Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Embrace the Sky with Waking Spirit

How would you like to explore a world of dancing hearts, singing spirits, with infinite love from life? Now you can fly to where hearts dance to songs of delight sung by the spirits of life in the treasure trove of Waking Spirit: Prose & Poems the Spirit Sings, the latest book written by child prodigy Shirley Cheng, who dances with her heart despite multiple physical disabilities, including blindness.


Swing to the melodies as the essence of the prose and poetry, including 102 beautifully written haiku of nature wonders and delightful animals, awakens your soul. The inspirational quotes in A Moment with Shirley, and autobiographical tales, such as I'm Not Disabled--I'm Ultra-Abled, shine with the author's invincible spirit and precocious wisdom, empowering you to embrace the sky.


"Waking Spirit celebrates life while encouraging us all to appreciate what we already have. It's a book of survival, a tome of devotion, a bible of being," wrote New York Times bestselling author, Cynthia Brian, in the foreword. "Serve yourself a big helping of Shirley Cheng's inspiration and you'll be motivated to shoot for the stars."


ISBN: 9780615136806 134 pages, trade paperback

To be released in May 2007; autographed copies are available for pre-ordering from www.ShirleyCheng.com


Some of the proceeds from the sale of Waking Spirit: Prose & Poems the Spirit Sings, will go to Christian Blind Mission International and Be the Star You Are!


Christian Blind Mission International (CBMI), based in Germany with affiliate offices in ten countries, is the oldest and largest ministry with the primary purpose of improving the quality of life for the blind and disabled in 113 developing countries, providing preventative, medical, rehabilitative and educational services in more than one thousand projects. Their aid is available to all people regardless of religion, nationality, race, or gender.


"Being blind or disabled is already hard enough without having to endure the suffering resulting from economic barriers. I have always wished to help anyone in need, and this is my chance to do so. I hope people will support me in this good cause," says Shirley.


Be the Star You Are! is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation founded by Cynthia Brian in 1999 that collects and distributes books and other positive media to youth at risk as a way to raise their life skills and self esteem.


"Constantly our Great Creator blesses us with a gift to remind us why life is so special and worth hanging around for. Hellen Keller was one of those gifts, and now the world is lucky enough to have blind and disabled Shirley Cheng take up Helen's gauntlet, and remind us of how special life can be and what a courageous survivor is all about. Shirley Cheng's new book Waking Spirit is a masterpiece and you would be making a wise decision to take time to read its poignant contents. Shirley proves the motto of the world Positive Thinkers club holds water through the centuries of time. "The Positive Thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible." That is what Shirley is all about!"

--Ken Bossone, President of World Positive Thinkers Club


"Her wisdom and captivating writing style reveals a rare beauty of the heart. Humorous haiku blends effortlessly with devotional selections as quotes sing a wisdom we want to hear and live.
The positive energy in Shirley Cheng's books is refreshing, real and inspiring. I hope you will invite her writing into your heart to experience the beauty of love's transforming energy."

--The Rebecca Review, Amazon.com Top Ten Reviewer


"Shirley is an excellent thought provoking writer and poet with a charm and intelligence that would make anyone envious. Shirley's ability to see life in such a positive way has left a lasting impression on many of her readers, myself included. Her inspiration and never ending strive to see all good in life is rare and commendable and should be used as a definite positive thought when one feels that things are just not fair in their lives. Her age and illness has never stood in her way of succeeding and embracing everything that life has to offer."

--Dorothy Lafrinere from WomensSelfEsteem.com


"Shirley's poetry, which spans a variety of meters, tones, and topics, is always eloquent and heartfelt. For me, the highlights were the short and simple poems that described daily scenes, endowing them with a new sense of importance. The way Shirley cherished the small pleasures in life encouraged me to slow down and enjoy a trail of ants, or the birds flying overhead. I feel that she has helped me open my eyes to a different world, one that is intricately laced with simple joys. Additionally, I particularly liked inserts of "A Moment With Shirley," which are gems of comfort, advice, and inspiration. It felt like I had a best friend, providing me with encouragement."

--Jennifer Tao, 17, Be the Star You Are!


