Whale Song: A book review

I was captured by Cheryl Kaye Tardif’s emotional tale, “Whale Song” the moment the Nootka elder gave Sarah her Indian name: Hai Nai Yu―The Wise One of the One Who Knows.

This is an adolescent story with two very obvious differences. Firstly, although it’s about a young girl growing up, it is narrated from an adult’s point of view. And secondly, although it is brimming with the wisdom that comes only with age, the story is written for a child.

It’s an ageless story, though, and appeals to readers across generations. Whale Song teaches us not only about the traditions and lore of Canada’s west coast Indians, but also about ourselves—about the children we once were and the wise elders we are destined to become.

Cheryl so capably captures the essence of the aboriginal oral tradition of story-telling. There are those who say kids don’t take to tales designed to instil life lessons. Yet cultures across the world know otherwise. The best way to pass wisdom from generation to generation is to wrap it in a good story.

I remember interviewing a Cree elder during my days as a journalist. I was confounded by the woman’s simplistic sentence structures (after all, she had a university doctorate), the abundant seemingly-unrelated details in her answers, her slow speech, the antiquated clichés.

An hour in and I was becoming increasingly embarrassed by both my impatience and the patience of the orator. About then I realized I ought to relax into Dr. Makokis' compelling story and quit interrupting. I was speaking too loudly, talking too quickly, and begging for short answers that would fit nicely into a column inch.

Whale Song is narrated in a similar manner to this honourable tradition of oral story-telling.

It seems to ramble and take its time as all great lessons do. (Why do I need to know how Sarah’s parents met all those years ago and that Sarah’s birth was preceded by a miscarriage?).

It contains multitudinous details that at first glance seem irrelevant but are really symbolic. (What pre-teen kid notices “...a cedar shelf was mounted to the peach-coloured wall...the walls were painted the palest sage green and along the ceiling edge ran a soft leafy border...”?)

And then there are the clichés. (“I froze, dead in my tracks...the bustling city of San Francisco...the wide-open plains...A sharp crack of thunder...From that moment on, we were inseparable...I raced downstairs...my stomach twisted into tight knots...”)

These clichés, though, are the vessels of traditional knowledge and lore—the keepers of truths. Because clichés say it best, these phrases stay with us from generation to generation.

Although it may be challenging to find the time to traverse the strange loops and twists that eventually lead to the truth, I have no doubt that we ought to make the time. We also ought to teach our children to have the patience for wisdom.

The young and the young at heart will savour Whale Song’s slow and thoughtful use of words. They’ll enjoy how the story circles back into itself and will find comfort in the rhythmic placement of familiar ancient phrases.

Whatever state of mind we’re in when we first open the book, it doesn’t take long to be lured into Sarah’s painful and courageous journey. We soon feel compelled to discover how 11-year-old Sarah evolves into Hai Nai Yu―The Wise One of the One Who Knows.

Cheryl Kaye Tardif, your words made me weep. Whale Song.

A word from Cheryl:
Whale Song is what I call "my heart book". There is so much of me in Sarah, but the novel is not biographical. I am emotionally invested in this novel, like no other, probably because it was my first novel and definitely because of the story itself. Whale Song was inspired by my love for killer whales and the ocean. I'm a BC girl living in Alberta now, and the call of the ocean is always strong.

Whale Song is available in ebook edition and can be purchased in various formats via Amazon's Kindle Store, KoboBooks, Smashwords and more. It is out of print as a trade paperback, however it will be back in print in a few months with bonus content.

I've recently detoured from suspense and YA to romantic suspense with my new release Lancelot's Lady (Sept. 27th), and I invite you to check it out along with my other books--Skeletons in the Closet & Other Creepy Stories, The River, Divine Intervention and Remote Control. ~ CKT

You can learn more about Lancelot's Lady and Cherish D'Angelo (aka Cheryl Kaye Tardif) at http://www.cherishdangelo.com and http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com.

Prizes & Giveaways: Follow Cherish from September 27 to October 10 on her Cherish the Romance Virtual Book Tour and win prizes.

