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by
Tamara Philip, Chelle Cordero, Malcolm R. Campbell,
Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard, Neva Squires-Rodriguez,
Charmaine Gordon, and Lauren Shiro.
That Christmas Feeling
Tamara Philip
***
A Date With Mistletoe
Chelle Cordero
***
Jock Stewart’s Holiday Hilarity
Malcolm R. Campbell
***
Dead for a Night
Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard
***
Esperanza-The Holiday that Wasn’t
Neva Squires-Rodriguez
***
Surprise in August
Charmaine Gordon
***
The Gift
Lauren Shiro
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Nightlife: A Stories from the Shadows Short Story
by Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard
The Holiday Secret
by Neva Squires-Rodriguez
Believing in Santa
by Chelle Cordero
Jock Talks…Strange People
by Malcolm R. Campbell
Heart of Night: A Nightlife Short Story
by Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard
Romancing the Grinch
by Tamara Philip
The Smoke that Thunders
by Paul Zunckel
Until the Ambulance Arrives
by Chelle Cordero
Jock Who? Jock Stewart!
by Malcolm R. Stewart
Home for the Holidays
by Charmaine Gordon
First Christmas
by Lauren Shiro
Holiday Happiness
by Chelle Cordero
Cora’s Crossing
by Malcolm R. Campbell
Moonlight and Ghosts
by Malcolm R. Campbell
Amnesie
by Lauren Shiro
Scarlet’s Tears
by Angela Kay Austin
Trajectory
by Lauren Shiro
*all links above are for Amazon-Kindle
these books are alo available at
Smashwords, Barnes&Noble, KOBO, iTunes,
and other online retailers
…and many foreign language editions
by
Eight Stories of Love, Passion, and Romance
Liz Gleason brings laughter and joy into the neighborhood when she opens a card shop. Designing her own humorous greeting cards, business booms and romance blossoms. Is it all too soon when a TV producer shows interest in Liz and her shop?
(A Love Story)
Piet van Zyl finds himself like a fish out of water on meeting the lovely Peggy. The man that will stand down a charging buffalo…the man who is never without a quick chirp…the man, who has an answer for everything has finally met his match…now he is out of his depth, for cupid was around and his arrow hit the burly South African dead center.
Disowned by her parents because of an interracial love affair, Callie Sanders is left alone to raise her son after his father, Jimmy Bernerd, dies fighting in a war on the other side of the world. Desperate to give her son a family she goes to the Bernerd household — what she finds is a second chance at love, acceptance, and family.
Valentine’s Day uncovers a new world hidden in her home that no one, including Gabriela, can understand. Not even scratching her own arm helps Gabriela understand that this place is real, and part of the reason is that she uncovers a secret bigger than life itself. Her family tries to convince her to never go to this place again, but Gabriela soon learns for herself, the price associated with getting her there, and that some things are better left unknown.
Chantal is sure of two things: her general contracting business, and her love for her old flame, Desiree. A serious car accident changes everything, causing her to stop working; and she meets someone new in Grace, a friend of a friend who becomes her care giver. This accident turns her world upside down, even her love.
Excerpts from Tamara’s award-winning debut novel, The Trouble with Playing Cupid along with the recipes for delicious meals the lovers feed each other along the way, including December’s Favorite Buttermilk Pancakes, Tom’s Creamy Pasta Primavera for Two, and Cupid’s Hot Chocolate (guaranteed to inspire love and adoration from all who drink it).
A Nightlife Short Story
Lady Jannessa Guillory was the daughter of an ambassador, and therefore it was her duty to marry to her station, and to help her father. Yet, the night called to her in such a way she couldn’t deny it. And when a voice found her in the dark, she knew she couldn’t stop her own passions.
Excerpts from Angela’s Sweet Victory, along with the recipes for a few of the sweet treats Victoria makes after her move back home to Memphis – and too near to Chad. Includes Sweet Victory itself: a delightful chocolate no-bake treasure of coconut and pecans, and Victoria’s favorite comfort food – baked macaroni and cheese.
including Nook, iPad, Kindle, and More!
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/610885
“I read the book ‘Hyphema’ in one stretch. Very well researched and well written. The element of suspense was maintained throughout. I liked it very much. Great work.” ~ NS (5/11/2016)
Hyphema won the Dec 9, 2011 Friday Book Cover Vote on the
Shades of Love website & was recommended in the book
Summer Reading: 2012 Blue Ribbon Selection published by the
Ewen Prime Co. EMSWorld posted about both of
Chelle’s EMS novels Final Sin & Hyphema.
