Just who IS Sarah Richardson?

In a recent Q&A session over at I Love Canadian Authors on Goodreads, I was asked if I drew upon personal experience for my critically acclaimed, bestselling novel Whale Song. Here's my answer...

I definitely drew on parts of my life for this story. I often say there is "more of me in Whale Song than in any other of my books". And it's true.

The main character in Whale Song is Sarah, a young girl who moves to an isolated town on an island in BC. When I was young, we moved to Masset, a small town on the Queen Charlotte Islands, north of Vancouver Island. It was very isolated, very different.

Sarah is thrown into a different culture--the native indian or First Nations cutlure. I had the same experience, but the culture was that of the Haida indians.

Sarah is introduced to racism and is bullied in school. I experienced the same thing.

Later, she becomes attached to the native customs, rituals etc and is fascinated by them. She begins to see their value instead of the differences. It took me much longer to find the value, but eventually I did and I'm glad for all the wonderful stories, the dance, the art from the Haida nation I grew up with.

Sarah learns an important lesson. At the time I wrote the novel, I was working through some personal tragedies and changes and I also learned the same lesson that Sarah does. That, I believe, is the key to why this novel is so popular.

To discover this life-changing lesson, read Whale Song by Cheryl Kaye Tardif. It'll change the way you view life...and death.

Available in ebook format at KoboBooks.com, Amazon.com and Smashwords.com.

Whale Song - "You will remember this award-winning book for a long, long time"

"Canadian author Cheryl Kaye Tardif has a winning combination in her young adult book Whale Song: A Novel. Against a vivid Vancouver Island backdrop she weaves together many effective elements: the native American spirit world, symbolism of the orca (killer whale), racism and bullying, and the tragedy and redemption that run through young Sarah's family.

Eleven-year-old Sarah Richardson moves from Wyoming to Vancouver Island in Canada where her marine biologist father has a new job. Sarah feels alienated, but she makes a new friend in her neighbor Goldie, a Nootka Indian whose grandmother introduces Sarah to the traditional stories of their tribe. Goldie's family tragically lost a son to drowning and the young Goldie believes that the orcas are a link to the spirit of her brother.

When Sarah's artist mother becomes gravely ill, things spin out of control; at the height of her pain Sarah develops a hysterical amnesia and loses both her parents. Years later, emotionally closed-off to everything that had been meaningful to her, she finally finds peace in the love that she had known on Vancouver Island.

The author tells the story in Sarah's voice, and the prose is plaintive and rich. At times you may be reminded of gothic romance:

"...I felt restless and uneasy. I somehow knew that my life would change the second we drove into those trees.

"Destiny...or fate?"

The foreshadowing of tragedy, the intense emotion, a mystery, the suggestion of supernatural elements, loved ones kept apart by a misunderstanding... all gothic elements. But WHALE SONG is decidedly contemporary in the issues faced by adolescents finding their way to adulthood. The values and outcomes are just what you'd want for family reading, and this book will be enjoyed by all ages.

Cheryl Kaye Tardif handles the good and bad of family life with a sure hand, and tells a story that sings; you will remember this award-winning book for a long, long time."

--Linda Bulger, 2009, Amazon Top 500 Reviewer

Sunday Salon: Happy Mother's Day to the Mothers of my Characters

There are many memorable mothers in fiction, like the crazy mother in Stephen King's Carrie, but three mothers that stand out to me are characters I created in each of my novels. Let me introduce you to the mothers of Sarah Richardson (Whale Song), Del Hawthorne (The River), and Jasi McLellan (Divine Intervention).

Whale Song - Daniella is a kind, sweet, loving mother who finds beauty in nature and everyone she meets. Born in the US, she meets Jack Richardson, a Canadian marine biology student who is infatuated with her paintings, which are sold at Visions, an art gallery in San Francisco. When they move with their daughter Sarah to the remote town of Bamfield on Vancouver Island, the wise Daniella helps her daughter deal with a school bully.

"If you choose to hate her, then you become just like her, no better," Daniella tells her daughter. "Life's too short to not forgive those who hurt us...Forgiveness sets you free." It is this last sentence that most reminds Sarah about her mother, even after her mother is taken away from her.

The River - Maureen Walton is the opposite of Daniella. Maureen takes great pride in her appearance and manners, and she expects the same from her daughter Del, an anthropology professor. Although Maureen thinks she's the next Martha Stewart, she's remarried a man far beneath her. And she's not the brightest bulb in the box, especially when Del reveals that Maureen's first husband, Del's father, is still alive.

"You can't be serious, Delila. He's dead!" Yes, some mothers can be quite heartless.

Divine Intervention - Jasi McLellan's mother was murdered during a home invasion when Jasi was a young child. Married to a cop, Calista McLellan loved her children dearly and would do anything to protect them. Jasi doesn't remember much about that tragic day, even though she was a witness to her mother's murder. A few years after her mother's death, Jasi began having disturbing visions. Now, as a trained Pyro-Psychic, she sees through the eyes of killers. But there is always one murderer that has alluded her--the person responsible for her mother's death.

The second book in the series, Divine Justice (unpublished) reveals more about Jasi's mother's death...and her murderer.

Today as we celebrate Mother's Day, let's remember that every mother is different. Each has a story--a childhood, a past life, sometimes a secret. Some are loved, some are feared, but in the end they gave us life and we wouldn't be here without them.

For me, there is no greater joy than being a mother. My daughter is my heart and soul.

Happy Mother's Day!

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

Whale Song - "A compelling and moral story, beautifully written..."

"Whale Song is a curl-up-under-the-covers kind of book. A compelling and moral story, beautifully written by a popular Canadian author.

Sarah Richardson, a likeable and adventurous young girl, is forced to leave her home and friends in Wyoming to live in a remote little town on Vancouver Island. There she is pulled though a gamut of emotions and experiences; the humiliation of racism and bullying, learning about Indian myths and culture, the haunting eye to eye contact with a killer whale, saving her abuser and almost drowning, losing two people she loved and finding her soul mate.

Cheryl's characters are so real, you would swear that she must have known them all of her life. Her readers will feel like they are experiencing the traumatic events firsthand. You won't want to put this one down."

--Emily Ross, aka Pauline Holyoak

*Whale Song is going out of print soon, so order while you can. Most stores won't order in an "out of stock" item, so your best bet is to buy online.

US readers can order from Amazon.com

Canadian readers can order from Chapters.ca

Whale Song - "manages to touch the soul"

"Wonderful...Cheryl Kaye Tardif's lovely descriptions help add depth and realism to a beautifully written story about love, sacrifice, and forgiveness. The setting is Canada's Vancouver Island and the author deftly brings this world to life...few readers will fail to be moved by the children's excitement and awe as they hear the whales sing. Ms. Tardif has done a superb job with this thought provoking novel that somehow manages to touch the soul."

--L.C. Evans, author of Talented Horsewoman

"Beautiful"

"Whale Song" is a poignant tale that asks difficult questions - ones that challenge us to look deeply into our own hearts...a very well written novel...Set on Canada's breathtaking Vancouver Island, the whales and other wildlife are as beautiful as the story itself. This is Ms Tardif's "heart book" - the book closest to her heart - and after reading it, it's easy to see why."

--Linda Mercier, an Amazon.com reviewer