Perpetual Prose is featuring an interview of me

On September 4th, I'll be featured on Perpetual Prose. I was interviewed by Michael Weir.

Perpetual Prose is an online community for writers, editors and book lovers.

Check it out on September 4th!

http://perpetualprose.com/author-spotlight/cheryl-kaye-tardif-interview

~Cheryl

Kunati Books is going under

UPDATE 6: My thoughts on the closing of Kunati Books

UPDATE 5: Quill & Quire: Kunati Books goes under

UPDATE 4: I received an email from my contact at Publishers Lunch. She said she wasn't planning on mentioning me but that she later saw my original blog post and felt there was additional info in it that would be helpful to others. She apologized, then mentioned I've done a service to a lot of people by coming forth with this info. That was my only intention.

UPDATE 3: I sent an email to my contact at Publishers Lunch asking them to remove the mention of me, as I received a nasty email from one Kunati author who thinks I'm talking about this for publicity. I'm not. I'm finishing what I started, which was coming forth with the truth about Kunati so that other writers would have that information.

UPDATE 2: If you came here to my blog because of the Publishers Lunch announcement, please note that I had no idea they would mention me or my blog. I answered an email from a gal at PL asking for the emails for Derek Armstrong and James McKinnon. I told her I used to be a Kunati author and specifically asked her to keep my name out of it. They didn't.

UPDATE 1: This news has now been confirmed by James McKinnon, editor at Kunati Books.

My original post:

I heard from 2 Kunati authors today that Canadian publishing company Kunati Books will be going under. I'm not sure if this means my ex-publisher will be filing for bankruptcy or just closing their "stable doors" and walking away.

Editor James McKinnon contacted my source and said that books could be bought back for a 70% discount.

While I am so happy that I got out of there early after experiencing too many problems, I feel awful for the authors caught up in this mess. I hope they all get a letter of reversion so that they get their rights back.

I'm not surprised that it's the end of Kunati though; there were just too many problems--the main one being that the publisher and his partners had no previous experience in running a publishing company. However, it's sad to see.

What I do know is that life after Kunati for me has been great! I'm less stressed and I see positive things happening in my career. So Kunati authors, don't despair. This door is closing, but others will open.

~Cheryl

"Dare to Dream...and Dream BIG!"

People always told me I was a dreamer. And they were right! For 2 years I dreamt of the story behind my critically-acclaimed novel Whale Song.

In 2003, my dream came true in the form of a book I could hold in my hands.

In 2007, Whale Song was picked up by a bigger publisher.

Now in 2009, I'm negotiating a major motion picture deal with a respected producer. The film deal includes major publication in hardcover and paperback by a top US publisher.

It all started with a dream...and the persistence to never give up.

So if you have a dream, don't give up. Never give up! Pursue it with all your heart.

Check out my new book video trailer for Lancelot's Lady

I hired talented author and video trailer creator Kelly Komm to create my newest trailer and it's sensational. The trailer is for my debut romantic suspense novel Lancelot's Lady, an entry in the Textnovel/Dorchester "Next Best Celler" romance contest over at http://www.Textnovel.com.

To view this new trailer, sign up for a free Textnovel account--fast, easy and no spam. Then go to my Lancelot's Lady book video trailer at: LANCELOT'S LADY.

Please leave me a comment. Tell me what you think about my new trailer!

You can read Lancelot's Lady for free too. Read it as I write it--under the pen name of Cherish D'Angelo. Vote "thumbs up" if you enjoy it; click on the blue cell phone icon if you want to receive an email when I add a new chapter, and leave a comment telling me what you think about the story so far.

Thank you all for your support! If I win this, Lancelot's Lady will be published by Dorchester Publishing! Please vote!

Publishers who don't pay their authors--like Kunati Books

Today was the deadline I gave my publisher Derek Armstrong at Kunati Books to pay me and give me my statements. I haven't been paid by them in over a year. And I was never, ever paid on time, as per the contract that we both signed.

The mail is in. No check. No statements. No big surprise.

Can we say "breach of contract"?

It's publishers like this that give the publishing industry a bad name.

I was promised a check by the end of July. A check that was already late, as per the contract. I was promised statements too. Makes you wonder WHY a publisher is holding back this information.

And it's not just me; many Kunati authors have struggled to get paid and get their statements. Quill & Quire, Canada's leading literary magazines ran two recent articles exposing the goings on at Kunati. After careful consideration and after a reporter contacted me, I decided to come forward with other authors and tell Q&Q what a contract means over at Kunati. A big fat whoppin' NOTHING.

Quill & Quire:

• Kunati Books neglecting its authors (you might have to subscribe to view)
• The July/August print edition features a follow-up story where they "investigate the troubled publishing history of Kunati Books."

Would I recommend Kunati Books to other authors? Not on your life! There were far more problems than I've mentioned here. The bottom line is this: As an author, you work too hard writing and creating a work, then promoting it (and spending a ton of money to do it), and you deserve to be paid on time, with no hassles. You also have the right to know your print run and sales stats and to receive statements on time. My advice: stay far, far away from Kunati if you want to be paid and receive your statements--on time or at all.

