Meet the Nurses: Cheryl Longfellow

marktreble@earthlink.net

For reasons I don't understand, many of my strong female characters are nurses. The first post gave information about Kamisha Jackson, Nurse Practitioner in the small town of Stoneport, Florida.

Cheryl Longfellow is Chief Trauma Nurse at St. Swithin's Hospital in New Orleans. Cheryl has a long history of training other nurses, several of whom (including New Orleans' Chief Medical Examiner) later became physicians. In her mid-fifties, Cheryl is a power center at St. Swithin's. She can work miracles for those she likes, and make lives miserable for those who cross her.

Cheryl first appears in Life Struggles, part of the Life Stories Series, as the hero's friend with benefits. When Ethan's (the hero's) stepson, Alex, is kidnapped Cheryl helps Ethan search. When Ethan's search puts him in the sights of a crime family, Cheryl pulls strings to get him a private room at St. Swithin's and round-the-clock care. When Alex is found she pulls more strings and he, too, gets a private room. Eventually the story becomes a medical mystery, and Cheryl shines.

She identifies the medical specialty involved, which allows a nationwide network of medical labs to sort out what the kidnappers of many young men in many different cities want. She works with the police to help focus the investigation, and the Medical Examiner to sort out what the police need.

Cheryl reappears in the sequel to Life Struggles, Life Continues. She' still Ethan's friend with benefits but takes on a second lover, Detective Danny Flint. She sorts out a schedule and an orgasm quota for each man. When Alex goes into meltdowns St.. Cheryl repeatedly rides in on her white horse, even after Ethan has taken on a girlfriend, and ended the "with benefits" part of their relationship.

She next takes a role in Taunting, volume one of The Flint Files mysteries. Now the girlfriend of Detective Danny Flint, Deputy Commander of the High Profile Crimes Squad, Cheryl helps the detectives understand why the serial killer's targets are so easy to dispatch. When a mass poisoning occurs, she helps identify the type of poison and even uncovers its source.

Cheryl makes brief appearances in the Finding Series, volumes two and three, as a minor character.

If you have any questions for Cheryl, please write to marktreble@earthlink.net and he'll relay her answers.

Up next: Rose Borland, retired RN.