VHP Hot Summer Contest 2013

NEW AUTHOR CONTEST SUMMER 2013

Vanilla Heart Publishing is looking for a few more great authors, and we’re sponsoring a contest to find them.

We’re looking for novels in each of the following genres: mystery, suspense, and historical. Full manuscripts will be requested from the authors of the top three contest submissions in each genre. The winning manuscript in each genre as decided by our panel of three judges will be awarded a standard VHP contract.

CONTEST RULES

Contest opens to submissions 12:01 a.m. on June 1, 2013, and will remain open until 12:00 p.m. September 15, 2013. Submissions received before or after these dates will not be considered.

Contest is open to both published and unpublished writers, however, the manuscript submitted must not have been previously published in any format, including self-publishing venues and blogs.

Novels must be complete, and be between 45,000–95,000 words. Submissions short or longer than this will not be considered.

Submission must include only the first three chapters and the final chapter of your manuscript.

Submissions must be in 12-point Times New Roman or Courier Font only .

Submission must also include cover sheet with the following and only the following information: 

• Your name
• Your pen name, if you have one
• Genre of your submission/manuscript: mystery, suspense, or historical only. Other genres will not be considered.
• Working title of your manuscript
• Total word count of your full manuscript
• Total word count of your submission
• Your e-mail address
• Where we can find you on the Web (Website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) with URLs or other direct links.

Submissions will be accepted via email only. Email submissions to:

 ContestSummer2013@
VanillaHeartBooksAndAuthors.com

We will select three full manuscripts from each genre by October 25, 2013. If your submission is not selected, you will be notified by this date.

Do not submit full manuscript unless requested to do so. Submitting full manuscript if not requested will automatically disqualify entry from contest.


Winning authors and book titles will be announced on the Vanilla Heart Publishing Website on November 25, 2013, after winning authors are notified and under contract, with publications dates and author pages on the VHP Website are completed.

We reserve the right not to declare a winner in one or more genres if none of the submitted manuscripts meet our publishing standards.

The decision of the judges is final. Do not email us questioning why your submission was not selected; such emails will not be answered.

A Teaser from Final Sin

There wasn’t anyone there who didn’t look like they weren’t ready to heave. Julie felt sorry for the vollies, the members of the local volunteer ambulance corps. At least she and Matt were being paid to be there. Then again, no amount of money was worth witnessing the carnage that was lying there before them.

Matt had done the unwelcome task and already pronounced one of the girls dead. It was obvious death, obvious to anyone. Trying her best not to step into the pool of blood or disturb anything else vital to the crime scene investigation that would follow, she finished preparing the one girl who was still alive for transport.

A young man in his late twenties or early thirties, Julie wasn’t sure without reading the patient care report, had been burnt when his shirt had caught fire. He was sitting huddled and guarding his severely burnt arm as Matt treated him. He looked scared and in shock at the events around him and wouldn’t look at any of the police officers who had responded. Julie assumed that it was his need to deny the trauma.

A broad shouldered officer came through the door and took command of the scene. He seemed hardened to the butchery, almost as if he had seen too many gruesome scenes just like this one. Dressed in a dark blue baseball jacket, open collar knit shirt and khaki pants, he donned a pair of latex gloves he had carried in his pocket and began an almost detached visual inspection of the room. The springy snap of the elastic gloves stretching to fit his large hands was in sharp contrast to his motionless stance. Other officers at the scene deferred to his judgment and took instructions from him as he calmly took in the entire scene. He was concerned with the best way to collect the pertinent evidence to tell the story of what had happened.

As Julie and one of the ambulance crew members moved the surviving girl to the gurney, she risked a quick look at the tall officer’s dark eyes and noted that there was a thinly disguised veil of dismay. He had intrigued her with his stony expression and seeming aloofness to the horrors, and his complete focus on the collection of relevant clues.  Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, it was a comfort to Julie that the cop was not completely indifferent to this horror or detached from the human cost.

For Matt and Julie, their tour of duty had started out like many others. There had been a call to a minor motor vehicle accident, another for chest pains and one more for a cancer patient who needed to go to the hospital for treatment. Many of the upstate New York communities had contracted with Paramedic services to complement the existing ambulance corps and provide emergency medical response. Whether paid or unpaid, the certified corps always responded with Emergency Medical Technicians who were capable of handling most emergencies. When the Paramedics were dispatched as well, IV drugs and additional hands could often help make critical differences when necessary.