Leave a comment here with your email address and you will receive a free ebook and automatically be entered into Cheryl’s draws for other great prizes including a Kobo ereader. Winners will be announced after October 10th.

Eileen Schuh,Canadian writerhttp://www.eileenschuh.com/

Lancelot's Lady: World's Biggest Book Tour

Welcome to the world's largest virtual book tour in celebration of Cherish D'Angelo's debut romance "Lancelot's Lady."

I'm honoured to have Cherish visit Magic of the Muses as one of the115+ stops on her book tour.

After reading the following intriguing glimpse into the lives of Cherish's characters, remember to leave a comment and your email address. We will automatically enter you to win some fabulous prizes!

If you have never read an ebook--this would be a great one with which to start. If you don't have an e-reader, purchase Lancelot's Lady from Amazon and you can download a free Kindle ebook reader application for your computer. (hint: ebooks are generally much cheaper than print books).

Romance Author Cherish D'Angelo Talks About First Impressions
by Cherish D'Angelo

When we meet someone for the very first time, our brain processes first impression information about that person―about their appearance, their manners, their education, their friendliness, their financial status and their social standing. It isn't right or wrong; it's just the way humans are wired. Our minds process what we see and paint the most common sense picture to determine if we are going to like them.

A device in writing that I find always intriguing is "mistaken identity" or "mistaken first impression". Having one character mistake another for someone else or mistake something about them can lead to tension, confusion and even comic relief. In my contemporary romantic suspense Lancelot's Lady, my two lead characters are thrown together by what seems to be a huge mistake, and both of them make judgment calls when they first see each other. Take a peek...

“Hey, lady! What the hell are you doing on my island?”
Rhianna held her breath and clamped her eyes shut. She didn’t want to face the man whose voice simmered with fury. She was sure that he would look as ugly as he sounded.
Finally, she raised her head and forced herself to focus on the imposing man before her. She took in paint-splattered jeans that hugged well-formed thighs, a purple t-shirt covered in various spatter colors, muscular arms folded in front of an impressive chest, and thick black hair that curled at the nape of his neck.
The contours of his handsome face were chiseled as only an ethereal sculptor could, with strong lines enhanced by a dimple on his left side, the only side unmarked by streaks of paint. His nose was straight and proud, just bordering on arrogant. But it was his eyes that fascinated her. Framed by thick black lashes, they were the deepest sea-blue she had ever seen, and right at this moment, those eyes were trained on her with sniper precision.
She felt her throat constricting. Whether it was from fear or attraction, she didn’t know. But she did know one thing. He was the most gorgeous man she had ever met.
“I asked you a question!” the man demanded. “Who are you and what are you doing here?”
She glared back at him. “My name is Rhianna McLeod. Who are you?”
“I’m no one important.”
Rhianna couldn’t agree more. From the looks of him, he was probably the handyman.

Yeah, Rhianna and her first impressions. All I can say is that they get her into hot water. But she isn't the only one to have a strong first impression. Check out Jonathan's...

Approaching, he surreptitiously studied her. The woman’s creased cotton pants were slightly damp at the hem. The blouse she wore, while feminine, was primly buttoned to the top. And her unmarked suitcase screamed brand new, suggesting this woman either wasn’t well-traveled or worldly, or she was and she bought a new suitcase for every trip.
Rhianna, he recalled.
She had eyes the color of jade, and right now they were flinging daggers at him.
He chuckled. She’s feisty, I’ll give her that.
Now that she was standing, he could see that her head only came as high as his chest, but she was curved in all the right places. She had long, slender legs―the kind he’d like to wrap around him.
Now where the hell did that thought come from?
“Where are you from?” he demanded.
“Miami.”
He let out a huff. “City girl.”

Conflict and sexual tension, with a small dose of humor thrown in, is my recipe for a good romance story, and adding a mistaken identity and mistaken first impressions theme only heats things up more. You know what they say about assumptions.

Lancelot's Lady ~ A Bahamas holiday from dying billionaire JT Lance, a man with a dark secret, leads palliative nurse Rhianna McLeod to Jonathan, a man with his own troubled past, and Rhianna finds herself drawn to the handsome recluse, while unbeknownst to her, someone with a horrific plan is hunting her down.