~~~~~
“This is my first book by this author and I would read another one of her stories.
This is Matt, Sudah and Raja’s story. Matt is white and his wife is Pakistani. Matt is a paramedic. Sudah is a stay-at-home mum who takes care of their son, Aden, but she wants to finish her education.
The story is told mainly from Matt’s perspective and you can feel the love he has for his wife. Sudah appears to love her husband. She is a Muslim and very traditional in the way she treats Matt. She is very subservient to him although he does not require this from her.
Sudah asks her husband if her cousin can come from Pakistani and live in their home with them so she can go back to school. Matt knows in his heart this is a mistake but because he loves his wife he says yes. Raja brings trouble to their happy marriage.
In the meantime there is a deranged man seeking revenge against Matt. Every harassing activity perpetrated against Matt and his family makes everyone believe these events are happening because Sudah is a Pakistani and a Muslim; but nothing could be further from the truth.
I read the book in one sitting; it was a page turner and I had to discover what happened in the end. I found the story to be an emotional roller-coaster ride because I did not believe that Sudah’s love for Matt was as deep and as unconditional as Matt’s love was for her. Even though there is a happy ending, I could not enjoy it because I thought Matt had been short changed by Sudah’s lack of trust in him. She believed Raja over her husband who had never given her any cause to ever doubt him. I was cheering for team Matt.
What would have made this book a better read for me was to hear the story from Sudah’s perspective, as well, because it was very difficult to understand her reasoning at times.
Definitely worth a read.”
-Reviewed by Marcia (from Romance Novels in Color 1/4/2016)
Buy Links
~~~~~
What else has been said about Hyphema?
“In Hyphema, author Chelle Cordero meets headlong a number of real problems facing her characters. She doesn’t sugar-coat cultural differences and prejudice. The series of incidents and the deaths faced by Matt and Sudah cause them to face these problems and gives the love story a depth well-done.” —Janet Lane Walters
“Ms. Cordero tackles such amazingly current topics-hate, prejudice, fear of the different, with such enjoyable, suspenseful, and well-researched background, that this reader will be following her closely to see what she writes next. Each medical scene resonates with reality, and each chapter flows into the next with a flutter in the pit of the stomach for what is coming, as well as what has been.” —Brian Davidson
“I sat down to read Hyphema late one night. I thought I would start it, read for about thirty minutes and then go to sleep; instead, I stayed up till almost four in the morning reading it. Immediately immersed in the story, the tension never let up enough for me to even consider putting it down and coming back to it later.
Matt is an air ambulance EMT, a flight medic. He has just moved his son, and his Pakistani wife, to a small town in North Carolina from New York so he could have this job. The job is his dream job and Sudah, his wife, couldn’t be more supportive. She is patient, caring and so obviously in love with Matt and their son that it just spills over onto the page. She’s the kind of person I’d like to have for a neighbor, but not everyone, even within the circle of Matt’s work buddies and their wives feel that way, but Sudah handles the anger and prejudice with grace and softly spoken words meant to soften hearts and break down the walls of misunderstanding.
On one particularly heartbreaking call, Matt and his team are dispatched to a motor vehicle accident involving an SUV that had rolled over. The mother was unconscious, trapped in the car and her toddler son was bloody, unresponsive and pinned in the back in his car seat. To get to him they had to get the mother out.
Knowing there was no time to wait for fire trucks and ambulances Matt and his team pry open the car door and get the mother out, but when they get to the little boy, they realize he is dead. Wanting to be able to tell the mother when she regains consciousness that they had done everything possible to save her son, Matt opens IVs wide and begins CPR on the boys still warm body, handing the CPR off to an EMT on board Matt goes to work on the mother, trying to stabilize her condition. Even though the team does everything they can the little boy is pronounced DOA at the hospital. His devastated father comes into the ER and discovers that his son is dead when he wasn’t even supposed to be with his wife, her sister was supposed to be babysitting. Overcome with grief he screams how he’ll make everyone pay.
Life for Sudah is difficult at times, even though she is a happy person with an optimistic attitude. People won’t talk to her and sometimes call her names. Her own parents will not even recognize her marriage because it is a Muslim/Christian marriage. This is extremely hard on Sudah because she loves and misses her parents, but it becomes especially hard when they refuse to even accept a picture of their grandson because they view him as illegitimate.
Sudah becomes the victim of apparent hate crimes; a rock is thrown through their window when she is home alone with a message that appears to relate to 9/11 on it. Another note is found taped to the house after the family had been away, every time they report the incidents and every time they police act as though there is simply little to nothing to do. After one particularly frightening incident the police even threaten to arrest Matt for filing a false report because they think he is making it up to make the police look bad – a task they are managing quite well on their own.
