What a ride it's been.

Although I had been writing and published for nearly two decades in the non-fiction world of newspapers and magazines, I was still considered a “newbie” by publishing houses when I approached them with a fiction manuscript in the late 1990’s. There were rules upon rules – get an agent, no unsolicited manuscripts, no unsolicited queries, agents that didn’t want to invest time in an unknown… All I wanted was for someone to give me a chance.

I had two manuscripts I was trying to market – More Than a Friend (never published - yet) and Courage of the Heart (published twice since then). I received a few personalized rejections (and I appreciate the time a couple of editors took to help educate me); while they complimented my writing, the main reason for rejection was that my stories didn’t follow “the formula strictly enough”. Perhaps if they hadn’t regarded me as a “newbie” they might have been willing to take a chance on a storyline that dared to step outside boundaries.

One agent recommended that I self publish and try to overcome my unknown status, but I couldn’t afford that. I did however find a print-on-demand publisher that would be willing to make my book available at no cost to me and a fairly hefty cut of any profits for themselves. My book, Courage of the Heart, was accepted and I was thrilled. However before the book was actually “published”, this company decided to enter the subsidy publishing world; since we had already signed a contract they did not impose any fees, but they also left me totally to my own devices to publicize and market the novel. Courage of the Heart sold VERY FEW copies.

Several years later I was still determined to be a published novelist – I had also learned a lot more about the industry and marketing. When a friend on MySpace began bragging that she had just signed a contract with Vanilla Heart Publishing and was thrilled with the experience, I looked them up and liked what I saw. I submitted a query for my novel Bartlett’s Rule. Managing Editor Kimberlee Williams expressed an interest and asked for the complete manuscript – I was literally speechless the night I opened an email telling me that she was going to offer me a contract. That was almost three years ago.

Since Bartlett’s Rule was published in April 2008, I’ve penned several more manuscripts and so far I’ve had a total of eight novels with VHP (one romance, six romantic-suspense, and one murder-mystery). Courage of the Heart was updated, the contract with the first publisher was nullified and it was released by VHP in January, 2009 – and it has sold many, many more copies.


Vanilla Heart Publishing is a traditionally based small press offering contracts and decent royalties. Between what I’ve learned about promotion and marketing and the excellent guidance, knowledge and support from Kimberlee Williams, I have enjoyed a small modicum of success.

The publishing industry today is very competitive – fortunately there are many more options for newer and unknown authors. No matter whether an author is completely self-published, under contract with a small independent or published by one of the “Big Six”, the process of promotion and marketing has to be a team effort. An author’s responsibility does not end with the words “The End” – unless you have a six figure reputation that a publisher is willing to invest in, you will have to heavily involve yourself in promoting yourself and your work. Many successful writers maintain a strong internet presence between social networking and blogging, set up in-person appearances, and jump on every opportunity to publicize their books.

Vanilla Heart Publishing and its authors work together as a team to ensure success. Kimberlee encourages us to use social media and blogs, she maintains a company blog and helps to “brag” about her authors, and provides online forums where we can get more exposure. She also sends out press releases, review copies, creates trailers, distributes sales sheets, designs our covers and markets the VHP line to distributors, online retailers and indie bookstores. As much as Kimberlee does for each of us, she is demanding – no one is allowed to sit on respective “arses” and wait for it all to be done for us. It is definitely worth it all.

It’s been an interesting and exciting ride. Sometimes it might even seem a bit overwhelming – those are the times when Kimberlee shifts from gentle taskmaster to nurturer and helps to re-build our egos. With her knowledge and encouragement, it is fun as we watch the sales rankings and get “Google alerts”. I don’t know if I would be as happy doing what I do if I were with a bigger publisher or self-publishing and doing it all on my own.

For now, I’m working on my next novel - and loving the work I do.

Check out my website - Welcome to Chelle's World

Got it covered...

Are we so superficial that we judge the books we’ll read by the way the cover looks? It’s part of the come on I guess.