This call had gone out over the radio for a burn victim, so none of the responding police, fire fighters, volunteer ambulance crew nor paramedics were prepared for what they found when they reached this isolated tool shed. From the outside, the grayed wood had seemed serene enough, and the one small window had been caked over with dirt. She didn’t think that she would have given the shed a second glance under normal circumstances. But this was far from normal. No one had anticipated the horror scene inside.

Final Sin

Final Sin is the first of my two EMS mystery stories.

I’ve been a NYS Emergency Medical Technician since 1987 and a volunteer with Stony Point Ambulance Corps ~ my whole family works and volunteers in emergency medical services. While Final Sin, and it’s sequel Hyphema, are works of fiction, many of the EMS perspectives are very real.

Being an EMS volunteer has been a completely enriching experience and has given me a wonderful opportunity to be a vital asset to my community which depends on volunteer emergency services. All of these years of being an EMT has also given me great insight into the beauty and fragility of human life.

I hope you will share some of my experiences – please read my books Final Sin and Hyphema. And why not consider volunteering in your own community and helping your neighbors in their times of need?

An interview Of Chelle by Morgan Bailey

This interview previously appeared on 

Morgen Bailey’s Writing Blog

Author Spotlight no.53 – Chelle Cordero 28 Jan 2012

Chelle has come a long way since first joining the Vanilla Heart Publishing queue of authors nearly two years ago with her first novel, Bartlett’s Rule. Now with nine novels on the market, she has solidified her standing as a Romantic Suspense author (7 romantic suspense & 2 mysteries). She also has short stories in the VHP anthology With Arms Wide Open, Mandimam’s Press anthology Forever Friends, the VHP anthology Nature’s Gifts, VHP anthology Passionate Hearts and Mandimam Press anthology Forever Travels.

Bartlett’s Rule was named one of Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s Top Ten Reads for 2009; Final Sin was a 2009 Pushcart Nominee; and Hostage Heart, Final Sin and A Chaunce of Riches were nominated in the 2009 Preditors’ and Readers’ poll and had top-ten finishes. Chelle Cordero was recently featured as one of the authors in “50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading” published by The Author’s Show in 2010.

And now from the author herself:
As a child I kept notebook after notebook of writing attempts. In one case I created an entire TV series written specifically for my then-favourite actor; the series he was in was cancelled and after all, wouldn’t his agent be thrilled that someone cared enough to come up with a new script for him? The agent was unimpressed.

I did a favour for a community organizer when I was 18 and wrote a brief article for the local weekly paper. It was published and while I didn’t receive any monetary payment, seeing my name in the by-line was a “pure adrenaline” rush. For years I went back to writing my TV series, (hey even though the agent didn’t like it, I did) and short pieces of prose.

Finally, pregnant with our daughter, I decided to work from home and write full-time. I lucked into an underpaid, monthly column in the cable guide pretty much right away. Other non-fiction spots followed, luckily most had better pay rates. I felt like literally stumbled into writing as a profession.

That was the first time I announced (sort of proudly) that I was a writer. I had gotten paid for my writing and except for that one ungrateful actor’s agent, I had never known rejection. My ego was definitely inflated.

However most of the people who took my pronouncement seriously asked if I had written any books. I had to be honest, while I enjoyed writing ANYthing, I really wanted to create stories, fiction, romantic stories of suspense, mysteries…
So while working freelance as a journalist, raising two precocious kids, keeping a home and volunteering in my community, I found the time to start writing stories. Despite the long list of published credits I had, agents told me I was too new to take a chance on and I finally knew what it felt like to receive a rejection.

My ego was still so super-inflated that each time I received a rejection, I became more determined to get a novel published – I used to tell everyone that I wanted to grow up to be a novelist. I kept writing and finally in late 2007 I submitted a manuscript called Bartlett’s Rule to Vanilla Heart Publishing; it was accepted (there went that ego again!). I finally felt grown up.

