Congratulations

Congratulations to: Susanne Drazic my winner for the Double the Fun contest. Two books are on their way to her.




And to Laura Johnson, J.Q. Rose's winner. Two books are on thier way to her also.




Also, congratulations, Vanessa Johnson - she won the cameo spot in my next book Connection of the Minds to be released in September. She'll receive a copy when it's released.

Thanks to all who entered and participated.

Six Sentence Sunday

From my recently released book, Double the Trouble, available from MuseItUp Publishing http://bit.ly/doublethetrouble or Amazon.com

Okay, I cheated - there's seven. This is the scene when Kate visits her aunt's grave.


The eerie feeling increased the closer she got to her aunt’s grave. Something felt


strange. Suddenly, she froze.  A hand stuck out from under the

bush next to her aunt's grave. Kate stifled a scream. A body lay half hidden under the broken branches. Kate

looked at long, flowing red hair. She couldn’t see her face but knew the girl was dead.

Double the Fun - Happy Birthday!

I share a birthday with J.Q. Rose and yep it's today.  So in honor of our special day we've decided to double the fun and double the chance for you to win. We're are running a contest. Okay a double contest. All you have to do is visit both blogs, and you'll have a chance to win two ebooks, that's right two-  Double the Trouble and Sunshine Boulevard. Yep, J.Q and I are each giving a way two books. You heard right two and if you enter on each blog, you have two - that's right two- chances to win. How? Keep reading and I'll tell you.

But first a blurb about Sunshine Boulevard
Who or what is killing the seniors on Sunshine Boulevard? Follow Jim and Gloria Hart, snowbirds who annually migrate to Florida for warm sunshine, fun, and games in snow-free winters. However this season, Jim Hart, a volunteer First Responder in his retirement community of Citrus Ridge, is drawn into the investigation of the mysterious deaths. Even in the midst of the unfortunate demise of the residents on Sunshine Boulevard, the Harts try to enjoy the winter with friends. They don't realize that their friends are getting together for their own kinds of affairs with each other. The neighbors are in a dither over the deaths, but perhaps more intrigued by the gossip about the affairs and why the naked lady was found lying in the geranium bed.
And a word from the heroine:

I love the beaches, palm trees, sunny skies, and orange groves of Florida.
Hello. My name is Gloria Hart. My husband, Jim, and I are Florida winter residents known as snowbirds flying away from snowy winters. (I claim to be a sunbird since I travel toward the Florida sunshine.) We spend our winters in a senior resort community with an eighteen hole golf course running through the center. Citrus Ridge is our home away from home and a wonderful place to make friends and enjoy a season of easy, carefree living.

Every winter we kick up our heels at the many dances, parties, card games, dinners, and golf leagues. We get our fair share of sand through our toes at the gorgeous Florida beaches and blisters on our feet when we sight-see the many tourist spots and flea markets.

We had a wonderful winter planned until tragedy struck residents on Sunshine Boulevard. The mystery surrounding the deaths of these dear folks put a stop to all the party and fun that season. We tried to get together with friends, but the fear of another death, even our own, put a pall over the gatherings.

At first, I wanted to go home and get away from the death, the sadness, and the fear, but Jim and I had many friends who live in Citrus Ridge year round who had no place to escape. We decided to stay and help our friends. If we left for the north, we would only worry and wonder about them. Our hearts were in Florida with our Citrus Ridge community.

Speaking of “friends,” we were very hurt when some of the people we knew so well were keeping secrets from us. These secrets shattered the lives of people we love. But these friends didn’t think about anyone but themselves.

With betrayal by “friends” and the horrendous murders, our winter season was a disaster. Why didn’t the authorities stop these tragic deaths? Even with all the modern crime-solving procedures, no one knew who or what was killing the seniors on Sunshine Boulevard.

You may think twice about retiring to Florida after you read Sunshine Boulevard available at Muse It Up Publishing bookstore, http://tinyurl.com/2c53noz and Amazon.com http://tinyurl.com/4czwr6h as well as at many online booksellers.

You can find me on the web at J Q Rose Website http://www.jqrose.webs.com/

J Q Rose Blog http://www.jqroseauthor.blogspot.com/

You Tube Book Trailer

http://tinyurl.com/64htcx8

Thanks, Roseanne, for allowing me the opportunity to tell your readers about Sunshine Boulevard.

Now an excerpt:

“Jim, Jim!” Gloria threw her keys on the kitchen counter and then stashed her mat and barbells in the hallway closet.