Shirley Cheng (b. 1983), a blind and physically disabled motivational speaker, poet, author of five books, and contributor of seven books, has had severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since infancy. Owing to years of hospitalization, she received no education until age eleven. However, after about 180 days of special education in elementary school, she mastered grade level in all areas and entered a regular sixth grade class in middle school. After a successful eye surgery, she hopes to earn multiple science doctorates from Harvard University.


Shirley is also the author of The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine: A Young Woman's Autobiography of a 20-Year Tale of Trials & Tribulations (ISBN: 1411618602), Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells (ISBN: 1411618580), and Daring Quests of Mystics (ISBN: 1411656644). With highly acclaimed experts like Dr. Wayne Dyer, Tony Robbins, and Brian Tracy, Shirley co-authored Wake Up...Live the Life You Love: Finding Your Life's Passion, Second Edition; she is also the co-author of 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2, with experts Jack Canfield and Dr. John Gray.


Shirley is available for interviews, speaking engagements, book signings, and inspirational events. She has been on over twenty radio shows, including Be the Star You Are! for three times. She was featured in World Journal, the largest Chinese national newspaper in North America, in July 2004.

Chinese Book Signing to Celebrate the Pig and Contribute to Good Cause

Blind and physically disabled motivational speaker, poet and author Shirley Cheng will be holding a book signing during the Chinese New Year celebration of the Pig on Saturday, February 10 at Roy C. Ketcham High School (99 Myers Corners Road, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590) from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Some of the proceeds from Cheng's signing will go to Christian Blind Mission International to aid the blind and physically disabled people in 113 developing countries. The books she will sign include her inspirational autobiography The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine: A Young Woman's Autobiography of a 20-Year Tale of Trials & Tribulations, Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells, and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2, which she co-authored with leading experts like Jack Canfield, Dr. John Gray, and Dr. Richard Carlson. Cheng will also take pre-orders for the latest installment in the bestselling "Wake Up...Live the Life You Love" series, to which she contributed, along with highly notable people including Carla and Lou Ferrigno, TV's the original "Incredible Hulk" and neighbor on the network television comedy show, "King of Queens"; Dr. Wayne Dyer; and Tony Robbins.


For more information about her book signing, to ask her to speak at your event, or to schedule her for a book signing, contact Cheng via http://www.shirleycheng.com


Being both blind and physically disabled herself, Cheng expresses a strong desire to help those who are not only stricken by hunger and wars but also by their disabilities. "Being blind or disabled is already hard enough without having to endure the suffering resulting from natural catastrophes or economic barriers. I have always wished to help anyone in need, and this is my chance to do so. I hope people will support me in this good cause," says Cheng.


Shirley Cheng (b. 1983), a blind and physically disabled motivational speaker, poet, author and contributing author of twelve books, has had severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since infancy. Owing to years of hospitalization, she received no education until age eleven. However, after only about 180 days of special education in elementary school, she mastered grade level in all areas, including a foreign language: English, and entered a regular sixth grade class in middle school. Unfortunately, Shirley lost her eyesight at the age of seventeen. After a successful eye surgery, she hopes to earn multiple science doctorates from Harvard University.


"Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains," says Shirley Cheng. "Let the ropes of hope haul you high!"


Cheng is the author of "Daring Quests of Mystics" (ISBN: 1-4116-5664-4), a soothing read to relax the mind, body, and spirit; an empowering 700-page autobiography, "The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine: A Young Woman's Autobiography of a 20-Year Tale of Trials and Tribulations" (ISBN: 1-4116-1860-2); and "Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells" (ISBN: 1-4116-1858-0), an anthology of inspirational and fantasy short stories (fairy tales, fables, and myths) and poems for the heart from the heart.


With highly acclaimed experts like Dr. Wayne Dyer, Tony Robbins, and Brian Tracy, Cheng co-authored "Wake Up...Live the Life You Love: Finding Your Life's Passion, Second Edition," the latest installment in the bestselling "Wake Up...Live the Life You Love" series; she is also the co-author of "101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2," along with leading experts Jack Canfield, John Gray, Richard Carlson, Alan Cohen, Bob Proctor, et al.


In "101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2," Cheng's chapter, "Dance with Your Heart: How to Befriend Your Heart and the World Around You," gently teaches the readers how to achieve spiritual affinity with themselves, then with others around them.


"I've made it one of my life's missions to touch as many people as I possibly can to bring humor, hope, and healing," says Shirley, whose personal motto is "A dancing heart teaches true."