I am still a freelance journalist and I enjoy my work. But I LOVE letting my imagination run away and create characters and stories. I still get that pure adrenaline rush each time I see my name on the spine of a book. I enjoy taking different experiences of my life and fashioning it into a novel. It’s amazing to see how something as simple as a grocery store encounter can turn into the beginnings of a mystery.

Nine novels later, short stories in five anthologies, two writing guides and scores more newspaper articles, I absolutely love my life.
I will send anyone who sends an email to ChelleCordero@gmail.com with “Sampler” in the subject a FREE .pdf sampler of all my novels and writing guides.


For more information about Chelle, visit her website at http://ChelleCordero.com or her blog at http://ChelleCordero.blogspot.com. All of Chelle’s novels are available in print or e-book through online retailers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble and various e-book formats like Smashwords.

In time for your holiday gift shopping…

Download this FREE Sampler

All of Chelle’s novels are available in both print and ebook editions for every reading device, through online retailers and in select bookstores around the world.

Visit Smashwords for e-books in multiple formats

Visit Barnes & Noble for paperback & Nook

Visit Amazon.com for paperback, Kindle &
the Living, Breathing, Writing Amazon Kindle Blog

Taking an ambulance ride & Final Sin

Have you ever been a patient in an ambulance? How did it make you feel? Did you wonder about the people who were caring for you, what their training was, how much they cared about your well being? I’d love to hear your comments below.

I have the memory of being a patient twice in the past, once after a relatively minor car accident and once for a severe asthma attack. The asthma attack was especially scary because the treatment en-route was vital, it was definitely more than just a transport.

I also have the terrific perspective of being one of those trained individuals giving care to patients on the way to hospital. I’ve been a volunteer EMT with my local ambulance corps since 1986. Sometimes the care provided is simple compassion and transport… sometimes we work hard to save a life. I’ve delivered babies – and I’ve done CPR trying to restart a heart. Both successful CPR and holding a newborn in your arms can give you a really heady feeling.

My entire family is in emergency services, both volunteer and career. That’s why, when I wanted to write a mystery suspense, it seemed natural to make my characters emergency service professionals. Going by my own experiences, where else do you get to see so much of life?

I encourage each of you to consider volunteering with your local ambulance squad; the rewards of being able to do something to help, to give some people the only chance they may have, and to know that you have provided (at the minimum) comfort and reassurance is never-ending. There are many ways to be a vital part of your community, give your ambulance corps a chance – it is definitely worth it.

About Final Sin:

Deputy Sheriff Commander Jake Carson has his hands full…

investigation of a brutal multiple homicide, a troubled son and a

vindictive ex-wife. He meets young, free-spirited paramedic Julie

Jennings. When Julie becomes the subject of an obsession, it puts both

of them in danger…

Download a FREE Final Sin “discussion starter package” complete with free bookmarks – it’s perfect for a book club or library discussion group.

for multiple e-book formats http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/2354

from Amazon (print) http://bit.ly/GEgv6

This is me…

It was a rainy day in April 1945 when my parents got married. A few years later, my sister was born; four-plus more years and several attempts later, my parents conceded that they weren’t destined to have another child. So, they blew the money they had saved for a new baby on a new (used) car and a vacation in the Catskills. That’s where I began…

I was raised in apartment 2D in the Bronx – our move to apartment 2G (in the same building) when I was eleven was a monumental change in my life as my parents moved off the sofabed in the livingroom into a bedroom of their own. My sister and I helped paint our new livingroom with one-inch wide paintbrushes – nothing was impossible.

Growing up was always an adventure for me, especially with an imagination as active as mine was. I remember three strangers to our neighborhood that mysteriously disappeared into the basement of the building next door on an almost daily basis. One day, a daring friend and I crept down after them to observe what they were doing. They had clips and wires coming out of the building’s telephone junction box! Convinced that we had discovered some huge international espionage plot, we were giddy with excitement. When they turned in our direction, we ran, frightened for our very lives. That was the last time we ever saw them.

As if I needed any encouragement into the world of make-believe, I studied Theatre Arts and Drama at the High School of Art and Design, Fordham University and the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts. After some humble, probably annoying, pleading, I managed a nondescript and all too short walk-on in the movie “Plaza Suite” starring Walter Matthau and Maureen Stapleton (How many degrees to Kevin Bacon?). I appeared (very far off) off-off Broadway and did a summer stint as a lighting technician at the Lake Placid Center for Performing Arts. I also worked my way through college as an undercover retail fraud investigator.

