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.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

$0.99 SALE! SWEET & SENSUAL Bundle - 6 Complete Romance Novels

Need a little romance in your life?

Check out this $0.99 deal:

SWEET & SENSUAL, 6 complete romance novels by Catherine Astolfo, Alison Bruce, Melodie Campbell, Author, Kat Flannery, Author, Chris Redding and Author Cheryl Kaye Tardif...

US readers: http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Sensual-Romance-Bestselling-Authors-ebook/dp/B00OMUBR4W

UK readers: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sweet-Sensual-Romance-Bestselling-Authors-ebook/dp/B00OMUBR4W

With a list price total of nearly $24.00 US and over 340 reviews on Amazon.com, SWEET & SENSUAL is a value-packed romance bundle of complete novels that takes you from romantic suspense to historical romance to fantasy romance all set in captivating worlds that will leave you wanting more.

Thursday, December 04, 2014

Night Owl Reviews hosts their annual Winter Wonderland Event


Join us this holiday season for the Winter Wonderland Event, hosted annually by Night Owl Reviews, and you could win some fabulous prizes via their Rafflecopter giveaway.

Prizes:

5 = $100 Amazon Gift Cards

5 = $50 Amazon Gift Cards

18 = $25 Amazon Gift Cards

Visit Night Owl Reviews' website and Like them on Facebook.

Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, December 02, 2014

25 Days of Christmas Event 2014

This Christmas, great things come in fours

Join Imajin Books and our authors for our annual event, which includes a Kindle Fire Giveaway (Dec 1-25), Paperback Sale (Dec 1-7) & an eBook Sale (Dec 24-Jan 7th).

*  Kindle Fire HD Giveaway - Dec 1-25 - Enter via our Facebook page.

*  Paperback Sale - Dec 1-7 - Check out our paperbacks HERE.

*  eBook Sale - Dec 24 - Jan 7 - Check out our ebooks HERE

 * Special eBook Bundle Sale: DEADLY DOZEN (Dec 6-12); SWEET & SENSUAL (Dec 23-29)

Friday, November 21, 2014

Guest post: An Excerpt from GOTH TOWN by Jesse Giles Christiansen

GOTH TOWN by Jesse Giles Christiansen

PROLOGUE

JAKE RAYNER is the only one, other than Samantha Bryant, who had the vision.

He’ll never forget the first time it happened. He was out for a walk in the woods by himself, a practice highly discouraged by the Overseers.

He was always surprised at how little everyone questioned the rules of the Overseers. Many of them seemed so ridiculous. Then again, they owed everything to them. There would have been no life here at all, if not for them.

That afternoon the hazy air was happy and it seemed to seep into everything. Jake was reckless to allow it to seep into him. His feet, his legs, his fingers, even his thoughts, were reckless.

I know they’re going to find me. I just know it. Then they’re going to hook me up to the Recalibration Machine again.

But that day he didn’t care about a single thing. He was mad with life. Life was mad in his veins. Life was livid in his veins. 

Everything spoke to him. The birds’ songs were like shrilly operas stuck in fortissimo. The creek sneaking along by his side crackled and popped the way a long-asleep radio wakes up hungry and eager to play. The wind in the pines moaned softly like a lonely lover. 

Then it happened.

He felt dizzy at first, his head so light he thought it might float away. Something surged inside him that could have been swallowed lightning, rising, writhing, and climbing up to his head.

The memory came.

Memories were demons; they were even more forbidden than being all alone; they were not allowed to even start. When they went in for their weekly screening, any evidence of memories prior to the Anti-Emotion Movement was immediately erased. It was for their own good. Really. They had to believe in the Overseers. They gave them everything, and asked for so little in return. The Overseers picked them up after the Great Fog.

He just stood there and could not stop the memory. Oh, it was so warm. That swallowed lightning curled up, balled up in his head and took to nuclear fusion, forming a miniature sun to melt all the work of the entire Overseers’ brilliant technology.

But what an afternoon it was.

The first flash was of shiny boxes wrapped in fancy bows under a tree that someone had stuck in a living room. What a bizarre image. Why would someone put a perfectly good tree in a living room? Perfect madness. Perfect madness, indeed. And the poor, poor tree.

The tree was wrapped with winking lights, and as he stood there, letting this memory take root, he could see the pines around him dressed the same. They were beautiful, and he overflowed with the urge to take all the pines in the forest, shrink them down, and put them into everyone’s homes.

Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.

He heard footsteps, and the beautiful, horrible, absurd memory vanished. The memory vanished like the scent of a woman riding with you on a train—a woman you know you will never see again.

He waited for the Goth Town Police to arrest him. And he cherished those seconds as the taste of a curious and wild memory remained for a few seconds on his lips. Those few seconds were more blissful than the rambunctious air that crept all through the forest that afternoon and shot rays of perilous hope into everything. In those few seconds, he tried to chase the echo that was home to that taste. That scent of a woman on a train. He tried to return to it with the desperation of a legless man waking from a Boston Marathon dream.

But at least the taste was there when they handcuffed him.

At least the flicker.

A gray haunt … at least … 

Jesse Giles Christiansen is an American author who writes compelling literary fiction that weaves the real with the surreal. He attended Florida State University where he received his B.A. in English literature. He is the author of Pelican Bay, an Amazon #1 list bestseller, outselling Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway. One of Christiansen's literary goals is to write at least fifty novels, and he always reminds himself of something that Ray Bradbury once said: "You fail only if you stop writing."

