THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR CHERYL KAYE TARDIF

Mystery, suspense, thrillers, paranormal, horror & YA by "Cheryl Kaye Tardif" & romance by "Cherish D'Angelo". Cheryl is represented by Trident Media Group in NY.

Monday, August 26, 2013

HOW I MADE OVER $42000 IN 1 MONTH...by Cheryl Kaye Tardif FREE August 26-28


How I Made Over $42,000 in 1 Month Selling My Kindle eBooks by Cheryl Kaye TardifIn March 2012 one Canadian author boldly went where few have gone before—into the land of making real money with Amazon's KDP Select program. 


This is her story…

My name is Cheryl Kaye Tardif and I am an international bestselling suspense author who earned over $42,000 dollars in March 2012 selling ebooks via Amazon's KDP Select program, captured the interest of a major literary agency, and went on to sign with a foreign rights agent. And I'm about to tell you HOW I did all that.

I don't normally tell people how much money I make, but I believe writers need to know it IS possible to earn a real income from your books. Seriously, if I can do it, anyone can—if you have the right combination of criteria and techniques.

In this book, I'll share with you what I believe are four key elements you must have in place to see high sales. And I'll reveal the strategic techniques I used during my KDP Select promotions that resulted in earning over $42,000—with $32,000 of that from ONE title alone.

Not only did I earn over $42,000 in ebook sales, I was contacted by one of the leading literary agencies in New York. The chairman noticed my success when my one title made #4 in the Top 100 Bestselling Kindle ebooks, right under The Hunger Games trilogy. Since then, I've signed with another agent for foreign rights.

So, if you're ready to earn some real money with Select, let's begin…

Book Details:


FREE KINDLE EDITION August 26-28

Language: English

Available at:

Amazon (Kindle)

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

RIP Alora Deonie Packianayagam - I will never forget you!

This afternoon I said good bye to a very special young woman, Alora Deonie Packianayagam. Alora entered my life as a WHALE SONG fan, became one of my biggest supporters, and inspired everyone whose life she touched--including mine. Her memorial service was held at Mill Woods Pentecostal Assembly in Edmonton this afternoon, and the place was packed with people of all ages and races who had come to pay their respects and say farewell to Alora. That says a lot right there.

My memories of Alora are very strong today, and it made me want to dig up an old blog post--the one where I wrote about how I surprised Alora at school...
Friday, October 6, 2006 - Surprising a Fan is So Rewarding!
Ok, I'm back from high school--a Catholic high school to be exact. Not because I'm a student or a geek, but because I got to surprise a fan today. And you should have seen her reaction!
Alora had been emailing me the last month. She told me she enjoyed two of my novels and was so genuinely excited for me with my news (new publisher, TV series, etc). She even went so far as to convince her family and friends to order Divine Intervention and The River from Amazon.com to help persuade my new publisher to take my other two books! lol
Now that's a fan!
So after sneakily getting the name of her school, I plotted my surprise. I contacted the school and arranged a visit this afternoon. I loaded up a bag with goodies for Alora, her teacher and the class. I waited in the classroom, wondering if she'd recognize me. We'd only met once, but she did see my photo on my site. But she didn't really notice me until her teacher announced a guest.
I was watching Alora. When she looked at me, at first she didn't connect things. But I saw the second she realized who I was. It was quite funny! Part of me was nervous--not about visiting or speaking, but that I might embarrass her. But that wasn't the case...and that made my day even more special. A teenage girl was happy I was visiting her! Jeesh, sometimes my own daughter barely talks to me!! :)
I gave Alora some yellow carnations and a card. Then I gave her tickets to be part of the audience at the filming of the TV series episode I'll be in (see: A Total Write-Off in blog), and tickets to the Edmonton Woman's Show, plus some other goodies. And then I had to give her a copy of the only book she hadn't read--Divine Intervention.
The other students received bookmarks and postcards. Two of the postcards were marked, so those student got their pick of one of my books. Then I talked to them about writing, my books, the TV series/competition, my future projects...publishing and more.
All in all, it was a very rewarding day!
A blue binder - $2.99
A black pen - $1.49
A colorful bag $14.99
The look on Alora's face?
Priceless!
I had a blast! Thanks to Denise and Hillaria at Holy Trinity Catholic School for helping me plan this surprise visit, for making me feel so welcome and for buying my novels for your library. Thank you to the students in the grade 11 English class for being interested in my work and asking questions.
But most of all, thank you to Alora for being a fan and wanting to read all my books. I always look forward to your emails! :)
Over the past 6 and a half years, I have been blessed to watch Alora grow up into a beautiful young woman. I have followed her life on Facebook and chatter with her occasionally. Alora embraced life with every breath. She encouraged others to live their lives to the fullest. She inspired so many, and that was so apparent today. This 22-year-old girl lived each day as though it were her last--and oh the living she packed into those 22 years.

