The River review: "Cheryl Kaye Tardif knows how to tell a great story."

"Cheryl Kaye Tardif puts her readers on the edge of their seat from the first page when her main character, Del Hawthorne, learns that her father, presumed dead for seven years, is alive...This story really has everything: mystery/suspense, cryptic messages, science fiction, great adventure, and wonderful character development. I had trouble putting this book down and had to cover the parts of the page I hadn't read yet to prevent myself from skipping ahead and spoiling the suspense...Cheryl Kaye Tardif knows how to tell a great story. She writes beautifully and her characters are real and believable...You will not be disappointed by the measure of suspense, mystery, adventure, and good storytelling that Cheryl dishes out."

--Lisa A. Blyth

THE RIVER: "a high speed thriller"

Amazon Top 100 Reviewer, Paul Weiss, says THE RIVER is "a high speed thriller... fantastic, compelling...readers will shiver with delight..."

You can read Paul's full review on Amazon.com.

THE RIVER is currently available in ebook (Kindle, Kobo, Smashwords, Nook and more) and trade paperback* editions. 

*A new trade paperback edition with bonus material is slated for late 2011 and will feature an updated new cover and a smaller price tag.

"'The River' is so much a part of my life"

"Cheryl,your book 'The River' is so much a part of my life, I grew up on stories of the Nahanni (including the headless part), my father trapped there and was the main source of all the stories I heard. How uncanny that your story involved the love from a father. I look forward to reading your next book and hopefully there will be many more for us avid readers." --Roseann

The River review: "Best book I've read in Years!"

Here is a new 5 STAR review for The River from Amazon, printed here with permission from the author.

"Best book I've read in Years! This is one of the best books I've read in years. If you like thrills, science, mystery, history and great character development (and who doesn't!) - this book is for you. I enjoy reading books that are based on actual facts (historic or scientific) with fully developed fictional characters, some science fiction and great suspense. I like to learn something while enjoying a thrill ride. If you like Michael Crichton, you will enjoy this book. I've now read all of Cheryl Kaye Tardif's books and have enjoyed them all. Read her books now so you can tell your friends that you "discovered" her before the world did (and they will)!" --John Zur

Thank you once again, John. I'm honored by your words, and I'm glad you enjoyed The River so much. 

ESC Trillium student says The River "is in my opinion unbeatable and one of my favorites"

A grade 12 class at ESC Trillium High School in Ontario, Canada, studied my thriller The River this year. I was fortunate to be in touch with the students and to answer their questions via a video conference. I know I had a blast and I hope they did too.

Their teacher Pam Morin and I decided to hold a contest. The students would write a book report and Mme Morin and I would judge them. It was a tough competition; all the book reports showed a lot of thought and some varying reactions.

However, the following report stood out for me because I felt Kasandra really "got" what I was after and she noticed the little things, such as the quotes I spent hours looking for so they'd be the perfect ones.

Here is a condensed version of Kasandra's winning book report/review:

"I just finished reading The River by Cheryl Kaye Tardif, for my grade twelve pre-university reading assignment this year. And I must say that I truly enjoyed reading this novel. It was full of suspense, action, love, adventure, science and mystery. Let’s just say I was very impressed by this memorable novel...Ever since I studied The River, I discovered my interest in reading more of Cheryl Kaye Tardif’s books. The next novel on my list would definitely be Whale Song.

I loved the fact that we were reading a Canadian author’s novel, and that the story took place in Canada. I felt as if I could make a connection with this novel compared to other novels that I had to read in the past years. It was also great knowing that I could communicate with the author by e-mail if ever I had any questions about the novel or such.

The River was a great thrilling adventure that had me wanting to read more. It also had a little love story that fit in to the novel perfectly. I could also visualize everything that I was reading even with all the mystery and action going on. With that being said I think this novel would make an awesome movie...I must say that this novel was indeed the first novel that I didn’t want to put down, and this is coming from someone who doesn’t normally enjoy reading for a pastime. I also liked how this novel wasn’t too long to read.

