The WeWriWa Hop

I have a few author friends who like to attend weekly critique groups, they claim the system works. They bring a page or two of their current work-in-progress (before the story is finished) to read to the group. Sometimes changes are made based on the helpful comments made. That system doesn’t work for me. I’m called a pantser, I like to write my story from beginning to end before I begin any revisions, editing or re-writes. There is, though, a lot to be said for having another pair of eyes review your work before the finished manuscript is sent to submissions.

We all know that it is easier for someone else to pick out typos, grammatical errors and inconsistencies in the story, after all we KNOW what we MEANT to say and sometimes our own eyes play tricks on us and make us THINK we see what we know should be there. Sometimes it isn’t the typo we need to have pointed out to us.

In our writer’s mind we know where we want our characters to be going and we understand why they have personality quirks that would drive most people away. Our readers don’t necessarily understand this until that big reveal somewhere in the story which means they may become annoyed with the character flaws and simply stop reading. NOOOOOO!!!! I recently had my eyes opened about one of my beloved heroes, Adam in Courage of the Heart. Adam has a past that he is ashamed of and keeps secret because he just doesn’t feel very good about himself. Along comes Davie, a young innocent girl/woman – he’s attracted, she is too, but he manages to anger, insult and hurt her all at once (unintentionally of course) and now he fights to win her back.

I’ve been participating in the Weekend Writing Warriors weekly blog hop since last September (9/15/2013 to be exact). We share 8-sentence snippets from our works (published or unpublished) every week and then visit other participants, read and comment on their snippets. While several of the warriors use snippets from works in progress, some of us use pieces from already published works, like me. What benefit is there to using work that is already out there in printed form, either e-book or print, and can no longer be changed? I use the comments to see how well I have been able to communicate. The use of such small segments of each story can be challenging because it doesn’t allow for much room to make our point clear. It’s a lesson in making every word count.

Last week my fellow warriors noted that Adam seemed too persistent to the point of “creepiness”; now I am egotistical enough to console myself with some wonderful reviews I got for the book so obviously his actions are acceptable… to a reader who reads more than just the snippets. But this also means that I didn’t do my job as a writer. Writers need to keep a reader involved with the characters giving sympathy when appropriate or annoyance when it’s called for. When we fail to keep our characters real to our readers, we risk losing their interest in the story.

By seeing and understanding the story I wrote through other eyes, and not just for proofreading purposes, I have a clearer understanding that my intended thoughts are communicated. Even though my book was already published, I am able to use the insight from last week in my current work-in-progress to make sure that the inevitable genre formula where the boy loses the girl and works to win her back is not mired with “creepiness”. For those that are interested, I’m writing a sequel to Karma Visited and continuing the paranormal romantic suspense storyline between Annie and Dave.

In the meanwhile, this is an invitation to all writers to join this weekly blog hop we call Weekend Writing Warriors / #8sunday; post 8 sentences from a current writing project, published or unpublished, and then visit other participants and offer opinions, critiques, support. It’s a fun time as we hang out with other writers all striving to be better at what we do.

Please come visit me at my blog  Chelle Cordero, Author

or

at my web-site  Welcome to Chelle's World

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

Real People - Real Stories

A dear friend of mine blogged about an encounter she had with a reader. The woman said she loved a good love story but asked if my friend, a writer of love stories, could write a story about a “fat woman” – tearfully she questioned, “Why can’t we be loved for who we are?”

As the type of woman that my mother always tactfully described as “zoftic”, I understand this poignant plea. I have often felt blessed that my husband (of nearly 35-years) has always made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world even though fashion designers and modeling agents would surely scoff.

