THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR CHERYL KAYE TARDIF

Mystery, suspense, thrillers, paranormal, horror & YA by "Cheryl Kaye Tardif" & romance by "Cherish D'Angelo". Cheryl is represented by Trident Media Group in NY.

Friday, November 21, 2014

Guest post: An Excerpt from GOTH TOWN by Jesse Giles Christiansen

GOTH TOWN by Jesse Giles Christiansen

PROLOGUE

JAKE RAYNER is the only one, other than Samantha Bryant, who had the vision.

He’ll never forget the first time it happened. He was out for a walk in the woods by himself, a practice highly discouraged by the Overseers.

He was always surprised at how little everyone questioned the rules of the Overseers. Many of them seemed so ridiculous. Then again, they owed everything to them. There would have been no life here at all, if not for them.

That afternoon the hazy air was happy and it seemed to seep into everything. Jake was reckless to allow it to seep into him. His feet, his legs, his fingers, even his thoughts, were reckless.

I know they’re going to find me. I just know it. Then they’re going to hook me up to the Recalibration Machine again.

But that day he didn’t care about a single thing. He was mad with life. Life was mad in his veins. Life was livid in his veins. 

Everything spoke to him. The birds’ songs were like shrilly operas stuck in fortissimo. The creek sneaking along by his side crackled and popped the way a long-asleep radio wakes up hungry and eager to play. The wind in the pines moaned softly like a lonely lover. 

Then it happened.

He felt dizzy at first, his head so light he thought it might float away. Something surged inside him that could have been swallowed lightning, rising, writhing, and climbing up to his head.

The memory came.

Memories were demons; they were even more forbidden than being all alone; they were not allowed to even start. When they went in for their weekly screening, any evidence of memories prior to the Anti-Emotion Movement was immediately erased. It was for their own good. Really. They had to believe in the Overseers. They gave them everything, and asked for so little in return. The Overseers picked them up after the Great Fog.

He just stood there and could not stop the memory. Oh, it was so warm. That swallowed lightning curled up, balled up in his head and took to nuclear fusion, forming a miniature sun to melt all the work of the entire Overseers’ brilliant technology.

But what an afternoon it was.

The first flash was of shiny boxes wrapped in fancy bows under a tree that someone had stuck in a living room. What a bizarre image. Why would someone put a perfectly good tree in a living room? Perfect madness. Perfect madness, indeed. And the poor, poor tree.

The tree was wrapped with winking lights, and as he stood there, letting this memory take root, he could see the pines around him dressed the same. They were beautiful, and he overflowed with the urge to take all the pines in the forest, shrink them down, and put them into everyone’s homes.

Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.

He heard footsteps, and the beautiful, horrible, absurd memory vanished. The memory vanished like the scent of a woman riding with you on a train—a woman you know you will never see again.

He waited for the Goth Town Police to arrest him. And he cherished those seconds as the taste of a curious and wild memory remained for a few seconds on his lips. Those few seconds were more blissful than the rambunctious air that crept all through the forest that afternoon and shot rays of perilous hope into everything. In those few seconds, he tried to chase the echo that was home to that taste. That scent of a woman on a train. He tried to return to it with the desperation of a legless man waking from a Boston Marathon dream.

But at least the taste was there when they handcuffed him.

At least the flicker.

A gray haunt … at least … 

Jesse Giles Christiansen is an American author who writes compelling literary fiction that weaves the real with the surreal. He attended Florida State University where he received his B.A. in English literature. He is the author of Pelican Bay, an Amazon #1 list bestseller, outselling Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway. One of Christiansen's literary goals is to write at least fifty novels, and he always reminds himself of something that Ray Bradbury once said: "You fail only if you stop writing."

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Goth-Town-Jesse-Giles-Christiansen-ebook/dp/B00P8QFUTW

Web Site: www.jessegileschristiansen.com
Blog: www.jgchristiansen.wordpress.com

Guest Author Jesse Giles Christiansen and his GOTH TOWN Character Interview

Today's special guest post is from American author Jesse Giles Christiansen, and he has a great blog tour lined up for his newest release, GOTH TOWN. Welcome, Jesse! :-)

Character Interview: Inside the Mind of GOTH TOWN’s Founder, Lord Gothly
  
JGC: Why Christmaslessness around the whole world? Isn’t Goth Town enough?