My parents believed in mandatory community service although the choice of what we did was up to us. My sister was a Candy Striper at the local hospital, I joined the New York City Auxiliary Police at our local precinct – my dad was the Auxiliary Police Captain. That’s where I met my husband, at least REALLY met him. We had gone to the same high school (he studied photography) but my only vague memory of him was when he, in the guise of a by-the-book hall monitor, tried to prevent me from going to the backstage area to work on an upcoming play. True, it was between class periods and I didn’t have a hall pass, but the theatre students were used to making their own rules. Anyway, back to the Auxiliary Police… I thought he was an egomaniac snob, he didn’t care for me much either.

We kept getting assigned together as patrol partners and even though we built a terrific reputation as partners and seemed to communicate almost telepathically, I complained to our superiors. The Patrol Sergeant, the Lieutenant and the Captain (MY dad) kept pointing the finger at each other for the decision making process that kept throwing us together. A year and a half later, we had our first date; two weeks after that, we were engaged. He kidnapped me and refused to bring me home until I said yes, I figured I’d ask my father to beat him up. But when I told my parents that Mark had proposed, my dad clasped his hands together and said “Thank God!”

We settled in the suburbs less than an hour northwest of the city and began our family. Shortly after the birth of our daughter, I pursued a free-lance writing career and worked out of a home office. As a teen-ager I had written a few articles for a weekly Bronx newspaper and had since dabbled in poetry and pieces of prose just for the fun of it. After our son joined the picture, I managed to convince a few more rags to print my articles. This was about the time I had a weekly column as “Bonzo, the Ape” and shared profound thoughts on life. Since then, I’ve written more commonly as myself, sometimes conducting interviews (and trust me, you wouldn’t believe the things people sometimes tell you about themselves!), covering Grand Opening events, researching new trends and fashions, writing advertorials and business profiles, and just about anything else that will sell. I also spent a few summers teaching Creative Writing to kids in a local program.

Both my husband and I joined our local ambulance corps as volunteers and went on to become New York State Emergency Medical Technicians. I’ve helped to deliver babies, did CPR during codes, pulled people out of car wrecks, splinted broken bones, monitored the vitals of drug overdoses, stopped bleeding, and held patients’ hands enroute to the hospital. Both of our kids have followed us into the E.M.S. community and, often, dinner conversation at our table is not for the weak of stomach. Many of our friends are also involved with the local emergency services, medical and fire, and it isn’t unusual to have a festive holiday party empty out as soon as a pager goes off. The stories we swap are never boring.

My daughter and my son have justified every gray hair I’ve gotten. They’ve kept me on my toes, made me laugh, made me shake my head and cry, shared their dreams with me, allowed me to boast about them, and have each become a vital part of my inner circle of close friends. I’ve done the gamut of class mother, Girl Scout leader, Cub Scout mom, school parents’ association, and advisor in various youth groups. My favorite age has always been whatever age they were at the time. I love it when we hang out together or they invite me to go someplace with them and their friends. Both of our “kids” are terrific adults and I love following their various adventures.

I’ve always played a favorite game I call “What if?” whenever I see something unexpected, do something new, or hear about some adventure. I mentally place fictional characters into the setting and then I ask myself what if THIS happens, or THAT? By staying involved in my community, active with my family, reading avidly and even surfing on the Internet, I get a lot of fuel for my overactive imagination.

That means a lot of stories – please, join me

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/chellecordero Who is looking at my blog? (hello world!)

United States Russia Germany Netherlands United Kingdom Canada Ukraine India France South Korea

Hug an EMT or Paramedic…

As EMS Week 2011 winds down, it’s a good time to remember the folks who come to our assistance in all kinds of weather and all times of day or night. I am proud to be a NYS EMT volunteer with my local ambulance corps and serving my community. Please check out my post about NYSVARA (New York State Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Association) and all that they do – the address to send donations is there too. Just go to the May Awareness Project on the Tales of Allure blog.