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Goth-Town-Jesse-Giles-Christiansen-ebook/dp/B00P8QFUTW

Web Site: www.jessegileschristiansen.com
Blog: www.jgchristiansen.wordpress.com

Guest Author Jesse Giles Christiansen and his GOTH TOWN Character Interview

Today's special guest post is from American author Jesse Giles Christiansen, and he has a great blog tour lined up for his newest release, GOTH TOWN. Welcome, Jesse! :-)

Character Interview: Inside the Mind of GOTH TOWN’s Founder, Lord Gothly
  
JGC: Why Christmaslessness around the whole world? Isn’t Goth Town enough?

LG: Ha-ha. Your thinking is so limited. What a lousy physicist you would have made! My grandfather’s vision was to not just stop pesky, debilitating emotions in one small place, but everywhere. You see, Goth Town was only the testing ground, so to speak. The world is suffering from omnipresent locusts. Oh, you cannot see them, dear fellow, but they are just as devouring. Tell me, would you stop global locusts in only one place?

If you were to stop all emotions, wouldn’t you stop all thinking, too? Memories?

Ha! Not so dull-witted as I expected! Of course, you boldly assume that thoughts and feelings are hopelessly tied together. How erroneous you are, dear fellow! Yes, thoughts breed emotions, but there are pure thoughts that have no emotions. No sappy, disabling memories … just those of truth and unequivocal existence. What bliss they are! They flow like the quiet symphony that accompanies the swift movements of logic. They walk like barefoot women through Times Square! Only 33 days left!

How do you plan to accomplish such a feat?

Again, such limited thinking! I would not expect someone like you to understand dark physics, especially one who thinks in such two-dimensional terms. Accomplish. Ha-ha!

How could the world exist without fond memories?

We define fond quite differently, let me assure you. Take this hideous, pitiable thing called Christmas, for example. Is it fond? Really? The primary components of Christmas are love and giving. Yuck! It turns my stomach to event think of such things! Do love and giving make the world a better place? Do they save the environment? Allow for interstellar travel? Do they keep one warm at night? No! I shall tell you what they do. They make the world stronger rather than weaker. One day the world will see that they have had it all quite reversed. They will thank me! To love someone is to erase his or her purpose and individuality. To give to them keeps them from fending for themselves. Do you not see? Christmas is really not good for the world. My grandfather believed it was the root of the failure of humanity.

GOTH TOWN has already sold over 100 copies, and it’s not even Thanksgiving yet. How do you feel about that?

I am so tired of hearing about this book. I am positively sick with it! You see, this is the pathetic sentimentality that I am trying to save everyone from. Do you not see how pitifully absurd the notion is? As if a book is going to stop anything. A hundred you said? Ha! How many stars are there? How much dark energy can we siphon from a black hole? Take your books and burn them; perhaps they might warm a small group of Christmas urchins!

You seem very emotional. Isn’t that a contradiction?

You seem to have an extremely impoverished sense of time. You promised fifteen minutes. I have work to do. The Global Re-Constitution Device must be ready on Christmas morning. I bid thee adieu!
Jesse Giles Christiansen is an American author who writes compelling literary fiction that weaves the real with the surreal. He attended Florida State University where he received his B.A. in English literature. He is the author of Pelican Bay, an Amazon #1 list bestseller, outselling Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway. One of Christiansen's literary goals is to write at least fifty novels, and he always reminds himself of something that Ray Bradbury once said: "You fail only if you stop writing."

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Goth-Town-Jesse-Giles-Christiansen-ebook/dp/B00P8QFUTW
Web Site: www.jessegileschristiansen.com Blog: www.jgchristiansen.wordpress.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/JesseGilesChrisFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/jesse.gileschristiansen.7Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5261095.Jesse_Giles_Christiansen

Tuesday, November 04, 2014

Cheryl Kaye Tardif joins Margaret Atwood, Ian McEwan, Ken Follett & other authors in Freedom from Torture's "Immortality Auction"

Canadian author Cheryl Kaye Tardif has joined a number of well-known authors, including fellow Canadian Margaret Atwood, in an "Immortality Auction" to support Freedom from Torture, an organization dedicated to assisting those affected by torture and other organized abuses. This includes violence by different races or religions that do not acknowledge the basic human rights most of us enjoy.

What's an Immortality Auction?

You can be "immortalized" in one of the participating authors' upcoming books. Each author has donated one or more characters to be named after the highest bidders. Think of it! Your name as one of the characters--and perhaps your wife's, husband's, daughter's etc.

Cheryl's auction:

The highest bidder will name 2 characters in Cheryl's upcoming new thriller, THE 6th PLAGUE, which is set in Banff, Alberta, Canada, during the Banff World Media Festival. THE 6th PLAGUE will be released in the summer/fall of 2015.

Why is Cheryl participating?

"As an author who writes suspense, I am often influenced (and horrified) by true stories in the media, and it stuns me that human beings can be so cruel to one another, especially since torture is not only conducted in war zones but in civilized countries. We all bleed the same color; we all live and we all die, and those who have suffered at the hands of others need support and compassion."


Bidding is open now!! 

Please dig deep and help support a worthwhile cause and organization.

Bid on Cheryl's Immortality Auction now!

And please share this post.


