To be inspired by being inspiring...

Last Saturday, I held a booksigning at Indigo Books at South Common, in Edmonton, Alberta. It turned out to be the most unusal signing I've ever had! First of all, I wasn't aware of all the activity going on in our city, so the date was one of the worst I could have picked. As a result, my sales were very low. But towards the end of the signing, I realized that that wasn't WHY I was there. One of the managers of Indigo approached me as I was packing up, and told me that I had inspired her, that she had been watching me for the past 2 years, and that apparently I had unknowingly given her some words of inspiration. You see, Alexia Melnychuk is a singer-songwriter. In fact on her site, she says she's an "emerging" singer-songwriter. I think emerging may be an understatement, especially once she really gets flying. Alexia presented me with a CD, her debut album, Flying Machine. Now, I have to say, I've been given demo albums before and for the most part they sound like they're taped in a bar, with a handheld tape recorder. But not hers!!! After my signing, I popped her CD in my van's player and sat outside Indigo listening to her album. tr the first ten seconds I was talking out loud. "Oh my God!" "Wow"..."God, Alexia!" How could this talent have been hidden? And why is she still working at Indigo? I had tears in my eyes listening to her voice. That's talent!! She may believe I inspired her, but I have to admit, she has inspired me! Since Saturday, I have listened to her album repeatedly. I am now her #1 fan! I have found myself singing along, and I even found myself humming one of her songs when my house was silent. I can imagine clearly her songs being played on the radio stations, a top 10 countdown with hers in #1, and I can see her winning Canadian Idol. Here is the review I wrote for her on her debut album. I highly recommend Flying Machine to anyone who love Marin Ord, Sarah MacLaughlin, and any of the great female singers! Alexia Melnychuk is a rising star...and I am so very proud to know her! Alexia Melnychuk is a Powerhouse of Emotion in her Debut CD, Flying Machine! Canadian singer-songwriter Alexia Melnychuk has just released her debut album, Flying Machine. This Edmonton artist wrote five original songs for the album, and also plays guitar and sings lead and harmony vocals. Flying Machine is a soulful mix of folk, pop and country that will bring trios like The Dixie Chicks and Wilson Phillips to mind. Yet what's so amazing is that this is ONE unique Canadian voice, not three. Songs include Look at You, Home, Diamonds, Everything, and the title song, Flying Machine. The mandolin and fiddle, played by Tyler Volrath, add a wistful harmony to Melnychuk's exquisitely wrought melodies, while piano and organ accompaniment are provided by David Aide. It's said that 'great things come in small packages'. Well, one would never expect such a voice to come from this petite Canadian 'diamond'. Move over Canadian Idol! Alexia Melnychuk's in town--and she's a Flying Machine! Check out Alexia Melnychuk and the title track of Flying Machine at www.alexiamelnychuk.com ~ Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of Whale Song

The Suspense is Killing Me...

I am patiently (ok, that's a lie!) waiting for 3 book reviews to add to the cover of The River...I hope...if all goes well and they actually LIKE The River....hehehehehe.... You have no idea how much this kills me! The wait...the agony of wondering..."Do they think it's amateurish...maybe it sux...maybe me and my editors forgot something {like how to write 'my editors and I')...maybe I left out something important...maybe it's too slow...not enough dialogue....not enough s*x....maybe it just plain sux...." oh crap...I hate the suspense. Somebody shoot me and put me out of my misery. Edmonton Journal headline: Mystery Novelist Shot to Death Before Releasing The River July 20th, 2005, Edmonton, Alberta - Canadian mystery author shot to death in her home while sitting at her computer. The last thing she typed was still on the monitor: "Maybe it sux!" The tall, thin thirty-something Alberta woman was found slumped in her chair after someone shot her in the head with an UZI machine gun. Investigators say she must have known her assailant as there were no signs of forced entry. "In fact," Sergeant Mor Bludsplattar says, "she would have died with a smile on her face...if there was a face still left." Shannon Will, a close personal friend and writer states, "Cheryl always wanted to appear in the Edmonton Journal. I guess now, her dream's come true." Funeral arrangements will be made sometime in June, as it's Tardif's favorite month. Donations can be made to the Canadian UZI Association in lieu of flowers. But if you have to bring flowers, bring white and blue roses, damnit, because they're her favorite! And a bottle of Jamaican Rum can be poured over the casket. Don't light a match though. Tardif's a non-smoker! On a lighter note, Tardif's blockbuster movie, Whale Song, hit the charts at #1 today... ok, ok...time to take my medication now... Cher

The River...ends! Or does it?

Well, it has been an arduous 5 months, but I have finally finished The River! It has been edited a gazillion times by moi, and then passed into the eager hands of four other editors. I am now waiting for the final two to return their changes, and then...it's off to the publishers!!! This past month and a half has seen me practically locked in my office, working long hours...often well into the night. In fact, I once even pulled an all-nighter! Am I crazy, or what??? I worked from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m....the NEXT DAY! This week has seen me finishing the cover for The River...with the front cover graphic designed by Jessica, my daughter. Check out my website for a Sneak Peek! Update on Project Drumheller: Josiah and Lisa Schultz's trip to Drumheller was a complete success. They were "treated like royalty"! Check out www.projectdrumheller.com for a complete update next month...once all the pics are developed. Watch for The River...cascading to a bookstore near you in late September 2005! Cheryl Kaye Tardif cherylktardif@shaw.ca Please visit www.cherylktardif.com to check out Whale Song, Divine Intervention and The River! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "The woman warrior who is armed with wit and courage will be among the first to celebrate victory." ~ Maya Angelou