Our heads are filled with stereotypes, women and men who are “fit and trim” with appealing curves and strong biceps. Years ago when I first contemplated writing in the romance genre I received a list of guidelines from one of the “more respected” romance publishers of the time. Some of the suggestions included: he should be self sufficient and usually financially set; she should be attractive and usually innocent; he should have more experience than her; he should be strong; she can be a leader in business with an innate desire to be domestic…

I rebelled. When I wrote the original manuscript for my romantic suspense Courage of the Heart in the late 90’s, I created a hero that was damaged and insecure. Adam Sherman was wrongfully sent to prison as a teen and suffered abuses that left him filled with doubt and shame. Along came Davie (Davida) Prescott, an innocent girl who Adam was finally able to open up to and who accepted him for “who he was”. Because of their love, he was able to face and stare down many of his demons.

I sent the manuscript to one of the two leading romance houses – and it was turned down. The editor gave me the courtesy of an actual response. She complimented me on my writing and said that the story was definitely intriguing and well-plotted. However Adam was not the “typical hero” because of his past - so my story, even though well-written, was not considered sale-able.

The world is not made up of “beautiful, perfect people” as oft described in society pages. There have been a few stories I’ve read where heroines and heroes have “imperfections”, but especially a decade ago, those were truly rare. As my friend Charmaine wrote, “What about the greater population who make up our world; people in wheelchairs, ones who need walkers or braces on legs or arms?”

The world is not made up of stereotypes.
Excerpt from Courage of the Heart:

Adam had never before had difficulty concentrating on his work. The company had just finished investing a lot of time and money into a new Integrated Services Digital Network and it was his responsibility to make sure everything worked. Great, he thought to himself, one screw-up and all of their customers could kiss their email and web-sites goodbye.

He thought of how one very pretty young lady in Customer Service would respond to customer complaints…"Oh, I'm sorry, is this your FIRST Internet connection? Well, our department manager has a problem with that…"

Damn! She's twenty years old… and beautiful. He never once thought she was so inexperienced, he just couldn't believe that someone that appealing hadn't already been sweet-talked all the way by a guy or two. In this day and age, he thought cynically, he would never have expected some college girl to be saving herself.

The problem was he still wanted her and that scared the hell out of him! There had never been another woman that had monopolized his thoughts the way Davie did. He certainly wasn't desperate, if he just wanted to spend an evening out or have sex he had any number of willing partners. But when he thought of Davie, he wanted more than sex, he wanted her body and soul. He wanted a relationship, not just a one or two night fling. It flabbergasted him that the beautiful Davie Prescott had wanted him enough to give up her virginity. It frustrated him that he could never let her know why he couldn't do that to her.

There had been several times when he had started to call her over the weekend, but then he remembered how quiet she had been when he drove her home and tried to apologize. She had actually started to walk home, he followed her with his car for about half a mile before she finally gave in and got in. Adam felt terrible; he knew how badly he had hurt her with his rejection. If only he could make her understand how much he still wanted her, but he didn't know how. If only he could make himself understand why he wanted her so much…

Adam had never felt so frustrated about a relationship before, at least not since he got out of that little Pennsylvania town he grew up in. His teen-age years were filled with memories he wished he didn't have; so long as he could remember that time, though, he'd never be any good for someone as pure as Davie. He had been with a lot of women and he never made any secret of his appetite or his lack of emotional commitment. Adam had told himself that his unusual interest in Davie as a person and not just a sex partner was only a sign of his "growing up", at twenty-five it was bound to happen…eventually. He shook his head, because it was Davie and not his age that was playing havoc with his libido.

Adam stared at the clock on the wall and decided that he had to get close to Davie somehow. He had no idea how to get beyond his dilemma, but he knew he had to try to mend fences with her. Red roses were Davie's favorite, he had learned that during one of their relaxing conversations. He had enjoyed listening to her talk about just about any subject, he was always interested in everything that made her smile, or pause. A quick phone call to the florist gave him a touch of hope.

Forty-five minutes later he felt a little cocky as he walked down the hall to Customer Service.

The door was ajar and Adam peeked in. Only one of the desks was occupied.

"Oh, hi Mr. Sherman. Are you looking for Davie?" Agnes, one of the other girls in Customer Service, was holding down the fort by herself. Since he had not made any secret of his interest in Davie, it was a natural assumption why he was there. "She's already gone for the day."