Matt and Sudah face obstacles that severely test their relationship and their marriage. I do not want to go into anymore of the specifics here, but while Matt and Sudah’s relationship plays an important role in the book, the story is much more of an extremely well written thriller and I definitely recommend reading it.” — Tracy Riva
“Chelle Cordero tackles a difficult subject this time in her latest release HYPHEMA: bleeding in the eye caused by trauma. A mystery thriller with love, prejudice, and first responders makes HYPHEMA a must read in this climate where compassion and understanding will lead toward peace.
Writing from years of experience as a first responder, Ms Cordero paints an accurate, thrilling story of the lives of flight medics in North Carolina.
Matt Garratti brings his wife, Pakistani born Sudah and their baby son to begin a new life. Before long, Matt wonders if he is bringing his family into a nightmare from which they may never wake.” — Charmaine Gordon
A wealthy couple, no children in sight, answer the door one day to find a replica of the woman living there, titian hair and all. Charlie is her name and so begins the story. Years later, Charlie’s young twin sisters , now seventeen, are rescued by the same couple with a big heart. It’s a tale of love and hearts that keep on giving.
Now Available in All Ebook Editions!
Blurb:
Twin sisters thrown away by their mother like garbage decide they’ve had enough. After living in a private school for ten years they call for help from a generous Aunt and Uncle in Chicago. And so their story begins. Reunited with big sister Charlie and brother Jimmy, the past is revealed to clear the way to a new life.
A few words from the author:
Six years ago, this author wrote Reconstructing Charlie. The story came to me in a dream. A young girl in a small town in Minnesota kills her abusive father and is sent by her mother to run for the bus to Chicago to an aunt and uncle she didn’t know existed. The next morning, disturbed by the dream, I began to write and write and worry about Charlie Costigan, a character who became real to me. After raising a batch of kids long grown, I wondered why I had this girl to worry about. Worry I did as page after page flew by, Charlie grew more mature, eventually graduated from college and became a star in her world.
Very often people ask writers where stories come from. Some of mine come from what I call sleep writing, instead of sleep walking. It’s kind of chancy. You can’t tell if one night you’ll dream of To Kill A Mocking Bird or One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. One thing I learned is to write every day and don’t race through. Take the time to flesh out your chapters and characters so everything makes sense and don’t forget humor. In show business the word is “Never cut funny.” I believe in that.
SMASHWORDS for ALL Ereading Devices
Coming Soon in French and Spanish editions!
About Author Charmaine Gordon
Charmaine Gordon writes books about women who Survive and Thrive. Her motto is take one step and then another to leave your past behind and begin again. Six books and several short stories in three years, she’s always at work on the next story. The books include To Be Continued, Starting Over, Now What?, Reconstructing Charlie, Sin of Omission and The Catch, and her series of Mature Romances, The Beginning…Not the End, including the stand alone novellas, She Didn’t Say No and Farewell, Hello.
“I didn’t realize at the time while working as an actor in NYC, I’d become a sponge soaking up dialogue, setting, and stage directions. I learned many tools of writing during the years watching directors like Mike Nichols and actors including Harrison Ford, Anthony Hopkins, and Billy Crystal. And would you believe, I was Geraldine Ferraro’s stand-in leg model, my first job giving me entrée into all the Unions needed to work. When the sweet time ended, I began another career and creative juices flowed.”
Charlie’s Family Secrets series (previous books)
The Catch by Charmaine Gordon
Tom Donnelly, once known as The Catch – every woman’s dream guy, has fallen down every rung of the ladder he once worked so hard to climb. On New Year’s Day, he realizes just how far he’s fallen, and makes a list of resolutions to change his life. He vows to regain the trust lost from his family, his law firm, and his friends – and maybe even find the right woman this time.