I loved everything about this novel even the littlest things, such as the quotes at each part of the novel. For example, my favorite quote was: "When you arrive at your future, will you blame your past?” -Robert Half. This quote really makes me think. I also think that it was a great opportunity for my classmates as well as myself and my teacher to be able to read this novel, because of the interaction in-between Cheryl Kaye Tardif and my teacher. That was for sure a bonus. So far this novel is in my opinion unbeatable and one of my favorites yet. And I’ll always remember that “Life’s a journey!”

Congratulations, Kasandra, on winning a triple pack of signed novels: The River, Divine Intervention and a signed collector's copy of Whale Song. I really hope you enjoy all of my novels. :-) CKT

*Purchase The River from Amazon (paperback & Kindle), Chapters, Barnes and Noble and many more online retailers. In Edmonton, please check your favorite bookstore.

ESC Trillium student says "The River starts off with a big bang!"

Michelle, a student at ESC Trillium has this to say about The River:

"I wasn’t much of a reader until this year...To me, reading a book has to be interesting throughout the whole story line. The River starts off with a big bang! Which is very interesting because it gets you into the story right away. The action starts right at the beginning...In this novel, The River, I never got bored of it. It was the kind of book that I could not put down. I kept wanting to read it because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Some parts were very shocking to me. Which grasped my attention and made me want to continue on turning the pages...I would recommend The River to not only students of high school but also to older people because I believe the novel is well written, has great vocabulary, easy to follow and has a good sence of maturity for those age groups. It makes you want to read it all over again. All in all, the novel was amazing and I really enjoyed it. I can’t wait to start reading Cheryl Kaye Tardif’s other novels..."

Thank you, Michelle. I am so glad you liked The River! CKT

*Purchase The River from Amazon (paperback & Kindle), Chapters, Barnes and Noble and many more online retailers. In Edmonton, please check your favorite bookstore.

ESC Trillium student says: "I really enjoyed The River"

Nathan, from ESC Trillium has this to say about The River, the novel he studied in school:

"The River is a very interesting novel right from the start it catches your attention and keeps you hooked. It accomplishes this by being very suspenseful throughout the book even more so by the end of it...the characters are well developed creating a emotional attachment towards the characters, allowing for an even deeper emersion. It’s not only the characters that are detailed since the whole novel is very detailed and descriptive. In my opinion the ending of a novel is often where a great novel can seem to fall apart, this is not the case with The River since it has, in my opinion, a great ending that delivers...I really enjoyed The River and found it so hard to put down...I would recommend it to any of my friends, and to anyone who thinks they would like a great thriller that has a story targeted towards a more adult audience."

Thank you for your comments, Nathan. It's great to see you really 'got' my novel. :-) CKT

*Purchase The River from Amazon (paperback & Kindle), Chapters, Barnes and Noble and many more online retailers. In Edmonton, please check your favorite bookstore.

ESC Trillium student says The River "is truly a great novel"

ESC Trillium High School student Sylvianne has this to say about The River:

"As a high school student finding a good book to read is very hard, but take my word when I say this is truly a great novel. From the very first page all the way to the last sentence, it captivated me. When you read this novel, make sure you have plenty of time, because to be honest I couldn’t put the book down...I am proud to say that this is a Canadian novel set in the wild Nahanni River in Northwest Territories. The novel is filled with suspense, excitement, love, science and a very bumpy adventure down the mysterious Nahanni River...Throughout this novel you will discover many unexpected twists...I really loved this novel and I recommend it to everyone."

Many thanks, Sylvianne. I'm so glad you enjoyed my novel. :-) CKT

*Purchase The River from Amazon (paperback & Kindle), Chapters, Barnes and Noble and many more online retailers. In Edmonton, please check your favorite bookstore.

ESC Trillium student: "The River by Cheryl Kaye Tardif is the first book that I couldn’t put down

Here's another review/book report I received from Angèle, a student in grade 12 at ESC Trillium High School:

“The River” by Cheryl Kaye Tardif is the first book that I couldn’t put down...“The River” is filled with a thrilling adventure and a love story which really interested me...the novel kept me on the edge of my seat right from the beginning. There was no time wasted, the action started right away and the story did not drag. Everytime I would put the book down my mind would keep wondering about what could possibly happen. The novel always surprised me with new and shocking events...Since I question myself alot so I think that “The River” could have a sequal or even a movie. The movie would be an action pack type of movie which would really interest me."

