Whale Song is going out of print in 2 days!

My publisher Kunati Books told me that Whale Song will be going out of print as of February 1st, 2009, so if you’d like a copy, you’d better order today. This 2007 edition will become a collector’s item. :-)

Whale Song...

Thirteen years ago, Sarah Richardson’s life was shattered after the tragic assisted suicide of her mother. The shocking tragedy left a grief-stricken teen-aged Sarah with partial amnesia.

Some things are easier to forget.

But now a familiar voice from her past sends Sarah, a talented mid-twenties ad exec, back to her past. A past that she had thought was long buried.

Some things are meant to be buried.

Torn by nightmares and visions of a yellow-eyed wolf, yet aided by the creatures of the Earth and by the killer whales that call to her in the night, Sarah must face her fears and uncover the truth―even if it destroys her.

Some things are meant to be remembered―at all cost.

"Whale Song is deep and true, a compelling story of love and family and the mysteries of the human heart. Cheryl Kaye Tardif has written a beautiful, haunting novel." ―New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice, author of Beach Girls

"Tardif again leaves a lasting mark on her readers...Moving and irresistible." ―Midwest Book Review

"Cheryl Kaye Tardif's novel, Whale Song, would be a tough act to follow for any written genre." ―Fresh Fiction

"Cheryl Tardif is a new addition to the ranks of Margaret Atwood." ―R. Kyle, Amazon Top 500 Reviewer

Order your copy of Whale Song now, while you can. I recommend ordering via Amazon or Chapters at this time.

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

"Divine Intervention is one of those books you never want to end!"

New review for Divine Intervention:

"A Definite Must-Read! Divine Intervention is one of those books you never want to end...A must-read for all mystery/crime addicts!"

--Lila L. Pinord, author of Min's Monster

Order Divine Intervention on Amazon as a paperback or a Kindle e-book.

Or order from other online retailers, including Chapters.ca.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif

The River - "edge-of-your-seat thrills"

New review for The River:

"An Exciting Journey...Riding the canoes, camping in the woods, exploring caves and searching for clues kept me engrossed while the mystery unfolded...the author filled the pages with more edge-of-your-seat thrills... I would recommend this to anyone looking to kick back for a day and spend an afternoon with a good book."

--Esmerelda Luv

Order The River on Amazon in paperback or as a Kindle e-book.

Or order from other online retailers, including Chapters.ca.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Girl nearly crushed by Whale Song

Ok, I bet the title of today's post caught your attention! ;-) I guess now I have to tell you the story...

Amanda, one of my Facebook friends, sent me an email today:

"One night I was in a boat and we couldn't see very well and we rammed into a yacht called Whale Song and I almost got crushed to death. Pretty wierd coincidence that your book is titled that : )"

I replied with:

"That is so weird! I'm glad you weren't crushed to death. I can see the headlines now...

GIRL CRUSHED BY WHALE SONG."

I AM very glad that Amanda is okay and if it weren't for her own great sense of humor and being able to laugh at this now, I wouldn't have replied in such a way.

Please note: Whale Song is going out of print at the end of January 2009, according to my publisher. Order your copy now while you can. I recommend ordering via Amazon or Chapters at this time.

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

Watch Wild Roses on CBC - Tuesdays!

UPDATE May 1, 2010: Sadly, this awesome Canadian TV series is cancelled and there are no plans it seems to bring it back. If you have enjoyed this taste of Canadian drama and are looking for more, I invite you to check out my novels--all set in areas of Canada. I can promise you lots of drama, suspense and sometimes romance. Please drop by my website and check me out. http://www.cherylktardif.com

My original post:

I started watching a new TV series 3 weeks ago because it's set in Alberta, where I'm living. It's called "Wild Roses" and it airs Tuesday nights on CBC at 9:00 PM.

I'm on a mission to help promote "Wild Roses", a new prime time drama that is being described as the Canadian version of Dallas. In fact, I see it as a mix of Dallas and Dynasty, only set in Calgary, Alberta--OIL country. Two of the stars of Wild Roses are my Facebook friends, so I'd like to help them out.