LG: Ha-ha. Your thinking is so limited. What a lousy physicist you would have made! My grandfather’s vision was to not just stop pesky, debilitating emotions in one small place, but everywhere. You see, Goth Town was only the testing ground, so to speak. The world is suffering from omnipresent locusts. Oh, you cannot see them, dear fellow, but they are just as devouring. Tell me, would you stop global locusts in only one place?

If you were to stop all emotions, wouldn’t you stop all thinking, too? Memories?

Ha! Not so dull-witted as I expected! Of course, you boldly assume that thoughts and feelings are hopelessly tied together. How erroneous you are, dear fellow! Yes, thoughts breed emotions, but there are pure thoughts that have no emotions. No sappy, disabling memories … just those of truth and unequivocal existence. What bliss they are! They flow like the quiet symphony that accompanies the swift movements of logic. They walk like barefoot women through Times Square! Only 33 days left!

How do you plan to accomplish such a feat?

Again, such limited thinking! I would not expect someone like you to understand dark physics, especially one who thinks in such two-dimensional terms. Accomplish. Ha-ha!

How could the world exist without fond memories?

We define fond quite differently, let me assure you. Take this hideous, pitiable thing called Christmas, for example. Is it fond? Really? The primary components of Christmas are love and giving. Yuck! It turns my stomach to event think of such things! Do love and giving make the world a better place? Do they save the environment? Allow for interstellar travel? Do they keep one warm at night? No! I shall tell you what they do. They make the world stronger rather than weaker. One day the world will see that they have had it all quite reversed. They will thank me! To love someone is to erase his or her purpose and individuality. To give to them keeps them from fending for themselves. Do you not see? Christmas is really not good for the world. My grandfather believed it was the root of the failure of humanity.

GOTH TOWN has already sold over 100 copies, and it’s not even Thanksgiving yet. How do you feel about that?

I am so tired of hearing about this book. I am positively sick with it! You see, this is the pathetic sentimentality that I am trying to save everyone from. Do you not see how pitifully absurd the notion is? As if a book is going to stop anything. A hundred you said? Ha! How many stars are there? How much dark energy can we siphon from a black hole? Take your books and burn them; perhaps they might warm a small group of Christmas urchins!

You seem very emotional. Isn’t that a contradiction?

You seem to have an extremely impoverished sense of time. You promised fifteen minutes. I have work to do. The Global Re-Constitution Device must be ready on Christmas morning. I bid thee adieu!
Jesse Giles Christiansen is an American author who writes compelling literary fiction that weaves the real with the surreal. He attended Florida State University where he received his B.A. in English literature. He is the author of Pelican Bay, an Amazon #1 list bestseller, outselling Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway. One of Christiansen's literary goals is to write at least fifty novels, and he always reminds himself of something that Ray Bradbury once said: "You fail only if you stop writing."

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Goth-Town-Jesse-Giles-Christiansen-ebook/dp/B00P8QFUTW
Web Site: www.jessegileschristiansen.com Blog: www.jgchristiansen.wordpress.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/JesseGilesChrisFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/jesse.gileschristiansen.7Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5261095.Jesse_Giles_Christiansen

Tuesday, November 04, 2014

Cheryl Kaye Tardif joins Margaret Atwood, Ian McEwan, Ken Follett & other authors in Freedom from Torture's "Immortality Auction"

Canadian author Cheryl Kaye Tardif has joined a number of well-known authors, including fellow Canadian Margaret Atwood, in an "Immortality Auction" to support Freedom from Torture, an organization dedicated to assisting those affected by torture and other organized abuses. This includes violence by different races or religions that do not acknowledge the basic human rights most of us enjoy.

What's an Immortality Auction?

You can be "immortalized" in one of the participating authors' upcoming books. Each author has donated one or more characters to be named after the highest bidders. Think of it! Your name as one of the characters--and perhaps your wife's, husband's, daughter's etc.

Cheryl's auction:

The highest bidder will name 2 characters in Cheryl's upcoming new thriller, THE 6th PLAGUE, which is set in Banff, Alberta, Canada, during the Banff World Media Festival. THE 6th PLAGUE will be released in the summer/fall of 2015.

Why is Cheryl participating?

"As an author who writes suspense, I am often influenced (and horrified) by true stories in the media, and it stuns me that human beings can be so cruel to one another, especially since torture is not only conducted in war zones but in civilized countries. We all bleed the same color; we all live and we all die, and those who have suffered at the hands of others need support and compassion."


Bidding is open now!! 