Lancelot's Lady is available in ebook edition at KoboBooks, Amazon's Kindle Store, Smashwords and other ebook retailers. Help me celebrate by picking up a copy today and "Cherish the romance..."

You can learn more about Lancelot's Lady and Cherish D'Angelo (aka Cheryl Kaye Tardif) at http://www.cherishdangelo.com/ and http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com/

Prizes & Giveaways: Follow Cherish from September 27 to October 10 on her Cherish the Romance Virtual Book Tour and win prizes.

Leave a comment here, with email address, to be entered into the prize draws. You're guaranteed to receive at least 1 free ebook plus you'll be entered to win a Kobo ereader.

Winners will be announced after October
10th.

Eileen Schuh,Author
Schrödinger’s Cat
http://www.eileenschuh.com/

Guest Blog by author Cheryl Kaye Tardif

I have a great guest blog this week--a followup article from best-selling Canadian author, Cheryl K Tardif, who last time discussed her pseudonym, Cherish D'Angelo. You can read the first Romance novel she's written under that name--for free, as she explains below.

If 'free', 'romance', 'suspense', and 'thriller' aren't enough enticement, she's recently revealed she's included some of her friends and supporters in the novel. Does that include me? You? We better check it out!

Eileen Schuh
Canadian Author
http://www.eileenschuh.com/

Romantic suspense: a scintillating combination of titillation and trepidation


When I first decided to write a romance novel, I polished off the first half of a contemporary romance, then got bored with it and filed it away in the bowels of my computer. You know, stuffed so far into a file that I easily forgot about it. The problem was that I had already established myself as an author of mystery and suspense. Sure there was some romance in my novels, but it didn’t “drive” the story, and there often wasn’t a “happily ever after”, which is the unshakable law of romance novels.

What bored me about my original romance novel—beside the title (Reflections)—was the journey of my characters (I forget the main character’s name). They met, there was chemistry, she had a disturbing past that stood in her way, they explored each other timidly, she fell in love, he didn’t at first, they eventually hooked up…blah, blah, blah…and they all lived happily ever after. Boring!

I knew that there were many problems with the work. I couldn’t get into my characters enough for even ME to feel for them, much less a poor reader. It’s my personal mantra to make readers feel what my characters feel. Then there was the setting. It originally took place in Bermuda, where I had lived as a teen. However, the laws there are strict regarding people who can live there or own land. And finally, there wasn’t enough tension or suspense, something I feel I’m good at creating when I write a thriller. I buried the manuscript, never sure if I’d ever look at it again. But I did.

In June, I heard about the Dorchester ‘Next Best Celler’ contest over at http://www.textnovel.com/. Dorchester Publishing is looking for the “New Voice in Romance”. As soon as I read that, I thought: I could BE that voice. Since the prize was a publishing contract with Dorchester, a company I’ve been interested in for a few years, I was instantly motivated.

First, I opened up Reflections and did lots of cringing and groaning. I wondered if I’d be better off starting a new novel from scratch, but the theme of the novel drew me in: A woman is stranded on a tropical island after her dying boss sends her there for reasons only known to him and said woman meets angry but handsome recluse. Sure beats meeting a guy in a bar.

As I read over the first few chapters of Reflections, I realized instantly what I could do to amp up this novel and make it worth publishing. I could make it a romantic suspense [insert flashing light bulb]. All I had to do was throw in an element of danger, which came in the form of a sleazy, sadistic private investigator. He was created when, partway through writing this novel, I held a special contest. My “Create a Corpse Contest” had been popular in the past and this time it resulted in the winning entry: “Winston Chambers”.

As soon as Winston was thrown into the mix, the plot thickened, grew darker and more intense, and I realized something. I had created one of my best characters in that scumbag Winston. I hated him! And if I hated him, I knew my readers would too. If you read some of the comments over at Textnovel.com, you’ll see the reaction people have had.
Winston Chambers allowed me to tiptoe over to the dark side, while pursuing the romance between my main characters, Rhianna and Jonathan.