Thankfully, I got all my rights back for Whale Song, which sold consistently well as a Kunati title and launched their trade paperback imprint UNA. And I pulled my new novel Children of the Fog out just in time, right after Kunati accepted it. Now all I want is what's owed to me--the money for my sales (I personally bought over 130 copies of Whale Song through various online stores to give to charities and reviewers in 2008; none have been returned) and my statements and print run info. Early on, Armstrong claimed that the 2007 titles went into a second print run. I still have his email. In fact, I have all his emails, something I recommend you do if you're having problems with your publisher.

Do you have a publisher horror story? If so, contact Writer Beware and Preditors & Editors. You can also obtain legal advice, like I have, through various writers' groups and associations like Authors Guild, and through private entertainment lawyers. It's not easy coming forward and speaking out, but sometimes it's necessary. Too many authors are being taken advantage of. Don't let that happen to you.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Sunday Salon: Review of Vengeance Road by Rick Mofina

Vengeance Road is a suspenseful ‘hold-your-breath’ ride, with twists and turns at breakneck speed

5 stars

Jack Gannon, a reporter for The Buffalo Sentinel, investigates the brutal murder of one prostitute and the disappearance of another, a woman who had picked herself off the street and cleaned up her life. The investigation points to one suspect—hero cop Karl Styebeck, a man with a secret past brimming with violence. Then there’s the mysterious blue rig that haunts the highways. How is it connected to Styebeck and the victims?

As Gannon digs deeper, he risks losing everything—his career, his reputation and his future. With help from Adell Clark, a former FBI agent turned PI, Gannon gets the inside scoop on the murder investigation. But this puts Gannon and Adell in jeopardy of losing more than their jobs.

Author Rick Mofina has crafted the kind of protagonist that readers will yearn to read more about. Jack Gannon is tough but flawed, and he’s like a pit-bull who won’t let go. In some ways, he’s emotionally disconnected, but the disappearance of his own sister years ago, pushes him onward. I hope the author continues with this character and his back-story. I’d love to see a series!

I think this is my favorite Rick Mofina novel yet! Vengeance Road is a gritty, top-notch thriller, with glimpses of evil thrown in to keep you turning those pages. Mofina’s former career as a crime reporter keeps the writing concise and descriptive, the characters well developed and defined, and the dialogue true and believable.

Vengeance Road is a suspenseful ‘hold-your-breath’ ride, with twists and turns at breakneck speed. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys a heart-pounding race against time.

You can read an interview with Rick over at Mystery Fanfare.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif, bestselling author of Divine Intervention
http://www.cherylktardif.com

Enter my Lancelot's Lady August Giveaway

This new contest is very easy to enter. But make sure you follow all the rules or you'll be disqualified.

By now, you've probably heard that my debut romantic suspense Lancelot's Lady has been entered in the Dorchester/Textnovel "Next Best Celler" contest. I need more votes and subscribers to have a chance at winning, and I'm willing to give you 2 things in return--a great free read and the chance to win one of my other novels.

The prizes? Three lucky winners will win a signed copy of one of my novels (The River, Divine Intervention and Whale Song), plus some extra goodies.

Rules:

1. You must sign up as a member of Textnovel.com (free, easy & no spam).
2. You must vote for Lancelot's Lady by clicking on the thumbs up icon at the top of my novel's page:http://www.textnovel.com/stories_list_detail.php?story_id=928
3. You must subscribe to receive a notice about future chapters by clicking on the cell phone icon.
4. And leave me a review comment on any chapter page at: http://www.textnovel.com/stories_list_detail.php?story_id=928
5. Contest ends at midnight (MT) on August 31st, 2009.

Prizes will be awarded in early September. No cash value, no exchanges. Please note: you MUST vote, subscribe and comment.

If you have already voted for Lancelot's Lady, please take a second to make sure you've also subscribed (blue circles will be gray if you have) and leave at least one comment.

If you have already voted, subscribed and commented, you'll be automatically entered.

Thank you so much for your support. I truly appreciate it. :-)

Cheryl's 'Create a Corpse Contest' winner is revealed!

Thank you to everyone who participated in my contest. These were some really great names, and because of that I had to take an extra day to consider who the winning name would be.

After careful consideration, I have chosen the name that best fits the character in mind. This character will be killed off in my debut romantic suspense Lancelot's Lady, which you can read athttp://www.textnovel.com. Don't forget to vote "thumbs up" by clicking on the blue circle with thumb.

And the winner is...

(drumroll, please...)

The name of the character will be...

WINSTON CHAMBERS!

Suggested by Wally Rabbani.

Congratulations, Wally, and thank you for entering my contest. You will receive a signed copy of Lancelot's Lady once it's published and I will acknowledge you as the winner of this contest inside the book itself. You have the choice of being named in full, first name and last initial, or initials only. Please email me with your preference. I'll also look for you online.

Wally's character "Winston Chambers" will be making his first appearance shortly in Lancelot's Lady, so be sure to sign up at Textnovel.com so you can read for free. Vote thumbs up and subscribe to get a notice of future chapters (cell phone circle). And leave me a comment if you enjoy my novel.

LANCELOT'S LADY

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif, aka Cherish D'Angelo

Divine Intervention book video trailer really sizzles!

I'm so excited to show you my new video trailer for Divine Intervention, my bestselling suspense thriller. Kelly Komm, the gal who does my videos, is so talented and to be honest, her videos are better than my last publisher's.

So grab a glass of ice tea and check out...Divine Intervention...



Divine Intervention is available from your favorite online retailer, including Amazon, Chapters and Barnes & Noble. Divine Justice, book 2 in the series, has not been released yet.