“Jim!” She called louder. He was not in the Florida room. She gingerly stepped from the kitchen to the carport. She darted into the attached shed housing the laundry room with storage in the front and Jim’s workshop in back. She walked through the workshop and out the door to the neat little back yard and found him watering their garden plot.

“Did you hear about George McDonnell?” Gloria shook her auburn hair, compliments of her favorite brand of hair color #118. Her clear blue eyes filled with tears.

“Yes, I heard.” Jim kinked the hose to stop the water flow and dragged it to the faucet on the back of the house. He slowly turned the tap to cut off the stream of water and dropped the hose to the freshly cut grass.

“How sad that he died alone. Oh, Jim, he wasn’t discovered for so long his body just ro...” She couldn’t say it.

“Gloria, come in the house. I have to tell you something. I don’t want the neighbors listening in on this conversation.” Gloria knew her husband of thirty-five years well enough to realize something wasn’t right.

As they stepped into the bright kitchen, Jim turned to her. Looking straight into her eyes, he said, “Royce called this morning. George’s death was peculiar. I guess, that’s what the Medical Examiner is saying.

Jim was friends with the county M.E., Royce Williams. They worked together on investigations involving the First Responders Unit. Living in a retirement community, the Medical Examiner and medics were frequent visitors. An ambulance at a home was not a significant event at Citrus Ridge. It was part of life and death.

“Royce told us George’s body did not rot. It couldn’t have decomposed that quickly because Miss Lottie checked on him every day when she brought him the mail in the afternoon. She delivered it the day before he died. He was alert and talked about the weather.

“When Lottie called 9-1-1 at one o’clock yesterday, she was so upset she couldn’t even speak. They traced the call to her house. When the police arrived, she only pointed to George’s house.”

Jim stopped a minute. Gloria saw the anguish in his face. “They discovered George sitting in the living room in his recliner. His body was mustard yellow. His clothes were melted to his body. The odor was not a rotting smell, but rather like burning or scorching. In fact the fabric in the chair was charred. Ron was the first responder. He told me when he and the paramedics touched the body, it turned to powder.”

Gloria cried out in disbelief. She covered her face with her hands. “Dear God. What happened, Jim? What could have caused such a thing?”

“Ron arrived at the scene first. You know Ron. Always talking and telling greatstories.” Gloria remembered the usually fun-loving raucous Ron.
“Royce told me there was such a look of horror in Ron’s eyes. He was traumatized by what he saw. Ron told him he moved George’s wrist, and his hand fell making a pile of yellow ashes on the floor.”
“Dear God.” Gloria sat down at the dining room table feeling nauseous. Jim wiped his eyes. “I don’t know how Ron and Lottie will ever forget this nightmare.”

Okay, how do you win. It's really very simple.  Send an email to me rodow62 at yahoo dot com  with contest as the subject and the code word double in the body of the email along with the code word from J.Q. Rose's blog.  You must have both code words in the email. You can find J.Q.'s word at: http://www.jqroseauthor.blogspot.com/

 


The winners will be announced Monday, May 30th.

Now for a second part to my contest. If you'd like a cameo appearance of your name in my next novel, Connections of the Minds, send me an email (rodow62 at yahoo dot com) with  CAMEO as the subject line.  I'll also send you a copy of Connection of the Minds when it's released in September.

Strange, realistic dreams and visions disrupt Rebecca Brennan’s life, especially when she actually feels someone’s pain.  Determined to find who shares her mind, Rebecca takes a leave of absence from work to search for her mind connection.

From my latest release, Double the Trouble - Now available at MuseItUp Publishing  (YAY) http://bit.ly/doublethetrouble

A spark of something familiar tumbled in her stomach.

She pushed his hand away. Try as she might, her anger shattered.
“How dare you walk in here like nothing happened? Like we’re going to pick up where we left off?” Kate spoke through clenched teeth.

TODAY'S THE DAY!

Double the Trouble is being released today from MuseItUp Publishing http://bit.ly/doublethetrouble

Blurb:

Kate Wesley left Twinsburg, Ohio five years ago after her fiancé jilted her. Now she’s back, happy and content with her single life. She doesn’t need men to fulfill her dreams, she has her florist shop.

Widower, Mark Westfield wasn’t interested in women. He had twin five year olds to raise, and they took all his time and energy. But Kate sparked something in him he hadn’t expected to feel again.

Adam Shaffer left Kate two days before their wedding. Left a note and took off to Las Vegas. Biggest mistake of his life. But now they were both back, and he aimed to get Kate back.