Thank you, Angèle. I appreciate everything you've said here. ~CKT

*Purchase The River from Amazon (paperback & Kindle), Chapters, Barnes and Noble and many more online retailers. In Edmonton, please check your favorite bookstore.

ESC Trillium student says The River would "make a great movie"

Here's another review/book report from Dan, an ESC Trillium student:

"The River was one of those books that I could not put down. It was a very interesting thriller...all of the characters are introduced and described very well...also very descriptive, I could visualise every event and every place mentioned in the book...Although time travel is hard to explain in an original way, I think that it was well done. Furthermore I think this book would also make a great movie one day...this book was very interesting and kept me in suspense for most of the story. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys thrillers."

Thanks, Dan. I'm glad you enjoyed it and I'm glad my novel made you think. :-) CKT

*Purchase The River from Amazon (paperback & Kindle), Chapters, Barnes and Noble and many more online retailers. In Edmonton, please check your favorite bookstore.

"I love The River"

A week ago I received an email from Darren Rose, Area Manager at Coventry Homes in Edmonton. This is what he had to say about my thriller The River:

"I love The River. I am on chapter 16. Trust me I rarely read. I am surprised I am that far. I was even thinking today of not coming in just to finish the book, but thought that might be a bad excuse."

Then I received a second email:

"I finished it in three days (I don't think I have ever read any book that quick.) It was very good and a lot of unexpected twists to it. I really enjoyed it. My wife is reading it now and she really likes it as well."

*You can order The River from Amazon, Chapters, Barnes and Noble and more online retailers. You can also ask your favorite bookstore to bring it in for you. It's available as a trade paperback or on Amazon as a Kindle.

"The River is a great read"

"Thrills and suspense on the Nahanni River. Cheryl Kaye Tardif has done an exceptional job with her descriptions of a beautiful, but little known area in the Canadian wilderness. Her characters are well-drawn and interesting with plenty of conflict and romance to draw the reader into their lives...The River is a great read..."

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

The River - "A definite "must read" from Cheryl Kaye Tardif!"

"The book is a roller coaster ride, building momentum and going faster and faster. Then there's a loop-de-loop and you're sure the roller coaster has derailed. Nope. Within just a few pages it's back on track, and you're in for an even wilder and more thrilling ride! A definite "must read" from Cheryl Kaye Tardif!"

--Linda Mercier, an Amazon.com reviewer

"Plunge into "The River" for a thrilling adventure! Get carried away by the flow of Tardif's magical prose!"

I'm sick today, suffering from an awful flu bug that my daughter Jessica decided to gift me with. :) I've been feeling like crap for 2 days--until I checked my email and found a message from an Amazon Top 1000 Reviewer. She wanted to let me know she had posted a review for The River, my 2005 techno-thriller.

As always, I held my breath and went to the page to check it out.

I think Betty used up every possible awesome adjective out there. And trying to quote a bit from it has proved challenging, but I'll share part of it with you. You can go to Amazon to read the entire review, which I must admit left me wanting to read The River again.

"...Author Cheryl Kaye Tardif hooked me from the first sentence. I couldn't wait to read it. Having already read and raved over her later release, Whale Song: A Novel, I knew I would like The River, but didn't think anything could come up to Whale.

How wrong I was! This book is outstanding, too, and I'm learning that all of this author's works are brilliant.

The superb writing in The River flowed along smoothly, as naturally as the Mississippi River; then as the story progressed it picked up speed and energy like the turbulent white-water of the Colorado...There are thrills aplenty in this novel...Author Cheryl Kaye Tardif is a true wordsmith, writing fluently while making it seem easy. Her plot is well-paced, with characters so believable the reader cares what happens to them, and above all, her imagination soars. This is a true high-concept story.

I invite you to plunge into this intriguing story ... head-first or feet-first, it doesn't matter. You're in for an absorbing adventure--with more twists and turns than the Nahanni River itself--and a surprising, yet satisfying ending that leaves you gasping for more."