Based on the first 4 episodes' numbers, CBC will decide whether to renew the show for a second season. Since it's "crunch time", please watch the show on Tuesday, January 27th at 9:00 PM on CBC. And please tell your family and friends about "Wild Roses".

CBC Website: http://www.cbc.ca/wildroses
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1239185
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%22wild+roses%22+cbc+drama&search_type=&aq=f
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44054161889

P.S. If you liked the show, make sure to let the CBC know!
http://www.cbc.ca/contact

http://www.cherylktardif.com

Ever been contacted by a character from a novel? I have--twice!

Last year I was contacted by a gal named Del Hawthorne. At first I couldn't believe it. Then I had to laugh at the irony. Del Hawthorne is the main character (protagonist) in my thriller The River.

My Del is an anthropologist at a UBC. When her father goes missing and is eventually presumed dead, she is devastated. Seven years later, someone from her past shows up in her classroom--a man who'd also gone missing with her father. He tells her something unbelievable. Her father is still alive, but not for long if the wrong people get their hands on him. Del sets out to find her father, along with a group of near strangers, and follows his trail to the mysterious and deadly Nahanni River, a river that is often referred to as..."the Bermuda Triangle of Canada".

The Del Hawthorne who emailed me has a lot in common with my "character" Del. Del is short for Delila for one, and Delilah for the other. They both live in Vancouver. There were other things they have in common.

Yesterday, I was contacted by a gal named Bliss. She'd done the same thing as Del above; she'd Googled her own name out of curiosity. And that led Bliss to my i Phone novel Finding Bliss, which I'll be starting on hopefully next month. I told her I named my main character after the Bliss chocolates made by Hershey's. She got a kick out of reading about a novel that had a character with her name. I got a kick out of being contacted by another "character". :)

Hmmm...perhaps I should write a novel about a hunk named Johnny Depp. Maybe he'll contact me next...

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif

http://www.cherylktardif.com

Who should play Sarah in the Whale Song movie?

First, thank you all so much for your votes in the poll at the top of the page! I appreciate this. Today I'm thinking a lot about the possibility of seeing Whale Song on the big screen.

For those of you who've read Whale Song, did you ever think of a particular actress who'd be perfect for the role of Sarah Richardson?

When I wrote it back in 2003, I thought MacKenzie Rosman would be perfect for pre-teen/teen Sarah. I loved MacKenzie in 7th Heaven. More clearly, I saw the adult Sarah played by Canadian actress Kristin Kreuk from TV's Smallville fame. She was also in a movie called Partition.

Who do you think would be great for the pre-teen/teen role of Sarah, and who do you see as the twenty-six-ish Sarah?

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif

US film producer says he "was blown away by Whale Song"

The suspense really IS killing me, and I have to say it's been hard not shouting my news to the rooftops and beyond. But here it is...

A respected US film producer/director picked up a copy of Whale Song over the Christmas holidays, read it, then emailed be to say he was "blown away" by it. His words. He then read the screenplay and said he had to call me right away "while I still had this knot in my stomach."

We have just started the lengthy process of negotiating film rights, and I must warn you, dear fans, it is a very, very slow process normally, and this is NOT a done deal yet. But I feel it is very close. In fact, this is the closest I've ever been to seeing my dream of Whale Song on the big screen.

While I can't drop any names until a deal is done, I will tell you that this producer has worked for a major recognizable film company and is well-connected. If I mentioned the company every single one of you would know it.

So why say something now? Well, I debated on this, and finally came to the realization that I really need to acknowledge every little success I achieve. Acknowledge and celebrate that my dream is being visualized by someone else, someone who sees it as clearly as I do.

I'm mentioning this too because I BELIEVE in the law of attraction. This has been my life for the past 6 years. And I hope that all of you send out a happy thought and a wish for this to happen.

And I also mentioned it because I just couldn't keep it inside any longer. The suspense was killing me! :)

Don't forget to order your collector's copy of Whale Song now, before it goes out of print. Your best bet is to order it via Amazon or Chapters at this time.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Bliss Morgan, from my iPhone novel Finding Bliss, is now on Twitter

Meet Bliss Morgan, from my iPhone novel 'Finding Bliss'...