She had been published twice before her writing career. One of her short stories, "Mary Miller, the Elusive Lady," received Honorable Mention and was published by the Poughkeepsie Journal in 1997, and a poem, "The Colors of the Rainbow," earned a merit status and was published in "Celebrate! New York Young Poets Speak Out" in 1999. At the start of the New Year 2006, Cheng tied for 1st place in the national writing contest for Be the Star You Are! founded by New York Times bestselling co-author, TV/radio personality Cynthia Brian. Cheng's winning entry, titled "The Jewel from Heavenly Father," is dedicated to her beloved mother Juliet Cheng, the cornerstone and light of her life, and it can be read on Cheng's site, http://www.shirleycheng.com And in January 2007, her essay, I Hold the Power, received Honorable Mention in the same contest, and the entry can also be read on her site.


Cheng is also an advocate of parental rights in children's medical care, and aide/caregiver monitoring and screening for students with special needs and disabled people. As a parental rights advocate, she wants to help today's loving parents protect and keep custody of their children. "When doctors ask yes or no, parents should have the right to say no," says Cheng, who is the survivor of the 1990 five-month internationally broadcast news of her mother's custody case against a doctor. Juliet was on CBS This Morning show with Paula Zahn. Cheng is currently seeking contribution for her new parental rights advocacy book, and people interested in this project should contact her via http://www.shirleycheng.com


Cheng promotes aide advocacy for the disabled because she was mistreated and abused by one-to-one aides when she attended public schools. "The trouble with the uncaring aides actually lies in the authorities," she says. "If they listened to my complaints and kept a close watch on the aides, I wouldn't have gone through all the suffering."


Cheng is available for interviews, speaking engagements, book signings, and inspirational events. She has been on over twenty radio shows, including Cynthia Brian's Be the Star You Are! for three times, The Donna Seebo Show, and Stu Taylor on Business. In 2004, Cheng was featured in World Journal, the largest Chinese national newspaper in North America.

Become a Character in SUBMERGED, a heart-stopping thriller by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Ever wonder what it would be like to have a character in a novel named after you? Ever secretly harbor that need to be 'famous'...or 'infamous'?

Well, here's your chance!

In conjunction with Family Productions Inc. the show producers for the Edmonton Woman's Show, mystery author Cheryl Kaye Tardif is participating in a...

Become a Character in a Novel Contest.

Cheryl is about to start her new thriller...SUBMERGED. It is the story of a man submerged in his past--a past of weakness and drug addiction. It is the tale of a man haunted by his own failings and SUBMERGED in guilt after the death of his wife and child. SUBMERGED explores our human failings and the possibility that our 'sins' can be forgiven. Maybe there is redemption after all.

Enter the contest here.

Contest rules.

NOTE: When you enter this contest, you have the chance to have your name selected as a winner for either Cheryl's novel or for one of the other authors participating. You cannot specify authors. But regardless, you will be able to see your name in print! Good luck! :)

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of Whale Song, Divine Intervention and The River
http://www.whalesongbook.com
http://www.cherylktardif.com

Friday, January 26, 2007

Special Screening of the 3-Day Novel Contest: The Series

Ok...first, I must confess that I am a reality TV fan. Ok, don't shoot me or call 911 just yet. I have my favorites and can live without the rest. For me, the hit TV show Survivor has reigned supreme since it's inception. And I will even admit to following along with The Amazing Race for a few seasons--especially when Rob and Amber from Survivor were on. And I'm an Idol Fan--Canadian and American. And yes, I voted for Eva Avila!

Reality shows are big! And they're addictive.

But there's a new kid in town! A new kind of "Survivor". And it's one I can identify with.

The 3-Day Novel Contest: The Series. "12 Writers, 12 Novels, 72 Hours".

The 3-Day Novel contest is the most grueling challenge a writer can face. I've heard it be said that one would have to be "crazy" to want to submit themselves to that kind of mental anguish and stress. Well, grab me a straightjacket! Purple preferably.

Last September, over the Labour Day weekend, 12 contestants gathered together at the South Point Chapters in Edmonton, Alberta, which by the way is the same store that will be hosting my Whale Song Book Launch in April. (See? I knew I could segue that in!)