Truth be told, if your book cover doesn’t grab a potential reader’s eye, your words will remain hidden within the pages. Think about your own shopping experiences – your curiosity gets piqued by how something looks; the outfit that looks dynamite even hanging on the hanger, the food that looks tasty even on the package label, and the cars that seem to stand out from the rest on the highway. A book cover shouldn’t be misleading the same way food packaging should at least hint at what is inside the package. Alas, the cover should appeal to your target audience.

Three of my novels have undergone face-lifts since the stories were first introduced:

Courage of the Heart was first published in 2001 by another publisher which transformed itself into a self publishing vanity press between acceptance of my manuscript and actual production. Without paying big bucks, there was no help in the marketing and promotion area; using the “If I knew then what I know now” lament, maybe I could have still gotten somewhere anyway. However, the original cover seems more suited to a textbook than an intriguing novel. Courage of the Heart was re-released by Vanilla Heart Publishing in 2008 with a tantalizing new cover and a combined promo effort between VHP and myself. I think you might agree, which one would catch your eye?

Next up we have Bartlett’s Rule. Kimberlee (my publisher) and I loved the original cover for Bartlett’s Rule – unfortunately we soon found out that the characters on the cover looked young and folks assumed the content was YA. My books are definitely NOT YA, thank you very much. Bartlett’s Rule is the story of a rape survivor who falls in love, the man who loves her and their combined efforts to learn how to trust, deal with the sorrow and anger, and not let the ugliness of the event take anything more away. While many parents have told me that they passed this book along to their teen agers, it really is intended for “mature audiences”.

The third novel not only had a face-lift, but a total transformation including name change. Forgotten seemed to live up to its name, not so much for the story, but because looking up the story by title alone was too arduous and often unsuccessful. Try it, go to Amazon and type Forgotten into the search bar; my book comes up (finally) somewhere on page 5 – fans had difficulty finding it at online retailers and since there are only some walk-in stores carrying the book, we had to make it easier. The story of Brandon and Caitlyn and amnesia, espionage and love was just reborn as His Lucky Charm – and we are hoping that this book also lives up to its name. The brand new cover certainly seems to be a “grabber”.

“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, by Chelle Cordero”

Excerpt from His Lucky Charm:

He felt his muscles clench as he stared into the woman’s face that lay beneath him. If he hadn’t already felt her trembling, he would have known she reached her own climax just by the expression of her face. With one more powerful thrust he felt everything he had spilling into her, he felt a completeness he would have never thought possible. Everything stopped and then he swore he felt their hearts start beating again as one. Pausing a moment to look into her eyes, and they were beautiful eyes he thought, he brushed a long strand of chestnut hair away from her face and kissed her. Then he rolled off of her.

“I love you.” Her voice was soft, like the touch of her lips. He couldn’t believe the tingling he felt in his loins at hearing her words.

“You’re not even human...”

“What?” She almost laughed at his choice of words.

He hadn’t even meant to say that thought out loud. “I mean... I just never felt so... consumed before. I feel like I am under some kind of spell.” As he sat up to face her, he was surprised by the life he felt in his groin. Feeling a touch embarrassed, which was a new feeling for him, he admitted, “I almost feel like I can go another round, and considering how powerful that was...”

She faced him and gave him a sultry smile; her bare breasts were firm and small. But not too small, he thought, just enough to fill his hands. He felt his groin tighten again and just stared.

“Hey, are you okay?” She suddenly sounded self-conscious.

“Uh, yeah.” He forced himself to look at her face.

She touched his arm, her fingers felt light like feathers. “Can I do anything for you?”

“Yes.” He glanced at her breasts again and then back at her face. “Tell me... who are you?”

She laughed, it was a full-bodied sound. “Just one day married and...” She saw the surprise in his eyes as he looked at his left hand and saw the ring. Pulling the bed sheet up to cover her nakedness, she looked at him puzzled. “You’re serious?”

He frowned. “‘Fraid so.”

Chelle’s Heroes – They aren’t angels.