Bliss--a damaged teenage girl who doesn't know where she fits in this world.

Bliss--a child of abuse and neglect who is placed in the care of others.

Bliss--a child searching for love in all the wrong places.

Bliss--compulsive liar, thief, child of the streets

Finding Bliss is an emotional, heartwarming story of a damaged teenage girl who must fight to survive in a world of abuse, lies and loss. As she struggles to find herself, Bliss will discover exactly where she belongs and she'll learn that she is worthy of love after all.

And now you can follow Bliss Morgan on Twitter!

http://www.twitter.com/findingbliss

Whale Song - the movie?

When I imagine Whale Song as a major motion picture, I smell hot buttered popcorn. Really. If I close my eyes and picture a scene from my novel being played out on a big screen, I can almost TASTE the popcorn.

I've even gone so far in my little fantasy to imagine the conversations that people have as they leave the theatre...

"Oh my God, that was so good."

"I know! I can't believe what happened at the end."

"That movie made me cry so hard." Sniff. "But I loved it!"

"That's one of the best movies I've ever seen."

"Have you read the book? It's even better!"

"I have to bring the kids to see it."

"That was the perfect family film."

"I'm getting a group of my girlfriends together and we're coming back to see it."

"Wow!"

"What a powerful message."

"I just loved the scene where Sarah is underwater and comes face to face with the killer whale."

"And didn't you just LOVE Nana?"

"That movie is going to walk away with a ton of awards!"

Yes, I can hear them all chattering away, as I sit in the back row and shamelessly eavesdrop.

I can't wait until that day comes. One day...

Would you go see Whale Song - the movie? Please vote on the poll at http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com/

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
bestselling author of Whale Song

Canadian Authors Association Mourns Loss of Alec McEachern

For immediate release:

Canadian Authors Association Mourns Loss of Alec McEachern

January 13, 2009 – The Canadian Authors Association announces with great sadness that its National Director, Alec McEachern, passed away on Friday, January 9, in his 75th year.

Alec began as CAA’s National Administrator in 1995 and has tirelessly provided support and assistance to the board, committees, and members across Canada for the past thirteen years.

“Alec’s dedication went far beyond his job title,” states CAA Treasurer, Deborah Ranchuk. “He always shared our goal of doing what’s best for the association. With that common goal, we forged a working relationship and friendship based on mutual respect. He is an immense loss to the CAA.”

“Among other things, Alec served as our corporate memory,” adds Anne Osborne, editor of the association’s newsletter, National Newsline. “He was an unshakeable source of good information.”

Prior to his work with CAA, Alec worked as a professional engineer and published a number of papers related to nuclear reactors in the Canadian Nuclear Technology and other journals. His career included working for Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. in Chalk River. At one time considered Canada’s expert in non-destructive testing, Alec also worked as a consultant for the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission training scientists in Argentina in the use of reactors. In the years that followed, Alec also worked at A.E.A. Harwell in the United Kingdom and Ontario Hydro in Toronto.

Alec will be sadly missed by family and a very long list of friends and associates – including countless CAA members. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 17, 3:00 to 8:00 pm, at the Veterans’ Association Club, 406 Millard Avenue, Newmarket. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to the Canadian Authors Association (cheques only).

-30-

Media and Other Contact
Anita Purcell
Interim Executive Director
Toll-free: 866.216.0622
admin@canauthors.org

(Posted here with permission from the CAA)

Remote Control, a serialized novelette by Cheryl Kaye Tardif is a Textnovel finalist!

I am pleased to announce that my novelette Remote Control is a finalist in Textnovel’s first annual writing contest.

You can view the article that lists the finalists at:
http://mycounsel.typepad.com/textnovelblog/2009/01/textnovelcom-editorial-board-chooses-finalists-for-writing-contest.html

I hope you'll read Remote Control and give it a vote by clicking on the thumbs up symbol. This won't affect the contest, but it'll help me keep this story popular. :)

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif

January 12th I'm guest blogging on Bertram's Blog

Mark down Monday, January 12, 2009, on your calendars and be sure to join me as I guest blog on Bertram's Blog.