Monday, November 03, 2014

An Excerpt from SUBMERGED by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Chapter One

Edson, AB – Thursday, June 13, 2013 – 10:55 AM

Sitting on the threadbare carpet in front of the living room fireplace, Marcus Taylor stroked a military issue Browning 9mm pistol against his leg, the thirteen-round magazine in his other hand. For an instant, he contemplated loading the gun―and then using it.
"But then who'd feed you?" he asked his companion.
Arizona, a five-year-old red Irish setter, gave him an inquisitive look, then curled up and went back to sleep on the couch. She was a rescue hound he'd picked up about a year after Ryan and Jane had died. The house had been too damned quiet. Lifeless.
"Great to know you have an opinion."
Setting the gun and magazine down on the floor, Marcus propped a photo album against his legs and took a deep breath. The photo album of death. The album only saw daylight three times a year. The other three hundred and sixty-two days it was hidden in a steel foot locker that doubled as his coffee table.
Today was Paul's forty-sixth birthday. Or it would have been, except Paul was dead.
Taking another measured breath, Marcus felt for the chain that marked a page and opened the album. "Hey, Bro."
In the photo, Corporal Paul Taylor stood on the shoulder of a deserted street on the outskirts of a nondescript town in Afghanistan, a sniper rifle braced across his chest and the Browning in his hand. He'd been killed that same day, his limbs ripped apart by a roadside bomb. The IED had been buried in six inches of dust and dirt when Paul, distracted by a crying kid, had unwittingly stepped on it.
One stupid mistake could end in death, separating son from parents and brother from brother. Resentment could separate siblings too.
"I wish I could tell you how sorry I am," Marcus said, blinking back a tear. "We wasted so much time being pissed at each other."
As a young kid, he'd hidden his older brother's toy soldiers so he could play with them when Paul was at school. In high school, Marcus had hidden how smart he was, always downplaying his intelligence in favor of being the cool, younger brother of senior hockey legend Paul Taylor. Marcus had learned to hide his jealousy too.
Until his brother was killed.
He stared at the warped dog tag at the end of the chain. It was all that was left of his brother. There was nothing to be jealous of now.
He glanced at the gun. Okay, he had that too. He'd inherited the Browning from Paul. One of his brother's war buddies had personally delivered it. "Your brother said you can play with his toys now," the guy had said.
Paul always had a warped sense of humor.
"Happy birthday, Paul."
He knew his parents, who were currently cruising in the Mediterranean, would be raising a toast in Paul's honor, so he did the same. "I miss you, bro."
Then he dropped the tag and flipped to the next set of photos in the album. A brunette with short, choppy hair and luminous green eyes smiled back at him.
Jane.
"Hello, Elf."
He traced her face, recalling the way her mouth tilted upward on the left and how she'd watch a chick flick tearjerker, while tears steamed unnoticed down her face.
Marcus turned to the next set of photos and sucked in a breath. A handsome boy beamed a brilliant smile and waved back at him.
"Hey, little buddy."
He recalled the day the photo had been taken. His son, Ryan, a rookie goalie on his junior high hockey team, had shut out his opponents, giving his team a three-goal lead. Jane had snapped the picture at the exact second when Ryan had found his father in the crowd.
"I love you." Marcus's voice cracked. "And I miss you so much."
He couldn't hide that. Not ever.
There was one other thing he couldn't hide.
He had killed Jane. And Ryan.
For the past six years, whenever Marcus slept, his dead wife and son came to visit, taunting him with their spectral images, teasing him with familiar phrases, twisting his mind and gut into a guilt-infested cesspool. The only way to escape their accusing glares and spiteful smiles was to wake up. Or not go to sleep. Sleep was the enemy. He did his best to avoid it.
Marcus glanced at the antique clock on the mantle. 11:06.
Another twenty-four minutes and he'd have to head to the Yellowhead County Emergency Center, where he worked as a 911 dispatcher. He'd been working there for almost six months. He was halfway through five twelve-hour shifts that ran from noon to midnight. He worked them with his best friend, Leo, who would undoubtedly be in a good mood again. Leo liked sleeping in and starting his day at noon, while Marcus preferred the midnight-to-noon shift, the one everyone else hated. It gave him something to do at night, since sleeping didn't come easily.
He closed the photo album, stood slowly and stretched his cramped muscles. As he placed the album and the gun and magazine back in the foot locker, a small cedar box with a medical insignia embossed on the top caught his eye, though he did his best to ignore it.
Even Arizona knew that box was trouble. She froze at the sight of it, her hackles raised.
"I know," Marcus said. "I can resist temptation."
That box had gotten him into trouble on more than one occasion. It represented a past he'd give anything to erase. But he couldn't toss it in the trash. It had too firm a grip on him. Even now it called to him.
"Marcus…"
"No!"
He slammed the foot locker lid with his fist. The sound reverberated across the room, clanging like a jail cell door, trapping him in his own private prison.
Behind him, Arizona whimpered.
"Sorry, girl."
One day he'd get rid of the box with the insignia and be done with it once and for all.
But not yet.
Shaking off a bout of guilt, he took the stairs two at a time to the second floor and entered the master bedroom of the two-bedroom rented duplex. It was devoid of all things feminine, stripped down to the barest essentials. A bed, nightstand and tall dresser. Metal blinds, no flowered curtains like the ones in the house in Edmonton that he'd bought with Jane. The bedspread was a mishmash of brown tones, and it had been hauled up over the single pillow. There were none of the decorative pillows that Jane had loved so much. No silk flowers on the dresser. No citrus Febreeze lingering in the air. No sign of Jane.
He'd hidden her too.
Stepping into the en suite bathroom, Marcus stared into the mirror. He took in the untrimmed moustache and beard that was threatening to engulf his face. Leaning closer, he examined his eyes, which were more gray than blue. He turned his face to catch the light. "I am not tired."
The dark circles under his eyes betrayed him.
Ignoring Arizona's watchful gaze, he opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed the tube of Preparation H, a trick he'd learned from his wife Jane. Before he'd killed her. A little dab under the eyes, no smiling or frowning, and within seconds the crevices in his skin softened. Some of Jane's "White Out"—as she used to call the tube of cosmetic concealer—and the shadows would disappear.
"Camouflage on," he said to his reflection.
A memory of Jane surfaced.
It was the night of the BioWare awards banquet, nineteen years ago. Jane, dressed in a pink housecoat, sat at the bathroom vanity curling her hair, while Marcus struggled with his tie.
He'd let out a curse. "I can never get this right."
"Here, let me." Pushing the chair behind him, Jane climbed up before he could protest. She caught his gaze in the mirror over the sink and reached around his shoulders, her gaze wandering to the twisted lump he'd made of the full Windsor. "You shouldn't be so impatient."
"You shouldn't be climbing up on chairs."
"I'm fine, Marcus."
"You're pregnant, that's what you are."
"You calling me fat, buster?"
Five months pregnant with Ryan, Jane had never looked so beautiful.
"I'd never do that," he replied.
She cocked her head and arched one brow. "Never? How about in four months when I can't walk up the stairs to the bedroom?"
"I'll carry you."
"What about when I can't see my toes and can't paint my toenails?"
"I'll paint them for you."
"What about when―"
He turned his head and kissed her. That shut her up.
With a laugh, she pushed him away, gave the tie a smooth tug and slid the knot expertly into place.
He groaned. "Now why can't I do that?"
"Because you have me. Now quit distracting me. I still have to put on my dress and makeup."
Marcus sat on the edge of the bed and waited. Jane always made it worth the wait, and that night she didn't disappoint him. When she emerged from the bathroom, she was a vision of sultry goddess in a designer dress from a shop in West Edmonton Mall. The baby bump in front was barely noticeable.
"How do I look?" she asked, nervously fingering the fresh gold highlights in her hair.
"Sexy as hell."
She spun in a slow circle to show off the sleek black dress with its plunging back. Peering over one glitter-powdered shoulder, she said, "So you like my new dress?"
"I'd like it better," he said in a soft voice, "if it was on the floor."
Minutes later, they were entwined in the sheets, out of breath and laughing like teenagers. Sex with Jane was always like that. Exciting. Youthful. Fun.
After dressing, Jane retreated to the bathroom to fix her hair and makeup. "Camouflage on," she said when she returned. "Now let's get going."
"Yes, ma'am."
He heard her whispering, "Six plus eight plus two…"
"Are you doing that numerology thing again?" he asked with a grin.
Jane had gone to a psychic fair when she'd found out she was pregnant, and a numerologist had given her a lesson in adding dates. Ever since then, whenever something important came up, she'd work out the numbers to determine if it was going to be a good day or not. She even made Marcus buy lotto tickets on "three days," which she said meant money coming in. They hadn't won a lottery yet, but he played along anyway.
"What is it today?"
She smiled. "A seven."
"Ah, lucky seven." He arched a brow at her. "So I'm going to get lucky?"
"I think you already did, mister."
They'd been late for the awards banquet, which didn't go over too well since Jane was the guest of honor, the recipient of a Best Programmer award for her latest video game creation at BioWare. When Jane had stepped up on the stage to receive her award, Marcus didn't think he could ever be prouder. Until the night Ryan was born.
Ryan…the son I killed.
Marcus gave his head a jerk, forcing the memories back into the shadows―where they belonged. He picked up the can of shaving cream. His eyes rested, unfocused, on the label.
To shave or not to shave. That was the question.
"Nah, not today," he muttered.
He hadn't shaved in weeks. He was also overdue for a haircut. Thankfully, they weren't too strict about appearances at work, though his supervisor would probably harp on it again.
The alarm on his watch beeped.
He had twenty minutes to get to the center. Then he'd get back to hiding behind the anonymity of being a faceless voice on the phone…

