Previously Posted: An Interview With Tigger

I came across this post from January 31, 2010. It appeared on Pets and Their Authors: Get the lowdown on your favorite authors... straight from their pets' mouths! and hosted by Mayra Calvani. ...found this just as Tigger started nudging me for dinner, lol.

(BTW, I am putting a cat into my current WIP)

Interview with Tigger, proud owner of
Chelle Cordero

My guest today is a kitty
named Tigger. He shares
his home with romance
and suspense author
Chelle Cordero. Also with
two other cats (see below right).
Tigger is here today to spill the beans on Chelle...

Tell us, Tigger. How did you come to live with Chelle?

My mom, Chelle arrived at the Animal Shelter in Pomona, NY one
day in September 2008 where I had just been dropped off a few
days earlier. She had some 2-legged family members with her and
they were quite noisy coming into the room where I was sleeping –
actually I was imprisoned behind bars!
I heard them come in and began waving frantically for rescue.
Chelle heard me and saw my paw signaling to her. I heard her talk
with Mark (my dad) about my age, I was three years old then, and
they said I needed “saving”.

I was really thankful and made sure
to cozy up to them in the 
“acquaintance room”. They started
the paperwork to adopt me… but
before I could get them to make our
great escape, they picked out two
kittens to come home with us as well.
(Actually I’ve grown pretty close to
my new brothers.)

Why did she name you Tigger? Is she a Winnie de Pooh fan?

Tigger was the name on the cage where they found me – the people I
lived with before had called me that. I was told they had to give me up
because of allergies, it was a bummer. But good things came out of it
and I am very happy being here.

What's it like living with Chelle?

I think it’s pretty great living here. Chelle is “My person” and I’ve made 
that pretty clear to my brothers, Mario and Luigi, and the other two-
legged residents here.

Mom and Dad have always had feline family members and I’ve seen
lots of pictures of my past brothers and sisters – the house is fairly well
broken in for comfort. We get served our meals twice a day but there’s
always water and crunchies if we feel like snacking ‘round the clock. And
we have our own bathroom downstairs with two litter boxes so we never
have to wait. They also buy us toys and play with us a lot.

I hear she writes books...
Tell us about them.

She writes a lot! Sometimes she gets
so busy and I try to help her, but I get
a lot of typos on the keyboard. I do
send a lot of her emails though, that’s
easy, I just hit the mouse on her desk
for her – unfortunately I don’t always
wait for her to finish typing her email.

She writes mostly romantic suspense –
quite steamy! (I’m neutered so I don’t  really understand about all that)
I’ve heard that the love stories are very deep and a lot of people enjoy
reading them. Let me see if I can remember all of the titles –
Bartlett’s Rule, Forgotten, Within the Law, Courage of the Heart,
Final Sin, Hostage Heart and her most recent A Chaunce of Riches. Final Sin is a murder mystery.

Of all her books, which one is your favorite? Why?

I would feel better about her books if she had a nice cat or two in them…

I’ve changed my favorites a few times with some of her newer books.
Right now I think I am partial to Hostage Heart. The hero, Ryan, is not
the man that the heroine, Deanna, thinks he is, and that really makes
the story interesting. Also Hostage Heart is post Katrina and Ike and
Chelle did a lot of research into that since much of the action takes place
down south. Just reading it really makes me want to meow with a
southern drawl. Just recently author and editor Carolyn Howard-Johnson
named Bartlett’s Rule by Chelle to her Top Ten Reads list of 2009! It’s a
really good book with a story that is well worth telling.

Authors are pretty busy... does she have time for you?

She always manages to make time although sometimes I want more.
I think Chelle originated the attack-hug and she even purrs at me.
I like it when she scratches my ears.

Since she has a home office, I try to “go to work” with her every day.
Sometimes it’s a very long day and we are both so tired at the end
of the day. I love the commute though!

Are you allowed to sit on her lap while she writes?

I let her type at my desk. Actually it started out as hers but I sort of
took it over. I have this one favorite spot to curl up right under her
desk lamp so I feel all warm and relaxed. Chelle keeps a small bowl
on the desk and a bottle of water so when I get thirsty I can have a
drink of water – it helps me think when we are trying to work out a
story plot.

Does she have a website and blog?

Yes, yes and yes. Chelle has a very nice website at http://ChelleCordero.com and she has an author blog at http://ChelleCordero.blogspot.com. Everyone can read
about her books and all of the other websites she is involved with.
They also can see how to connect with her on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

Chelle also offers a weekly online writing course available with a Kindle
subscription called Living, Breathing, Writing (http://bit.ly/Wmg8W).
She gets down to the nitty-gritty of writing and being a professional writing.
Her weekly articles are full of great tips and she always offers writing prompts and exercises – I love it when she lets me try out a writing prompt or two.

