Cheryl Kaye Tardif's Blog, page 55

Check out the new teaser video for my thriller THE RIVER

Stem cell research, cloning, and world domination--with a twist...


Video created by Kelly Komm.
Cheryl Kaye Tardif is a Canadian suspense author.
http://www.cherylktardif.com[image error]

"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 unexpec

What's in a name?

This question came up in one of my writer's organizations group emails, and I thought I'd share my thoughts with you, and how my characters were 'born'.

I look at culture, strength (physical and mental) and character when I name one of my story characters.

I'll often use names of people I know, but rarely both first and last names, unless they've won my 'Create a Corpse Contest'. That's where I invite anyone to submit a name that I might use as a "victim". It's quite funny to read the emails I get

Enter my "Opening line contest"

While playing cards with my good friends Bobbi and Rus, Rus noticed that I always led with hearts. He mentioned this and someone replied, "She always leads with her heart." Rus jokingly bet me that I couldn't use that line as the opening sentence of a novel and have it make sense. Not only did I use it, I made it important to the story.

Now I'm taking that idea to a whole new level!

In the spirit of fun and because I love a good challenge, I invite you to submit a single sentence as an opening li

Sunday Salon: Happy Mother's Day to the Mothers of my Characters

There are many memorable mothers in fiction, like the crazy mother in Stephen King's Carrie, but three mothers that stand out to me are characters I created in each of my novels. Let me introduce you to the mothers of Sarah Richardson (Whale Song), Del Hawthorne (The River), and Jasi McLellan (Divine Intervention).

Whale Song - Daniella is a kind, sweet, loving mother who finds beauty in nature and everyone she meets. Born in the US, she meets Jack Richardson, a Canadian marine biology student wh

Hope Mission's 80th Anniversary Banquet

Today, April 22, 2009, marks the 80th anniversary of Hope Mission in Edmonton, and tonight we celebrated this milestone with a banquet dinner that was put on by Hope Mission's food staff. In 1929, Hope Mission started as a soup kitchen by a Reverend and his wife. Now it has grown to 7 buildings, numerous life-changing programs, emergency services, summer camps, youth programs and so much more.

The Premiere of Alberta Ed Stelmach and his wife Marie attended this evening's event. The Premiere spoke

50 Ways to Kill Your Lover

Here's the set up:

You are the fictional protagonist. Your lover is having an affair with a co-worker. And you've had enough! You have taken those infidelities far too long and you have finally snapped. It is the night of your lover's big promotion and everyone is celebrating at a private hall. And of course, the "other" is there, right across the room, sipping champagne, looking innocent as hell...

To read more about this exercise and to leave your own comments and ideas, please visit Criminal Mi

Sunday Salon: Criminal Minds at Work

Step into the minds of this group of talented, twisted, slightly psychotic crime novelists with a penchant for mystery, mayhem and murder. They write crime fiction or true crime that gets the heart pumping and the blood boiling.

These criminally inspired authors include:
Juanita Rose VioliniAustin S. CamachoLinda MerlinoTerry CarrollKaren HarringtonArnold WolfCheryl Kaye TardifAnd they don't just talk about their own books; they often interview or write about other crime authors.

If you ever wonder

Save Wild Roses! Season 2 cancelled

If you are a fan of the hit CBC television show 'Wild Roses', I've got some bad news for you. CBC has decided not to run another season. Wow...I am soooo disappointed. And so are many others.

This was one of the best Canadian TV shows we've ever had. Not to mention that Wild Roses ended with a bang at the end of the first season. I need closure! I need to find out if anyone dies in the explosion. They can't just leave us hanging like this. It's not fair!

There are only 2 Canadian shows I've been w

Preview an excerpt of Whale Song with fReado's widget

Check this out: you can read an excerpt of Whale Song and even turn the page (click on corner and drag or just click on corner of page), making your online reading experience more like the real thing. Enlarge the screen first. Enjoy Whale Song...

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For my Amazon blog readers, please visit my official blog to read excerpt.
http://cherylktardif.blogspot.com/2009/04/preview-excerpt-of-whale-so