I had entered the contest last year and applied to be a contestant, but (maybe mercifully) was not selected to participate. Instead, I appeared on the new TV reality show series, A Total Write-Off, which was a total blast. However, I did attend last night's special screening of the first episode of the 3-Day Novel Contest reality show, which premieres on BookTelevision, one of my sponsors for the Whale Song Book Launch (segue #2), on Sundays at 7:30 MT/9:30 ET.

In the back of South Point Chapters, rows of chairs were set up in front of a big screen TV and we enjoyed an excellent array of catered munchies. And then the show began with an introduction from Tate, the show's producer.

My first impression was: Wow, awesome photography and a great mix of suspenseful music! My second impression was: Oh my God...what those poor people endured!

Well, since I won't be giving away much here, you're just going to have to check it out for yourselves. This aint your momma's reality TV show...and it aint for woosies!

Ok, so there weren't the physical challenges, like running an obstacle course as in Survivor or racing through a muddy swamp as in The Amazing Race. But the mental challenges that faced these writers are not to be taken lightly.

[]Imagine trying to write a novel in three days.

[]Imagine living with 12 other people (ok, Big Brother move over!) while trying to write.

[]Imagine sleeping in bunk beds in one room...with a snorer, or two. (They have no idea what life would have been like if I had been accepted because apparently--although I will deny it--I snore like a forest filled with logging trucks.)

[]Imagine being in a huge bookstore overnight that is haunted by a ghost! Hey, the people working there claim it's a co-worker who passed on and doesn't like people disturbing the books. So she knocks them off the shelves herself every now and then and unplugs the vacuums just to be mischievous.

[]Imagine staring at a blank computer screen, waiting for the right words...any words...one word.

[]And imagine sitting next to someone who constantly hummed (and not in tune apparently) while working. (Ok, another reason why they should be damned happy I wasn't accepted...but at least I can hum and sing in tune! And you know who else can sing in tune? The wonderful, fabulous Alexia Melnychuk, who will be performing at my Whale Song Book Launch on April 7, 2007...yup, another segue.)

Meet the 12 contestants of the 3-Day Novel Contest: The Series
* Timothy Anderson, a "starving artist", student and published novelist, worked on a novel titled Juggernaut. I'm thinking that Timothy may have reeked a little havoc on his fellow writers...a bit of troublemaker, perhaps? Guess we'll have to watch and see.
* Ali Riley, a community rehab worker and book reviewer (hmmm, maybe I can get her to review Whale Song) from Nanton, AB, wrote a novel titled Hag. This is one witty woman!
* Darren Zenko, a freelance writer and radio host/DJ (If you interview me on your radio show I'll give away a copy of Whale Song:) from Edmonton, AB, who wrote a novel titled The Perpendiculars. This young man has a penchant for drinking out of goblets--and I don't think it was water!
* Catherine Ford, a retired journalist for the Calgary Herald from Calgary, AB, wrote The Pine Street Conspiracy. Now she knows how to write a 25-word tagline or synopsis!
* Tyler Morency, a copy editor, proofreader and journalist from Edmonton, AB, wrote The Strange Ballad of Curtis Aberdeen. He's the young puppy of the group.
* Mar'ce Merrell, a writing teacher and children's chapter book author from Edmonton, AB, wrote Drive Carefully. Entering this contest was her 40th birthday gift to herself (uh, Mar'ce, you may want to try a root canal next time; it may be less painful and stress free :)
* Felicia Pacentrilli, a student, poet and actor from Calgary, AB, wrote Quote Me. This bubbly redhead had never entered this contest before.
* Mark John Hiemstra, a cook and avid blogger from Jasper, AB, wrote The Most Beautiful Noose. Here is a guy who has risen above a past of drugs and living on the street. KUDOS, Mark John!
* Jill Battson, a poet born in the UK who now resides in Guelph, ON, wrote The Design of Everyday Things. This woman is one tough cookie!
* Wayne Arthurson, a writer and published novelist from Edmonton, AB, wrote Fuzzy Logic. This guy's done everything from working as a security guard to a house painter to a clown and a punk rock drummer.
* Laura Kjolby, a graphic artist from Vanocuver, BC, wrote Cured. I'm wondering if it's the story of a writer who entered a grueling writing competition and decided never to do it again.
* Ron Yamauchi states his profession as a Crown representative. This "ex-punk musician/government officer/freelance critic" from Vancouver, BC, wrote MEOW: A Thriller on Four Legs. He has attempted the 3-Day Novel contest twice in the past.