So far my heroes have been a player, a recluse, had a quick temper, hid a questionable past, been overly cynical and judgmental, and now were duplicitous and even seduced a woman using a false identity.
Wow…

Isn’t that just like life though? We shared stories with our girlfriends about what our ideal guy would be like and it rarely worked out that way. That certainly doesn’t mean we didn’t find love; several of us were fortunate. These guys were rarely the ones we concocted in our minds. Of course while the exploration and learning has been inevitably fun, it often was challenging. In my own experience though, it is “taming” the real man that has truly sent my pulses racing.

In Bartlett’s Rule, it is Lon’s contention that his playboy image was all a matter of hype for the sake of business. He is, after all, an icon among men who enjoys much more than his share of the “fairer sex”. His columns help the average-Joe to live vicariously and it isn’t just men who applaud him, scores of women want to be, and have been, his partner for an evening or two. Lon Bartlett had to re-evaluate the façade he lived behind after meeting Paige and surprises even himself with a newfound compassion and patience.

Brandon Price grew up with two parents in a wealthy home in Forgotten, but it took meeting up with Caitlyn, who had been orphaned at a young age, to learn about the importance of family. His determination to make it on his own without his father’s money gives him near-myopic vision when it comes to living life. Like an insecure child, he also has to learn how to share and interact with others. When he is forced back into the lifestyle he ran away from, Caitlyn stays by his side and it’s definitely not for the money.

Caitlyn’s cousin Tom Hughes finds his own way to live on after losing the love of his life to a senseless act of violence in Within the Law. He also finds a career in law enforcement which he allows to encompass most of his life. It’s Alli though who teaches him to do more than simply exist. Tom’s anger comes to a head when he confronts his fiancé’s murderer; this gets him into really hot water and it’s up to Alli to save the day.

In Courage of the Heart, Adam Sherman has a past he is ashamed of and can’t share with anyone else. He lives behind a mask and goes “above and beyond” to earn a reputation as a playboy. When Davie comes into his life he finally learns to let down his guard. Then his past makes a rude intrusion into their lives and Adam thinks the only thing he can do is give Davie up. He soon learns though that is the worst possible thing he could do.

Jake Carlson is jaded by not only the things he has seen in crime scene investigations, but also by a bitter divorce and vindictive ex-wife in Final Sin. He worries that he is a failure as a father to his teen-age son as well. Julie is too young for him, or so he believes, but he can’t resist enjoying her sexual favors. When he finds that a one night dalliance with her is videotaped, he quickly jumps to the wrong conclusion and rashly accuses Julie of “setting” him up.

In the just released Hostage Heart, Ryan Hunter may have a good reason to pretend he is someone he isn’t, but the deception is nearly unforgivable when he seduces Deanna and gets her pregnant. Thinking that her baby’s father is dead, Deanna has to face the world as a young mother-to-be on her own with no money or resources. He can’t understand why Deanna doesn’t trust him when he comes back into her life.

Each of my heroines has inner strength, intelligence and resourcefulness – and they love and stand by their men despite their faults. My heroes come from all walks of life – a writer, a computer programmer, a NYS Trooper, an information technology expert, a deputy sheriff and an FBI operative. Their backgrounds range from broken homes and poverty to rich-as-sin and rebellious. And each of my gorgeous hunks can make his woman feel as if she is the only woman in the world.

Sigh…

And if I were casting director for movies made from my books, these are the actors I would want to play my hunks, er, heroes:

excerpt (from Hostage Heart):

He pulled his T-shirt off. “Touch me Deanna. Make me as much yours as I want you to be mine.”

She timidly, inquisitively touched his broad shoulders. Her fingers trailed
down his chest and she lightly stroked a male nipple. Ryan drew in a breath as she began her exploration.

He stood and unzipped his jeans letting them fall to the floor. She traced the thin dusting of hair that disappeared under the waistband of his boxers. “I want you to see me. Touch me. Is that okay?”

She nodded. He removed his boxers and stood naked before her. He was fully aroused and thrusting. Hesitantly, Deanna took the length of him in her hand.
Patiently he stood still while she touched and investigated his body.

“May I undress you?” Ryan surprised even himself with the amount of control he was managing.

Deanna lifted her arms and allowed him to remove the T-shirt. He knelt
before her and used his tongue to tease her nipples. He kissed the fullness of her breasts and held her in his arms.

