Two recent reviews came in for Whale Song, both from librarians--one from Canada, the other from the US--proving that Whale Song is well loved on both sides of the border.

Jen, a reference librarian at an academic institution in Canada, has this to say about Whale Song:

"A well written young adult coming of age tragedy thats appeal transcends the teen audience and encompasses anyone that would enjoy a tale well told...this novel is a haunting tale of choices made and how the repercussions of those choices can tear a family apart. It is an enchanting and uplifting tale that combines the optimistic spirituality of native myth with the hard realities of modern existence. The characters and descriptive setting will enthrall you."

Read the full review on Glenda's blog.

Libraries: Are you looking for a new novel to add to your book collections? Why not choose a novel that has impacted many people's lives--WHALE SONG (published by Kunati Books).

I just love days like today--days when I open my email and find all sorts of lovely emails and bits of "gold". (It sure beats the other days when I get 500 bits of junk mail and sp-m.)

Today, I received an email from Queen Ursula. Okay, she's not a real queen--well, not in the true sense of the word, but she's a queen at heart. Ursula is a member of the Red Hat Society; that's that wonderful group of women found sporting red and purple hats and scarves and pins...

Queen Ursula (okay, I just really like calling her that) is organizing an authors' event in November, and I'm quite honored to be one of the authors invited to attend. She asked me to sign my novels and tell the ladies what great Christmas gifts they make. And they do! I am sure that Whale Song, in particular, will do very well since it's the perfect gift for any woman, 8-108. So her emails today were all very exciting to read, and I can't wait.

Then the next email I opened was from Jeff Reid at Storycasting.com. He has given me permission to post part of it here:

You've helped us create a new way to discuss books (and potential movies), and we appreciate it. We'd especially like to thank those who told friends and relatives about the fun we're having, including the individuals and authors who promoted the site on websites and blogs. In the first 6 weeks of public operation, we had over 20,000 page views by 4,000 people from 72 countries, speaking 32 different languages - and they're still coming!

As I'm sure you can tell, several people have "join dates" from back in February. These were our original beta testers, and the most active and helpful of all was "Dano". We're getting some nice shirts made with the Storycasting.com logo on it, and Dano is getting one for his early, frequent, and useful comments. Thanks Dano!

Catherine Ryan Hyde was the first author to come on the site - on opening day, there she was, providing an "author's storycast" and then adding us to her MySpace page. Thanks, and a shirt, Catherine! Authors Cheryl Kaye Tardif, Tristi Pinkston, plus Stella and Audra Price, have also done a great job of advertising the site, and in bringing other authors to our attention. Ladies, a shirt to each of you!...

Again, we really thank you for your support and positive reaction to the
site...

Jeff Reid and the staff at Storycasting.com
"for the movie in your mind"

You can imagine my surprise to be thanked by Jeff, and to be awarded a t-shirt. Thanks, Jeff!

Now for those who haven't checked out this site yet, 'just do it'. :) It's a lot of fun. The concept is easy and one I identified with as soon as I heard of the site. You know how when you read a book you sometimes picture an actor in the lead role? Maybe you picture actors for all the lead roles. Well, with Storycasting, you can have some fun selecting real life actors you think would fit the roles in your favorite books.

Go check it out! Whale Song is listed there. Did I select good actors? Do you have someone else in mind? Jasi and the team from Divine Intervention are on there too. And just look who I see playing Brandon Walsh or Ben Roberts. And the gang from The River are there--probably my most favorite casting. Any Johnny Depp Fans out there?

Check out http://www.storycasting.com/, sign up as a member (it's free!) and feel free to cast all my books and others with your favorite actors. I'd love to see who you envision!

Now I'll just check my emails, blog on my gazillion blogs, work on my next novel, and wait for my t-shirt...

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif
http://www.cherylktardif.com/

Read Dan Janal's interview of Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of the critically acclaimed novel Whale Song, and find out what makes Whale Song the 'Cool Book of the Day'.

http://www.coolbookoftheday/whale-song

If you attended the CanWrite Conference in Edmonton, you probably heard me speak on the Hot Trends, Hot Markets panel. Thank you to everyone who came up to me throughout the day to let me know that they valued what I shared. My goal was really to give something of value to aspiring and published authors, and from your comments, I think I made that goal. :)

So many of you had questions for me and I really appreciate them. I wish I'd had more time to speak. Book promotion is something I am very passionate about and dedicated to--and helping other writers is a personal goal of mine. I am very happy to share what I've learned.

Thank you to all of you who said you were going to request that the CAA have me back. I would love to lead a session next year all on author promotion--or what I call "Creating an Internet Identity".

Since I wasn't able to fully delve into my topic of social networking and how they can benefit you as an author, I decided to blog about it during the conference and afterward. I invite you to check out my blog posts, and please leave me a comment if you do--especially if you find this information helpful.

Hot Trends, Hot Markets - Part 1: Social Networking

(more to come)

~Cheryl

Yesterday was the 3rd Annual Local Authors Extravaganza and I had a blast. This year it was held at South Point Chapters in Edmonton, Alberta.

There were some new faces in the crowd, like Patricia Marie Budd, a historical fiction author, and a few others--I should have written their names down. (Sorry...)

And it was great to see so many familiar faces, like Marty Chan, Dan MacDonald, Jackson Carter, and Kelly Komm.

Marty Chan is a well-known Alberta children's author and his play 'The Forbidden Phoenix' will be at the Citadel Theatre from October 25th to November 9th. It's a "fusion of Peking Opera, martial arts, acrobatics and 'western' musical theatre"--and perfect for the entire family.

Dan MacDonald has a series of small and handy (fits in a purse/pocket) booklets that empower people who want to achieve success in any business venture. Dan also conducts seminars, e-training and more through his company BIS--Business Improvement Solutions.

Jackson Carter is a good friend of mine, and he writes conspiracy thrillers with a Canadian flavor. Check out his novels Bull and Sins in the Name of the Father. He came from the airport to the event--a busy guy!

Kelly Komm is another very good friend of mine. Her debut novel Sacrifice officially released in March. I've read this YA fantasy novel and loved it. She's busy working on the sequel. Although Sacrifice is marketed mainly as Young Adult, it is perfectly suitable for adults, especially if you're looking for a light summer or beach read.

The store special of the day was 'Buy any 3 books, get the 4th FREE'. Between Kelly and I, we had everyone covered. :) I think this awesome sale might be on for a while longer, so if you need more books this summer, now's the time to buy them.

I had a great visit with a fan who popped by my table and let me know he really enjoyed The River. Richard visited for a bit, and I was very excited to hear that he's delving back into his own writing. He has a premise for a thriller set in a very mysterious Canadian location that I think will sell like hotcakes! And thanks for your support, Richard. I hope you enjoy Whale Song! :)

The Authors Extravaganza was fun. Thanks to Trish, Maria, Angie and everyone else at Chapters!! Oh, and the cake was delicious. :)

My next event is the Canadian Authors Association's 2008 CanWrite! Conference, which starts next week from July 3rd-6th.

After that, Edmontonians can pick up my books at Capital Ex (formerly kinown as Klondike Days!) July 17th to 26th. I'll be there to personally sign books on Saturday, July 19th from 12-5. Ex marks the spot! See you there! :)

P.S. I SIGNED a few copies of Whale Song before I left South Point Chapters (3227 Calgary Trail, Edmonton), so if you're collecting autographed books, be sure to pick one up. Don't forget, a percent of my royalties for every sale of Whale Song goes to 3 local nonprofits. :)

Happy reading all!

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif