Featuring Chelle Cordero

My guest today is fellow Vanilla Heart Publishing author,

CHELLE CORDERO.

Chelle grew up in the Bronx, NYC, studied Theatre Arts/Drama at the High School of Art and Design and Fordham University at Lincoln Center. She is married and has two grown children.

Anne - Thanks for dropping by today, Chelle, to talk about your latest release. Before we do that, however, I’d like to ask what one or two lines best sums you up as an author?

Chelle - She’s got a vivid imagination and sometimes loses touch with reality.

Anne - What activity consumes your time when you’re away from the keyboard?

Chelle - I am up to my eyeballs volunteering with my local ambulance corps. I am a proud NYS EMT and respond on 911 calls; and I am currently President of the Board of Directors. My entire family volunteers with the ambulance corps and I am amazingly proud of all of them.

Anne – Wow. I am impressed, not just because of your service to the community, but your entire family’s as well. Kudos to you and yours! Okay, let’s get back to writing. Tell us about your most recent release.

Chelle - My newest release is 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.

Before long, Matt wonders if he is pursuing his dream or bringing his family into a nightmare which they may never wake from.

Anne - Describe your home office as appears right now. Is this a good or bad thing?!

Chelle - Oy! It is a mess, scratch that, a mess would be an improvement. Aside from the condition of the room, I have a 10 by 10 foot room with a beautiful corner desk, file cabinet, futon and a window that overlooks my back yard.

Anne – My home office is about the same, minus the file cabinet and futon, but it too is a mess! How many books have you written to date? Are you most proud of one in particular? If so, why?

Chelle - Hyphema makes 9 novels; I also have one writing book that is based on the Amazon Kindle Blog that I author.

I would have to say I am most proud of Hyphema, it is quite different than my usual writing. I really had to stretch and do a lot of research. Even though I have been in EMS (emergency medical services) for a number of years and I can ask my daughter for information about being a paramedic (higher training than an EMT), I had to find out a lot about being a flight medic (thanks to Bill S, a local paramedic who spent time in the service as a flight medic), and I had to research about Pakistani culture and Islam tradition (thanks to Ahsan who shared stories of his own family).

One last thing, I normally write romantic suspense, Hyphema is a mystery thriller, the book that Matt Garratti, the hero, was created in, Final Sin, was also a departure from romantic suspense, it was a murder mystery.

Anne - Of all the characters you’ve created, does one hold a special place in your heart? Why?

Chelle - That’s a tough one – I like all of my character but I tend to literally fall in love with my heroes. If I had to pick just one, I guess it would be Tom Hughes. Tom first appeared in His Lucky Charm (previously titled Forgotten) as the heroine’s cousin. He had a tragic past and I wanted him to have his own happy-ever-after, so I wrote Within the Law.

Anne - What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Chelle - Saying good-bye to my characters.

Anne – I just realized maybe that’s why I write series…I can’t say goodbye! Are you a glass half-empty or half-full kind of person?

Chelle - Definitely half full. I much prefer seeing all the things I have in my life rather than what I don’t. I also try to see how every obstacle also provides an opportunity.

Anne - Any words of advice for struggling, unpublished writers?

Chelle - Never give up, never stop trying.

Anne - Outside of writing, what accomplishment are you most proud?

Chelle - The “kids” I raised. My son and daughter, both in their late 20’s, are remarkable people, very caring, brave and capable. Both have careers in emergency services; she is a paramedic, he is an EMT. Both volunteer with our local ambulance corps. My son is our corps’s Captain, my daughter is the Youth Squad leader and also volunteers in her local fire department.

Anne – Chelle has kindly offered to give away not only one pdf copy of Hypema to a reader today, but also a pdf copy of Final Sin to a second winner. To be entered in the draw, answer the question posed by Chelle below, leave a comment and include your email. What’s your question, Chelle?

Chelle - Matt Garratti is a Paramedic, a paramedic is the highest trained emergency medical professional outside of a hospital setting. I am an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). Imagine that an ambulance is a rolling emergency room. Tell me what a paramedic can do that an EMT cannot and I will send one lucky responder a .pdf copy of Hyphema, and a second lucky responder will win a pdf copy of Final Sin.

Thanks Anne for the opportunity to be here today.

Anne - My pleasure, Chelle. I’m so glad you dropped by, and I wish you every success with HYPHEMA. I's also like to remind readers to visit Chelle online at her website or blog.

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Are you an author? Do you have a recent release?

I'd love to interview you and talk about your book(s).

Email me: annekalbert AT gmail DOT com

& mention “AKA blog feature” in the heading. 

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