Checking his watch, he frowned. "Isn't it a little bit early?"

"To be honest, I don’t think she was feeling too well." Agnes shrugged. "And then she got some flowers delivered and it must've really started her allergies or something…'cause her eyes got all red and she had to get out of here."

"Flowers were delivered?" Good, then she got his note.

"Yeah. They were really pretty. She took them with her."

"She did?" Maybe there was a reason to feel optimistic after all.

Adam thanked Agnes and left the office. It was only when he passed the garbage chute that he lost his new found hope. On the floor was a rose; a piece of green fern was sticking out from the side of the bin where it had gotten stuck when the bouquet was thrown out.

Thanks for stopping by!
~Chelle

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.”

Christmas Eve with the Prescott family

an excerpt from Courage of the Heart:

The Christmas Eve service was traditionally a candle-lit service. Members of the choir and vestry carried candles and other religious adornments to the front of the church in a processional. As a very young child she remembered sitting on her mother's lap in the Episcopal Church her family went to and pointing to all the lit candles and holiday ornaments. She was spellbound by the candles' twinkling and once or twice even disrupted the good Reverend's sermon with her commentary to her mom.

Davie had asked Adam, on the way into church, about his religious upbringing. It was something they had just never discussed before. He told her that he had been born Catholic but his first, and only, communion had been the last time he remembered being in church except for friends' weddings and funerals. His mother had made sure he attended religious classes until he was able to receive the holy sacraments. On the day of his communion, while all the other kids were having big family parties thrown in their honor, his mother took him out for an ice cream cone before depositing him back home and going off to her barmaid job. His father had gone on another drinking binge and had never even made the church service that day.

Adam had never had occasion to go to any church services after that, his mother was always working or sleeping with a new beau and his father was always drunk. It was just a few years later when his mother left town with a new lover. When his father heard from strangers that his wife had left town, he came home and beat Adam accusing him of keeping secrets. Adam hadn't known anything about his mother's desertion, he just knew that he was the only one left to suffer from his father's wrath. All the good church people of his town turned their backs on him when he needed them. Going to church would have reminded him of his mother’s abandonment so he never bothered.

Davie admitted ruefully that she didn't attend as often as her parents would have liked. Her family always included the church in every holiday. Davie could see that this was all new to Adam. She wondered how he was going to feel when she told him that not all her cousins had made it home yet and would be appearing tomorrow at her father's house. The holiday tables, definitely in the plural, would be stretched from room to room and would still be overcrowded.

She chanced a look at Elizabeth sitting beside Albert and marveled about how easily she had assimilated into the Prescott community. Her father had been one of nine children and except for an older brother who hadn’t come back from Korea, they all lived in the area. Many of her cousins had also settled nearby to raise their own families. A few, like her, lived several hours away. On major holidays almost everyone who had claim to Prescott blood descended on Cape May County. Everybody who ever lived in their small town was either related to or a good friend with somebody in the Prescott family.

Reverend Williams was ascending the pulpit to begin his sermon. The choir was singing from Handel's Messiah, she could hear her Aunt Rose's voice. She had always wondered why Aunt Rose with the beautiful voice hadn't become a professional singer. Davie noticed that Adam had been following along with all the prayers and hymns. She hoped that this Christmas was going to be memorable for both of them.

"Don't be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people." The reverend spoke of the greatest gift, the love and the child; he said the story of Christmas was about the poor and the outcast. He warned the congregation not to hide behind "gruff exteriors or a mask of self-sufficiency" for that would only multiply feelings of loneliness and of being outcasts.

Adam squeezed Davie's hand as the homily continued.

"Christmas is a story about all of us receiving that which we most want and need: love; deep, strong, unconditional love." Reverend William wished everyone a wonderful Christmas filled with family, love and faith.