My thoughts and prayers are with her husband, Benjamin, as he grieves the loss of such a radiant light in his life, and with Alora's parents who have lost their beautiful daughter. But what I saw today in that church tells me her mother and father will never be without family and friends, and they will always have beautiful memories of Alora. Stay strong, and stay together.

So today I say goodbye to that young girl I first met, who inspired me to be a better writer and who showed me true courage and grace. Today I say farewell to the beautiful young woman Alora had become. Bold, spirited, funny, kind, inspiring, full of life--those are words I use to describe her. I am blessed to have known her.
Live each day to the fullest, live each day like it's your last.
Dance until the sun comes up, and sing of wonders vast,
Paint a million memories, and make your smile your gift,
And remember Alora's words, "Only fear a life unlived."

Monday, August 19, 2013

Bestselling author, Kat Flannery, talks about 'Children of Coal'

Today's special guest is bestselling author, Kat Flannery. Kat recently released her newest novel, LAKOTA HONOR, a unique mix of romance, historical western and supernatural/paranormal. And today she's sharing some of the history behind her novel...

While writing LAKOTA HONOR I did a fair bit of research. One of the things I researched extensively was coal mining in the 1800’s. I came across some pretty interesting and disturbing facts about mining back then. However, what I found the most disturbing was that children were called to work in these mountains. These poor boys sacrificed their lives to help put food on the family table.

In order to rid the mines of explosive and poisonous gases, a crude ventilation system was built in the early 1800's. Young children called Trappers would sit underground for hours opening and closing trap doors that went across the mine. This created a draught and could shift a cloud of gas, but it didn't always work. Trap doors could also stop the blast of an explosion damaging more of the mine.

Crouched over a barrel boys picked out slate and other refuse from the coal for hours and hours. As they grew their shoulders hunched forward and their backs rounded, making them look far older then what they were.

The coal is hard, and cut, broken or crushed fingers were common among the boys. Sometimes there are worse accidents; a boy falls down an open shaft to be pulled out later broken and dead. Cave in’s are a grave danger to these young boys who are small enough to crawl into the tiniest of places and help set dynamite, or pick away at a vein of coal.

Miner’s consumption: pneumoconiosis. A chronic disease of the lungs would eventually affect these boys, a result of repeated inhalation of dusts, including iron oxides (e.g., rust and filings), silicates (e.g., talc and rock dust), and carbonates (especially coal dust). Particles collect in the lungs and become sites for the formation of fibrous nodules. As the disease progresses, fibrous tissue increasingly replaces elastic lung tissue. Loss of lung function is signaled by shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and difficulty in expectorating. Sufferers are particularly vulnerable to infectious lung diseases such as tuberculosis. Pneumoconiosis is incurable and treatment is purely symptomatic. Because the inhaled dusts cause darkening of the lung tissue, the disease is also known as black lung. Silicosis, the form of the disease prevalent among miners, is commonly called miner's lung.

Children were often used in the mines because of their size. They were hired to crawl into the dark dank tunnels where men could not fit. They undertook small jobs suitable for nimble fingers, like threading weaving machines, getting into nooks and crannies in the mountain, and making matches. The dangers they faced in their every day life can be imagined...add that there was no electric light, no rest breaks, no food or water provided, and they worked up to fourteen hours a day.