--Reviewed by Amazon Top 1000 Reviewer Betty Dravis, 2008, Millennium Babe: The Prophecy

To read the entire review, please check it out on Amazon and don't forget to vote it as "helpful".

Order The River online.

"Mix some Michael Crichton with a touch of Dean Koontz..." says Amanda Richards, Top 100 Amazon Reviewer, about The River by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

I was thrilled when I got back from a 'date day' with my husband late last night and checked my emails. I received an email from Amanda Richards, the Amazon Top 100 reviewer who recently gave me a 5-star review for Whale Song. She told me she read and reviewed The River on Amazon...

"Mix some Michael Crichton with a touch of Dean Koontz, add a generous dash of sci-fi and then distill the resulting mixture until all you have left is the good stuff. That, in a nutshell, is "The River". "

Read Amanda Richard's review of The River on Amazon.com. Scroll to the bottom section.

Day 18: Read Chapter 2 of The River by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Read Chapter 2 of Cheryl Kaye Tardif's terrifying thriller The River

“Cheryl Kaye Tardif has once again captivated readers in her third novel and latest suspense thriller, The River . Set in the wilds of Canada 's north, The River combines intrigue, science, love and adventure and is sure to keep readers clamoring for more.” ― Edmonton Sun

Before you read Chapter 2 of The River I wanted to share with you some very interesting and intriguing coincidences that occurred recently. I noticed one day that I had a guestbook post from a woman and when I saw her name, there was an instant where I thought it was a joke. Her name is Del Hawthorne. And as some of you may know, that is the name of my main character in The River. So of course I had to message her back. She had stumbled across my thriller when she Googled her own name. :)

I thought that possibly her 'Del' was short for Delia or Delamina...or some other variation. What are the odds that it would be short for Delila? Well, it is. The only difference is she spells it Delilah. So as a joke I said, "Just don't tell me you live in Vancouver, BC. (Because that's where my fictitious Del lives at first) Well...Delilah lives in Vancouver, BC! In our email exchanges we found a variety of similarities between the real life Del and my Del. Coincidence?

There is no such thing as coincidence!

Read Chapter 1 first , then return here…

The River

©2005 Cheryl Kaye Tardif

two

Early the next morning, Del entered UBC, greeted security and headed down the hall. At her classroom door, she juggled her briefcase and fumbled with the key.

“Del!”

She swiveled on one heel and was greeted by Phoebe Smythe, president of the university. Phoebe was a tall, attractive woman with hair the color of rich, dark chocolate―except for the pure white streak that sprouted from her widow’s peak.

“I just heard,” Phoebe said, tucking the streak behind one ear. “Is there anything I can do?”

“About what? The fact that a dear friend whom we all thought was dead has returned from the grave? Or that he’s adamant that my dad is alive?”

“Oh God! I heard about Arnold, but I didn’t know anything about your father. Are you all right?”

Del shrugged. “I will be. Once I talk to Professor Schroeder. Do you know where he is?”

“They took him to Riverview. He’s in rough shape, Del.”

“What did the doctors say?”

Phoebe patted her arm. “He has an unusual form of Progeria.”

“Accelerated aging? But Progeria is usually found in children.”

“It’s a mystery. That’s for sure.”

“Well, that certainly explains why I didn’t recognize him. But it still doesn’t make sense. Even with Progeria, he shouldn’t look as old as he does.”

“They’re bringing a specialist in, Del. Someone from downtown. I heard Progeria, Werner Syndrome…they really don’t know. But what they do know is that Arnold ’s mental capacity is irreparably diminished.”

“So you’re saying he could have made it up―about my dad?”

Phoebe slipped her a piece of memo paper. “Call the hospital. Tell them you’re family. Arnold ’s wife moved to London and his sons are both married and living in another province. You’re all he has.”

Alone in her classroom, Del called Riverview Hospital and made arrangements to see Schroeder just before four o’clock.

It was going to be a very long day.

