Tuesday Special: Charmaine Gordon with At Your Service

Charmaine Gordon

http://authorCharmaineGordon.wordpress.com/

This is a Romance of another kind; Love stories come in many disguises. This time, for me, it began with a fall.

"Of course," I said, "I'll sleep over, make breakfast for CassidyRae, see that she's dressed, teeth brushed,and gets on the bus." Easy, right? Granny's do that after raising a batch of kids. 

6 a.m. I woke up to the sound of garbage collectors. Dark outside as I peeked out the window to check my watch in light cast from the outside street lamp. And then I turned. "I'm falling", registered in my head. That was the end of life as I knew it for many months. I heard my 8 year old granddaughter scream,"Mommy, mommy, granny's on the floor and she's not moving." Daughter running with her cell phone calling her school- getting a sub, calling 911 for an ambulance, calling my husband. 

And now the love story begins just like the song from South Pacific:"Some enchanted evening, you will meet your true love  across a crowded room."

Picture a rehab hospital: me, a former actor, dancer, now an author of many books, slumped in a wheelchair amidst other folks in pain. Suddenly dogs wearing red jackets appear, they head toward me, their handlers smiling. "Are you Charmaine? Judy Audevard put the word out. Meet Cooper, He's here to give you some love." A Golden Lab laid his head in my lap, then gave me kisses, and leaned in close. 

I straightened up, my hands stretched out to embrace the pooch; the healing began. With daily doses of a multitude of dogs, both small and large, my spirits rose and I grew determined to overcome a fractured pelvic, serious concussion and more. Daughter brought my computer and I was in business. 

At Your Service is the title of my latest release. I wrote and wrote in my little corner of the world in a private room. So many Therapy dogs, trained, oh yes, they take a six month course before they get the diploma. Then the pooch wears a red jacket to show he or she is qualified and the handler, the dog's proud owner, are on their way. They are qualified to go to West Point where they comfort cadets before taking stressful tests, visit returning veterans, attend schools where children with learning difficulties improve when a therapy dog cuddles up to rest his head and so much more. Your heart will warm on a cold night to read these short tails/tales.

Thanks for your support, my friends. We appreciate reviews. All proceeds go to Paws for a Cause.

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About Charmaine: I was an actor for many years on daytime drama, One Life to Live, Another World, All My Children. Movies; my first was Working Girl where I sang Happy Birthday to Melanie Griffith and shared a Hot Dog with Harrison Ford during the break. The Road to Wellness with Sir Anthony Hopkins,"call me Tony" he said and invited me to lunch at the special room for the leads and staff. What fun and delicious filet mignon. The sweet time in my life after caring for a large family in the loving days of momhood. Then my voice failed me and I began writing. How I love this career and my publisher, Kimberlee Williams, Vanilla Heart Publishing.

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Kizzy Saves Charmaine's Day

The Write Way Café welcomes author Charmaine Gordon, who used seven weeks in rehab to write a book.

Right off the bat, like Humpty Dumpty, I had a terrible fall and spent 7 weeks in rehab. My best pal, Judy Audevard, president of Paws for a Cause, a well known group of people with Therapy Dogs, received the word. "My best friend is injured and she needs some love from the pups." Come they did in droves wearing their little or big red vests ready to give me love and kisses. I had the idea of writing a book of what these dogs mean to the owners, so I did sitting in a wheelchair every day. The book is not big but it is heartwarming. Here's a taste of one chapter.

By the way, this is not your average romance. Due to be released in October, we are all thrilled with this 99-cent small book I put together.

It all began on 9/11. Well didn't everything? My friend, Judy and Bob drove down to the inferno of what was left of The Tower. There they found dog after dog lined up to work wearing their red vests.

They said to each other, "We must get a dog and teach him to be a therapy dog" and so they did. They named him Kizzy, this shy pooch who needed kindness and love. They brought him home, shivering on Judy's lap and when he got home, his new home, he sniffed around and found, upstairs, Judy's grandmother who had a stroke. Right away, Kizzy cuddled under her chin and she, in return, cuddled back. Love at first sight. The hand that didn't work began to move. All because of the lovely dog.

Judy tells me that over the years, she and her Kizzy have been quite a team. She taught him to dance and entertain the West Pointers, taught them to laugh and to read. Personally, I love this pooch, now seventeen. There are many lovely, warm stories in our small book. I do hope you will enjoy them.

As for me, I have written twenty five books and love each one. Some are composite stories, like She Didn't Say No and the Rivers Edge collection. Reconstruction Charlie is a special tale and turned into a series. The Beginning. . Not The End-a Mature Romance that is so much fun with lots of love and humor. Try them all. You won't regret them.

You can find Charmaine here:
https://authorcharmainegordonwordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/charmaine.gordon