Please dig deep and help support a worthwhile cause and organization.

Bid on Cheryl's Immortality Auction now!

And please share this post.


Monday, November 03, 2014

An Excerpt from SUBMERGED by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Chapter One

Edson, AB – Thursday, June 13, 2013 – 10:55 AM

Sitting on the threadbare carpet in front of the living room fireplace, Marcus Taylor stroked a military issue Browning 9mm pistol against his leg, the thirteen-round magazine in his other hand. For an instant, he contemplated loading the gun―and then using it.
"But then who'd feed you?" he asked his companion.
Arizona, a five-year-old red Irish setter, gave him an inquisitive look, then curled up and went back to sleep on the couch. She was a rescue hound he'd picked up about a year after Ryan and Jane had died. The house had been too damned quiet. Lifeless.
"Great to know you have an opinion."
Setting the gun and magazine down on the floor, Marcus propped a photo album against his legs and took a deep breath. The photo album of death. The album only saw daylight three times a year. The other three hundred and sixty-two days it was hidden in a steel foot locker that doubled as his coffee table.
Today was Paul's forty-sixth birthday. Or it would have been, except Paul was dead.
Taking another measured breath, Marcus felt for the chain that marked a page and opened the album. "Hey, Bro."
In the photo, Corporal Paul Taylor stood on the shoulder of a deserted street on the outskirts of a nondescript town in Afghanistan, a sniper rifle braced across his chest and the Browning in his hand. He'd been killed that same day, his limbs ripped apart by a roadside bomb. The IED had been buried in six inches of dust and dirt when Paul, distracted by a crying kid, had unwittingly stepped on it.
One stupid mistake could end in death, separating son from parents and brother from brother. Resentment could separate siblings too.
"I wish I could tell you how sorry I am," Marcus said, blinking back a tear. "We wasted so much time being pissed at each other."
As a young kid, he'd hidden his older brother's toy soldiers so he could play with them when Paul was at school. In high school, Marcus had hidden how smart he was, always downplaying his intelligence in favor of being the cool, younger brother of senior hockey legend Paul Taylor. Marcus had learned to hide his jealousy too.
Until his brother was killed.
He stared at the warped dog tag at the end of the chain. It was all that was left of his brother. There was nothing to be jealous of now.
He glanced at the gun. Okay, he had that too. He'd inherited the Browning from Paul. One of his brother's war buddies had personally delivered it. "Your brother said you can play with his toys now," the guy had said.
Paul always had a warped sense of humor.
"Happy birthday, Paul."
He knew his parents, who were currently cruising in the Mediterranean, would be raising a toast in Paul's honor, so he did the same. "I miss you, bro."
Then he dropped the tag and flipped to the next set of photos in the album. A brunette with short, choppy hair and luminous green eyes smiled back at him.
Jane.
"Hello, Elf."
He traced her face, recalling the way her mouth tilted upward on the left and how she'd watch a chick flick tearjerker, while tears steamed unnoticed down her face.
Marcus turned to the next set of photos and sucked in a breath. A handsome boy beamed a brilliant smile and waved back at him.
"Hey, little buddy."
He recalled the day the photo had been taken. His son, Ryan, a rookie goalie on his junior high hockey team, had shut out his opponents, giving his team a three-goal lead. Jane had snapped the picture at the exact second when Ryan had found his father in the crowd.
"I love you." Marcus's voice cracked. "And I miss you so much."
He couldn't hide that. Not ever.
There was one other thing he couldn't hide.
He had killed Jane. And Ryan.
For the past six years, whenever Marcus slept, his dead wife and son came to visit, taunting him with their spectral images, teasing him with familiar phrases, twisting his mind and gut into a guilt-infested cesspool. The only way to escape their accusing glares and spiteful smiles was to wake up. Or not go to sleep. Sleep was the enemy. He did his best to avoid it.
Marcus glanced at the antique clock on the mantle. 11:06.
Another twenty-four minutes and he'd have to head to the Yellowhead County Emergency Center, where he worked as a 911 dispatcher. He'd been working there for almost six months. He was halfway through five twelve-hour shifts that ran from noon to midnight. He worked them with his best friend, Leo, who would undoubtedly be in a good mood again. Leo liked sleeping in and starting his day at noon, while Marcus preferred the midnight-to-noon shift, the one everyone else hated. It gave him something to do at night, since sleeping didn't come easily.
He closed the photo album, stood slowly and stretched his cramped muscles. As he placed the album and the gun and magazine back in the foot locker, a small cedar box with a medical insignia embossed on the top caught his eye, though he did his best to ignore it.
Even Arizona knew that box was trouble. She froze at the sight of it, her hackles raised.
"I know," Marcus said. "I can resist temptation."
That box had gotten him into trouble on more than one occasion. It represented a past he'd give anything to erase. But he couldn't toss it in the trash. It had too firm a grip on him. Even now it called to him.
"Marcus…"
"No!"