Thanks so much for letting me talk about my mom, author Chelle Cordero. I think she’s kind of purr-fect.

Thank you for spilling the beans, Tigger!

How to Spot a Victim of Domestic Violence

October is known for scary Halloween festivities - but what is really scary are the countless stories of Domestic Violence in our country and the world. While Domestic Violence can happen to anyone, any gender or age, it is most often considered a crime against women because of the statistics.

Domestic Violence is a subject I touch on in my book Bartlett's Rule. Bartlett's Rule is a work of fiction, the problem is not. October 2012 is NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH.

Please read the following article by Linda O’Dochartaigh and help spread the word.

How to Spot a Victim of Domestic Violence

Health-Care Pro Discusses the Many Warning Signs

In the United States, women are assaulted or beaten once every nine seconds; worldwide, one in three women have been battered, raped or otherwise abused in her lifetime, according to women’s advocacy organizations.

“That means most of us – while grocery shopping, at work or at home – come across several women a day who have either been abused, or are currently enduring abuse,” says Linda O’Dochartaigh, a health professional and author of Peregrine (www.lavanderkatbooks.com). “It’s a terrible fact of life for too many women, but if there is something we can do about it and we care about fellow human beings, then we must try.”

There are several abuse resources available to women who are being abused, or friends of women who need advice, including:

• TheHotline.org, National Domestic Violence Hotline, open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, 1-800-799-SAFE (7223)

• HelpGuide.org, provides unbiased, advertising-free mental health information to give people the self-help options to help people understand, prevent, and resolve life’s challenges

• VineLink.com, allows women to search for an offender in custody by name or identification number, then register to be alerted if the offender is released, transferred, or escapes

• DAHMW.org, 1-888-7HELPLINE, offers crisis intervention and support services for victims of intimate partner violence and their families

Perhaps the best thing friends and family can do for a woman enduring domestic abuse is to be there for her – not only as a sympathetic ear, but also as a source of common sense that encourages her to take protective measures, O’Dochartaigh says. Before that, however, loved ones need to recognize that help is needed.

O’Dochartaigh reviews some of the warning signs:

• Clothing – Take notice of a change in clothing style or unusual fashion choices that would allow marks or bruises to be easily hidden. For instance, someone who wears long sleeves even in the dog days of summer may be trying to hide signs of abuse.

• Constant phone calls – Many abusers are very controlling and suspicious, so they will call their victims multiple times each day to “check in.” This is a subtle way of manipulating their victims, to make them fearful of uttering a stray word that might alert someone that something is wrong. Many abusers are also jealous, and suspect their partner is cheating on them, and the constant calls are a way of making sure they aren’t with anyone they aren’t supposed to be around.

• Unaccountable injuries – Sometimes, obvious injuries such as arm bruises or black eyes are a way to show outward domination over the victim. Other times, abusers harm areas of the body that won’t be seen by family, friends and coworkers.

• Frequent absences – Often missing work or school and other last-minute plan changes may be a woman hiding abuse, especially if she is otherwise reliable.

• Excessive guilt & culpability – Taking the blame for things that go wrong, even though she was clearly not the person responsible – or she is overly-emotional for her involvement – is a red flag.

• Fear of conflict – Being brow-beaten or physically beaten takes a heavy psychological toll, and anxiety bleeds into other relationships.

• Chronic uncertainty – Abusers often dominate every phase of a victim’s life, including what she thinks she likes, so making basic decisions can prove challenging.

About Linda O’Dochartaigh

Linda O’Dochartaigh has worked in health care is an advocate for victims of child abuse and domestic violence. She wants survivors to know that an enriched, stable and happy life is available to them. O’Dochartaigh is the mother of three grown children and is raising four adopted grandchildren.

I’ll be at the Piermont Library Book Fair on Oct 21, 1-3pm

2nd annual

LOCAL HARVEST BOOK FAIR

GREAT PICKS FROM NOTED

LOCAL AUTHORS!

HISTORY…MYSTERY…ROMANCE…FANTASY

POETRY…PLAYS…GODDESSES…GARDENS…

BIRDS…BIOGRAPHY…BUSINESS…GHOSTS

PIERMONT PUBLIC LIBRARY

Sunday, October 21, 1-3 p.m.

