Starting Over [Kindle Edition]

Charmaine Gordon (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Each morning, Emily Kendrick runs on the hard-packed sand of St. Augustine Beach. She runs to clear her mind and heal her heart. From the widow’s walk of the house perched high on the dunes, a man trains his binoculars on Emily…

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…

About the Author

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.

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 238 KB
• Publisher: Vanilla Heart Publishing (March 10, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003BVJCHM
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #514,518 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

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 nutrious 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Starting Over, July 4, 2010

By 

donna - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Starting Over (Paperback)

A story of growth, determination, and love. Gordon does it again. For all those who have lost but refused to give up, this is a must read! Fantastic read!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Heartfelt Read, January 12, 2011

By 

LAS Reviewer "The Long and the Short Of It Re... (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Starting Over (Kindle Edition)

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.

Originally posted at The Long and Short of It Romance Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great read, October 9, 2010

By 

Deanna Jewel "Deanna Jewel" (Lewiston Idaho) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Starting Over (Paperback)

Charmaine Gordon does a great job with character development in this book. She portrays that starting over IS possible. I was pulled into the story immediately and made to feel like a silent character along side Emily and her family.