From Cheryl Kaye Tardif, the international bestselling author that brought you CHILDREN OF THE FOG, comes a terrifying psychological thriller that will leave you breathless…


"Submerged reads like an approaching storm, full of darkness, dread and electricity. Prepare for your skin to crawl."
—Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of 15 Seconds

Two strangers submerged in guilt, brought together by fate…

After a tragic car accident claims the lives of his wife, Jane, and son, Ryan, Marcus Taylor is immersed in grief. But his family isn't the only thing he has lost. An addiction to painkillers has taken away his career as a paramedic. Working as a 911 operator is now the closest he gets to redemption—until he gets a call from a woman trapped in a car.

Rebecca Kingston yearns for a quiet weekend getaway, so she can think about her impending divorce from her abusive husband. When a mysterious truck runs her off the road, she is pinned behind the steering wheel, unable to help her two children in the back seat. Her only lifeline is a cell phone with a quickly depleting battery and a stranger's calm voice on the other end telling her everything will be all right.


Learn more about Cheryl Kaye Tardif at http://www.cherylktardif.com and follow her on Twitter.

Enter Cheryl’s Kindle Fire HDX Giveaway: https://www.facebook.com/cherylkayetardif


Sunday, November 02, 2014

Sneak peek at Rebecca Kingston from SUBMERGED

Let me tell you a bit about Rebecca Kingston. She's a hardworking, devoted mother of two, with an abusive husband who has a gambling problem. And she's had enough. Though not an easy decision to make for most abused women, Rebecca knows she has to protect her children and herself. So she sets things in motion…

Here's a peek at the first time you meet Rebecca:

Chapter Two

Edmonton, AB – Thursday, June 13, 2013 – 4:37 PM

Rebecca Kingston folded her arms across her down-filled jacket and tried not to shiver. Though May had ended with a heat wave, the temperatures had dropped the first week of June. It had rained for the first five days, and an arctic chill had swept through the city. The weatherman blamed the erratic change in weather on global warming and a cold front sweeping down from Alaska, while locals held one source responsible. Their lifelong rival—Calgary.
"Can we get an ice cream, Mommy?" four-year-old Ella said with a faint lisp, the result of her recent contribution to the tooth fairy's necklace collection.
Rebecca laughed. "It feels like winter again and you want ice cream?"
"Yes, please."
"I guess we have time."
They hurried across the street to the corner store.
"Strawberry this time," Ella said, her blue eyes pleading.
Rebecca sighed. "Eat it slowly. Did you remember Puff?"
Her daughter nodded. "In my pocket."
"Good girl." Rebecca glanced at her watch. "It's almost five. Let's go."
Her cell phone rang. It was Carter Billingsley, her lawyer.
"Mr. Billingsley," she said. "I'm glad you got my message."
"So you've decided to get away," he said. "That's a very good idea."
"I need a break." She glanced at Ella. "Things are going to get ugly, aren't they?"
"Unfortunately, yes. Divorce is never pretty. But you'll get through it."
"Thanks, Mr. Billingsley."
"Take care, Rebecca."
Carter had once been her grandfather's lawyer and Grandpa Bob had highly recommended him—if Rebecca ever needed someone to handle her divorce. In his late sixties, Carter filled that father-figure left void after her father's passing.
Her thoughts raced to her twelve-year-old son. Colton's team was up against one of the toughest junior high hockey teams from Regina. With Colton as the Edmonton team's goalie, most of the pressure was on him. He was a brave boy.
She bit her bottom lip, wishing she were as brave.
You're a coward, Becca.
"You're too codependent," her mother always said.
Rebecca figured that wasn't actually her fault. She'd been fortunate to have strong male role models in her life. Men who ran companies with iron fists and made decisions after careful consideration. Or at least worked hard to provide for their families. Men like Grandpa Bob and her father. Men who could be trusted to make the right decisions.
Not like Wesley.
Even her grandfather hadn't liked him. When Grandpa Bob passed away two years ago, he'd sent a clear message to everyone that Wesley couldn't be trusted. Grandpa Bob had lived a miser's lifestyle. No one knew how much money he'd saved for that "rainy day"—until he was gone and Colton and Ella became beneficiaries of over eight hundred thousand dollars from the sale of Grandpa Bob's house and business.
Grandpa Bob, in his infinite wisdom, had added two major conditions to the inheritance. Money could only be withdrawn from the account if it was spent on Ella or Colton. And Rebecca was the sole person with signing power.
Wesley moped around the house for days when he heard the conditions. Any time she bought the kids new clothes, he'd sneer at her and say, "Hope you used your grandfather's money for those."
Once when he'd gambled most of his paycheck, he begged her for a "loan," and when she'd voiced that she didn't have the money, he slapped her. "Lying bitch! You've got almost a million dollars at your fingertips. All I'm asking for is thirty-five hundred. I'll pay it back."
She'd refused and paid the price, physically.

From Cheryl Kaye Tardif, the international bestselling author that brought you CHILDREN OF THE FOG, comes a terrifying psychological thriller that will leave you breathless…


"Submerged reads like an approaching storm, full of darkness, dread and electricity. Prepare for your skin to crawl."
—Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of 15 Seconds

Two strangers submerged in guilt, brought together by fate…

After a tragic car accident claims the lives of his wife, Jane, and son, Ryan, Marcus Taylor is immersed in grief. But his family isn't the only thing he has lost. An addiction to painkillers has taken away his career as a paramedic. Working as a 911 operator is now the closest he gets to redemption—until he gets a call from a woman trapped in a car.

Rebecca Kingston yearns for a quiet weekend getaway, so she can think about her impending divorce from her abusive husband. When a mysterious truck runs her off the road, she is pinned behind the steering wheel, unable to help her two children in the back seat. Her only lifeline is a cell phone with a quickly depleting battery and a stranger's calm voice on the other end telling her everything will be all right.


Learn more about Cheryl Kaye Tardif at http://www.cherylktardif.com and follow her on Twitter.

Enter Cheryl’s Kindle Fire HDX Giveaway: https://www.facebook.com/cherylkayetardif


Saturday, November 01, 2014

The Story Behind the Book

There are actually two stories behind my new thriller, SUBMERGED. It was inspired by my fear of being trapped in a submerged vehicle and also by a long-time friend who dealt with drug addiction while on the job as a paramedic.

I've traveled a lot by car, even coast to coast across Canada, more than once. I've also lived near water, whether an ocean, river or lake. Ever since I was young, I would grow tense if our vehicle drifted too close to an embankment that separated us from a body of water. Even to this day, I tense up when the car I'm in gets too close to water. Having a wild imagination isn't always a good thing; I often envision the car jettisoning into the water and then slowly sinking. Drowning has been a deep fear of mine and I have often wondered how I'd get out if I found myself in that situation.

Marcus's character grew from a high school friend, who shared very personal details about his life, his former paramedic career and his addiction challenges. I am inspired by him because he managed to turn his life around. He now has a wonderful wife and family, and a new career. His story reminds me that we CAN change. We CAN make our lives better. And it starts with a choice. He chose not to let addiction rule or define him. I admire that.

From Cheryl Kaye Tardif, the international bestselling author that brought you CHILDREN OF THE FOG, comes a terrifying thriller that will leave you breathless…


SUBMERGED

"Submerged reads like an approaching storm, full of darkness, dread and electricity. Prepare for your skin to crawl."
—Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of 15 Seconds


Learn more about Cheryl Kaye Tardif at http://www.cherylktardif.com and follow her on Twitter.