BIO:

Kat Flannery’s love of history shows in her novels. She is an avid reader of historical, suspense, paranormal, and romance. When not researching for her next book, Kat can be found running her three sons to hockey and lacrosse. A member of many writing groups, Kat enjoys promoting other authors on her blog. She’s been published in numerous periodicals. Her first two novels CHASING CLOVERS and LAKOTA HONOR have been on Amazon's Bestsellers list many times. She is currently hard at work on her next book, while awaiting the release of her novella, HAZARDOUS UNIONS Sept. 7th 2013.

Buy LAKOTA HONOR here.

Kat’s website

Kat’s blog

Facebook

Twitter

Thursday, August 15, 2013

CHILDREN OF THE FOG Blog Tour with Orangeberry Book Tours

Here's my schedule:

· 15th August – Book Feature at Peace from Pieces

· 16th August – Author Interview at Mommy Adventures

· 17th August – Guest Post at The Bunny’s Review

· 18th August - Guest Post at Blog-A-Licious Authors

· 19th August - Book Review & Author Interview at Book Professor

· 20th August - Twitter View with OB Book Tours

· 21st August - Twitter Blast with OB Book Tours

· 22nd August - Guest Post & Book Feature at Quality Reads UK

· 23rd August – Book Review & Excerpt at Keeping Sane With Books

· 24th August - Author Interview at Top Shelf Books

· 25th August – Book Review & Excerpt at Book Connoisseur

· 26th August – Book Review & Author Interview at The Reading Cat

· 27th August - Guest Post at Just My Opinion

· 28th August – Book Review & Guest Post at Aspiring Books

· 29th August - Excerpt at UK Book Club

· 30th August – Listing at OB Bookstore

From August 12-31, CHILDREN OF THE FOG will be on sale for only $0.99. Pick up the Kindle edition today!

Monday, August 12, 2013

Read an excerpt of the international bestselling supernatural thriller, CHILDREN OF THE FOG

Today's my 50th birthday and I thought I would celebrate by giving away prizes and this free excerpt from CHILDREN OF THE FOG...

prologue

May 14th, 2007

She was ready to die.
She sat at the kitchen table, a half empty bottle of Philip's precious red wine in one hand, a loaded gun in the other. Staring at the foreign chunk of metal, she willed it to vanish. But it didn't.
Sadie checked the gun and noted the single bullet.
"One's all you need."
If she did it right.
She placed the gun on the table and glanced at a pewter-framed photograph that hung off-kilter above the mantle of the fireplace. It was illuminated by a vanilla-scented candle, one of many that threw flickering shadows over the rough wood walls of the log cabin.
Sam's sweet face stared back at her, smiling.
Alive.
From where she sat, she could see the small chip in his right front tooth, the result of an impatient father raising the training wheels too early. But there was no point in blaming Philip—not when they'd both lost so much.
Not when it's all my fault.
Her gaze swept over the mantle. There were three objects on it besides the candle. Two envelopes, one addressed to Leah and one to Philip, and the portfolio case that contained the illustrations and manuscript on disc for Sam's book.
She had finished it, just like she had promised.
"And promises can't be broken. Right, Sam?"
A single tear burned a path down her cheek.
Sam was gone.
What reason do I have for living now?
She gulped back the last pungent mouthful of Cabernet and dropped the empty bottle. It rolled under the chair, unbroken, rocking on the hardwood floor. Then all was silent, except the antique grandfather clock in the far corner. Its ticking reminded her of the clown's shoe. The one with the tack in it.
Tick, tick, tick…
The clock belched out an ominous gong.
It was almost midnight.
Almost time.
She drew an infinity symbol in the dust on the table.
"Sadie and Sam. For all eternity."
Gong…
She swallowed hard as tears flooded her eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you, baby. I tried to. God, I tried. Forgive me, Sam." Her words ended in a gut-wrenching moan.
Something scraped the window beside her.
She pressed her face to the frosted glass, then jerked back with a gasp. "Go away!"
They stood motionless—six children that drifted from the swirling miasma of night air, haunting her nights and every waking moment. Surrounded by the moonlit fog, they began to chant. "One fine day, in the middle of the night…"
"You're not real," she whispered.
"Two dead boys got up to fight."
A small, pale hand splayed against the exterior of the window. Below it, droplets of condensation slid like tears down the glass.
She reached out, matching her hand to the child's. Shivering, she pulled away. "You don't exist."
The clock continued its morbid countdown.
As the alcohol and drug potpourri kicked in, the room began to spin and her stomach heaved. She inhaled deeply. She couldn't afford to get sick. Sam was waiting for her.
Tears spilled down her cheeks. "I'm ready."
Gong…
Without hesitation, she raised the gun to her temple.
"Don't!" the children shrieked.
She pressed the gun against her flesh. The tip of the barrel was cold. Like her hands, her feet...her heart.
A sob erupted from the back of her throat.
The clock let out a final gong. Then it was deathly silent.
It was midnight.
Her eyes found Sam's face again.
"Happy Mother's Day, Sadie."
She took a steadying breath, pushed the gun hard against her skin and clamped her eyes shut.
"Mommy's coming, Sam."
She squeezed the trigger.