I'll be talking about my iPhone novel Finding Bliss, which has created quite a stir.

Author Cheryl Kaye Tardif is “Finding Bliss” on her iPhone3G

Whale Song heads to CBS

By now everyone who regularly reads my blog (all 5 of you...lol) knows about my Craig Ferguson addiction--I, uh, mean campaign. If not, read this post first.

Letters have been pouring into CBS via email, from my friends, family and fans--all requesting that they have me on the show. The Shameless Author forum on Amazon that I belong to has been extremely enthusiastic about this. :)

The next logical step in my goal to become a guest on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is to send him some bribes--I mean, gifts.

So I sent him a copy of The River, Divine Intervention and Whale Song. I sure hope he actually gets them. Even more, I hope he reads them. At least Whale Song.

Since Whale Song is going out of print any day now, it means that everyone who has it has a collector's copy.

So order Whale Song now while you still can.

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

The Writer's Technology Companion features an article on my iPhone novel

There's a great technology blog called The Writer's Technology Companion, and I was interviewed by the author of the site, Dustin Wax, about my decision to write a novel (Finding Bliss) on my iPhone 3G. Dustin really seems to understand why I'm doing this.

Check out his article:

Writing on Your iPhone: One Novelist’s Story

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
bestselling author of Whale Song

Book marketing advice from Cheryl Kaye Tardif: "Think outside the book!"

We've all heard the expression: "Think outside the box!"

Well, today I am a guest blogger over at Book Marketing Floozy, and I talk about how authors need to "think outside the book" when looking for ways to market their work.

Check out the post on Book Marketing Floozy.

(Does this mean I'm an honorary "floozy"?)

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

Cheryl's "Craig Ferguson Campaign" grows

My endeavor to be a guest on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson has attracted some attention. Emails are flooding into CBS (okay, I have no idea how many really) from my fellow author friends who have caught the craze.

I belong to a "Shameless" group on the thriller forum over at Amazon.com, a forum where authors from all over the world have united to help get the word out about each other's books, and now my friends there have pitched in to help me get Craig Ferguson's attention, so that I can see one of my dreams come true.

Here is one of the emails that has been sent so far:

Dear Mr. Ferguson,

Okay, I must apologize for the torrent of emails that you may be receiving this week from the regular and may I be so bold to say talented participants of Amazon's absolutely crazymadnuts discussion "Shameless Self Promotion by Author (2)"..... but our dear friend Cheryl is dying to be on your show. Well, not her dying personally, since it's her business to kill off other people through her books.

I'm going to keep this one short and sweet - I'd watch if she were on! And it's all about the viewers, right? ;) Plus, Cheryl's a very determined woman. Her presence is everywhere she can get her hands on, on the internet and elsewhere - again.....more viewers for you! So it's a win-win situation for you, the network and for Cheryl. And Cheryl can finally knock this off her list of things to do in life before the big guy in the sky writes her off.

Seriously, she's a fantastic, talented and funny author, and she would be a great asset to your show.

My best to you and yours for a Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
Jeannine R. Reardon, Esq.
a/k/a J.R. Reardon
author, "Confidential Communications"

Some of the other emails sent are just priceless and I will post them here later. :)

So what do I need from you??

Please email Craig Ferguson and tell him you'd like to see me on his show. Maybe let him know why you think I'd make a good guest. :)

craigferguson@cbs.com

Past Update: Calling all Cheryl Kaye Tardif fans! I need your help!

Update: Whale Song heads to CBS

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
author of Whale Song, The River and Divine Intervention
http://www.cherylktardif.com/

San Francisco, here I come!

This February I'll be heading to San Francisco for an intensive 3-day seminar that is going to "explode" my career as a writer. Not blow it up into bits, but expand me into possibilities that will enable me to keep doing what I love--writing fiction!

My husband Marc will be traveling with me as usual. He likes to call himself my "bodyguard". Maybe I should make him wear a suit and dark shades.