After the service was over, Adam and Davie were separated in the throng of activity. She caught occasional glimpses of Adam as he was introduced to other members of her family by relatives that had just met him an hour earlier. Davie was captured in embrace after embrace of relatives who exclaimed how long she'd been gone even though she'd seen most of them at Thanksgiving. Her aunts and uncles pulled her to the side to ask questions about Adam. Her female cousins took turns swooning over his good looks. Davie heard her dad and Elizabeth asked if there was going to be a double wedding in February.

They finally managed to reach each other and Davie grabbed Adam's hand so they wouldn't be separated again.

"I am sorry about that." Davie apologized.

"Don't worry, they are all kind of nice. It's hard to imagine what it must have been like to grow up with so much family around." He leaned close to her ear and whispered. "How many of these people are actually related to you?"

Davie took her time looking around before she turned back to Adam with a grin. "The Reverend isn't."

For a moment Adam didn't know whether she was mocking him or not. Then she laughed.

"Alright, there are a lot of people here who are related to me." She shrugged. "It's a big family."

"Well, now I know where you got your people skills." He put his arm around her shoulder and noticed that one older woman, maybe one of Davie's aunts, gave a look of approval. "Uh, do they wear name-tags tomorrow by any chance?" He had no idea how he was going to keep who-was-who straight.

"The easiest way to sort it all out tomorrow is figure if they are in the house, they're family. The oldest folks are grandparents, doesn't matter who's, middle aged are aunts and uncles, you know my dad and Liz. The people our age and teens are cousins, except for Robbie and Allan of course. The little ones are children of the cousins." She laughed. "It's really very easy."

Courage of the Heart

ISBN-13: 978-1935407188
in e-book formats

Sometimes love is the only cure for the very deepest of emotional wounds. The story of the two lovers takes a series of unexpected and fast paced turns where lives, sanity and love are put in jeopardy. Their commitment to one another results in a spirit that binds them together and helps them to overcome physical and emotional dangers.
#####

The Women-in-Charge in Chelle's novels

A woman can do anything - that was how my parents raised me. They also believed that a woman could be feminine and still not be weak. Society, though, through the years hasn't always agreed.

I try to write my heroines to reflect both my parents' progressive attitude as well as reality in our world.

None of my heroines actually needed a man in their lives - oh of course the passion is a terrific incentive, but each of my gals could make it on their own.
In Bartlett's Rule Paige Andrews was raised in a misogynistic and violent household. Her upbringing caused her to make several wrong decisions, the first being needing a man named Hal to take her away from her parents' abusive home. She traveled a road of self-destruction and hit bottom, that was when she decided to take control of her life and began taking care of herself. When she met Lon Bartlett she tried not to get taken in by his seeming chauvinism, but he proved to be much more understanding than she expected.

Caitlyn Smythe in Forgotten was orphaned at an early age and even though she was raised in a relative's loving home, she thought that the only one she really could depend on was herself. When Brandon Price tries to protect her with secretiveness, she balks. Even totally angry with him when they are both held against their will, it's Caitlyn's calm head that eventually rescues them. Through the ensuing perils they face Brandon comes to realize how much he can depend on her.

Alli Davis is a lawyer in Within the Law and she takes her job seriously. Tom Hughes was her white knight on a dark city street and Alli is drawn to him, but not enough to compromise her responsibility even when she realizes that the man she is defending stole Tom's future from him. When the playing field changes and her client is murdered Alli steps in to defend Tom.

Young Davida Prescott is working her way through college when she meets playboy Adam Sherman in Courage of the Heart. Adam has a past that makes him question his own abilities and it is Davie's inner strength that restores his confidence. Her belief in him gives him the strength to get him past a threat and huge challenge from his former life.

In Final Sin Julie Jennings is a caring and competent paramedic. She meets Deputy Sheriff Jake Carlson at a horrific crime scene and it doesn't take long for the two of them to close the door on the ugliness of their careers and begin a torrid love affair. Julie comes close to the edge when she is stalked by a maniac who invades her privacy, but she refuses to give up on her job and putting herself out there to help others. More than once she finds an inner strength to keep herself going as well as encouraging Jake when his worries and self-doubts as a dad seem insurmountable.