“In review, anthropology seeks to understand the whole picture when it comes to the study of man―Homo sapiens,” Del told her summer class. “As an anthropologist, you will explore geographic space and evolutionary time so that you may understand human existence. Anthropology is a unique blend of folklore and commonplace science. It encompasses the evolution of language and the microscopic killer diseases that have wiped out entire civilizations.”

She glanced at the clock. “Time’s up.”

“Mr. Cavanaugh, are you okay about yesterday?” she asked Peter as he scurried past. “About the man who was in the classroom?”

“I heard he’s a friend of yours.”

“He…is a friend of my dad’s.”

Although he looks old enough to be my grandfather.

The young man shifted the laptop and books in his arms. “Is he gonna be alright?”

“I hope so.”

After Peter left, she peered out the window.

It was raining.

Vancouver―the city of rain.

To Del , it was perfect weather to dredge up the past. Perfect weather to revisit the dead. Or not so dead.

By the time she reached the outskirts of Riverview Hospital, an early summer storm had unleashed its fury on the entire Vancouver area, swamping the streets with water. She turned into the visitor’s parking lot, snatched a ticket from the dispenser and made her way to an empty stall. Dashing through the main doors of the hospital, she was caught off guard by the slippery floor. She slid across the tiled surface―straight into the arms of a very handsome stranger.

“Well, hello,” he said, rewarding her with a dazzling smile.

The man who held her was dressed in a casual suit. But he could have been wearing nothing at all as far as she was concerned. His dark brown hair was slicked back, except for an errant lock over one finely sculpted brow. The man’s face was angular, with a strong jaw and ridiculously high cheekbones. He sported a closely shaved moustache and goatee. Kind of a seven o’clock shadow look.

Regardless, Del liked it. Hell, what wasn’t there to like?

If he lets go, I’ll melt to the floor.

“Sorry. I-I…slipped.”

“Good thing I was here to catch you then.”

His voice was warm and inviting, like comfort food.

“Yeah, good thing,” she murmured.

“You don’t look sick.”

“I’m, uh, visiting a friend.”

“Hmm…lucky friend.”

Her mouth dropped. Oh my!

He released her and she was suddenly cold.

“Well, uh…thanks for, uh, catching me.”

She could have kicked herself. Could she possibly sound more dim-witted?

Deep blue eyes swept over her. “Anytime.”

Mesmerized, she stared as he walked away. Then she turned toward the elevator and made it inside before she caught sight of him again. He was standing at the receptionist’s cubicle. Before the elevator doors closed, before her raging hormones kicked into overdrive, the man turned and winked.

Cursing under her breath, she jabbed at the button for the third floor―the secured psychiatric wing. When she reached the main nurse’s station, she signed a form and was escorted through a set of locked doors.

The nurse placed a hand on her arm. “I’ll warn you, Miss Hawthorne, we had to sedate him. When he was admitted, he was hallucinating…and he’s in a lot of pain.”

Del forgot all about Mr. Tall, Dark and Oh-So-Sexy the instant she stepped inside Schroeder’s room―a room lit only by a small night-light glowing in the far corner. Someone had pulled the curtains partially open but it made no difference. Outside, the raging black sky held the sun at bay and unleashed its wrath.

Schroeder was lying in the bed, one wrinkled hand strapped to the rail while the other was swathed in thick cloth bandages. An IV ran from his hand to a bag of clear liquid suspended on a pole, and near the bed, a heart monitor beeped steadily.

Del watched the heart blips.

Schroeder was still alive.

“Professor?”

He didn’t move.

Stepping closer, she stared in shock.

Arnold Schroeder’s face had severely aged. The skin under his chin hung in loose folds across his neck. Every inch of his spotted flesh was withered and scaly. His lips were cracked, peeling.

Yesterday, in her classroom, the man had looked about seventy.

Now he looked like he was nearing his nineties. Nearing death.

What could have happened to make him age so rapidly? Progeria?

Del reached forward and brushed the hair from Schroeder’s face. When she withdrew her hand, the hair went with it. Appalled, she shook the tuft into the garbage can next to the bed.

The man’s rheumy eyes opened slowly.