And then there are the three judges: Todd Babiuk, a novelist and journalist for the Edmonton Journal; Jenn Farrell, author, freelance writer and editor; and Minister Faust, author and freelance writer.

And last but not least, the host of the show, Kim Clarke Champniss, whose successes include being cast in the role of the alien child in the sci-fi classic Village of the Damned, managing the band Images in Vogue, and interviewing varaious bands such as U2 and The Sex Pistols.

On behalf of the viewers who were invited to this private screening, thanks to Rachel Sentes, the wonderful manager of Chapters South Point. This gal knows how to put on an EVENT! I don't know where she gets her energy, but as an author who's had the pleasure of working with her, I admire her dedication to everything she plans. I can't wait until my book launch! Oh, and in case I forgot to mention, it's the Whale Song Book Launch, held at Chapters South Point, Edmonton, AB, on April 7th from 7:00 - 9:30 pm. It's going to be Edmonton's BIGGEST and BEST BOOK LAUNCH ever!

For more information on air dates and times for the 3-Day Novel series, please go here.

View the trailer here.

Don't forget to check out my new website for information about my Whale Song Book Launch!

And for those of you who just can't get enough of reality TV, be sure to check out my fellow Kunati author Derek Armstrong and his tongue-in-cheek thriller The Game, a novel that takes a hard look at reality TV.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

An Eagle for Jason

Well, I made it through the roughest month! I can't believe I did. January was a month I've been dreading since probably November. This is the month with nothing but bittersweet reminders of my youngest brother's murder, and it's been really hard.

January 7th was the memorial held in Edmonton for all the people who had died in Edmonton over the past year, those who had lived in the inner city--and my brother Jason was one of them.

January 15th was Jay's birthday. He would have been 29 this year. Just a baby. Always a baby. Forever my baby.

January 23rd was the 1 year anniversary of his murder. A year ago, Jason Kaye was found beaten in a dark alley in downtown east. He was Edmonton's third homicide of 2006, a year that ended up being one of our deadliest.

Today, well, yesterday now since it's 1:30 in the AM, I spoke with my mother in Vancouver, my dad in Victoria and my other brother Derek in Trenton. We've all been feeling the burden and stress of this month. Of our memories.

But then my dad shared a story today that made me smile. If you go on Jason's website, you can read how he and my dad used to watch for bald eagles, and how my dad saw some soaring overhead just after Jason's death last year. This was unusual because he no longer lives in an area that sees them often.

Well, today when my dad got home from work, and just before I called him, he was standing outside, visiting the hummingbirds that usually would be gone but haven't left for about a year. He was thinking of Jason...remembering.

My dad looked up...and what did he see?

One lone bald eagle soaring high above the house. And then it disappeared.

There is no doubt...it was Jason, coming to say he remembers too.

*******************

I have remembered Jason in a very special way. I have dedicated Whale Song to him...and 5% of my royalties will go each to three inner city organizations to help those less fortunate.

Order your copy of Whale Song now and become part of something greater.
~Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of Whale Song, The River and Divine Intervention

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Who Said That Books Are Dead?

I've just returned from a 2 week cruise. There had to be 2,000 passengers on this ship and almost every one of them had a book. In fact some told me that they had read 4 books during the trip. When I visited the library, the librarian told me she had books moving very fast.

I walked the decks looking at what was being read. Cussler, Ludlum, Paterson, Roberts, Clarke and deMille were the more common authors I saw. There were many I never heard of.

It seems to me that cruise ships were an ideal place to get your books located. It's a growing business.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Cheryl Kaye Tardif - Interviewed on Novel Journey Blog

Please check out the new interview on the Novel Journey blog. I was recently interviewed by Gina Holmes, "an author on a mission". Not only was it a fun interview, her questions were insightful and challenging. Thanks, Gina!

Here's a sneak peek:

Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head.

People ask me all the time, “When did you start writing?” I honestly don’t remember NOT writing. As a teen, I wrote for a weekly BC newspaper. I made $5.00/week for my small column on the happenings of my town. When I was 16, I wrote my first...

Read the entire interview.