Enter Cheryl’s Kindle Fire HDX Giveaway: https://www.facebook.com/cherylkayetardif


Friday, October 31, 2014

Sneak Peek of "Marcus Taylor" from SUBMERGED

Let me tell you a bit about Marcus Taylor. He's a former paramedic who became addicted to painkillers while on the job. He was released from that position when his drug use became obvious and jeopardized everyone around him. He now works at a 911 center in Edson, Alberta, Canada.

He is a widow; his wife and son died in a car accident a few years ago. He is a good man and was a good husband and father, regardless of his addiction. But now he is plagued by guilt to the point that he sees their ghosts in his dreams—and sometimes when he's awake.

Marcus is broken, submerged in guilt and remorse, and doing his best to make up for past sins.

Here is a sneak peek at Marcus. I hope you'll find him redeeming.

It was the night of the BioWare awards banquet, nineteen years ago. Jane, dressed in a pink housecoat, sat at the bathroom vanity curling her hair, while Marcus struggled with his tie.
He'd let out a curse. "I can never get this right."
"Here, let me." Pushing the chair behind him, Jane climbed up before he could protest. She caught his gaze in the mirror over the sink and reached around his shoulders, her gaze wandering to the twisted lump he'd made of the full Windsor. "You shouldn't be so impatient."
"You shouldn't be climbing up on chairs."
"I'm fine, Marcus."
"You're pregnant, that's what you are."
"You calling me fat, buster?"
Five months pregnant with Ryan, Jane had never looked so beautiful.
"I'd never do that," he replied.
She cocked her head and arched one brow. "Never? How about in four months when I can't walk up the stairs to the bedroom?"
"I'll carry you."
"What about when I can't see my toes and can't paint my toenails?"
"I'll paint them for you."
"What about when―"
He turned his head and kissed her. That shut her up.

~ * ~

From Cheryl Kaye Tardif, the international bestselling author that brought you CHILDREN OF THE FOG, comes a terrifying thriller that will leave you breathless…


"Submerged reads like an approaching storm, full of darkness, dread and electricity. Prepare for your skin to crawl."
—Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of 15 Seconds

Two strangers submerged in guilt, brought together by fate…

After a tragic car accident claims the lives of his wife, Jane, and son, Ryan, Marcus Taylor is immersed in grief. But his family isn't the only thing he has lost. An addiction to painkillers has taken away his career as a paramedic. Working as a 911 operator is now the closest he gets to redemption—until he gets a call from a woman trapped in a car.

Rebecca Kingston yearns for a quiet weekend getaway, so she can think about her impending divorce from her abusive husband. When a mysterious truck runs her off the road, she is pinned behind the steering wheel, unable to help her two children in the back seat. Her only lifeline is a cell phone with a quickly depleting battery and a stranger's calm voice on the other end telling her everything will be all right.

*SUBMERGED has a unique tie-in to Tardif`s international bestseller, CHILDREN OF THE FOG.


Learn more about Cheryl Kaye Tardif at http://www.cherylktardif.com and follow her on Twitter.


Enter Cheryl’s Kindle Fire HDX Giveaway: https://www.facebook.com/cherylkayetardif

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Ever Play Chicken?

You're probably all familiar with the deadly game of "Playing Chicken." Usually this is a teen thing; drive towards oncoming traffic and the most cowardly veers off at the last minute—hence, he's the "chicken." Why would someone do this? For the adrenaline rush, some say. Or for the honor of being thought of as the bravest. Or because they think they have something to prove to others.

Most of us would consider this game just plain stupid. And highly dangerous. But many of us aren't aware that we're involved in our own versions of "Playing Chicken." Ever put yourself in a situation of risk, only to bail out at the first sign of challenge? Ever decide not to do something because you're afraid of it? It's a natural reaction. Self-preservation. Sometimes, though, it becomes a form of self-sabotage.

In SUBMERGED, Marcus Taylor has lived for years "Playing Chicken." As a recovering addict he knows what it's like to be in a head-on collision course of disaster. He doesn't need a vehicle; drugs are his weapon of choice and his adrenaline rush. He told himself he needed them in order to be an effective paramedic working long hours and witnessing horrific tragedies weekly, sometimes daily. But he lost control, nearly crashing, coming close to death. Until instinct kicked in and he veered off the path.

Marcus lives with his guilt, like many of us live with a family member. He feeds it, strokes it, gives it life. He thinks he's done "Playing Chicken," but he's not. He has slipped into a life of monotony, taking no risks, making no new connections, seeing a bleak future. He has veered off the road of Life, chickened out.

Until he takes a call while working as a 911 dispatcher, and he has no time for "Playing Chicken." He is spurred into action, driven by the need for redemption, and his life changes forever.

"Submerged reads like an approaching storm, full of darkness, dread and electricity. Prepare for your skin to crawl."
—Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of 15 Seconds

Two strangers submerged in guilt, brought together by fate…

After a tragic car accident claims the lives of his wife, Jane, and son, Ryan, Marcus Taylor is immersed in grief. But his family isn't the only thing he has lost. An addiction to painkillers has taken away his career as a paramedic. Working as a 911 operator is now the closest he gets to redemption—until he gets a call from a woman trapped in a car.

Rebecca Kingston yearns for a quiet weekend getaway, so she can think about her impending divorce from her abusive husband. When a mysterious truck runs her off the road, she is pinned behind the steering wheel, unable to help her two children in the back seat. Her only lifeline is a cell phone with a quickly depleting battery and a stranger's calm voice on the other end telling her everything will be all right.

Get SUBMERGED today. On sale for only $0.99 US.