To make matters worse, Kate finds a dead body in the cemetery (above ground) and Adam is the lead detective on the case, which throws them together, much to her chagrin. When the twin sister of the murder victim arrives in town, Kate’s life becomes more complicated.





Excerpt:

A shadow passed over the doorway, and Kate realized she wasn’t alone. She looked

up.

Adam stood there, the same cocky grin on his face. “Now that’s settled,

how are you, Kate?”

Kate couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t he take a hint? “What do you want, Adam?” She

didn’t care if she sounded angry. He deserved angry.

Adam came into the work room and stood in front of her. “You look great.”

Kate looked away. So did he, but darned if she’d tell him. He looked too damn

good. What was the saying? Fool her once, shame on him, fool her twice, shame on her.

Nope, she didn’t need him or anyone like him.

“So what do you want? I gave you all the information on Emma. Shouldn’t you be

out investigating?” She picked up a flower and set it in a vase. Her heart beat so hard, it

surprised her that he didn’t hear it.

“Look, I know you’re still upset about the wedding, but give me a chance to make

it up to you. How about dinner tonight?”

“I’m busy.” Still upset? The man has no idea. Like we should pick up where we left

off? He’s got to be kidding.

“Tomorrow then?”

“I’m busy tomorrow, too. Look, Adam, just go, okay. I don’t want to have dinner

with you. Not tonight, not tomorrow, not ever.”

“Come on, babe, don’t be like that.” Adam moved a strand of hair behind her ear.

“I don’t blame you for being angry. But damn, it’s been five years.” He ran his finger

along her cheek. “The least you could do is give me a chance to explain. Not that I’m

sure I could. I’m not sure, even now, why I took off. Cold feet, I guess.”

Kate trembled at his touch. A spark of something familiar tumbled in her stomach.

She pushed his hand away. Try as she might, her anger shattered.

“How dare you walk in here like nothing happened? Like we’re going to pick up

where we left off?” Kate spoke through clenched teeth. What she really wanted to do

was lash out and hurt him the way he hurt her, but a customer might come in and

screaming wasn’t going to help anyway.

Adam stared at her, a look of confusion in his dark eyes. He just didn’t get it. He

really didn’t see anything wrong with what he did. Took the coward’s way out and left

her to deal with canceling all the wedding plans. What a jerk. “Look, just go.” She

turned back to her work and picked up a vase to fill her next order.

Adam ran his hand through his dark, wavy hair. Hair she used to love to run her

fingers through. She could almost feel the soft, silkiness of even now.

“Give me a break, Kate. Let me make it up to you.”

Part of her wanted to give in, and part of her wanted to throw something at him.

Stay strong, get rid of him. No way was she picking up where they left off.

The bell rang again, and before she had a chance to react, Mark stormed in. Kate’s

stomach did a flip at the sight of him. What was wrong with her, reacting to these men

this way? For five years men had no affect on her.

Now in the course of an hour, the two of them managed to get under her skin,

causing feelings deep within she hadn’t experienced in years. Feelings she didn’t want

to feel.

Mark stared at them for a second. “I don’t know what the two of you have going,

but why aren’t you out looking for my sister?”

Kate shuddered at the angry tone of Mark’s voice. “There’s nothing going on

between us, Mr. Westfield. I just suggested the very same thing to Detective Shaffer,”

she said just as angry. “Now if the two of you will continue this outside, I have work to

do.”

“I’ll call you later, Kate.” Adam acted as if everything between them was settled.

Par for the course. Wasn’t that always how it was? She got mad, spoke her mind,

and that was it. Over and done with.

Nothing changed.

Adam went on doing the same things he always did. Didn’t matter if it upset her.

Poker every Friday night with his friends, no matter how angry she got.

How they had managed to plan the wedding was beyond her. Not that he did any of

the planning. Adam didn’t even want to see the hall or listen to the band.

No wonder he didn’t have any qualms about canceling the wedding. He didn’t do

any of the work for it. Obviously, he wasn’t ready to get married. So why had he asked

her? Asked her, heck, he had insisted. Even when she suggested they wait a year or so.

He at least owed her an explanation. But did she really want to hear it?

Blog Hop Thursday

Today's question, posed by affiliate author, Amy Romine, is:  What do you do with your edits?

That's a very good question. Currently, I have a wonderful editor whose suggestion enhance the story. Sometimes she asks me to delete whole paragraphs. Yikes.  While it kills me to do so, I read  the paragraph and if I agree - I usually do - I delete it. If there's information in that paragraph that I feel the reader needs to know, I add a comment about why I want to keep it. Sometimes we shorten the paragraph or change the wording to get my point across. Other times, she leaves it.