She enjoyed the feel of his tongue. “That feels so good.” Sensations were
beginning to erupt from the pit of her belly.

He smiled against her chest. “Please stand up.” When she stood, he gently pulled down the shorts she wore. Still kneeling in front of her, he kissed the triangle of curls and stroked her with his hands.

“Oh Ryan...” Her knees felt weak from his kisses. She put her hands on his
shoulders and allowed herself to give way to his ministrations. He felt her shudder as she clutched at his shoulders. Lowering her to the bed, Ryan kissed his way back up her body. He paused to drink deeply from her rosy nipples.

Deanna was panting as she tried to regain control. This was nothing like
before. Before she had wanted him for curiosity. This time, she was beginning to feel an ache between her legs that only he could soothe. He continued to kiss and stroke her until she was nearly ready to beg.

Ryan knew this time she was so much more ready for him than before. He was
still gentle as he entered her, holding back as much as he could. There was no pain, he was sure of that, only her wide-eyed response as she wrapped herself around his fullness.

When Ryan began to move, so did Deanna. He was able to wait until he felt
her tighten around him and saw the fire in her eyes before he allowed his own release. He held her close to him and felt their hearts pounding.

“Better?” He whispered gently.

“Oh yes.” She was still breathless.

Ryan waited as long as he could until he no longer had a choice before he withdrew. He held her to his side. “That’s how making love is supposed to be. I’m sorry this wasn’t your first time.” He swallowed. “That’s how I wish I had done it the first time.”

She was quiet as she lay next to him. Her fingers toyed with his muscled chest.

“Come back with me, Ryan. Turn yourself in. It’s got to be easier than always running and hiding. You’re better than this.” She waited through his silence. “Please Ryan. Please do the right thing... for you.”

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.”

She sat up next to him. “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. I’ll help you as much as I can. Even if you have some jail time, they’ll go much easier on you.”

“No.” He felt a hole in his heart. “I know that you are trying to help me, but don’t. I am going to get you out of here. And then I am never going to see you again.”

“No Ryan, you could if you wanted. Not because of what we just did. I know there was no commitment. You could choose someone else... or I could. But I can feel there is so much good in you. You’re a good man.”

He wished he had the time to see where things could go. He wanted to get to know her better, maybe even to build a relationship with her. “Deanna, trust me, I am not getting out...”

“You could.”

“No. Deanna, I expect to die here.”

for more information about my novels
go to http://chellecordero.com

For a FREE First Chapter ChapBook for ALL 6 novels,
email me at ChelleCordero@gmail.com
please put CHAPBOOK in the subject line

Villains - not necessarily bad people

Last April (2008) I was nervously anticipating the public release of my first romantic-suspense novel, Bartlett’s Rule – and was I ever nervous!

Since then Vanilla Heart Publishing has introduced three more of my romantic-suspense novels.

Just barely more than a year later, I am once again frantically nervous about the release of my latest novel – a mainstream murder-mystery this time – Final Sin.
“Deputy Sheriff Commander Jake Carson has his hands full with the investigation of brutal multiple homicides, 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...” Trust me, I did the research, some of the scenes in Final Sin aren’t so pretty.

In a little more than a year, I seem to be on my way to creating a village of characters and I hope they will be as memorable to my readers as they are to me. Each book has a lead couple; oh yes, even though Final Sin is not genre romance, the couple is in love and readers will understand how this adds to the heightened tension and threat. Each story also features a cast of “supporting characters” including some not-so-nice people.

Especially since I have written Final Sin, a book with a VERY DARK SIDE, I have been thinking about my protagonists. Just as my heroes and heroines are not perfect, I think I can actually find redeeming qualities in almost all of my characters; for instance, even Hal (Bartlett’s Rule) in his dying scene, finally tells Lon where he can find Paige before it is too late – I don’t think he was trying to save himself, I think he just finally had a pang of conscience.