Two of my novels, Final Sin and Hyphema are both thrillers with a healthy mix of suspense, action, mystery, passion, murder and EMS. The medical scenes are real and thrilling, the love is intense, and the suspense is edge of your seat.

The hero and heroine of Final Sin are Paramedic Julie Davis and Deputy Sheriff Jake Carlson. Julie’s best friend and paramedic partner, Matt Garratti, comes back in Hyphema.

Deputy Sherriff Commander Jake Carson has his hands full… investigation of a brutal multiple homicide, a troubled son and a vindictive ex-wife. He meets young, free-spirited paramedic Julie Jennings. When Julie becomes the subject of an obsession, it puts both of them in danger…

(excerpt)

For the second time in less than two weeks, there were police in Julie’s living room. She was sitting on the edge of her bed and listening to the voices. Jake was talking in hushed tones to one of the officers.

He came to the bedroom door and his heart wrenched when he saw her still looking so dazed. Jake walked over to her and knelt down. “Sweetheart, I want you to go away for a few days.”

She looked at him suddenly. “Why?”

“I have to get to the bottom of everything that’s been happening. I need to find out why you got this package… and why someone made videotapes of you… and even why your car was vandalized the other day.” Julie hadn’t made a big deal of the damage to her car but had mentioned it briefly to him during a conversation. She hadn’t told him what had been scratched into the hood of her car and until his comment she hadn’t even thought of it in connection with the other incidents.

Julie shrugged. “Is someone really looking to scare me or something?” It seemed ludicrous and yet there was no other explanation for the strange and vindictive things that had been happening lately.

“I don’t know. But I don’t want to take any chances. I can’t take any chances, not when it comes to you.” He wanted so desperately to protect her and he didn’t know who or what to protect her from. He was glad that he had at least been there when she got that frightening special delivery that morning, but then he wanted to kick himself that she had gotten it at all.

“I can’t… I can’t leave. I have work. I’ve got responsibilities.”

“Just a few days, Julie. I want you out of here for just a few days.” I want you out of harm’s way, he thought. I want to make it safe for you.

She looked at him defiantly and shook her head. Then suddenly she felt like she was ready to crumble. “Where? Where should I go?”

He thought for a moment. Jake tried to smile. “When is the last time you visited your parents? Let them take you to Disney or Sea World or something.”

“They’ll worry. It’s too sudden. They’ll think something is wrong.” Her protests were weak. “I don’t want to worry them.”

Jake wanted to shout at her that there was something wrong, but he didn’t want to scare her any more than she was. He didn’t want to scare himself any more than he already was either. He forced a laugh. “Tell them you just got proposed to and he’s old and he’s got a kid. Tell them you need a few days to sort out your feelings before you tell him yes.”

Julie laughed, but she sounded like she was ready to cry. “I thought you were trying to remove the stress.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hyphema
Hyphema: Bleeding in the eye caused by trauma… Matt Garratti, a paramedic from New York, moves his wife and son to North Carolina to work at his dream job as a flight medic. Pakistani born Sudah, his wife, receives frosty stares and insensitive comments from their new neighbors… Matt wonders if he is pursuing his dream or bringing his family into a nightmare from which they may never wake.

Listmania Lists

Thank you 1920’s Movie Fan!

So proud to say that Hostage Heart was included in
the

Don’t Miss these romance authors

Listmania List on Amazon by 1920’s Movie Fan

Life was hard after the hurricanes swept through, destroying her parents’ home and livelihood…Deanna did the only thing she could do. She moved to New York City, found a job, worked hard, scrimped and saved to send what little she could manage back home to Louisiana to her parents. An errand for her boss – a chance encounter with a crew of bank robbers – a kind man who tried to help her and deserved her courageous help in return… But he wasn’t the man she thought he was…no, he was so very much more!

Buy Links:Amazon.com (print)
Amazon.com (Kindle)
e-books on Smashwords.pdf Instant Download from PayLoadz

Hostage Heart vs. The Town

A friend called me yesterday to tell me that she just saw the movie “The Town” starring Ben Affleck and Rebecca Hall… “You know,” she said, “it reminded me of one of your books, Hostage Heart.”

