a limo headed into Philadelphia where Charlie lives

  (the following has been edited to fit)  ...and now the eight nine ten:

"Mommy, why are you crying?"

Layne told her son that they were going to live with an old friend of hers in a big house with lots of good things around them; she was trying very hard not to let him feel the same loss and fear that she was feeling.

"Will Justin come to visit?"

"N... no, I don't think he'll be able to, but I'm sure he'll be thinking about you a whole lot."

She was shattered; she knew she'd never again see Justin. When they threatened to give Justin a lethal injection on top of the one that already had him unconscious, Layne would have given up her own safety, even her own life, if it had just been her, but she had Dennis to think about.

"I want Justin to visit me," Dennis whined. "Can I call him and ask?"

"We'll have to see," she knew Charlie would never allow that.

Layne hadn't been back there since the evening Charlie took her to the doctor, she had hoped she'd never have to return.

For more WeWriWa Snippets, go to: 

www.wewriwa.com

About Common Bond, Tangled Hearts

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 newfound strength, courage and knowledge to defy Charlie’s ugliest demands.

Smashwords (multiple e-book formats)

Amazon.com (print)

Kindle from Amazon

Kobo

Apple iTunes

Barnes & Noble

 ~~~~~

I am so proud of the publishing group I belong to

Download a FREE
Vanilla Heart Publishing Fall 2015 Catalog

Vanilla Heart Publishing Fall Catalog 2015 contains direct live links for Audiobooks, Print Editions, and Ebook Editions currently available, by Chelle Cordero, Lauren Shiro, Malcolm R. Campbell, Charmaine Gordon, Angela Kay Austin, Tamara Philip, Neva Squires-Rodriguez, Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard, and Paul Zunckel. PLUS links to Chelle Cordero's books on Writing and the Business of Being a Writer, and a special tribute collection on Domestic Violence and Survivors by Namid.