*reblogged from VHP Book Tours
by Charmaine Gordon
Liz Gleason brings laughter and joy into the neighborhood when she opens a card shop. Designing her own humorous greeting cards, business booms and romance blossoms. Is it all too soon when a TV producer shows interest in Liz and her shop?
by Paul Zunckel
Piet van Zyl finds himself like a fish out of water on meeting the lovely Peggy. The man that will stand down a charging buffalo…the man who is never without a quick chirp…the man, who has an answer for everything has finally met his match…now he is out of his depth, for cupid was around and his arrow hit the burly South African dead center.
by Chelle Cordero
Disowned by her parents because of an interracial love affair, Callie Sanders is left alone to raise her son after his father, Jimmy Bernerd, dies fighting in a war on the other side of the world. Desperate to give her son a family she goes to the Bernerd household — what she finds is a second chance at love, acceptance, and family.
by Neva Squires-Rodriguez
Valentine’s Day uncovers a new world hidden in her home that no one, including Gabriela, can understand. Not even scratching her own arm helps Gabriela understand that this place is real, and part of the reason is that she uncovers a secret bigger than life itself. Her family tries to convince her to never go to this place again, but Gabriela soon learns for herself, the price associated with getting her there, and that some things are better left unknown.
by Lauren Shiro
Chantal is sure of two things: her general contracting business, and her love for her old flame, Desiree. A serious car accident changes everything, causing her to stop working; and she meets someone new in Grace, a friend of a friend who becomes her care giver. This accident turns her world upside down, even her love.
by Tamara Philip
Excerpts from Tamara’s award-winning debut novel, The Trouble with Playing Cupid along with the recipes for delicious meals the lovers feed each other along the way, including December’s Favorite Buttermilk Pancakes, Tom’s Creamy Pasta Primavera for Two, and Cupid’s Hot Chocolate (guaranteed to inspire love and adoration from all who drink it).
A Nightlife Short Story
by Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard
Lady Jannessa Guillory was the daughter of an ambassador, and therefore it was her duty to marry to her station, and to help her father. Yet, the night called to her in such a way she couldn’t deny it. And when a voice found her in the dark, she knew she couldn’t stop her own passions.
by Angela Kay Austin
Excerpts from Angela’s Sweet Victory, along with the recipes for a few of the sweet treats Victoria makes after her move back home to Memphis – and too near to Chad. Includes Sweet Victory itself: a delightful chocolate no-bake treasure of coconut and pecans, and Victoria’s favorite comfort food – baked macaroni and cheese.
Determined, Charlie begins again. Alone with her secret.
Years of experience as an actor on daytime drama. Stage, spokesperson and commercials plus writing sketches for Air Force shows helped prepare me for the wonders of a writing career. Of course, I didn’t realize it at the time when immersed in the written words of others, that I was like a sponge, soaking up how to construct a scene, write dialogue, and paint the setting.
My writing effort came later when I wrote a two page story, sent it to son, Paul who commented, “Cool. Can you write ten pages?” Seemed impossible but the story poured from my fingers and seventy thousand words later, I typed The End.
I kissed my acting career goodbye, leaving on a high note with the lead in an Off Broadway play, “The Fourth Commandment” author Rich Knipe. It was great fun and time to move on. Movies like “Working Girl”, “Road to Wellsville” and having the pleasure of Anthony Hopkins company at lunch, working with Mike Nichols in “Regarding Henry” and singing outside with Harrison Ford, crying with Gene Wilder over loss on another set, When “Harry Met Sally” with the whole gang singing It Had to Be You. Lots of fond memories. My first job as stand-in leg model for Geraldine Ferraro in a Diet Pepsi commercial with Secret Service men guarding her and her daughters. A sweet time.
One last memory and a funny one at that. A casting call went out for an actor with a Betty White voice. Talent in the tri-state area scouted and I was the only one who fit the bill. A voice-over accomplished for a nutritious drink for seniors; another credit added to my resume. I smile every time I see and hear Ms White on television and recall yet another sweet time.
You can reach Charmaine at
AuthorCharmaineGordon.wordpress.com
www.facebook.com/charmaine.gordon
Together, Again. There are two more sisters left behind in Utah where the the Wicked mother has left them behind. Twin sisters, remarkably athletic and capable in all subjects.. Big sister Charlie steps in to help out with the basketball team and get them into other subjects. Like the other Costigans, they will bring adventure and honor to the Alfred family.
Dini didn’t want to think about her past. And, Seth wasn’t thinking about anything but his past. Thrown together as Santa and his Number One Elf at the homeless shelter, Dini and Seth seem to be on opposite sides… of everything. Her past is catching up to her, and Seth may risk his future to protect her.
Piet and Peggy, along with their infant daughter, Heather, are about to have a guest at their safari camp home…Taking care of their friends’ daughter for a few days will be easy. Piet, the rough and tough safari owner, has been Uncle Piet to little Debi since the day he brought her safely from the wreckage of the plane that killed her parents. As thunder rolls across the African sky, sending out a warning to those who would care to take heed, the mighty Zambezi River moves forward like a bulldozer, with nothing to hold it back… Can Piet save the child from the raging waters of the Mighty Zambezi before she crashes over the falls and to the tumbled waters and wicked rocks below?