He slammed the foot locker lid with his fist. The sound reverberated across the room, clanging like a jail cell door, trapping him in his own private prison.
Behind him, Arizona whimpered.
"Sorry, girl."
One day he'd get rid of the box with the insignia and be done with it once and for all.
But not yet.
Shaking off a bout of guilt, he took the stairs two at a time to the second floor and entered the master bedroom of the two-bedroom rented duplex. It was devoid of all things feminine, stripped down to the barest essentials. A bed, nightstand and tall dresser. Metal blinds, no flowered curtains like the ones in the house in Edmonton that he'd bought with Jane. The bedspread was a mishmash of brown tones, and it had been hauled up over the single pillow. There were none of the decorative pillows that Jane had loved so much. No silk flowers on the dresser. No citrus Febreeze lingering in the air. No sign of Jane.
He'd hidden her too.
Stepping into the en suite bathroom, Marcus stared into the mirror. He took in the untrimmed moustache and beard that was threatening to engulf his face. Leaning closer, he examined his eyes, which were more gray than blue. He turned his face to catch the light. "I am not tired."
The dark circles under his eyes betrayed him.
Ignoring Arizona's watchful gaze, he opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed the tube of Preparation H, a trick he'd learned from his wife Jane. Before he'd killed her. A little dab under the eyes, no smiling or frowning, and within seconds the crevices in his skin softened. Some of Jane's "White Out"—as she used to call the tube of cosmetic concealer—and the shadows would disappear.
"Camouflage on," he said to his reflection.
A memory of Jane surfaced.
It was the night of the BioWare awards banquet, nineteen years ago. Jane, dressed in a pink housecoat, sat at the bathroom vanity curling her hair, while Marcus struggled with his tie.
He'd let out a curse. "I can never get this right."
"Here, let me." Pushing the chair behind him, Jane climbed up before he could protest. She caught his gaze in the mirror over the sink and reached around his shoulders, her gaze wandering to the twisted lump he'd made of the full Windsor. "You shouldn't be so impatient."
"You shouldn't be climbing up on chairs."
"I'm fine, Marcus."
"You're pregnant, that's what you are."
"You calling me fat, buster?"
Five months pregnant with Ryan, Jane had never looked so beautiful.
"I'd never do that," he replied.
She cocked her head and arched one brow. "Never? How about in four months when I can't walk up the stairs to the bedroom?"
"I'll carry you."
"What about when I can't see my toes and can't paint my toenails?"
"I'll paint them for you."
"What about when―"
He turned his head and kissed her. That shut her up.
With a laugh, she pushed him away, gave the tie a smooth tug and slid the knot expertly into place.
He groaned. "Now why can't I do that?"
"Because you have me. Now quit distracting me. I still have to put on my dress and makeup."
Marcus sat on the edge of the bed and waited. Jane always made it worth the wait, and that night she didn't disappoint him. When she emerged from the bathroom, she was a vision of sultry goddess in a designer dress from a shop in West Edmonton Mall. The baby bump in front was barely noticeable.
"How do I look?" she asked, nervously fingering the fresh gold highlights in her hair.
"Sexy as hell."
She spun in a slow circle to show off the sleek black dress with its plunging back. Peering over one glitter-powdered shoulder, she said, "So you like my new dress?"
"I'd like it better," he said in a soft voice, "if it was on the floor."
Minutes later, they were entwined in the sheets, out of breath and laughing like teenagers. Sex with Jane was always like that. Exciting. Youthful. Fun.
After dressing, Jane retreated to the bathroom to fix her hair and makeup. "Camouflage on," she said when she returned. "Now let's get going."
"Yes, ma'am."
He heard her whispering, "Six plus eight plus two…"
"Are you doing that numerology thing again?" he asked with a grin.
Jane had gone to a psychic fair when she'd found out she was pregnant, and a numerologist had given her a lesson in adding dates. Ever since then, whenever something important came up, she'd work out the numbers to determine if it was going to be a good day or not. She even made Marcus buy lotto tickets on "three days," which she said meant money coming in. They hadn't won a lottery yet, but he played along anyway.
"What is it today?"
She smiled. "A seven."
"Ah, lucky seven." He arched a brow at her. "So I'm going to get lucky?"
"I think you already did, mister."
They'd been late for the awards banquet, which didn't go over too well since Jane was the guest of honor, the recipient of a Best Programmer award for her latest video game creation at BioWare. When Jane had stepped up on the stage to receive her award, Marcus didn't think he could ever be prouder. Until the night Ryan was born.
Ryan…the son I killed.
Marcus gave his head a jerk, forcing the memories back into the shadows―where they belonged. He picked up the can of shaving cream. His eyes rested, unfocused, on the label.
To shave or not to shave. That was the question.
"Nah, not today," he muttered.
He hadn't shaved in weeks. He was also overdue for a haircut. Thankfully, they weren't too strict about appearances at work, though his supervisor would probably harp on it again.
The alarm on his watch beeped.
He had twenty minutes to get to the center. Then he'd get back to hiding behind the anonymity of being a faceless voice on the phone…

