Day 5 EHM: Coventry Edition - the "Ho-Man" digs our lot

We drove out to our lot today, on Day 5 of our Extreme Home Makeover (EHM): Coventry Edition, and were met by Ryan, our "Ho-Man" or "Digger-Man". Ryan spent a lot of time answering my questions. Like, "Why are those sticks in the ground over there?" (They mark the corners of the house.)

Marc, my husband, and I were surprised how BIG the hole in the ground is. Ryan too. He said our house would be a "mansion" next to the other boxier two-storeys. Ours is a bungalow, a large bungalow. My dream home--minus the indoor swimming pool.

Speaking of swimming pools, our daughter's bff Alyssa is upset that we're moving. We live 5 houses away from her, and she's our other "daughter", so I don't blame her. Alyssa told us she'd be okay with our move (a 3 minute drive dow the road) if we put in a swimming pool for her. Well...if it rains in the next couple of days, that hole in our lot will be a gigantic pool. Alyssa! Bring your bathing suit! :-)

So back to our "Ho-Man"--and by the way, that's what he called himself--he told us that the Footings-Guys would be putting in the wood frame outline of the basement floor and filling it with concrete today. We're going to drive by after supper and check it out. I'll get a pic then of the footings and post it here...I know, how exciting. lol

And now for a message from my sponsor...

If you decide to build with Coventry Homes, let me know. Once you've finalized your deal and your house is built, I will give you a signed copy of my 2 bestselling thrillers--Divine Intervention and The River. Don't forget to tell Coventry I sent you; this is how we track the people I'm giving books to. This offer is good for all of 2010.

The second offer: If you contact our salesman and area manager Darren Rose and build with Coventry Homes and mention my name to him, Darren will give you an extra something special sometime around move in day. He's not saying what, but I know it'll be awesome!

Contact Darren Rose at laurel@coventry-homes.com or 780-757-5500

Day 3 Extreme Home Makeover: Coventry Edition -- Special Deals

Read this post to the end. There are two special deals or offers at the end.

So you want to build your dream home, but there are so many companies to choose from. How do you know which builder to go with? My husband and I have had 2 houses built--both with Coventry Homes. They've been in business since 1976. We were very happy the first time around, and I expect we'll be happy this time too. One thing we learned, Coventry takes very good care of their buyers. They also champion The Edmonton Humane Society with a program called "Homes for Hounds".

Building a house is exciting! Does this mean your build will go smoothly without a hitch? Probably not. There are always little mixups along the way, but the great thing is Coventry Homes takes responsibility and fixes them. This is all part of the home building experience. And I have to tell you, it's so much fun designing your own house plans. Especially picking all the colors and flooring and cabinetry. Everything is exactly the way YOU want it. That's the best part!

Okay, so here's a great offer for anyone thinking of building your own dream home in Edmonton, Alberta. I'm going to give autographed books to anyone who builds with Coventry Homes, providing you tell them I sent you.

If you're looking to build in Edmonton, here's MY special offer:

Check out Coventry Homes. Tell them "Cheryl Tardif" sent you. :-)

If you decide to build a Coventry Home, let me know. Once you've finalized your deal and your house is built, I will give you a signed copy of my 2 bestselling thrillers--Divine Intervention and The River. Don't forget to tell Coventry I sent you; this is how we track the people I'm giving books to. This offer is good for all of 2010.

The second offer: If you contact our salesman and area manager Darren Rose and build a Coventry Home and mention my name to him, Darren will give you an extra something special sometime around move in day. He's not saying what, but I know it'll be awesome!

Contact Darren Rose at laurel@coventry-homes.com or 780-757-5500

Day 2 of Extreme Home Makeover: Coventry Edition

Well, today is Day 3 but I didn't get out of the house to take a pic and I hadn't posted the pic from yesterday.

So here's what Day 2 of my Extreme Home Makeover: Coventry Edition brought me--a big pile of dirt, neon orange alien markings (thanks for that suggestion, Eileen!) and a hole on the lot.

There's a hole on my house lot, dear Liza, dear Liza.

Can't wait for Coventry Homes to put my new house in that hole!

Cheryl Kaye Tardif
http://www.cherylktardif.com

Day 1 of Extreme Home Makeover: Coventry Edition

Okay, so you're probably reading the title of my post and saying, "What? Is Cheryl the recipient of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? Is she getting her home in Edmonton, Alberta, demolished and then rebuilt? Will she have someone famous visiting her lot and helping with the build?" Well, the answers are simple: no.

We have an empty lot just waiting for a house. Here's a pic of my hubby taking a pic of our lot just before the build started.

Coventry Homes is building our new home. I took their "Triumph" design and made it my own. I now call this customized plan (featuring a ton of extras and more living space) the "Tardif Triumph". And I can't wait to move in!