“You’re in the hospital,” she said, stroking his arm.

“Delly?”

“I’m here, Professor.”

“Aw, isn’t it about time you called me Arnold?”

His question ended with a ragged coughing spell.

She picked up a glass of water that was sitting abandoned on a cafeteria tray. She brought the straw to his mouth and was shocked by the sight of his bloody gums and missing teeth.

After a few weak sips, he waved the glass away.

“Did you find it, Delly?”

“The journal? Yeah.”

“It’s all in there. Everything you need to know. Follow your heart. Find the key first. But, Delly…don’t tell anyone! If you tell the police that you know your father’s alive, you’ll both be in danger.”

He groaned as a spasm of pain wracked his body.

Del gripped his hand. “Do you want me to call a nurse?”

“No, it’s too late for me. It’s only a matter of time now. But you, Delly…you have to go, find the key.”

He coughed sharply, spewing up blood.

“Leave no stone unturned. Remember…that. Take care again―”

Suddenly, the heart monitor raced and an alarm pierced the air.

Del watched, helpless, as every muscle in Schroeder’s body convulsed. The veins in his forehead and scalp protruded, his eyes rolled back into their sockets and he let out a horrific scream of agony. Then he collapsed―silent, unmoving.

A tall Asian doctor rushed into the room. She was followed closely by two men pushing a crash cart.

“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to leave.”

Del ’s pulse raced as she stepped out into the hallway. She peered through the small window in the door while the doctor held the paddles over Schroeder’s bare chest. When his body arched in response to the electrical current, Del pulled away from the glass.

Depressed, she wandered into the small sitting area, with nothing to do but gaze at other visitors, their faces drawn in sorrow as they waited to hear news of a loved one. How she hated hospitals! She hated the smell of death and illness, the taste of decay. She abhorred the poking and prodding by doctors, nurses. And the endless tiresome tests.

Yeah, she and hospitals were intimately familiar.

She shook her head.

No time to dwell on that now. There was Schroeder to think about…and her father. Something terrible had happened to them, and she was determined to find out what.

The doctor exited the professor’s room and approached with an apologetic look on her face.

“You’re Arnold Schroeder’s family?”

Del remained silent.

“I’m Dr. Wang. He’s stabilized at the moment but I have to tell you, I think it’s only a matter of time.”

Exactly what Schroeder said.

“We have a specialist on his way. In fact, he arrived about thirty minutes ago.”

Del was shocked. What’s taking him so long?

Dr. Wang suddenly smiled. “There he is now. Excuse me.”

Standing at the counter, the specialist turned his head and Del recognized him immediately.

The man from the hospital lobby.

Dr. Wang greeted him. They exchanged a few words and the doctor shook her head. Minutes later, they disappeared into Schroeder’s room.

Del ’s shock quickly turned to anger.

Mr. Tall, Dark, Oh-So-Sexy and Selfish had certainly taken his sweet old time. He should have been checking on Schroeder, not flirting with her.

She left the hospital feeling pissed off and disappointed.

At the handsome specialist…and herself.

An hour later, she was sitting in her living room with Lisa.

Lisa Shaw had been her best friend since high school. They were like sisters, although Lisa was the complete opposite of her in almost every way. Six inches shorter than Del ’s five-foot-nine frame, Lisa was a brunette with a figure made for modeling. Her eyes were hazel in comparison to Del ’s pale blue.

"So exactly how cute was this guy?” Lisa asked between mouthfuls of pizza. “I mean, was he Orlando Bloom cute or Harrison Ford cute?”

“More like Johnny Depp cute.”

“My God!”

“Well, he thinks he is.”

Lisa threw her a knowing look. “You think he’s a God too, Delila Bea Hawthorne. I know it.”

Del felt the heat rising in her face. “Shut up and eat your pizza.”

“So, you gonna show me this book?”

Del grabbed the journal and set it on the table.

Lisa opened it carefully. “What’s with all these numbers?”

One line read 233253 = 3132218142! And one number was repeated throughout the book. 233253.

“I have no idea.”

Lisa scowled. “He’s not much of an artist.”