From Cheryl Kaye Tardif, the international bestselling author that brought you CHILDREN OF THE FOG, comes a terrifying psychological thriller that will leave you breathless…


"Submerged reads like an approaching storm, full of darkness, dread and electricity. Prepare for your skin to crawl."
—Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of 15 Seconds

Two strangers submerged in guilt, brought together by fate…

After a tragic car accident claims the lives of his wife, Jane, and son, Ryan, Marcus Taylor is immersed in grief. But his family isn't the only thing he has lost. An addiction to painkillers has taken away his career as a paramedic. Working as a 911 operator is now the closest he gets to redemption—until he gets a call from a woman trapped in a car.

Rebecca Kingston yearns for a quiet weekend getaway, so she can think about her impending divorce from her abusive husband. When a mysterious truck runs her off the road, she is pinned behind the steering wheel, unable to help her two children in the back seat. Her only lifeline is a cell phone with a quickly depleting battery and a stranger's calm voice on the other end telling her everything will be all right.


Learn more about Cheryl Kaye Tardif at http://www.cherylktardif.com and follow her on Twitter.

Enter Cheryl’s Kindle Fire HDX Giveaway: https://www.facebook.com/cherylkayetardif


Sunday, November 02, 2014

Sneak peek at Rebecca Kingston from SUBMERGED

Let me tell you a bit about Rebecca Kingston. She's a hardworking, devoted mother of two, with an abusive husband who has a gambling problem. And she's had enough. Though not an easy decision to make for most abused women, Rebecca knows she has to protect her children and herself. So she sets things in motion…

Here's a peek at the first time you meet Rebecca:

Chapter Two

Edmonton, AB – Thursday, June 13, 2013 – 4:37 PM

Rebecca Kingston folded her arms across her down-filled jacket and tried not to shiver. Though May had ended with a heat wave, the temperatures had dropped the first week of June. It had rained for the first five days, and an arctic chill had swept through the city. The weatherman blamed the erratic change in weather on global warming and a cold front sweeping down from Alaska, while locals held one source responsible. Their lifelong rival—Calgary.
"Can we get an ice cream, Mommy?" four-year-old Ella said with a faint lisp, the result of her recent contribution to the tooth fairy's necklace collection.
Rebecca laughed. "It feels like winter again and you want ice cream?"
"Yes, please."
"I guess we have time."
They hurried across the street to the corner store.
"Strawberry this time," Ella said, her blue eyes pleading.
Rebecca sighed. "Eat it slowly. Did you remember Puff?"
Her daughter nodded. "In my pocket."
"Good girl." Rebecca glanced at her watch. "It's almost five. Let's go."
Her cell phone rang. It was Carter Billingsley, her lawyer.
"Mr. Billingsley," she said. "I'm glad you got my message."
"So you've decided to get away," he said. "That's a very good idea."
"I need a break." She glanced at Ella. "Things are going to get ugly, aren't they?"
"Unfortunately, yes. Divorce is never pretty. But you'll get through it."
"Thanks, Mr. Billingsley."
"Take care, Rebecca."
Carter had once been her grandfather's lawyer and Grandpa Bob had highly recommended him—if Rebecca ever needed someone to handle her divorce. In his late sixties, Carter filled that father-figure left void after her father's passing.
Her thoughts raced to her twelve-year-old son. Colton's team was up against one of the toughest junior high hockey teams from Regina. With Colton as the Edmonton team's goalie, most of the pressure was on him. He was a brave boy.
She bit her bottom lip, wishing she were as brave.
You're a coward, Becca.
"You're too codependent," her mother always said.
Rebecca figured that wasn't actually her fault. She'd been fortunate to have strong male role models in her life. Men who ran companies with iron fists and made decisions after careful consideration. Or at least worked hard to provide for their families. Men like Grandpa Bob and her father. Men who could be trusted to make the right decisions.
Not like Wesley.
Even her grandfather hadn't liked him. When Grandpa Bob passed away two years ago, he'd sent a clear message to everyone that Wesley couldn't be trusted. Grandpa Bob had lived a miser's lifestyle. No one knew how much money he'd saved for that "rainy day"—until he was gone and Colton and Ella became beneficiaries of over eight hundred thousand dollars from the sale of Grandpa Bob's house and business.
Grandpa Bob, in his infinite wisdom, had added two major conditions to the inheritance. Money could only be withdrawn from the account if it was spent on Ella or Colton. And Rebecca was the sole person with signing power.
Wesley moped around the house for days when he heard the conditions. Any time she bought the kids new clothes, he'd sneer at her and say, "Hope you used your grandfather's money for those."
Once when he'd gambled most of his paycheck, he begged her for a "loan," and when she'd voiced that she didn't have the money, he slapped her. "Lying bitch! You've got almost a million dollars at your fingertips. All I'm asking for is thirty-five hundred. I'll pay it back."
She'd refused and paid the price, physically.

From Cheryl Kaye Tardif, the international bestselling author that brought you CHILDREN OF THE FOG, comes a terrifying psychological thriller that will leave you breathless…


"Submerged reads like an approaching storm, full of darkness, dread and electricity. Prepare for your skin to crawl."
—Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of 15 Seconds

Two strangers submerged in guilt, brought together by fate…

After a tragic car accident claims the lives of his wife, Jane, and son, Ryan, Marcus Taylor is immersed in grief. But his family isn't the only thing he has lost. An addiction to painkillers has taken away his career as a paramedic. Working as a 911 operator is now the closest he gets to redemption—until he gets a call from a woman trapped in a car.

Rebecca Kingston yearns for a quiet weekend getaway, so she can think about her impending divorce from her abusive husband. When a mysterious truck runs her off the road, she is pinned behind the steering wheel, unable to help her two children in the back seat. Her only lifeline is a cell phone with a quickly depleting battery and a stranger's calm voice on the other end telling her everything will be all right.


Learn more about Cheryl Kaye Tardif at http://www.cherylktardif.com and follow her on Twitter.

Enter Cheryl’s Kindle Fire HDX Giveaway: https://www.facebook.com/cherylkayetardif


Saturday, November 01, 2014

The Story Behind the Book

There are actually two stories behind my new thriller, SUBMERGED. It was inspired by my fear of being trapped in a submerged vehicle and also by a long-time friend who dealt with drug addiction while on the job as a paramedic.

I've traveled a lot by car, even coast to coast across Canada, more than once. I've also lived near water, whether an ocean, river or lake. Ever since I was young, I would grow tense if our vehicle drifted too close to an embankment that separated us from a body of water. Even to this day, I tense up when the car I'm in gets too close to water. Having a wild imagination isn't always a good thing; I often envision the car jettisoning into the water and then slowly sinking. Drowning has been a deep fear of mine and I have often wondered how I'd get out if I found myself in that situation.

Marcus's character grew from a high school friend, who shared very personal details about his life, his former paramedic career and his addiction challenges. I am inspired by him because he managed to turn his life around. He now has a wonderful wife and family, and a new career. His story reminds me that we CAN change. We CAN make our lives better. And it starts with a choice. He chose not to let addiction rule or define him. I admire that.

From Cheryl Kaye Tardif, the international bestselling author that brought you CHILDREN OF THE FOG, comes a terrifying thriller that will leave you breathless…


SUBMERGED

"Submerged reads like an approaching storm, full of darkness, dread and electricity. Prepare for your skin to crawl."
—Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of 15 Seconds


Learn more about Cheryl Kaye Tardif at http://www.cherylktardif.com and follow her on Twitter.

Enter Cheryl’s Kindle Fire HDX Giveaway: https://www.facebook.com/cherylkayetardif