Learn more about Cheryl Kaye Tardif at http://www.cherylktardif.com and follow her on Twitter.

Enter Cheryl’s Kindle Fire HDX Giveaway: https://www.facebook.com/cherylkayetardif

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Recipe for a Bestselling Novel

Wouldn't it be great if there was a recipe for making a bestselling novel and if all a writer had to do was gather the ingredients and mix them in, and voila!―a bestselling novel is created? The reality is there are combinations of ingredients that can either get your name on a bestseller's list or fall flatter than an airless cheese soufflé. However, there are some common ingredients that have helped authors achieve bestseller status.

Ingredients for a Bestseller:

·         1 cup of well written novel
·         1 cup of professional editing
·         1 cup of professional layout and interior design
·         2 cups of professional book cover, including gripping back cover text
·         1 cup of decent distribution via major online retailers
·         2 cups of book launch, tours and other events, plus advertising
·         3 cups of contests and giveaways by author, publisher or both
·         Countless hours of organization and time
·         Generous dash of excitement

Method:

Take the well written novel and beat in professional editing until light and readable. Add professional layout and interior design, then stir in professional cover art and back cover text until well combined. Sprinkle in decent distribution until coated and roll mixture out with book launch, tours and events. Top with contests and giveaways, and fold in countless hours of organization and time before adding the finishing touch―a huge dash of excitement. Share with everyone and enjoy!

Reality Check:

While the recipe above may seem kind of silly, these ingredients can lead to a bestselling novel. I know because I've used them all successfully. My novels have made bestsellers lists multiple times on Amazon. Some of my novels are international bestsellers, some are national bestsellers, all have made multiple Top 100 genre lists on Amazon, and a couple have made the coveted prize of Top 100 bestsellers overall on Amazon. That's out of nearly 2 million ebooks.

Check out my hold-your-breath thriller, SUBMERGED. It is a tale of guilt, fear, greed, addiction and redemption, and I know you're going to love it.

"Tardif once again delivers a suspenseful supernatural masterpiece."
—Scott Nicholson, international bestselling author of The Home

Get SUBMERGED today. On sale for only $0.99 US.

Learn more about Cheryl Kaye Tardif at http://www.cherylktardif.com and follow her on Twitter.

Enter Cheryl’s Kindle Fire HDX Giveaway: https://www.facebook.com/cherylkayetardif

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Author Cheryl Kaye Tardif talks about fear & SUBMERGED

What inspires me most to write the novels I've written? Fear!

One of the most common questions I hear as an author is: "What inspired you to write this novel?" If I were to answer 100% truthfully, my answer is: "Fear." As a suspense author, my goal is to tap into the deepest of fears and make them one hundred times more terrifying. I am always asking, "What are you afraid of?"

In DIVINE INTERVENTION, I deal with the fear of not being accepted for who you are. I also explore the fear of being hunted by a serial arsonist. I'm sure most of us can identify with the first fear, but hopefully none of you can identify with the latter. This thriller also deals with the fear of the unknown, of past events and secrets. Or of moving on with one's life.

In THE RIVER, I deal with the fear of discovering that a father you thought was dead was actually alive...and in danger. It also touches on the fear that the world as we know it may end much sooner than we think. There are many who fear conspiracies, and that is a key factor in this thriller. How are we changing this world for the worst, and at what point have we become God?

In my thriller, CHILDREN OF THE FOG, I explore every mother's worst nightmare―the fear of losing a child. What's more, I take this to a more terrifying level by delving into the fear of having a child abducted and of having the main character make a terrible choice:  to let a kidnapper take her child, or watch her son die. What would YOU choose?

And in my psychological thriller, SUBMERGED, I explore one of my own fears—the fear of being trapped in a car that is submerged underwater. Just the thought of this happening makes my breath freeze in my lungs and makes my fingers curl. I can imagine the fear, the burning water in my nose and lungs, the moment when I know I can't hold my breath any longer…and the realization that I'm about to drown.

When my husband and I are traveling, I am always leery of driving too close to the edge of the road if water sits at the bottom of an embankment. When writing this novel, I often found myself holding my breath and then gulping in air when I finally remembered to breathe.

And now I have an important question to ask you: What are YOU afraid of?

Get SUBMERGED today. On sale for only $0.99 US.

Learn more about Cheryl Kaye Tardif at http://www.cherylktardif.com and follow her on Twitter.

Enter Cheryl’s Kindle Fire HDX Giveaway: https://www.facebook.com/cherylkayetardif


Monday, October 27, 2014

UK readers: SUBMERGED is on sale for only 0.99

From the international bestselling author that brought you CHILDREN OF THE FOG comes a terrifying psychological thriller that will leave you breathless...

"Submerged reads like an approaching storm, full of darkness, dread and electricity. Prepare for your skin to crawl." --Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of 15 Seconds

Two strangers submerged in guilt, brought together by fate...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Submerged-Cheryl-Kaye-Tardif-ebook/dp/B00BJ64OHY

Tuesday, October 07, 2014

Authors: Do You Believe in Yourself & Your Book?

Over the years I've talked to several authors about book promotion, and many expressed that shyness, or a lack of self-confidence or belief hindered their success. Some authors expressed that they find marketing to be difficult, embarrassing, nerve-wracking experiences. They don't like or don't want to do events or interviews. Others felt it was a necessary part of a writer's life. I agree with the latter.

You cannot expect to put a book out into the world and then abandon it. Yet, many authors do just this. Often it's fear that gets in their way. Fear of failing…or fear of success. They don't believe they can succeed. They don't believe they know how to promote. Or that they can learn how to promote. So they don't.

