I’m Honored to announce the following

Download the Updated VHP Catalog with all titles, descriptions, and clickable purchase links to Vanilla Heart Publishing books by Chelle Cordero, Lauren Shiro, Malcolm R. Campbell, Charmaine Gordon, Angela Kay Austin, Tamara Philip, Neva Squires-Rodriguez, Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard, Paul Zunckel, and Namid!

Download the Updated VHP Catalog with all titles, descriptions, and clickable purchase links to Vanilla Heart Publishing books by Chelle Cordero, Lauren Shiro, Malcolm R. Campbell, Charmaine Gordon, Angela Kay Austin, Tamara Philip, Neva Squires-Rodriguez, Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard, Paul Zunckel, and Namid!

News and New!

vanillaheartpublishing.com

News and New!

vanillaheartpublishing.com

Check us out for a variey of fantastic well written books.

Love to all.

Charmaine

10/11/15 WEWRIWA

And the days dwindle down. . .Actually the weather has been wonderful but troubles afoot, my friends, with daughters bunion surgery and a sudden major problem with my precious granddaughter’s blood cells in her dear chin explosion. She needed a bit of plastic surgery and a stitch in time. Frankly, this Granny is weary.

Moving on with the delicious story Dr. D and the Dad, The guy who resembles Antonio Banderas trips over the sand lump of Dr. D. Lets see what happens next.

excerpt:

I just lay there like a lox on a plate and continued to moan.
“Don’t move,” he said.
That’s the moment I fell in love with him, one of the moments.
“Tony Flannigan here, I’m a physical therapist.”
Gentle hands felt my neck and shoulders. He set my straw hat aside and ran fingers through my best feature to press my scalp. Peering through my dark wrap-around sunglasses, he smiled to display the whitest teeth on the East Coast.
“How about your ribs, any pain?”
Panic set in because Tony wouldn’t be able to find my ribs. Mom always taught me to clean my plate and that’s no excuse for a middle aged woman.

for more snippets from talented writers:

http://www.wewriwa.com

10/4/15 WEWRIWA

Another wild and crazy week, my friends. Daughter had Bunion plus Hammertoe surgery and being the good Granny, I’ve been here all week. Nothing like watching your child suffer. So much pain involved.

Moving on to Dr. D and the Dad. Let’s have some fun. Last week, her small patients covered Dr. D in sand and left when their mommies called for cookie time. Let’s see what happens when she wakes up as the tide rolls in.

excerpt:

When I’d ventured off my veranda onto the sand not too long ago and trudged toward the secluded area where boulders formed a natural barrier, the tide was out. I rolled my terry cloth cover-up into a makeshift pillow and lowered myself to the towel. Big sunglasses covered green eyes and part of full cheeks, a floppy straw hat shaded my strawberry blond curly hair, my best feature, Mom used to say when she wasn’t nagging me about going on a diet. After lathering with sunscreen, at last I was ready to ponder my non-existent personal life and chart a different course for the future. I’d planned to contemplate my navel but the double D cups got in the way, no navel in sight.
Why bother going out in the sun; spend money on yet another swim suit guaranteed to make you look slimmer when it all came down to choices like Chocolate or tofu?  Fifty five, chubby, smart enough to become a doctor, to have a paid-up house on the beach, a. . .
Pain as all the air whooshed out of me when something fell across my body and I couldn’t breathe. “Did I hurt you? cause I was running and something moved
and well I didn’t realize someone was under the sand.”
“Oh,” I moaned and tried to get up and the sand held me down and so did he.  I opened my eyes and through the sunglasses, saw Antonio Banderas, not really the actor but he sure looked like him.

for more snippets from talented writers:

http://www.wewriwa.com

9/13/15 WEWRIWA

Well here we are, a pouring rain today and that’s just fine. Maybe the grass will turn green again. Bless our loved ones who were lost at the World Trade Center years ago. So many hearts were broken that fateful day. May there never be another day like that in our beautiful country.

Today I continue with my WIP. Thanks for all your enthusiastic comments, dear friends. Last week, the twins escaped the private school where they lived captive for many years with the help of Aunt and Uncle Alfred and as always, Edgar in his black suit. Chicago, here they come.

Excerpt:

“Thanks for springing us, otherwise we would have climbed over the gate and hitchhiked to Chicago.”
Eleanor thought about the cold winter they were facing and the fact the girls wore simple cotton shorts and tee shirts as she asked, “Do you have warm clothes in the duffel bag?”
They giggled and Carey said, “no, Ma’am, just undies, socks, sneaks, jammies. . .”
Celia finished with,”2 shorts, 2 tees, I white shirt and a black skirt.”
“And a partridge in a pear tree,” their sweet voices sang in harmony.
Uncle Stuart chuckled, “We’re in for a wonderful life with our nieces.”

Celia whispered to Eleanor. “Where’s the loo?”