When Evaliz’s parents send her to New York to visit her sister, Tatiana for the holidays, she has no idea what the weekend has in store for her. After a devastating conversation with her boyfriend she is doubtful that her visit with her sister, who she’s always been jealous of will be any better. After Tatiana reveals a shocking secret, Evaliz wonders how her life will ever be the same.
Will Evaliz finally realize that the most important thing she could have wanted for Christmas was something she had the entire time?
Lenora Winslow absolutely despises holiday cheer. Logan Darling thrives in the festive season. When the two meet by chance on Christmas Eve, will love be in the air or will it be a case of the winter blues?
A heartwarming holiday short story – Corrine and Darryl haven’t spent much time together, with Darryl away in the military. Now, Darryl is coming home. Corrine has changed… grown… become a woman he barely knows… a woman who amazes him at every turn. He’s coming home to their first home for their first Christmas… together, at last.
“The tale of the Costigan family that began with Reconstructing Charlie has come full-circle to a new beginning, one where the four siblings, torn apart by tragedy and greed, are once again re-united just in time for Christmas. Holiday warmth and love fills the home of the kindly aunt and uncle who took Charlie in so many years before.” ~ Chelle Cordero
Eight year old twin sisters were placed in a private religious school in Utah years ago. Ten years later, they reach out to the kind aunt and uncle who raised their older sister and brother. An escape plan is made and their truly wicked mother is forced to face what she did by throwing away her children in exchange for her own freedom.
Jock Stewart, known for his wit and sarcasm, shares a few news stories he’s written about this holiday, including JOCK STEWART’S HOLIDAY BOOK BUYING GUIDE, NEW INTERSTATE BLOCKS ROAD TO GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE, and A MILLION LITTLE LIES. He also shares a free preview of his comedic murder mystery, Jock Stewart and the Missing Sea of Fire.
Two Holiday Short Stories in one volume, from Tamara Philip (The Cupid Series) and Neva Squires-Rodriguez (The Liliana Trilogy).
Have Love
by Tamara Philip
Bookstore owner, Danny Archer has always led a quiet unassuming life but when the mysterious Josephine, enters his shop, it’s love at first sight.
With Christmas right around the corner and a little help from his twin sister, it seems like a dream come true.
But will the secret that she’s harboring leave them heartbroken for the Holidays or will love find a way?
Have Faith
by Neva Squires-Rodriguez
Things couldn’t get any worse for Yasmin Vazquez this Christmas season. With her life falling apart around her, snatching the wreath off the apartment door that her cheating ex-boyfriend evicted her out of, was just the beginning of a nightmare of a day that led to her meeting handsome police officer, Emmanuel Colon.
Despite all of her misgivings, Yasmin allows him into her life as the magic of faith and hope helps mend her soul. But is he all that he claims to be or is there more to his story?
A short story about finding holiday happiness when you didn’t realize it was right there with you all along.
“Green bananas take time to ripen. Do not wait. There may not be a tomorrow.”
– anonymous
Buy Links
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Celeste Hamlin, the seventy-five year old widow, CEO of O.U.R. Airlines specializing in chartered vacations, has a goal… She needs to once more conquer the six mountains in the Saranac Lake region before deciding what to do with the rest of her life.
Sixty-two year old Professor Paul Harris, is on sabbatical to hike and relax. When he meets the dynamic Celeste, he recalls the last words his wife said before she passed. “Find another love and begin again.”
What happens next between an older woman and younger man is a story of gentle passion and discovery of The Beginning… Not The End.
EDITORIAL REVIEW – reviewed by Chelle Cordero, Combining Passion & Suspense
You are never too weathered to learn how to love again. Despite her losses, “young” age, and past regrets, Celeste learns how to fall in love when she meets the “younger man” Paul. As if they had known each other already they find things they have in common as well as a mutual attraction. Hiking mountains and conquering inhibitions, Celeste is warmed by Paul’s encouragement and zest for life. The author uses humor, compassion, spicy love scenes, and endearing friendships to paint a very realistic and intriguing story.
This tale of bittersweet memories and truly living for today captured this reader – No Time for Green Bananas becomes more than a phrase, it becomes a mantra to live by and a lesson not to waste time on uncertainties. As always, Charmaine Gordon has delivered a fantastic read.
other books by Charmaine Gordon
including her latest release:
A Potpourri of Promos, Book Talk, Entertainment & Articles of Interest from Chelle Cordero 