Has the original Reflections changed? Darn rights it has! Only the premise and a few short scenes are from the original manuscript. I took the concept and created an entire 66,000 word manuscript in just under 5 months. You can read about ¾ of it online FREE.

My debut romantic suspense is called Lancelot’s Lady, and I think you’ll find it’s a scintillating combination of titillation and trepidation, the ingredients necessary in a novel of this genre. You’ll also find that I plan to use a pseudonym for my romance writing, so be sure to keep an eye out for Cherish D’Angelo’s debut. Cherish likes to stir her cauldron of steamy romance and lurking suspense, occasionally adding a dash of humor and a pinch of foreshadowing. She’s already considered her next romance novel…but if she tells you about it now, she’d have to kill you.

What started as a boring work has become an inspiring one that grew more visible to me with each added scene. This Dorchester contest, while often seeming long and exhausting, pushed me to deliver. And I hope I did. Please check out Lancelot’s Lady at Textnovel.com. Let me know what you think. How did I do? If you really enjoy it, please consider voting for me. If you click on the blue thumb circle and blue phone circle, I get 2 points, and that will help me get to the finals in mid-November. I sincerely value your support.

Read Lancelot’s Lady for FREE at:
http://www.textnovel.com/stories_list_detail.php?story_id=928

~Cherish D’Angelo (aka Cheryl Kaye Tardif)
http://www.cherishdangelo.com/

Guest Blog by author Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Thank you to Cheryl for not only offering us the following glimpse of her flirty, romantic, magical side, but also for sharing some of the darker moments in her life--tragedies that have made her the angel that she is. 
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The birth of Cherish D'Angelo, pseudonym of author Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Throughout literary history, pseudonyms or pen names have been used by authors for various reasons. For authors like Nora Roberts, having a pseudonym allows them to explore new territory, maybe a new genre or a series. My idol Stephen King wrote books under the pen name of Richard Bachman because he didn’t want the market saturated with “Stephen King” books. It was also part experiment; he wanted to test whether luck or talent played a part in publishing.

For me, the choice of writing as “Cherish D’Angelo” made sense since one novel I’m writing doesn’t fall into my usual suspense genre. Lancelot’s Lady is a romantic suspense, heavy on the romance. “Cherish D'Angelo” is the pen name I’ve planned on using should I ever branch out into romance. This is a genre I've been drawn to since I was a teen and it was only inevitable that’s I’d write a romance novel.

As “Cheryl Kaye Tardif”, I write suspense set in various locations of Canada, something my fans love. As “Cherish D’Angelo”, I’m free to set my steamy romance novels anywhere and I can boldly go where I haven’t gone before—into my characters’ bedrooms, with the lights on. There’s something titillating about having a “secret identity”, even if it’s not so secret. But I don’t take naming myself lightly.

Most people assume that “Cheryl Kaye Tardif” is my legal name, with Kaye being my middle name. It isn’t. Kaye is my maiden name and the name that I saw first published in print when I was a teenage journalist with a paid reporting job. After I married, I struggled with my writing identity. Cheryl Kaye had always been the writer. I didn’t want to lose her. In a glimpse of absolute brilliance (lol), I combined my last names. My husband’s family always tells me I’m the famous “Tardif” now, and that I made their name famous. I don’t quite think I’m there…yet!

The name "Cherish D'Angelo" comes from two sources. "Cherish", the meaning of which is the same as my own first name "Cheryl", meaning 'beloved' or 'dear one', and "D'Angelo", meaning 'of the angel'. After the death of my first baby, I started collecting angels. In 2006, my baby brother Jason (28) was murdered in Edmonton and sent to the angels. Thus, "D'Angelo" seems to be a perfect choice for a surname that honors them both.

Combined, my pseudonym means: "Cherished one of the angel" but I like to say it means: "Cherish the angels". There is something flirty, romantic, magical―and so 'me'―about this name.

©2009 Cheryl Kaye Tardif

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
aka Cherish D’Angelo
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Eileen Schuh, Author
FATAL ERROR
Schrödinger's Cat
THE TRAZ