~*~
Think you know what happens next? I doubt it. :-)

You could be reading the Kindle edition of CHILDREN OF THE FOG in 60 seconds -- on sale for only $0.99 from August 12-18. (And you'll be helping me achieve a huge dream--a major bestsellers list (New York Times or USA Today.)



Sunday, August 11, 2013

Help make CHILDREN OF THE FOG a New York Times bestseller - on sale $0.99 starting August 12th

It's August 12th--my 50th birthday--and I am asking for your help in making a big dream of mine come true. And by helping me, you're going to have an exciting, heart-pounding read that you'll never forget. Plus you may win one of my fabulous prizes.

CHILDREN OF THE FOG - my international bestseller - is positioned to make the New York Times bestsellers list and/or USA Today bestsellers list. But I need your help to do it.

First, pick up a copy of CHILDREN OF THE FOG for only $0.99 from August 12th on. I'll announce the end of this sale later so get it now while it's on sale. I promise it's worth more than 99 cents!

Second, share my blog post using the share buttons below. Tweet it, Facebook it...or find my tweets or FB posts about this sale and share them. The more people who know my goal, the more possible my big dream will be.

Third, enter my Rafflecopter contest below...and share my tweets/FB posts that way, so you'll qualify for some amazing prizes, including a $100.00 gift card from Amazon or Kobo Books (winner's choice). If CHILDREN OF THE FOG does make either the NYT or USA Today bestsellers list, I will also give away a Kindle Fire HD. This contest is open August 12-31, and you can enter daily.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fourth, promote my Rafflecopter giveaway on your own blog or site using the link below:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MzkzOTRjNDVjMmNkMzlmMzJlN2Y3MTE4MTI0YjQxOjE1 

Fifth, join my Children of the Fog Army event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/691807374167668/691824224165983

Sixth: Rinse and repeat. ;-)

***If CHILDREN OF THE FOG makes either the New York Times bestsellers list or USA Today bestsellers list by August 18th, 2013, I will give away a Kindle Fire HD to one lucky winner who has entered the Rafflecopter contest above.

And...I'm not finished...please enter the Power Authors Rafflecopter contest as well, for more chances to win prizes!


Thursday, August 08, 2013

SUBMERGED and CHILDREN OF THE FOG to be released in audio book format

The past few weeks have been filled with excitement and anticipation as I awaited the contracts from Audible, Amazon's audio book company. If you missed the news, my agent at Trident Media Group contacted me months ago to say Audible had made a 2-book offer. I've held my breath ever since!

But I'm happy to say, the contracts have been signed!

And now we wait for the production to begin and then the end product--audio books for SUBMERGED, my latest thriller, and CHILDREN OF THE FOG, my #1 bestselling thriller.

Thank you to everyone at Audible and Trident Media!

And thank you to my readers! Without your support, this wouldn't have happened. I am thrilled that my thrillers will soon be coming to an earbud near you! :-)