The Flurries Unlimited (FU) team were able to have a quick chat with best-selling suspense author, Cheryl Kaye Tardif (CKT). This is what we talked about:
FU: There are so many different genres to choose from, what inspired you to write mysteries?
CKT: I've been a lover of mystery, thrillers and horror since I was thirteen. I spent hours a day reading, and stories that made me guess outcomes were my favorite. My author idols are Stephen King, Dean Koontz, John Grisham, J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts, Danielle Steel, Gail Bowen and so many more. Perhaps it was the diverseness of my reading that compelled me to write stories that weren't one simple genre. The first novel I wrote was in the horror genre. The second one was a mix of horror and mystery. Since then I've written a paranormal crime/mystery series about psychic government agents.
FU: Being both a military 'brat" and wife must have given you a unique perspective on life. In what ways do you think this affects your writing?
CKT: My life growing up and when first married was one of constant change. I had to learn to adapt to new things. I've seen the good and the bad aspects of this lifestyle. It was exciting but often sad. Leaving family and friends behind wasn't easy. But each move created a blank slate, a way to start over. I think this lifestyle made it easy for me to put myself in someone else's shoes and feel what they might feel. This made me more empathetic. Delving into writing a new work is like starting over with that blank slate. It's exciting to see where my characters go. Sometimes they take me places I had no idea they'd go.
FU: You've written so many books. Which is your favourite and why?
CKT: I have always said that WHALE SONG, my first published novel, is my "heart book." It has more of "me" in it than in any other book, yet it is not my story. WHALE SONG is my favorite because of this connection I have to the plot and Sarah. Even more, it has affected readers' lives in ways I never expected. It even saved the life of one young woman. She has now gone on to see her dream of selling her artwork fulfilled. An estranged mother and daughter were brought back together by WHALE SONG. Another woman was able to find peace with her mother's death after reading WHALE SONG.
FU: They say that every character has some of the author in him/her. Which of your characters is most like you? In what way?
CKT: Sarah Richardson, from WHALE SONG, is most like me. As a child, she moves from the comfort of her home to a new life, a new culture, new friends--all like I had done. She loves nature and swimming in the ocean, like me. She was bullied in school, like me. She had to deal with loss and grief as a new adult, like me. And she finds her soulmate, like me. But Sarah is not me. Her life is her own.
FU: So what is on the horizon? What are your new projects? When is your next new release?
CKT: This winter I'm cracking down and hoping to complete book 2 in my Qwickie novella series. EAGLE E.Y.E. should be out this summer. I'm also working on a thriller that I am very excited about. I'll be pitching it to Amazon Publishing once it's done, so it probably won't be ready for 2016 release. This is the BIG one! At least that's what I feel it will be. The plot has been growing in my mind for a couple of years. And it has huge movie potential!
FU: Thank you so much.
You can learn more about Cheryl and her books at :
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