I've been the product of some horrible editors in the past. One actually added the dreaded "LY"word to all of my saids. Or changed complete sentences, adding the word. I think every (or at least most) authors know to avoid these words as much as possible. Granted, they do have their place. They are part of our language after all. But we all know to use them sparingly.  This editor added them to sentences like - She raced (hurriedly) down the hall. Not only is the sentence awkward - everyone knows if you race you're in a hurry. Adding an ly word there only repeats the action.

Needless to say, I balked and balked. And the editor talked to the publisher and the publisher said if I remained uncooperative, they were breaking my contract. I wrote back and said I refuse to cooperate with that kind of editing. So contract broken, I moved on. I wouldn't have my work changed that way - For one thing, she was changing my author's voice. I don't write that way. She was also changing the tone of the story - to her voice. Not to mention, she wasn't  making it better.

I think most editors are pretty good. Another one I dealt with was very understanding of things I wanted to leave.  Don't get me wrong. If the suggestion is reasonable, I'm more than willing to make a change.  Another line editor I dealt with insisted on changing a lot of my manuscript to her voice. Not to mention she inserted the word "However" during a love scene. I don't know about you, but however isn't part of my vocabulary in everyday language let alone during a love scene. She also eliminated scenes that I felt were important to my heroine. Albeit - they could have been shortened.  So once again, she went to the owner and the owner said it wouldn't be published. Since most of the edits were reasonable, I came up with a compromise to the paragraphs - I shortened them as long as she removed the word However. There were several other comments throughout the manuscript also. I suggested compromises for them also - Truthfully, I think this was the job of the editor, not the author. Editors aren't there to suggest changes and then be stubborn about them. They're supposed to suggest changes, but if the author has a viable reason to leave them, I think they either work out a compromise or leave them.

I was taught when it comes to edits - it's your work - the final decision is up to you. No one has the right to change your voice or style of writing.

Six Sentence Sunday

Since my book, Double the Trouble will be released May 20th, I decided to do another six from it.

Blurb:

Kate Wesley left Twinsburg, Ohio five years ago after her fiancé jilted her. Now she’s back, happy and content with her single life. She doesn’t need men to fulfill her dreams, she has her florist shop.


Widower, Mark Westfield wasn’t interested in women. He had twin five year olds to raise, and they took all his time and energy. But Kate sparked something in him he hadn’t expected to feel again.

Adam Shaffer left Kate two days before their wedding. Left a note and took off to Las Vegas. Biggest mistake of his life. But now they were both back, and he aimed to get Kate back.

To make matters worse, Kate finds a dead body in the cemetery (above ground) and Adam is the lead detective on the case, which throws them together, much to her chagrin. When the twin sister of the murder victim arrives in town, Kate’s life becomes more complicated.


The eerie feeling increased the closer she got to her aunt’s grave. Something felt strange. When she stepped around a bush, she froze. A hand stuck out from under the bush. Kate stifled a scream. A body lay half hidden under the broken branches.

 

Six Sentence Sunday

Another six from Connection of the Minds due for release in September from MuseItUp Publishing http://bit.ly/ConnectionoftheMinds

Strange, realistic dreams and visions disrupt Rebecca Brennan’s life, especially when she actually feels someone’s pain.

"Okay," she said in a weak voice, "this is going to sound strange. I mean I find it hard to believe myself. I don’t have a cousin Isabelle and I don’t know Jeremy personally, but I know a lot about him. I know someone shot him a couple days ago." She paused, tried to still her trembling hands, and looked at the chief’s uplifted eyebrow. If he didn’t believe her, she’d have to think of something else. Right now the truth was the best way.

Welcome, Chelle Cordero

Hyphema (excerpt)

He could smell the fragrant scent as he walked up the walkway to his front door. Matt wondered how many of their neighbors could smell the aromatic spices permeating the neighborhood when Sudah cooked. Every so often Sudah cooked an old American standby because she knew that Matt had certain favorites, but most of her cooking was very ethnic and he had grown fond of many of the Pakistani dishes.

He opened the door to hear Sudah sobbing from the kitchen.

“Baby?” He called out to her.

She came to the kitchen door sniffling and wiping her eyes. “Aden is sleeping.”

He nodded and lowered his voice. “What’s wrong? Is he okay? Are you?”

She stifled a sob and nodded. “Please come into the kitchen and I will tell you.”

