BookHuntersBlog.com

Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Bibliography
Whale Song
The River
Divine Intervention

Q&A
1. What person or experience inspired you to become a writer?
I’d like to say it was a particular author who inspired me, but really it was my high school teacher in Bermuda—Mary Higginson. She inspired me to write by encouraging me, reading my work in class and telling me I was a gifted writer. I have never forgotten her and I’ve even tried tracking her down. I would love to thank her personally.

2. How much of yourself and your beliefs/experiences do you put into your characters and stories?
With every book it’s different. I can safely say that the character Sarah in Whale Song is very much like I was as a child. I drew on my own beliefs and experiences throughout that novel—from the native folklore to racial discrimination and bullying (yes, that happened to me) to the message of forgiveness. When I started Whale Song, I was infused with Sarah’s character and my emotions became hers.

Towards the end of the novel, as Sarah was coming to the conclusion that forgiveness was vital in her life, I was tested with a family situation that also made me look at the issue of forgiveness. It made writing the last 3 chapters even more poignant, more meaningful and certainly more emotional. I’ll admit, I waited until everything was edited numerous times before I wrote the final chapter and the epilogue. And I cried. There is more of me in Whale Song than in any other novel?one of the reasons why I call it “my heart book”.

3. If you could write one book that you knew everyone in the world would read, what would it be about?
Wow, what an interesting and unique question. If I could write a book that would affect everyone it would have to be something inspirational, uplifting, hopeful and meaningful. Even when I write fiction, I love to explore topics that make people stop and think. I wish everyone had a chance to read Whale Song, for 2 reasons. It has a powerful message of love and forgiveness and a percentage of my royalties from it goes to 3 nonprofit organizations to help combat poverty, homelessness and addictions. To write a book that would inspire the entire world would be something amazing.

4. Who are some of your favorite authors?
I have such a varied taste in books and authors. I enjoy Luanne Rice novels for their emotional family drama plots, Diana Gabaldon for her fantasy themes, Kathy Reichs for her forensic suspense novels, Stephen King for the endless chills and thrills, Dean Koontz for his ‘odd’ yet fascinating characters and suspenseful plots, Illona Haus for her gritty Canadian mysteries…and so many more.

5. What kind of books did you like as a child?
It seems like I went from Dr. Seuss to Nancy Drew, Bobbsey Twins, Hardy Boys up to my pre-teen years. In my teen years, I went on to V.C. Andrews, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, John Saul. And I even read some of my mother’s steamy romances.

6. Is promoting books in Canada different than here in the States?
I think so. We have a smaller market in Canada; just compare populations. We have a bigger land mass and fewer people. Canadians have to travel further to reach larger cities. I think too that because we have few publishing houses and agents that Canadian authors have to really work hard at getting recognized south of the border. There is definitely more competition in the US, and there are still distribution challenges on either side of the border. But if Booklist’s review of me holds true, I’ll be “a name to reckon with south of the border.” Let the reckoning begin!

7. Of your books, which is your favorite and why?
I get asked this quite often and I always feel a bit like a mother who’s asked to pick her favorite child. I am emotionally attached to Whale Song and I want to see its success even more than my other published novels. For now. That might change if I write another novel like it. Whale Song was my ‘baby’, my first novel. It was originally published in 2003 with a different cover and less text. I became very good friends with the artist who supplied the beautiful painting for the original Whale Song, and there is such a story around how I got it.

And as mentioned above, the main character Sarah is very much like me as a child. I went through many of the same experiences. The story idea haunted me for 2 years when I thought I had given up on ever being a published author. But that plot kept coming back, until one day a friend told me to just write it. “Write it for YOU,” she said. “Because you have to.” So I did.

Whale Song became something I am extremely proud of, a novel that has affected people more deeply than I ever thought possible, and it was the only novel of mine that my brother had read before he was killed in 2006. I found his copy in his room; the book was battered and stained but Jason had kept it. Yes, Whale Song is my “heart book” and it is my favorite for all these reasons.

8. Has being a recognized person (aka author) had a positive or negative impact on your life?
Well, the negative impact is that I can’t step foot outside my house without sunglasses and a body guard, for fear of being mugged by the crowds of paparazzi. Ok, ok, I AM joking here. With the success of Whale Song, I’ve participated in many interviews and media events. It is a strange feeling to be out shopping for groceries and have someone stop you and say, “Hey, weren’t you just on Celebrity Chefs?” Of course, the negative side is that this always seems to happen when I’ve been too lazy to put on makeup or do my hair. Sometimes I’d like to answer, “No, I’m her twin sister. Do you think she’d go out in public looking like this?”

What always makes my day is going to the post office. The manager there is a huge fan and she makes sure everyone working there and in the lineup knows who I am. I’ve actually had to go out to my car for bookmarks and books. But hey, I enjoy meeting people, talking to them, hearing their thoughts about my books, and I love knowing that people are reading my novels and enjoying them. That makes all the long hours, nights without sleep, and edit after edit all the more worthwhile. I may start off a novel writing it for myself?because I have to?but in the end, I am writing it for every reader who has decided to take a chance on me. To every reader, “Thank you for helping me realize my life’s dream—to be a writer who leaves you feeling something.”

Links
http://www.cherylktardif.com
http://www.whalesongbook.com
http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com