Neither of us have been to San Francisco before so we're very excited. We'll be staying at the Best Western Tuscan, which from the website looks beautiful, inviting and very elegant. I'll be writing about my stay there after I get back. I'm hoping it'll be a hotel I'll want to go back to.

While in San Francisco, I may be doing a book signing. This isn't confirmed yet. There are a few things I need to work out first, like whether Whale Song will still be available. Some of you know that my publisher announced to me that it will be going out of print soon, but I'm hoping it'll still be available throughout February. I've already made a media contact in San Francisco who has said they'd probably do a write up about me in the newspaper if I do an event there.

So I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

If you live in San Francisco, please leave me a comment about your favorite bookstore, preferably one that like having international authors in. I could use some referrals since I don't know the city.

Whale Song would be perfect for San Franciscans. It's an ocean story for ocean souls. It takes place on an island on the Pacific coast (BC) and explores family bonds, native legends, the beauty of killer whales and life and loss. If you haven't read Whale Song, pick up your copy right away, while it's still available.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,

http://www.cherylktardif.com/

Calling all Cheryl Kaye Tardif fans! I need your help!

I am on a campaign to get on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (remember my previous post?) A good friend of mine suggested I ask my fans and author friends for help. So I am.

I've emailed Craig Ferguson via the show's website plus the email addy they give during the show. I'd like to be a guest and maybe arrange for free books for the audience. I recently blogged about this dream of mine and listed the Top 10 Reasons why he should invite me to be a guest. :)

This is my request from you all:
Please read my blog post and send Craig Ferguson an email suggesting he gets me on the show. Some of my author friends have already done this. (Thanks!!!)

I'll actually be in San Francisco in mid-Feb and if I needed to I could extend my trip and head out to LA. If you haven't seen The Late Late Show, I can tell you that Craig is a wacky Scot. So am I (partially). I also have a naughty sense of humor. That makes me the perfect guest. :)

Anyways, please email Craig, suggest they get me on, and I'll be a very happy author.

"Dare to Dream...and Dream BIG!" That's always been my motto.

Click on the post below to read why I should be a guest on The Late Late Show, then email Craig and tell him why you think I'd make a good guest. When in doubt, mention any of my top 10 reasons. :)

http://cherylktardif.blogspot.com/2008/12/craig-ferguson-i-want-to-be-guest-on.html

Update 1: Cheryl's "Craig Ferguson Campaign" grows
Update 2: Whale Song heads to CBS

Thank you all!

Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Whale Song - "One of my favourite Christmas gifts this year"

Before Christmas, a longtime friend of mine ordered a copy of Whale Song for his sister Sue. We all had grown up in the small, isolated town of Masset on the Queen Charlotte Islands, which is just north of Vancouver Island, BC. Whale Song was partially inspired by my life there, and by my favorite Haida legends.

Today, I heard back from Sue, whose own blog is filled with wonderful, talented writing. She wrote about Whale Song and she's allowed me to quote her here...

"One of my favourite Christmas gifts this year was a novel entitled “Whale Song”. It’s written by Cheryl Kaye Tardif, who, in addition to being fantastic writer, is also an old family friend. She went to high school with my older brother Mike, and I’ll always remember, even though I was the bratty, tag-along little sister, that Cheryl was always so sweet and kind to me.

The book is, in my opinion, a must-read for anyone who loves stories that combine coming-of-age, heartwarming family stories, the tragic realities of life, and a little mystery (and I’m not just saying that because I know her!). The story is about a young girl who is displaced with her family from Wyoming to the west coast of Canada. She meets and befriends an Aboriginal family and they teach her about their culture and their way of life. As tremendous adversity befalls her, she uses what she’s learned about native spirituality to guide her through difficult waters.

I devoured this book in a little under 2 days - and for me, that is some kind of record. I couldn’t put it down! For me, it was more than just a story..."

Please read Sue Murphy's full post on SuzeMuse. It is inspiring and really makes you think about the past and how our pasts have made us who we are today. Thank you, Susan, for this reminder.

Why Where You Come From Is Important

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