“Stuart, the girls are like foreigners in some way with everything so fresh and new.”
He took a deep breath and exploded with laughter when the girls returned riding piggyback carrying gift soaps and lotions from the small loo.

for more snippets from talented writers:

http://www.wewriwa.com

another 5 Star review I’m pleased to share with you.

Ms. Gordon did it again!!

By Judith Audevard on September 6, 2015

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

Kudos to Charmaine Gordon! She took a dreaded life situation and created a realistic way to handle it. When Sharon Michaels loses her husband she is faced with so many life-altering difficult decisions. In all of this adversity Sharon remains resilient and strong.I love how she was able to handle her teenage grandchildren, and yet continue to remain a solid independent woman.Charmaine did it again! With class and elegance she tackled a subject that is not often written about. This was one book I did not want to end. Hopefully there will be sequel!

And Then She Said. . .

Grandest is seven and a half. As you know, I cover for my daughter when she has her stuff to do. The other day, Grandest came home from school where I greeted her with hugs and kisses and she grumped her way into the house saying, “I’m starving.” I checked her lunch box and it was apparent she didn’t eat anything all day so I made pasta an two meatballs and brought the dish into the small office and sat next to her. She had the computer going with an awful program in play.

“How was your day, honey? Are there any kids you know in your class?”

Her response was this. “Grans, why don’t you sit in the living room and write your book.”

In other words, get the heck out of my way while I unwind after my second day in second grade. Too much pressure for a small kid. She ate every drop of food, called out for milk, thanked me, kissed me and sent me on my way.

I did indeed write two chapters in my new story and took a little nap after feeding three cats and going on the porch to feed to huge rescue dogs who love their Grans. When daughter returned she said, “Did you have a nice nap, Mom?”

The mixed joy of being a grandmother.Available in all eformats and Amazon and B&N paperback

                                                                                                                Grandest with friends waiting for the bus first day of school before reality sets in.

8/2/15 WEWRIWA

Someone posted only fifteen Fridays ’til Christmas. Oh, No. Please let us have a gentle winter this year. Meanwhile, here we are in August and my sweet hubs will stay home with three cats and work while daughter and grandest granddaughter take a short vacation at the beach, Long Beach Island, N J here we come.

Continuing with When Double Becomes Single, Sharon Michaels must break the sad news to her sons. The younger one lives in Denmark, the older one is in NJ.

Excerpt:

1:30 a.m. in New York 7:30 a.m. Denmark Skype: “Mom, what’s up? You never call this early.”

Jeff, the youngest son, squinted at the screen to see his mother crying and said, “Oh God, Mom, It’s Dad. Last time we talked you said he had a bad cold and now he’s gone, right?”
He watched her cry without stop, heartbroken to know his dearest Dad died and through tears, Mom told the whole story. Inge, his beautiful wife, came running from somewhere in their house to hold each other as they listened to the worst news. Jeff’s father dead and they’re so far from his home in the states. Jeff felt a crack in his heart where solidity had always been.
“We’ll catch the next plane out, Mom, they are lenient with a death in the family.
“Mamse, what a terrible loss; Jeff will pull strings to get us to you as fast as possible.
“Inge, talk to me. You and Jeff are my lifeline right now.”

for more snippets from talented writers:

http://www.wewriwa.com

Paul and Eva on their wedding day in Denmark

7/19/15 WEWRIWA

Summer time and the living is easy. Hi Gang. We’re enjoying some great weather the past week in my part of the North East not  far from NYC. Daughter’s even planning trip to our fave, Long  Beach Island, the Jersey shore. I’ve written some fun, delightful stories vacationing down there.

Meanwhile, thanks again for the exceptional critique every week. When Double Becomes Single is just about finished. With your help, I hope it will do well.

excerpt:

She parked then stumbled toward the hospital entrance to hurry to the third floor. The empty elevator suited her, a ghost town so late at night, dim lit and quiet. Something triggered an impulse to RUN. Down the hall she ran to Barry’s room, hip throbbing, where outside in the hall Doctor Mac Bloom paced. He stopped her from rushing in.
“Sharon, he’s had a heart attack, a bad one. There was nothing we could do to save him.”
She shook her head; snowflakes captured in her blond hair fell to the floor leaving damp puddles. “What do you mean, Mac, you always fix everything; you’re the one. . .” She grabbed his white coat and cried, “You’re saying Barry’s gone, he’s dead?”For more snippets from talented writers:

http://www.wewriwa.com

6/28/15 WEWRIWA

Hi gang. Another Sunday and this one welcomes the month of July. Time do fly so let’s enjoy every moment.

This week I begin a WIP and I even have a title. Please let me know what you think. I so appreciate your comments. Some health issues have caused me to slow down. I’m not speeding through the way I usually do. Trying to fit a good story together as we all do. here goes. The Title is When Double becomes Single

excerpt:

The touch of her husband’s lips on hers warmed Sharon Michaels all the way home from the hospital. Remembering his whispered I love you before she left released a cascade of tears. She groped in her bag for a tissue, found none and used the sleeve of her good winter coat as a blotter. Mac would fix Barry. Their favorite doctor always knew the magical potion to apply. Even when Fred, their difficult teenager now in his thirties, started using marijuana and refused to stop, Mac knew what to do. Tough Love was the prescription. No driver’s license and other privileges allowed until he straightened out. So Barry’s bad cough should be easy, like the croup.

