When people
ask me what I do, I like to tell them: "I kill people off for a
living." You can imagine the looks I get. Sometimes I'll follow with:
"Fictitiously, of course. I'm a suspense writer." Sometimes I won't
say anything else. Yeah, I'm bad that way.
Writing
thriller, suspense, mystery and/or crime novels has always been my
passion—especially if I throw a pinch of supernatural or paranormal into the
mix. I've always been drawn to dark stories, ones that raise the hairs on the
back of my neck or make me glance over my shoulder. The two greatest influences
in my writing life have been Dean Koontz and Stephen King. Need I say more?
So what can
I offer you if you choose to read my books? I hope and strive to give you a
satisfying read, once that will impact you emotionally. If I can make you
shudder or tremble or wince or even cry, then I've done my job.
In
SUBMERGED, I share with you a very personal fear of mine—the fear of being in a
car that's underwater and not being able to get out. I have traveled long
distances by car hundreds of times during my life, twice from one coast of
Canada to the other. Whenever we're along a stretch of highway with a body of
water beside me, my fear kicks in. And I hold my breath…waiting…praying…
I want you
to relate to this fear. But even more, I want my characters to come to life. I
want you to feel for Marcus Taylor, a struggling recovering addict who has had
his fair share of grief and guilt. I want you to admire his strength, even in
the midst of his weaknesses. I want you, dear reader, to feel compassion for
this man who has lost his wife and son in a terrible accident, who blames
himself for their deaths, and who is searching for redemption, though he
doesn't really know he is.
I want you
to cheer on Rebecca Kingston, a mother on the verge of divorce who has left an
abusive husband. I want you to feel empathy for her because this decision, no
matter what others think, is not an easy one to make. I want you to cry with
her when she realizes she is physically unable to help her children who are
trapped with her in a sinking vehicle. And I want you to be holding your breath
every time Rebecca does.
Marcus and
Rebecca (and the others in SUBMERGED) may only be characters on paper, but they
feel real to me. I gave "birth" to them and watched them grow. With
every step they took, I wiped away their tears, hugged them and loved them.
And, dear reader, I sincerely hope you'll love them just as much.
Happy
reading…with the lights on…
Cheryl Kaye
Tardif, international bestselling author
PS: The
Kindle edition of SUBMERGED is available on Amazon from March 4th –
6th for a special price during the Killer Thriller Book Launch.
Learn more
about me and connect at:
Website: http://www.cherylktardif.com
Twitter: @cherylktardif
Hi, I'm a fellow member of the WLC Blog Follows. Submerged sounds like an interesting book, I'm headed to Amazon to take a look.
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you,
Jim