About The Town: “Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) is an unrepentant criminal, the de facto leader of a group of ruthless bank robbers who pride themselves in stealing what they want and getting out clean. With no real attachments, Doug never has to fear losing anyone close to him. But that all changed on the gang’s latest job, when they briefly took a hostage–bank manager, Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall). Though they let her go unharmed, Claire is nervously aware that the robbers know her name…and where she lives. But she lets her guard down when she meets an unassuming and rather charming man named Doug…not realizing that he is the same man who only days earlier had terrorized her. …” (courtesy of Movie Insider) The movie is loosely based on Chuck Hogan’s book “Prince of Thieves“.

About Hostage Heart: “Life was hard after the hurricanes swept through, destroying her parents’ home and livelihood…Deanna did the only thing she could do. She moved to New York City, found a job, worked hard, scrimped and saved to send what little she could manage back home to Louisiana to her parents. An errand for her boss – a chance encounter with a crew of bank robbers – a kind man who tried to help her and deserved her courageous help in return… But he wasn’t the man she thought he was…no, he was so very much more!” In Hostage Heart, Deanna is taken captive and falls in love with one of the bank robbers. Admonishing herself for her poor judgment, she nonetheless mourns after she watches him shot down during her rescue. She later learns that there is duplicity and has to survive someone’s need for revenge.

I had to chuckle how the combined theme of a hostage and an ensuing love story made my friend think of my book. I feel honored to have one of my stories come to mind. There are, after all, only so many stories – it’s the telling that makes all of the difference. There have been many times when classics such as Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story were compared.

Of course though I have to wonder (and hope for) how it can come to pass that a movie producer would turn one of my tales into a movie starring some sexy hunk?

Are there any takers out there?

Buy Links
Amazon.com (print)
Amazon.com (Kindle)
e-books on Smashwords

page 69 theory – Final Sin

There is a theory that if you pick up a book and turn to page 69, you will know if the book is interesting or not

so we are putting it to the test…

~~~~~~
p 69

Long ago after his ex-wife’s damning condemnation of him as a lover, Jake had made it a point to learn how to satisfy his partner before meeting his own needs. Too embarrassed to speak to friends about his failure as a husband and a lover, Jake secretly read a bunch of erotic romances and then tried the techniques one by one. That was why he originally sought to satisfy Julie in front of the mirror. The fire in her eyes mesmerized him and the need to see that fire over and over again became singularly important.

She rested her head on his shoulder and they fell asleep together. During the night, Jake woke her by planting delicate kisses along her spine. He watched as the flame kindled in her eyes and they made love again. Afterwards, when they held each other closely, they could hear the combined beating of their hearts as if it were a well-rehearsed melody lulling them once again to sleep.

And when they made love yet again in the morning light, Jake realized that his thirst for her seemed unquenchable.

*****

Jake was buttoning his pants as he came into the kitchen. Julie had her back to him and didn’t hear his barefooted approach. He found it hard to accept that someone could be so beautiful, but she was.

“Hi.” He nuzzled her neck and surprised her. Jake slipped his hand inside her terry robe and gently caressed a breast. “I wish I didn’t have to go to work.”

Julie chuckled and turned in his arms. Her robe fell open. “But you do… and I have to go to work later as well.” She pressed her breasts against his showerdamp and hair-roughened chest. “But, oh, you are making it seem so tempting.”

Jake inhaled deeply. “Keep doing that and it will be your fault if I go in late. Or if I have the energy to go in at all.” It amazed him, it hadn’t been that long since he had been with a woman and yet his desire for Julie had yet to be assuaged. He bent to suckle a breast.

“Your coffee is going to get cold.” Julie was already breathless.

She had come into the kitchen to make him coffee and toast while he showered. He still had to stop at his place for a change of clothes before going into work. Neither of them had expected to want each other again so soon.

“You are anything but cold, my love. And you are much more desirable than a cup of coffee right now.” He drew a nipple deeply between his lips while he gently kneaded her other breast with his palm.

Final Sin
by Chelle Cordero
(paperback)

or as an E-Book from
SMASHWORDS

Deputy Sherriff Commander Jake Carson has his hands full… investigation of a brutal multiple homicide, a troubled son and a vindictive ex-wife. He meets young, free-spirited paramedic Julie Jennings. When Julie becomes the subject of an obsession, it puts both of them in danger…