There were multiple “bad guys” in Forgotten but the one that stands out in my mind the most is Amanda. Amanda did so many mean-spirited things simply because of unrequited love – she loved Brandon, Brandon loved Caitlyn. It must have been very difficult for her to know that the man she loved had no feelings for her. Within the Law had Alli’s ex-husband, Bryan – I admit I am having a hard time finding anything redeeming about him except to say that at one time Alli loved him so he must have had something decent in him. Finally in Courage of the Heart there is a small crew that terrorizes Adam and Davey; it is obvious that Gonzo, the youngest member of the group, is himself a victim and goes along with the things he is told to do out of fear.

Final Sin has a villain, a very evil villain. But I am not going to tell you more about him right now until after you’ve read the book. Later this month, right here on Lindsay’s Romantics, I would like to host an online book discussion, check it out on Friday, May 29, right here on Lindsay's Romantics. In the meanwhile, if you would like to send me any questions, please write to me at ChelleCordero@gmail.com.

Final Sin is available for INSTANT download in

Kindle format from Amazon

and also in

.pdf form from Vanilla Heart Publishing.

Vanilla Heart Publishing just announced

EXCITING news!
MAY CELEBRATION ~ May 1 - May 31, 2009

ALL FICTION EBOOKS in VHP Ebook Catalog are just $7.50 Instant Download!

Order Final Sin from Amazon

(print)

Family paves the way

The first love that many of us are fortunate to know is that of family – our parents, siblings, and the immediate extended family of grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. Though this surely is a different type of love than the passionate romance novel genre concentrates on, it is often the basis for what we expect in life. Often the relationships, good or bad, that we had with our parents, the relationship we see between our mom and dad, and the friendships we shared with our siblings will mold us giving us expectations or wariness in all of our future affairs.


As a writer I have always enjoyed creating characters that were products of personal history, such as Paige in Bartlett’s Rule whose life of abuse led her to make poor decisions and suffer more pain. Or like Julie in Final Sin who had a loving but sheltered and nearly suffocating childhood and chose to rebel and live a little on “the wild side”. In Courage of the Heart, Davie seemed to have an eternal optimism and easy rapport with everyone she met because of the huge and very strong family she grew up with.


The greatest gratification I got was exploring the dynamics of the Hughes’ family and everyone involved with them in both Forgotten and Within the Law. Although Forgotten began as one stand-alone book with no intentions of continuing the characters, I fell in love with my characters – especially Tom Hughes; I had to give Tom his own happily-ever-after in Within the Law. So while the two books are really separate love stories, they are also a continuing saga connected by cousins Caitlyn Smythe and Tom Hughes.


In Forgotten we have a young woman who grew up in a loving environment and even though she lost her parents to a tragic car accident when she was only twelve; she became a member of her aunt, uncle and cousin’s home. We also have Brandon who grew up with his material needs well met and was starved for the emotional bonds he so wanted. Caitlyn can’t understand Brandon’s lack of desire to reconnect with his father, and Brandon has no concept of family and doesn’t understand Caitlyn’s need for trust and complete acceptance. When Caitlyn’s cousin/brother Tom counsels Brandon, we learn of Tom’s own love tragedy.


In Within the Law, Tom has finally come to grips with the past and sees a chance for a new beginning. Alli is filled with self doubts and doesn’t believe that she is the type of woman that family-minded Tom needs in his life. Brandon and Caitlyn are there for Tom and Brandon shows his true nature, his loyalty and love of family. Malcolm and Keisha, friends from Forgotten, also return as nearly adopted members of the family.


In both books, readers meet the family that created Tom and Caitlyn. Sylvia Hughes is a loving mom who meddles (with love) and is proud of her children. She considers Caitlyn to be her own daughter and comes to adore Brandon as well. Walter Hughes, Tom’s dad, is patient and tolerant of his wife and even a bit bemused by her meddling. He is a staunch supporter of both Tom and Caitlyn and I think he is a perfect example of stability.


The Hughes family represents love in every possible form. They are accepting and understanding, they sometimes fight, but they are always there for each other. The core of this family had a lot to do with the happy endings for their offspring.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month – the frightening statistic is that 1 in every 6 women will be assaulted in their lifetimes. Sexual assault is not limited to age, income, race or even gender. Experts estimate that 1 in every 33 males will also be victims of sexual assault. Too high, much too high. Even 1 person is too high.