But before I move in, Coventry has to build it. Hence, my Extreme Home Makeover: Coventry Edition. We'll be selling our old home in the upcoming weeks. Anyone want to buy the home of bestselling Edmonton author Cheryl Kaye Tardif? lol

Day 1 of the build saw the snow-covered ground cleared and the earth broken up by "The Claw", at least that's what I call that machine. Makes me think of eating lobster at Red Lobster and using a claw to scoop out the meat.

So what will Day 2 bring? Hopefully a big gaping hole in the ground. :-)

Coventry Homes is also a sponsor for one of my next novels. (Thank you, Coventry!)


~Cheryl Kaye Tardif
http://www.cherylktardif.com

Growing Hope by Stephen T. Berg is now available

I am very pleased to announce the release of Growing Hope: The Story of Edmonton's Hope Mission by Stephen T. Berg. As the title suggests, this is a historical account of the creation of Edmonton's Hope Mission, a mission that has counseled men and women with addictions, housed the homeless and fed the hungry.

Growing Hope is published by Guardian Books, a division of Essence Publishing. Copies can be ordered from http://www.essencebookstore.com.

While most of us are writing about fictional crime, many of us have experienced it. Some of us are survivors of terrible tragedies. I am tied to Hope Mission in a very personal way. My younger brother used their services before he was murdered in 2006. I was honoured beyond words to be asked to edit this book and did so willingly. Some of the stories presented in Growing Hope brought me to tears. Some could have easily been my brother's story.

I hope you'll check out this book and read it. For those of you who are researching life on the street for a story, this book may be quite valuable. For those of you who don't know much about the homeless, addicted or poverty stricken members of your community, this may help you understand more, maybe see a different side. It is such a comfort to me to know that my brother had these services and these people in his life.

To learn more about Growing Hope, please check out:
http://hopemission.blogspot.com/

Cheryl Kaye Tardif
Canadian suspense author & book marketing coach
http://www.cherylktardif.com

Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cherylktardif

A Writer's Conflict

A fellow writer and great friend recently told me she was "conflicted" over parts of the novel she was working on. She told me she had to work nights because some members of her family were not that supportive. I am often asked by writers, "what do I do when this happens?" I'll tell you what I told her. If nights work best, you go for it! Whatever it takes! If you're feeling conflicted, take the first thing, the first sign, the first bit that makes you squirm....don't try to look at the entire book....or the entire part you worked on last night. If you're conflicted over the whole novel, then go back to the beginning. Everything has its roots from the beginning. Try to visualize it as a movie unfolding before your eyes. What do the actors do? What do they say? How do they say it? Read each chapter thoroughly, out loud! Listen to the rhythm, the beats. When you get to the end of each chap, ask youself: Do I feel good about this chapter? Is it 'strong'? If the answer is yes, move on to the next chap. (I even find that whispering the chap aloud helps. I don't distract myself with a loud voice. Regardless, out loud is better than simply reading it.) If the answer is no, then re-read it aloud. You'll pause, hesitate, squirm or go "this is crap" when you reach a part that bothers you. Fix THAT part. I always know which chapters need work when I do it this way. I hope it works for you too. Also, if you're conflicted because you're still wondering "should I do this?" "Should I add that?" "Should I change this?" then stop! Take a breath. Take a piece of paper, and in 1 sentence (no more) per chapter summarize your entire story. Keep it simple! KISS! Your story is a simple story. It doesn't need to be so complicated, really. Then as you go through the para's check back. If you write something that doesn't make your 1 sentence stronger, more clear etc, that's fluff. (PS, the sentence can be a long one!) Stick to the basics of the story, try not to get sidetracked into unimportant stuff. Everything you write from page 1 should ADD to the story, not detract from it. Everything you write should be important and should lead somewhere. Cut the fluff! Do a "crap edit". Read a paragraph. Visualize it not there. Ask: "If I cut it, would it still work without sacrificing some valuable info?" (If yes, then cut it!) I have learned to be very ruthless when editing my own work. I recently lost over 25 pages. You have to step aside and look at it in an unbiased, detached way. And no matter what, stick to your deadline. Don't cave in and give up now! IT gives you a goal to shoot for, and you'll get so much more done if you have it. What's the worst thing that will happen? You'll miss the deadline. NEXT!!!! You can do it! Just take that breath, and look at it chapter by chapter, page by page. Don't worry about the sighing, questioning people around you. Let them know that until you're done, your space is the "NO SIghing, NO Questioning, NO Complaining Zone!" Bribe them if you have to! Tell them you'll take them all out for dinner on your first royalty check (they don't have to know it may be $8.49!) I hope this helps other aspiring, emerging or established writers. ~ CKT

10 Silly Things You Didn’t Know About Canadian Crime Writer Cheryl Kaye Tardif

I was recently interviewed by Anthony Bidulka, author, interviewer and possibly professional stalker, and this interview wasn't your normal run-of-the-papermill type. Instead of asking me those questions I usually always get during interviews or ones I've answered a million times, he tried a more...um...unique approach.

So here it is, folks! The complete list of...

10 Silly Things You Didn’t Know About Canadian Crime Writer Cheryl Kaye Tardif (with a teaser introduction from Anthony.)