“Just because you studied under David C. Miller doesn’t mean everyone had that honor.”

Miller was an internationally acclaimed marine artist from the United States , and he had taken Lisa under his wing. In two weeks, Lisa’s newest collection of giclee canvases would be shown at Imagine―one of the most prestigious art galleries in Canada . There was already a buzz amongst the media, and some influential people planned to attend. Even Miller and his wife would be there for the big reveal.

“This looks like a tree, Del. With two main branches. See? And this N shows that he was looking north through the trees.”

"How the hell am I supposed to find my dad with this?”

“The professor said everything was in this book, right? Well then, you’ll figure it out. When are you leaving?”

Del ’s shoulders slumped. “I’m not sure. I have to make flight arrangements, but I can’t even do that until I find some people to come with me.”

“You know I’d go…if I didn’t have this―”

“I completely understand, Lis. I’ll find someone to help me bring my dad back. You just make sure your show is a smashing success.”

“What about TJ?” Lisa asked hesitantly.

Del arched a brow. “What about him?”

“You know he’d do anything for you. Plus he’s an expert rafter.”

“Yeah, and an expert liar.”

“Have you seen Julie lately? She’s an elephant.”

Lisa mimed a huge pregnant belly, then noticed Del ’s expression.

“Oh, crap, Del. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. TJ made his bed―well, mine actually―and he doesn’t seem to mind lying in it. I hope he’s happy with her. And the kid. He always said he wanted a large family.”

She closed the journal, signaling the end of the conversation.

“Do you want butter or cheese popcorn, my friend?”

Lisa gave her a wide-eyed innocent look. “Why not both?”

Del snorted.

If there was one true gift that her friend had, it was the ability to make her laugh.

“Comic relief. That’s what you’re here for, Lis.”

They watched two Jackie Chan movies back-to-back, pigged out on popcorn and finished off two six-packs of beer. Then Lisa passed out on the couch, snoring softly and fighting for space with Kayber.

When Del crawled into bed, she wasn’t feeling any pain either.

A million thoughts raced through her mind when she awoke.

How could she possibly convince anyone to join her on a crazy trek down the Nahanni River ? People would think she was nuts if she told them she was searching for her presumed-dead father. And who in their right mind would go with her, knowing that she had no idea where her father might be and no proof that he was actually alive?

Maybe I should ask TJ to go with me.

Frustrated, she whipped the blankets aside and listened for the familiar clanging of pots and pans that always followed one of Lisa’s sleepovers.

There were no sounds of life from the kitchen.

Del ’s stomach growled rebelliously.

Groaning with hunger, she clambered out of bed. She threw on an old blue robe, stuffed her feet into Tweety slippers and plodded into the hallway.

“Hey, Lisa!” she hollered, raking her fingers through unruly, short blond curls. “Is breakfast ready?”

No one answered.

She reached the kitchen, expecting the aroma of bacon and coffee to assault her senses.

What she got was a note stuck to the fridge door.

Mrs. Johnny Depp,

I left you some herbal tea. It has some kind of root bark from Africa in it. Supposed to give you energy, ward off the effects of alcohol. J

Love Lisa. XO

P.S. I called TJ. He said of course he’ll go.

“Traitor!” Del muttered.

She looked around the empty, foodless kitchen and spotted Kayber pacing by the door. She threw him a disgruntled look.

“The least she could have done was make us breakfast.”

Lisa’s tea sat on the counter, in an unmarked bag.

Sniffing the contents suspiciously, Del prayed that her house wouldn’t be the target of a drug raid.

“Whatever’s in here probably isn’t tea.”

It probably isn’t legal either.

She made herself a cup, just to be sure.

Afterward, she headed for Bio-Tec.

©2005 Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Read Chapter 3

Get the whole story. Order THE RIVER now.

You can order The River from Amazon.com, Chapters.ca or other online retailers, or ask for it at your favorite bookstore.

Thank you!

~ Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of Whale Song, The River and Divine Intervention

http://www.whalesongbook.com/

(Please note: there may be some minor spacing or punctuation errors while pasting this chapter into this site. They do not appear in the printed text of the novel. CKT)