Angelo Parra…Catherine Whitney…

Chelle Cordero…Charmaine Gordon…

Cristina Biaggi…Firth Fabend…

Gay Partingon Terry…Greta Nettleton…

Janet Lane Walters…Shari Maurer…

John Dullaghan…Joan Gussow…

Karen Steinmetz…Linda Zimmerman…

Marty Schupak…Marian Armstrong…

Mary Cardenas…Paul Braus…

Peter deLisser…Robert Samuels…

Stephen Roberts…François Vuilleumier…

Dr. Michael Nevins…Lennon Nersesian

take home SIGNED copies for your OWN FEAST –

and MORE for holiday giving!

all are welcome to attend FREE

refreshments will be served.

PIERMONT PUBLIC LIBRARY,

25 FLYWHEEL PARK WEST, PIERMONT NY

845-359-4595

Nostalgia

Funny... the things that can trigger a memory.

I had a mouse in the house yesterday. It was a little field mouse. I think he might have come in through the garage, we see them outside all of the time.

He ran across the living room and then doubled back to sit in front of the TV set. Foolish little fellow considering that I have three cats in the house.

My cats did NOTHING – the three of them, they just watched! I really don't think that they know they are cats.

I went and got a big-mouthed glass and a hard piece of thin cardboard and caught the little critter. He was actually cute. Then I walked him outside and let him go near a storm drain where he could find shelter. I certainly hope he had a safe night.

When I came back into the house I suddenly thought about my childhood friend Donna. When we were kids in grade school our science teacher encouraged us to raise and observe pet mice as a science project. Donna, another mutual friend and I bought three white mice at a pet store. Donna’s mom was cool about it and let us keep the cage with our mice at their house. (The other two moms were not so thrilled about having mice in the house.)

The mice were fun to watch and play with and the three of us took serious notes on the behavior for class. They became more pets than just a school project. Several weeks into the project the mice got out of the cage (I think one of D’s brothers left the cage door open). We never saw the mice again… I hope they made a break for the outside and got away, we never could get a straight answer from the little brothers.

I thought of Donna, she died a few years ago in a car accident. I miss her. Funny that a little field mouse would make me think of her. I miss her, but I didn’t feel like crying. I thought of the fun times we had and I chuckled at some of the mischief we got into. This little mouse actually made me happy.

The unexpected trip down memory lane made me think of how I have used memory flashbacks in my writing.

I thought of Tom Hughes, the hero of Within the Law. Tom has many poignant moments when he remembers the past - like the time he found his cousin after she ran away from home, the last time he saw his high school sweetheart before she died, or his memories of a brief love affair with the woman who taught him to love again. What triggered his memories? How did those memories affect the man he had become?

I’ve used flashbacks in other stories too, such as with Samantha Chaunce in A Chaunce of Riches. She had memories of Ben, a man she thought she would never have to see again after she left him in his hour of need. Sam had tried to suppress those memories along with the love she still had for him. Seeing him again and hearing his voice haunted her with those agonizing memories and all that she had given up.

Many things can trigger a memory and our minds wander. Sometimes the nostalgia brings us laughter and sometimes it brings us tears. A favorite cooking aroma, a perfume, a photo, a song we once danced to - they all seem to have the power to reach back into our subconscience and bring the memory to the forefront.

But a mouse on my living room carpet, that’s a first.

Without a Voice

After catching a bad upper respiratory infection (aka the common cold) I developed a severe case of laryngitis. This is not the scratchy throat and sound like a frog kind of affliction, this is total loss of voice – I cannot even grunt! I’ve been like this since last Sunday and while my husband is pretty much overjoyed, my doctor says I need to rest my larynx. Believe it or not even whispering puts a strain on the voicebox I have been unable to speak for the better part of a week and it’s been very frustrating.


An almost full week of silence got me thinking of women who are denied the opportunity to voice themselves. Some of the female characters I’ve included in my books have been denied the right to speak for themselves for one reason or another. In Bartlett’s Rule Paige was denied the right to say “No” when an ex-boyfriend viciously attacked her; In A Chaunce of Riches Samantha was blackmailed into silence about who she really loved; and in Hyphema Seudah was raised a Muslim Pakistani woman in a place where some women are still forced to hide behind veils and are not allowed to talk for fear of offending the men.


Although the things I’ve been able to do have been seriously curtailed without having a voice, I’ve been lucky to have friends and family who have been patient and willing to interpret hand signals, read hastily scribbled notes and crane to listen to a few whispered words. My silence has lasted a week and I have reasonable expectation of once again being able to talk for myself, hopefully soon. But what of those women who live lifetimes without the ability to say what is on their minds, to voice their feelings, to be heard and be allowed to matter.