We can teach our sons (& daughters) that NO means NO. We can teach respect for everyone around us. We can teach prevention, encourage safe behavior, refrain from sexist remarks and provide resources for continued education. But until our society, and societies worldwide, can end this violence, this form of dominance, this cruelty, this tragedy…

When I first wrote Bartlett’s Rule it had not been my intention to start a campaign – I wrote about a woman who survived a rape and she continued to live – she even fell in love. After all, I did write a romance novel with the requisite happily ever after. The journey though that Paige Andrews and Lon Bartlett take towards their HEA is fraught with turmoil and eventually growth. While a victim can survive, and Paige calls herself a survivor, rape does change your life. The reader experiences some of the shame Paige has felt even though she has learned that what happened to her was NOT her fault. Lon has to change his ways when he fears that his own sexist behavior might have inspired the kind of attitudes that are used as excuses to victimize women.

While I didn’t try to stand on a soapbox, I have been extremely honored to learn that several book clubs have used Bartlett’s Rule for discussion because of the sensitive topic. I have even been told there are a few women’s shelters who have added my book to their lending libraries. It is a topic that needs to be discussed and my publisher has thoughtfully helped me put together a “discussion packet” to help groups begin –

Discussion Starters for Bartlett’s Rule by Chelle Cordero
1. How does Bartlett’s Rule explore the two distinct personalities of the main characters?
2. Discuss how the different personalities emerge in the beginning of the novel. Do these personalities stay constant?
3. How much do you think society’s expectations influenced Lon towards building his reputation as a player?
4. What pressures does society place on men in relationships? How different are those pressures now in 2008 as opposed to, let’s say, the 1950’s?
5. Lon admits he has to rethink his view of rape when he learns that Paige was raped by an ex-lover and not a stranger with a weapon. Discuss different concepts of what is rape, what is sexual abuse?
6. Have a discussion about Paige’s emotional scars and the trust she felt was betrayed. Should Paige “just get over it”? How realistic are some of her reactions? Was Paige allowing herself to move ahead? Discuss Lon’s support of her.
7. Hal attempts to blame people like Lon for the way he treated Paige. How does TV/music/movies/novels affect actions and at what point is the individual responsible for his/her own actions? For example, courtroom dramas like to blame the influence of TV, etc. for today’s violence.
8. Some TV/radio/print personalities enjoy an almost cult following and are considered “experts” in their various fields. Discuss some of these self-proclaimed “experts”: Dr. Ruth, Oprah, Dr. Phil, Geraldo, etc. Do these ‘stars’ sensationalize rape? How so?
9. How do you think you would feel if your private life, particularly romance, was scrutinized by the paparazzi? How much does a public figure owe to the public and fans in terms of privacy? How much does the media have the right to report?

In the back of Bartlett’s Rule, readers will find a list of resources and suggestions for recovery:

Emotional First Aid for Survivors
1) Anything and everything you experience is normal. Your reactions, feelings and experiences are all valid, you are not going crazy. You have the right to express your feelings in any way you want or need.
2) The rape was not your fault. You are not responsible for what happened to you in any way. You have nothing to be ashamed about.
3) It’s time you take care of yourself. You definitely deserve it. You are a valuable person and deserve the best life has to offer. You need to come first, so do whatever makes you feel better.
4) No matter what anyone says, you are a good, strong woman.
5) Other people may hurt or disappoint you. They do not understand how you feel. Disregard anything hurtful.
6) You are not dirty or used or damaged.
7) You are safe, the rape is over.
8) You are not alone. There are people ready and willing to help (friends, family, social workers, women’s shelters and other resources are always readily available to you.).
9) Hang in there. It may become difficult at times, but you will survive. You already have survived the worst.
10) YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG. Place the blame where it belongs. And, remember: You are a good, strong, beautiful, wonderful person.
(Source: YWCA: Richmond, VA)

Online Support and Information Groups
National Women’s Health Information Center
Pandora’s Aquarium
Surviving the Memories
Escaping Hades
Safe Horizon

Bartlett's Rule

Be safe.

Hugs,
Chelle