Of all of my heroines so far, I think that Deanna Blair is the strongest in Hostage Heart. After losing a beloved family member to the floods of Katrina and then seeing her parents' home and livelihood destroyed in more hurricanes just a few years later, she takes it upon herself to find a way to help them rebuild. With a fresh high school diploma in hand she leaves her comfort zone where she has lived all of her life to come to New York City and find a job. Deanna meets Ryan Hunter during a bank hold-up and when he gets himself into hot water defending her honor she tries to reciprocate and winds up becoming a victim.

Download a FREE First Chapter Chapbook of Bartlett’s Rule, Forgotten, Within the Law, Courage of the Heart, Final Sin & Hostage Heart

~~~

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.

Love and Murder & other thoughts from Chelle Cordero

I’m a gal who thoroughly enjoys a good, trashy romance novel complete with genre specific happily ever after endings; I am also a sucker for a good psychological thriller. So I tend to write suspense into my romance novels and indeed there is a lot of intrigue woven into Forgotten, Within the Law and Courage of the Heart. The first of my 2008 trifecta of novels was Bartlett’s Rule, an emotional drama involving the sensitive issue of rape and recovery.

During the mid 90’s I was enthralled by the movie Se7en starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman – it was a tense psychological crime mystery which also included lots of gore. Movie goers sat on the edge of their seats with each twist. I wanted to be able to create that level of tension, to captivate audiences in the same way. And so was born the idea of Final Sin, a story of horrific crimes and obsession. Alas, I wove a love story in because I am just too much of a romantic and the thought of Dudley Do-Right rushing to the rescue of the fair Nell is just that, romantic.

Final Sin
by Chelle Cordero

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 object of an obsession, it puts both of their lives in extreme danger.

Final Sin opens at a crime scene. Two young women are staked to the ground in a dark, isolated shack – one is already dead, the other barely alive. And there is a third victim, a young man, burned when he tried to save the lives of his female companions. Julie Jennings and her paramedic partner Matt respond to the scene after a 911 call reports a burn victim. They had no idea what they were really walking into. Deputy Sheriff Commander Jake Carlson shows up to lead the investigation and begin the search for the perpetrator of the cold cruelty in that cabin.

That’s how they meet.

He wondered why it had taken him so long to realize that she was the one.

Usually he was able to tell with just a glance, but then he had been wrong before and had chosen women that had disappointed him terribly. It was so hard to suffer when they let him down.

It was only after he had thought about her while he watched another ambulance crew bring their patient in that he realized how gently she had tended to her patients, how light her touch had seemed, that he knew for sure. He knew that she had been sent to him for one purpose.

She really cared.

She was the one.

That’s how the obsession begins…
~~~~~~~~

As a writer I find it terrifying to switch genres when I have already met a comfortable level of success with another – but as a writer I found it impossible to avoid the draw of penning something that, I hope, will stimulate readers the way that Se7en did with me. I laughed when an early reader informed me that she began to read Final Sin while alone in her house and actually got up at one point to retrieve a kitchen knife to keep beside her.

At the same time I wanted a sensual and deep love story written between Jake and Julie. As most lovers do, they both have pasts and “baggage” to complicate their lives. There are antagonists like Jake’s ex-wife and her new husband, sympathetic innocents like Jake’s son, and friends who may mean well but don’t always say or do the right thing. Let’s not forget, there is also the killer. And there is danger.

Final Sin is already available for pre-orders on both Barnes & Noble.com and Amazon.com. It will actually be in print by May 1; it will also be available for Kindle and as a .pdf ebook.

I sure hope that I pull this one off…
~~~~~~~~

My wonderful editor put together a ChapBook which includes the first chapters for each novel through Final Sin – it’s FREE for the download, just go to http://tr.im/hv3I
I hope that it will intrigue you.

Thank you for stopping by,
Chelle
http://chellecordero.blogspot.com/