“Okay.” He followed her. She stopped by the table and he wrapped his arms around her. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

Sudah motioned to an open letter on the table. “I took in our mail from the box…”

He reached for the envelope and noticed the return address. “It’s from your parents. Are they okay?”

“They are in good health.” She squeezed her eyes to keep from crying. “I sent my mother and father a picture of Aden, but my father made my mother return it. He will not recognize our son as his blood.” She leaned against Matt and cried into his shoulder.

The first emotion he experienced was anger. Then he felt bad for his wife’s pain. “I’m sorry baby.”

“How can he not accept a son from his daughter?”

“Because of me…”

She stepped back and looked up at him. “You are a good man and a good husband. I know that he does not approve of our marriage because you are not Muslim, but Aden is my son.”

“Sweetie, you told them that we were raising Aden in my faith, didn’t you? They are probably pretty angry at me.”

She dried her eyes. “We agreed we would raise our children as Christian. And we agreed you and I would remain in our own faiths.”

“And I want our children to understand Islam.”

“I am not sorry for the decisions we have made.” Sudah swallowed and wiped her eyes again. “I have gone against my parents by marrying a non-believer, but I did not betray them as my father has accused.”

“Does your mother feel that way, too?”

“I know she is not happy, but Matt,” Sudah picked up the letter, “I can see her tearstains as she wrote this letter. She did not want to turn away her grandson.”

“I’m sorry. I wish I could make things better.”

“There is nothing to be done.” Sudah stroked his cheek. “I must learn to accept things as they are.”

“I love you Sudah.”

“I love you Matt.”



Matt stared into a cup of black coffee and brooded the next day about Sudah’s parents, the in-laws he would probably never meet. He was sorry that Sudah had so much pain and sorrow, but he wasn’t sorry that he had married her or that they had Aden. She was right, they had many discussions about their religions and they had agreed. It was their decision as parents, no one else’s. Damn it, he thought, why wasn’t being in love enough for some people?

One of the ground crews came in talking about a suicide they had been dispatched too. Unfortunately all they were able to do was pronounce.

Matt was listening with half an ear as they talked about the husband’s devastation. “He said they had just buried her sister the day before, but he never expected her to do something like that.” The woman sat in a car with the engine running in a closed garage.

Hell of a way to go, thought Matt. Sad too about her sister. There’s too much death.

Tones sounded over the speakers and a detached voice spoke. “Chopper one on standby for a GSW victim.” Matt and Tony were joined by Chris, a flight nurse. The trio just got into the bird as they were being dispatched to a member-of-service with a GSW, a gunshot wound. They were on their way to render care to a cop that had been shot in the line of duty.


Buy Links:


Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/54453



Kindle http://www.amazon.com/A-Chaunce-of-Riches-ebook/dp/B002VBWDN8



Omnilit http://www.omnilit.com/product-achaunceofriches-365553-152.html



B&N Print Pre-Order http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Hyphema/Chelle-Cordero/e/9781935407843



Info re: the book:



Video Trailer http://youtu.be/8IcK1NN7P2E



Read a free sample http://t.co/39qq5Ov on BookBizzer



To contact Chelle:



Chelle Cordero’s website http://chellecordero.com/



Chelle Cordero’ Author Blog http://chellecordero.blogspot.com/







Facebook http://www.facebook.com/chelle.cordero



Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/ChelleCordero

Six Sentence Sunday

From my soon to be released Double the Trouble -
 Two men, one with twin daughters, and two murders complicate life for Kate Wesley. When the twin sister of one of the murder victims shows up, well let's just say life gets very interesting.



“Would it hurt you so very much to say my name?”


“Huh?” God, she was acting like an idiot. Couldn’t she think of something better to

say than huh?

“My name is Mark. Are you afraid to say it or something, Kate?”

She swore he purposely drew her name out as much as you could a short name.



I posted a tribute to my mother at http://museituppublishing.blogspot.com/2011/05/things-my-mother-never-taught-me.html?spref=fb  I hope you enjoy it.

Mothers Day History ~ The Complete History of Mother's Day

Did you ever wonder how Mother's Day got started? I did so I looked it up. You might be surprised. I was.

Mothers Day History ~ The Complete History of Mother's Day

Six Sentence Sunday

I'm continuing from last week from Connection of the Minds, which will be released in September from MuseItUp Publishing

 Half afraid to look, her hand trembled as she slowly brought it in front of her face.  Dry, no blood.  Shivers shook her body. Why was this happening? These kinds of things happened way too often lately. Okay, they were dreams, but still.