I understand where these authors are coming from. It's true that some people are more natural at selling, some can learn how easily, and some are just overly pushy. We all know the arrogant salesman or telemarketer who won't let us hang up. And no author wants to be that person.

As an adult, I've always been good at sales. I can sell something—if I believe in it. Of course when it comes to my books, I've believed in them from day one; otherwise I wouldn't have put them out into the world. I believe my books are worth reading, that they are entertaining, that many (not all) will enjoy them. That's what gets me the sales—not shoving a book in someone's face saying 'Buy this! It's the best book you'll ever read!"

People pick up on your attitude. That's why it's key to LOVE those doing events, especially online ones. Remember, you never know who you will meet, whether in person or online. Building relationships with people can lead to exciting possibilities. I've been interviewed on TV, radio, in newspapers and magazines; invited to participate in major events; asked to speak at conferences; and invited to be a beta tester for many new advertising companies because I was visible online.

Now consider that all I've said above is coming from the shyest kid there ever was, the kid who sat in the back row at school, who had zero self-esteem. Sure I became very good at sales, but that took time—and a lot of practice. I learned how to be good at promoting my books and myself through trial and error, and through taking risks.

I want be the best at everything I do, and since writing has always been my intense passion and I want to be very successful at it, I overcame my nervousness of book signings and meeting people online because there was no other choice. I had to—and I wanted to.

We choose our success; it doesn't choose us. And we all have different definitions of what success is. So for those who are happy with the odd book signing, a bit of advertising, and a few sales a month, that's great. For those who want more, choose more. Then find ways to get it. Are you happy with your success? Satisfied with your sales? Want more?

It all boils down, I think, to one key question: How badly do you want success? If writing is your passion and you want New York Times bestseller's status or you want to catch the attention of a highly motivated traditional publisher, you have to put yourself out there, step out of your comfort zone and grab onto the belief that you CAN do it. If you want it badly enough, you'll make it happen.

BELIEVE in yourself! BELIEVE that your book is good enough to be read, that it will find its audience as long as you are actively seeking it. Once you truly believe, great things will happen. BELIEVE it!

~ * ~

Learn more about Cheryl Kaye Tardif at http://www.cherylktardif.com and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.




Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Guest author Eileen Schuh talks about intensifying suspense with secret codes

Today I'd like to welcome my good friend, author Eileen Schuh to my blog. Be sure to read to the end and enter her contest--you might win some fabulous prizes. Take it away, Eileen...

There’s nothing that intensifies suspense like a good secret code.

In my new release, DISPASSIONATE LIES, my heroine, Ladesque, is living that suspense. The mysterious markings that are stymieing her are splashed across the DISPASSIONATE LIES book cover—squiggles and lines that conceal the secrets to her past.

It’s no secret why codes are intriguing. Shrug, one of my beloved characters in the BackTracker series, tells those who listen that knowledge is power and at some deep level we all agree. Since a code implies someone is keeping knowledge from us, we can’t help but believe that if we decipher the code, special powers will be ours.

I’ve used codes in past novels; there are several in FATAL ERROR that Katrina, my genius young BackTracker series protagonist, capably solves. One involves an encrypted message between gang members and another, a password.

The most memorable fictional code for me is in the movie Close Encounters when the aliens begin their communication with humans using colours and music. In fact, I liked that code so much I mention it in DISPASSIONATE LIES.

Codes come in many shapes and sizes. Encryption is what supposedly keeps our secure internet transactions secure. Yes, I know, it doesn’t work too well and works even less effectively in 2035 which is why in DISPASSIONATE LIES Ladesque is battling to give the world an internet system that can’t be breached.

Although they say easily deciphering codes is one of the main benefit mankind would receive from a quantum computer (and there is a futuristic quantum computer in DISPASSIONATE LIES), the mysterious language Ladesque is trying to decode is unrelated to that. She’s trying to uncover the truth about the intrigue, conspiracies and perhaps even murder blemishing her past. Without that knowledge, she’s not prepared to face her future, even if it might hold the massive power of a quantum computer.

It would not just be human codes that a quantum computer could decipher, it might make short work of uncovering the history of the universe as encoded in the stars. It might reveal to us the true nature of gravity, time and space and perhaps even time-travel. It might be able to translate into English, the songs of whales and relics of the past.

Whoever is the master of that first quantum computer will possess unfathomable knowledge—a power that can all be Ladesque’s, should she choose. However, first she must decode the diary that contains the facts about her past.

DISPASSIONATE LIES - Official Launch price ONLY $1.99 July 13 -26, 2014 on Amazon and Smashwords (Use coupon code GS42H on Smashwords for the eFormat of your choice.)

SCHRÖDINGER’S CAT joins the celebration at only 99₵ on Amazon and Smashwords! Smashwords coupon JU57W

About Eileen:

Eileen Schuh has published two adult Science Fiction novellas, SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT and her new near-future release, DISPASSIONATE LIES. She also has authored three novels in her young adult BackTracker series, THE TRAZ, FATAL ERROR and FIREWALLS. THE TRAZ is also available in a School Edition.

Her new near-future release, DISPASSIONATE LIES explores female sexuality against a backdrop of high-tech science, governmental and pharmaceutical conspiracies, espionage, and perhaps even murder.

SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT, with its tangled relationships, weaves intense emotion into the science of multi-universes.

Schuh, born Eileen Fairbrother in Tofield, Alberta, lives in Canada’s northern boreal forests and draws her inspiration from the wilderness, her grandchildren, family and friends, and her adopted community of St. Paul, Alberta.

Visit her online:
Blog: http://eileenschuh.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.eileenschuh.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EileenSchuhAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eileenschuh

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