Whale Song Reaches Out to Kids Who Are Bullied

I always love sharing my writing experiences and my books. Especially when the topic is timely, universal and sadly, never-ending.

And that topic is...bullying. I am sure you know someone who has been bullied. Maybe you were, as a child. Maybe your son or daughter was or is being bullied.

Just days ago, a new edition of my international bestseller, WHALE SONG, was released in a special School Edition. This edition contains a detailed discussion guide at the back. It’s something that any school teacher can use or readers can use on their own.

WHALE SONG explores issues of racism and bullying, among others, and it has been used in schools and book clubs around the world. It is one of my biggest dreams to see my “heart book” in even more schools. One teacher from ESC Trillium in Ontario, Canada, has used this book for novel study for a few years now. You can read what some of her students had to say about WHALE SONG on my blog HERE.

So what’s WHALE SONG about?

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

Some things are easier to forget.

But now a familiar voice from her childhood 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 and aided by creatures of the Earth and killer whales that call to her in the night, Sarah must face her fears and recover her memories―even if it destroys her.

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

Reviews:

New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice has this to say: "Whale Song is deep and true, a compelling story of love and family and the mysteries of the human heart...a beautiful, haunting novel."

"Moving...sweet and sad." ―Booklist

"I read Whale Song and loved it." ―actress Jodelle Ferland (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)

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

The Discussion Guide:

When we were young, many of us were inspired by different books and authors. We learned about the invisible walls built by societies, and it’s my goal to tear apart the walls that separate bullies from victims by challenging readers to dig deep.

Here are some samples from the guide:

·     Sarah is bullied by Annie in school. Why do you think Annie picked on Sarah so much? What clues are there in the story that might lead you to conclusions about Annie’s life and her “reasons” for being a bully?

·       Sarah’s mom told her to find a way to forgive Annie. Do you think this was good advice?

·     Have you ever been bullied? How did that make you feel? Have you ever bullied someone else? Why? What kinds of bullying are there nowadays? How can we as a society (or school) prevent bullying?

I also have strong messages for those who have been bullied:

I was a bullied child. I was the chubby redhead in the back row, who was too shy to speak out and lacked self-confidence. I’ve experienced bullying just like Sarah did. Exactly like Sarah did. I did not fight back physically, though I tried to fight verbally. That rarely works out well. I’ve experienced racism too. I was a white child living in a small town, and the native Indians weren’t too happy about the whites. Like all kids, I had my friendship issues, my first love...and my second, and family problems.

But I survived. It gets better.

If you take nothing away from this guide than those two sentences above, I’ve fulfilled another goal.

If you are bullied or if you know someone who was or is, WHALE SONG is the perfect gift. But this novel is about so much more than that. It’s about family, relationships and boundless love. From my heart to yours, I wish you the very best and I hope you read my “heart book” and experience what others of all ages have told me changed their lives forever.

If you’re a teacher, I recommend you bring WHALE SONG into your classroom. It is perfect for any ages, 11-111.

Tell your friends and family about WHALE SONG. If you know a teacher, tell them. Whale Song could be swimming to a school near you in the future. And one of its greatest messages is this: Life gets better. Now that’s something every bully and victim needs to hear.

WHALE SONG is available in ebook edition for only $2.99 at Amazon and Smashwords (more retailers coming soon), and it will be available in trade paperback any day now on Amazon and more.

I invite you to check out my books at http://www.whalesongbook.com and http://www.cherylktardif.com.

Connect with me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cherylktardif

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cheryl-Kaye-Tardif-novels/29769736630

Amazon lowers Kindle ereader prices and introduces new Kindle ereaders

Amazon has announced 4 new Kindle products, and you'll be happy to see that part of the "new" is a LOWER price. Finally, we have Kindle ereaders for under $100, just as many (including me) have been predicting. And what perfect timing--just in time for early Christmas shoppers.

Read more.

A publisher speaks out about the new Amazon Kindle library program

With the news release about the new library program that supplies Amazon Kindle ebooks to public and school library patrons comes the obvious question the many authors are asking: How the heck do I get paid if they're giving away my ebooks?

This is what I was told:

Only ebooks distributed through OverDrive will be available as library books for this program. As there are other benefits to being distributed by OverDrive, I've tried applying to them twice in the past year or so and was turned down both times—most likely because all the books published at the time were my own, which is no longer the case as my company Imajin Books now publishes other authors and operates much like a regular traditional publisher.

If your books are carried by OverDrive, your books are then available for this new library program. Currently this only applies to US public and school libraries.

It’s my understanding that once you've been accepted by OverDrive, they would pay either the publisher or independent author. But I'm still unclear as to how they operate. Do they only loan out an ebook one at a time and wait for it to be returned before it's loaned out again? Or are they sending out an ebook multiple times?

As an author and publisher, this program raises some red flags for me. And I'm not sure it's a bad thing that we aren't using OverDrive. I want my authors to be paid for their works. I want to be paid for mine too. And our publishing company relies on sales--not giving away our products.

I'm not alone. 