Just get home and go to sleep.

for more snippets from talented writers:

http://www.wewriwa.com

1/25/15 WEWRIWA

Six inches plus in the first big snow this year. Please Mr. Please, that’s enough. We’re ready for Spring. Welcome to our wonderful weekend writers where you may post eight sentences and have constructive critique come back to improve your work.

You have all been instrumental in helping me write Breaking new Ground. A special thanks to Evelyn Jules for the title. You’re on the Acknowledgement page, my friend. Today is the last post. The story was released yesterday. and I’m in Happy Dance mode.

This week is a bit different. Marcus O’Brien, the town advisory board chairman is a widower. Anna Youngblood is at the office after storming out of James Chandler’s penthouse the night before. She waits for the usually on-time boss to appear. He shows up dressed in a nifty suit, new tie and has left his toupee at home. Smelling of Old Spice, he tells Anna to take the day off since he will be other-wise engaged. And off he goes.

Excerpt in eight:

Anna felt like a mess after a restless night of sleeping on the couch so she washed up in the office bathroom vowing never speak to that slime ball James um Chandler ever again.
She speaks to the boss who is late, “You look very nifty this morning, sir, I checked your appointment book but there’s nothing on the schedule unless you have somewhere special in mind.”
“That I do, Anna,” he ran his hand over his ,sparsely covered with hair, scalp, “ I hope I look okay without the rug.”

Marcus O’Brien drove carefully north on Main Street in his restored old BMW and  waved to friends strolling along but didn’t stop until he made a right turn into the familiar wooded property hidden just past a construction site. Admiration for this courageous friend who lived alone in a wonderland of flowers, fresh fruit and vegetables cultivated by her filled his heart.
He maneuvered through the driveway, parked and grabbed three apples to juggle when he rang the bell
Celia Brown opened the door wide, hands on hips, old Lucy by her side.
“Marcus, it’s about time you came calling.”

for more snippets from talented writers:

http://www.wewriwa.com

Blurb:

When the CEO of a major Construction Company claims a part of Celia
Brown’s property, he has no idea what he’s up against. The elderly
widow and her six year old granddaughter prepare for battle. River’s
Edge, the town that believes in kindness to strangers, jumps into the
fray. Add romance, kids, and pride to the mix; there are lessons to
be learned in Breaking New Ground.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/breaking-new-ground/id959096957

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-breakingnewground-1732108-149.html

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SEXCY40

 SMASHWORDS for All EReader Devices

including PC and Mac

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/510695

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/breaking-new-ground-charmaine-gordon/1121090416

Buy yours today

and enjoy River’s Edge and Kindness to Strangers!

Thanks to everyone for your support.

Love from Charmaine

12/30/14 WEWRIWA

It’s not only WEWRIWA day but Don and I are celebrating 12 years of wedded bliss. After eleven years of Shh-living together-don’t tell our kids- The widower and the widow met at a recycling single men party in NJ and that was IT for us.Enough of getting to know you with strangers, we hit it off.

Today I continue with my WIP, Breaking New Ground-thank you Evelyn- After thinking about the story, I realized I was moving too fast, making it too sweet and losing conflict we all like. So I did a bit of editing and let me know what you think, my friends. The housing complex is already well under construction when a snag comes up.

Max cleared his throat, “The company can’t build on one section,” he gestured to the wooded area close to her home, “because you’re on the grounds; I mean your house is built on part of the property necessary to the plans and owned by James Chandler, president of the construction company’s”
The widow laughed, a hearty one that rang in their ears and said, “Tough tushies to your company and to you so scat, I have work to do,” and turned her rigid back to them.
“But Mrs. Brown, our company is prepared to relocate you to another part of River’s Edge where you’ll be comfortable with air conditioning and new appliances and whatever you need.”
This time when she faced the young men she held a broom in her hands, a determined look crossed her face, “You go back to the clunk head of your company and tell him I have no intention of ever moving from the home we built fifty years ago, brick by brick, board by board, nail by nail. Let him build his community for adults-only and what the hell kind of place is that without kids because family is the life’s blood of our country. Take a few apples from the baskets at the door; we planted those trees” gnarled hands gestured toward the side yard, “when we moved in. The apples are sweet as sugar but you wouldn’t know about that.”
As they left, Max and Frank heard a child’s voice call out. “Granny, I need your help for some homework.”

for more snippets from talented writers:

http://www.wewriwa.com

Last summer. Don was undergoing radiation and has now completely recovered from prostate cancer. Yippee!

Happy New Year to all and to all a goodnight. With love from Charmaine