Vanilla Heart Publishing
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.
To Be Continued by Charmaine Gordon
Starting Over by Charmaine Gordon
Now What? by Charmaine Gordon
Reconstructing Charlie by Charmaine Gordon
Determined, Charlie begins again. Alone with her secret.
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It is only a fever that won’t go down, isn't it?
Our doctor shook his head. "...We did everything possible to save him. I held him in my arms when he took his last breath. Carly, I’m so sorry.”
Settling in beside my Bob, I held his cooling hand and asked the two words spoken many times during our years together. “Now what?” This time there was no response. I was on my own for the first time. When my fingers touched his wedding ring, I slipped it off and held it in my fist. The gold band was warm. I clung to him. “Come back to me, dearest.”
Sometimes what you wish for is more than you can live with.
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One early morning run, he sees tears spill down Emily’s tanned face. She stumbles and falls, crumpling into a heap in the sand. . .and doesn’t get up. A lone runner reaches Emily’s side. Her watcher slams his binoculars onto the railing as he throws his coffee cup against the steel and Plexiglas windscreen…
Reviews
Starting Over by Charmaine Gordon
Publisher: Vanilla Heart Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (240 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 books
Reviewed by Camellia
......
Some days Emily Kendrick’s mind is a twisting kaleidoscope of shifting
memories as she struggles to keep grief at bay after the death of her husband
of thirty years. She runs on the beach to ease her mind and body. There she
meets Pat Corwin who changes the directions of her life and, unknown to her, is
secretly watched by another man whose warped mind dreams of possessing her.
Pat, a lawyer with mysteries surrounding much of his past, stirs a spark of
life in Emily that gives her courage to be someone she’s never been
before. He brings joy, fun, and love into her life, different from that which
she shared with her late husband.
Input from family, friends, and the predatory Clifford Lansdale makes Starting
Over thought provoking as well as captivating. It is a story with humor and
complications, but most of all it is a story of a woman learning to be
independent for the first time as she picks up the pieces of her past and
embraces a new way of life only to have more shattering woes befall her.
The reader shares a poignant, vicarious experience with Emily that is realistic
and heartbreaking at times, but joyful and full of hope at other times. How
Emily handles the stages of grief is evocative. Like a Phoenix rising from the
ashes, Emily absorbs the blows of life, accepts the inevitable, and survives to
thrive.
The secondary characters are remarkable in so many ways. They add subplots and
a wealth of emotions to the main story that helps the reader realize that Emily
is not living in a vacuum without support and, of course, a few adversaries.
Charmaine Gordon does much more than just tell a delightful story with romance
and sizzling love scenes. She also gives the reader a peek at how grief
influences a surviving partner and how that person copes. Starting Over
is a celebration of life.
Abandoned by her husband, disappointed in daughter Susie's casual attitude – ‘Dad's having a mid-life crisis’, Beth decides to re-establish herself as the winner she once was.
When Frank Malone returns, he's in for a big surprise!
To Be Continued by Charmaine Gordon
Publisher: Vanilla Heart
Genre:
Contemporary
Length: Full (272 pages)
Heat: Spicy
Rating: 4
Books
Reviewed by Camellia
...Everyone should be fortunate enough to have a new friend like Lisa, a
pool man like Maverick (WOW), a new lawyer like Elise Bergen, and a
Sister Mary Margaret type to help rekindle the fire to be a “winner”
after feeling like a total “loser”. Besides these supportive new people
in her life, Elizabeth’s life is influenced by a tempting but troubled
psychiatrist that wrote a book entitled “Get A Grip”, a remarkable
son-in-law, and some super guests at “The Night for Possibilities” not
the least of which is Sam Taylor.
Charmaine Gordon brings the
characters to life with humor, decisive action, shared tears and
stories. In To Be Continued Ms. Gordon takes the reader from a
situation of despair to one of joy and love with lots of living done
with mature and some not-so-mature exuberance.
To Be
Continued with a survive-and-thrive attitude is captivating.
To read the rest of this fabulous review...The Long and Short of It
This book captivated me from the first page. The main character in the story is an inspiration as she overcomes struggles in her life and transforms herself into a confident woman. I enjoyed the relationships formed in this book between the main character and the interesting people that she encounters throughout the novel. I loved it because it contains sadness, humor, warmth and triumph. Once I started reading i couldn't wait to continue it each evening. I finished the book in three days and now I look forward to reading the next book by this author! I have pre-ordered her next book, Starting Over and I will be thrilled to receive it soon, I hope! I highly recommend this book to anyone age thirty and up.
A.Malone, from Amazon Print Edition Review
Excerpt
Elizabeth Malone wanted to revel in memories of the great sex she and Frank, her husband of forty years, had last night. At his insistence, for God’s sake. She practically had to seduce him before they did it anymore; was on the verge of suggesting those little blue pills the girls talked about, when out of nowhere he became amorous. And it was great. No. . .wonderful. No. . .Fan—fargin’—tastic!
“Mmmm.”
Her fingers crept along the sheets searching for her mate. They groped to where Frank could be found most early mornings except on golf days or scheduled surgery. She touched the edge of his pillow but no Frank.
Turning her head, she called his name. At the same time she saw an envelope lying on top of the pillow. Never like Frank to leave a note but how sweet is this? A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and she sat up. The sheet slipped down and there she was. Naked. Liz, you’re such a slut. Where oh where is your nightie, you naughty girl. A heap of green satin lay on the floor next to the bed, evidence of last night’s pleasure.
With care, one long polished nail sliced through the envelope. The nail snagged on an edge and broke. “Damnit.” Nothing was going to spoil the moment because this was the first letter from Frank in all the years of togetherness and she planned to keep it. Stumbling off the bed, letter clutched in her hand, she groped for reading glasses, found them, dropped them, on hands and knees patting the carpet, found them again. Naked on the floor, she read: Dear Lizzie, It’s not you. It’s me. I have been uncomfortable in my own skin for a long time and have decided I must make a change in my life. I sold my half of the practice to George. You, dear Lizzie, are well taken care of. Call Bruce Bradley. He has all the papers, investments, everything you will need to live in comfort. The house is yours. Last but not least, I signed my portion of divorce papers so whenever you want to, sign yours. Bruce will take care of it.”
She leapt up—made it to the toilet... and retched. Foul taste in her mouth, Elizabeth returned to the bedroom and stared down at the despicable letter. “He called me Lizzie. Twice. He knows I hate that name. Liz was okay but the despised Lizzie, never.” Her skin crawled with pain and fury. “Oh God. What am I going to do?” No answer in the silent room. “Divorce,” She shouted to the empty house. “People like us, we don’t divorce, you stupid ..” Tears streaming, she pounded her chest with the letter, crumpled it into a ball and flung it across the room.