Macmillan and Simon & Schuster are not supplying ebooks to this library program, as the New York Times reported. Adam Rothberg, a spokesperson for Simon & Schuster states, "We haven’t yet found a business model with which we are comfortable and that we feel properly addresses the long-term interests of our authors."

I feel the way Rothberg does. Some of our ebooks ARE  currently available via Booklending.com, but not through this latest library program, and I'm not sure there is any advantage to Imajin Books or our authors to get involved. We work far too hard on these ebooks; we just can't be expected to provide unlimited content for free.

Whale Song wins KBR Bestseller Award

A couple of days ago I was notified that my bestselling novel Whale Song was a finalist in the Kindle Book Review Awards. This is what the awards are all about:

"The Indie Awards is all about honoring indie authors who have written exceptional fiction, have worked hard to get their work out there, and who are getting great reviews. There are 10 finalists chosen from our previous "Picks of the Day" and there will be 5 winners. Best of all, the KBR will have some great prizes for these talented authors, like a complete editing package for their next book, a publicity package, proofreading, and announcements at The Pub Write Group and Digital Book Today."

Out of the 10 finalist, 5 prizes were awarded:
First Place: The KBR Literary Excellence Award
Second Place: The KBR Mover & Shaker Award
Third Place: The KBR Bestseller Award
and a Fourth Place and Fifth Place Award

I was honored to be in the finals, and even more honored to have Whale Song pick up Third Place. This is what was said about Whale Song winning the KBR Bestseller Award: "Cheryl gets this award because Whale Song is the veteran of the bunch. First published in 2003, this book was collecting rave reviews long before the ebook revolution and still continues to do so today!"

Thank you to Kindle Book Review.

Whale Song is available in English in ebook and paperback at your favorite online retailer, includingAmazon, Kobo Books, B&N, Smashwords and more. Ask your bookstore to bring it in.

Whale Song in translation for Chinese and German markets

I just realized that I hadn't actually announced that I have two translation rights deals for Whale Song.

First, I've signed a deal with a Chinese company and an ebook edition will be in translation in a few months. There's also a possibility that there may be a Chinese print edition later. Over the next few months, I'll be assisting in the translation by explaining parts of the novel to the translators.

I also have another deal in place for a German translation of Whale Song. It will be published in ebook and trade paperback edition. This is especially exciting as Amazon has recently opened their Germany site to ebooks.

Of course, with both editions this will mean new book covers, which I'll post here as soon as I have them.

Whale Song is available in English in ebook and paperback at your favorite online retailer, including Amazon, Kobo Books, B&N, Smashwords and more. Ask your bookstore to bring it in.

Today on The Russell Show: Children of the Fog

What would you do if a kidnapper told you you had 10 seconds to make a decision: let him take your child, or watch your son die?

A special thank you to my friend Russell Brooks for always being so enthusiastic about my books. Check out his narration from my bestselling supernatural thriller, CHILDREN OF THE FOG.

CHILDREN OF THE FOG is available at Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and more.

Do you know Mary Higginson?

There's not a lot about school that I liked when I was a kid, but over those years, there were a couple of teachers that made a definite impact on my life. One of them was Mary Higginson. Do you know her?

Mary Higginson was my English teacher at Bermuda High School for Girls when I lived in Bermuda for three glorious years. She was from the UK somewhere. She was kind, pleasant and always encouraging. She recognized my love for writing and encouraged me to "grow" it.

When she found out I was going through some teen/parent conflicts, she said, "Why don't you start writing in a diary, Cheryl? It might help you."

I hadn't thought about that before.

I mentioned this to my best friend.

"You should do what Mrs. Higginson suggested," she said.

"But what if my mom or dad find my diary?"

"Hide it between your mattresses. That's what I do."

It's probably what every teen does. But I did it anyway.

I hid the tiny key in my jewelry box. Does every girl do that too?

I wrote about the arguments with my mom, and how much my dad annoyed me. You know, all the normal teenage angst stuff. Every now and then when I was bored, I'd write a poem in my diary. Sometimes I'd write short stories.

When Mrs. Higginson assigned us story writing, I was in my glory. I wrote my heart out and created characters that made me laugh. Sometimes they made me cry. When I handed in my assignments, I would wait with bated breath for my teacher's reaction.

One day, she said to the class, "Let me read you a story."

I don't recall the story title or even the plot. All I know is that it was mine.

She praised my writing in front of the class and told me that one day I'd be a great writer.

I'm not sure I have the "great" part down yet--I'll leave that up to my idol, Stephen King--but I AM a writer. And Mrs. Higginson was responsible for part of my creation. Without her encouragement, I'd never have known my words could have impact and meaning to others.

So now my search is on. Mary Higginson, where are you???

Do you know a Mary Higginson? If so, please have her contact me through my site or blog.

I have contacted the school, but they have no current info. I dream of the day when I can give her one of my novels and tell her how grateful I will always be. Teachers never get enough credit. She took a depressed teenager and helped turn her into a dreamer, who then went on to achieve her dreams.

Mary Higginson, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif
I invite you to check out my novels