This past week has given me a mere glimpse into their frustration. It is difficult to tell folks your needs when you can’t speak. In the United States the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was signed, recognizing women's right to vote on August 26, 1920. There has been progress worldwide over the right of women to have voices about family, religion, politics and health. But there are still lands and social situations where women are not afforded the right to have a say. This is a subject that should concerns us all; when human rights are denied to any person(s) it is an affront to us all.


Read up on women’s issues at these sites:

http://www.now.org/ National Organization for Women (NOW)

http://www.un.org/womenwatch/ Womenwatch: A United Nations project

http://www.wedo.org/ Women's Environment and Development Organization

http://www.hrw.org/home Human Rights Watch

Uh, what year is this?

Perhaps reading recent posts from fellow Vanilla Heart Authors Malcolm Campbell  and Joice Overton  about the research they put into their stories for authenticity influenced my subconscious... boy did I ever wake from a confusing dream this morning!

Basically the dream involved two brothers and their dad. There was mention of mom but she never appeared in the dream. The setting, clothing wise and scenery seemed to be in the middle ages (like the "Robin Hood" era), but here comes the confusion.

The younger boy was headed off to some fair or such, he was rolling a zippered suitcase. The boys wanted their dad to come with them, but dad was having trouble getting a message to his wife because she apparently “never got off of her cell phone”. At the fair the boys ordered lunch and sat in a booth in a 50’s style diner complete with car hops on skates. Confused? Definitely.

Please don’t analyze my dream, lol – I swear, it was just because I was thinking about research and period authenticity.

How many times have you succumbed to a movie or book plot just to be jolted awake by a glaring addition of something so very out of place like a wrong year car driving over a bridge that collapsed years before the manufactured year? Or maybe it’s a pineapple tree growing (naturally) on the streets of New York City? The last time I was bumped out of the fantasy, it had to do with a police uniform and the color of a shirt. Not everyone will realize or catch mistakes, but why ruin it for anyone? Just because it’s fiction doesn’t mean it shouldn’t seem real.

I write mostly contemporary fiction so, hopefully, I don’t have too much of a problem with the proper accessories of the time. But research is still crucial. Take the weather for instance, in Hostage Heart I used actual hurricane devastation to build my character’s story. Sometimes the tourist industry is important, in His Lucky Charm and Within the Law  I used well known landmarks to paint the picture. And in Hyphema  I used ethnicity and cultural insensitivity to build my plot.

Some research may come along easily especially if we write about areas, customs and time periods we are most familiar with. If I wrote about my community, my experiences, my lifestyle and my life in every book, I doubt readers would be fascinated (at least not beyond one story). I have to learn as much as possible about other occupations, religions, areas, cultures and more in order to make my stories real and believable.

How do writers do their research? Most of us delve deeply into the learning process using encyclopedias, the internet (and we know that EVERYTHING we find there is true, lol), read books, and even find tour guides for foreign locations.

When I am researching culture, religion or occupations, I stop random people in my daily activities and ask questions – I’m sure one of these days I’ll probably be arrested for harassment or such. I sometimes even go to experts for answers although I guess I wasn’t thinking too clearly the time I asked a real medical examiner if a particular poison could be detected in an autopsy…

We have muses, we have voices in our heads, and we live in fantasy worlds - but we do try to stay grounded in reality.

Please visit my website for more info about my books http://ChelleCordero.com/

And click here for more terrific VHP authors

167 posts

I just entered my 167th post on my Amazon Kindle blog Living, Breathing, Writing; that represents 3.21 years of weekly writing lessons - nearly 39 months - 167 weeks

Wow!

When I first started this Kindle blog, I wondered, could I actually "teach" folks how to write and make it in the writing world? I had after all been conducting in-person writing workshops for a while.

What I found I've done is share the lessons I've learned through the years (journalist since 1981, novelist since 2001) - my blog touches on topics like How to hook your reader, Getting press coverage for you and your book, Fitting writing into your life, Writing about heroes and villains, Getting emotional in your writing, Setting the scene, and more.

 This blog is available for Kindle users by subscription through Amazon at   http://bit.ly/Wmg8W

...and if you don't own a Kindle, well my fantastic publisher had the foresight to make Living, Breathing, Writing: A Lesson A Day Volume 1  and Living, Breathing, Writing: A Lesson A Day, Volume 2 available for download in multiple e-book formats from Smashwords - each book contains a month's worth of writing lessons based on my Amazon Kindle blog complete with writing exercises and prompts for practice.

When I started out in the writing world, I appreciated the words
of wisdom shared by my fellow writers who had more
experience and I hope to be helpful to other writers