Also, be sure to check out my fellow Kunati author Ric Wasley and his "groovy sixties mystery" Shadow of Innocence.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Parental Rights in Children's Medical Care: Give Parents the Right to Say No Petition

Since today is the great Martin Luther King Jr.'s Day, I have created the Parental Rights in Children's Medical Care: Give Parents the Right to Say No Petition to return rights to the hands of loving parents. Mr. King opened the eyes and hearts of people to accept fellow mankind, now it is my turn to open the eyes and hearts of people to protect today's parents and the children of our future.

So please sign the petition to support a great cause, and pass it along to everyone you know!

Should the state send the parent to court just because the parent asked the hospital to stop giving their child aspirin when it is worsening their child's condition? Is it okay for the judge to call the parent a child abuser when the parent intercepted unwanted, harmful treatment for their child?


"When doctors ask yes or no, parents should have the right to say no!" --Shirley Cheng, www.ShirleyCheng.com


What's a more frightening nightmare for parents than their children's illness? It is the fear of losing custody of their children.


In America, parents risk losing custody of their children forever when they disagree with doctors' recommended treatments or even when they want a second opinion.


That's what happened to the Werneckes in Texas in 2005, Corissa Mueller in 2002, Pam Anderson in 2000, Tina Phifer in 1997, and a slew of other parents and children who have been victimized throughout American history.


My mother Juliet Cheng lost me twice, nearly three times, after saying no to doctors recommended treatments--treatments that would have ended my young life, or worse, paralyze me. The last custody case in 1990 made international headlines; she appeared on CBS This Morning show with Paula Zahn. Why did she lose custody of me? The doctor wanted to operate on 6 of my joints in one operation when he didn't even have any medicine to control my inflammation.


When I was 7, I did not have a voice. Now 16 years later, I'm here to speak for every parent and child because it's a crime against humanity when doctors force unwanted or harmful treatments on children.


Do you want to put an end to this crime against humanity and return rights to the hands of loving parents?


If you agree with the following statements, please sign this petition.


Parents should have the right to disagree and refuse treatments recommended by doctors for their children. State should not take away a parent's custody of their child over treatment disagreements and refusals. No parent of a child should be prosecuted or be held responsible for uncontrollable diseases, accidents, and deaths when the parent has done their utmost best in providing care for the child. The state should treat cases in accordance with the unique needs of each case. Parents should have the right to seek and exercise alternative treatments other than the ones recommended by the child's physician. Parents should have the right to protect, defend, and speak for their children.


Let us turn our country into a true nation run by the people for the people!


Thank you for your support. If we all work together, we can protect today's parents and the children of our future.


Shirley Cheng


Shirley Cheng (b. 1983), a blind and physically disabled author, poet, and parental and children's rights advocate, has the vision of a better America for both parents and children. She is a victim and miracle survivor of not only her painful disease--severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis--but more so of serious faults in American medical system, including two custody cases her mother, Juliet Cheng, had battled and won after disagreeing with doctors' recommended treatments, one of which lasted for five months in 1990 in Connecticut that made international headlines on major media, like The New York Times and The Associated Press, and gained the support of Katharine Hepburn and Taiwan's former first lady. Juliet and her lawyer, George Athanson--a former mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, for eleven years--appeared on CBS This Morning show with Paula Zahn. Using her new voice as an adult, Shirley now fights to protect today's parents and children and the future of America. She hopes to bring awareness to the public with her new parental rights advocacy book, for which she is seeking contributions. Please visit http://www.shirleycheng.com for more information and to contact her.

IS THE GENERATION THAT USHERED IN THE INFORMATION AGE BECOMING BAFFLED BY IT?

OK, this question is for the Baby Boomers out there - and be honest !

Who knows more about computer hardware, software, gaming, blogging, chat rooms, 'My Space', ‘Your Space', 'Our Space', ‘Their Space’, - ‘Your Dog's Space’, Your cats, hamsters and gold fishes space… Aruggggh !!
Well you get the drift.
But truthfully - is it you or your kids?

Don't think so? Well let me see a show of hands. Can you download those 'golden oldies' rock' and disco tunes from your computer to your IPod or do you have to get one of your kids to help you?
I do!
Yeah, and unless you signed up for the 'Future Computer Geeks and Star Trek Aficionados of America', thirty or forty years ago it's no contest is it?

For instance, when you get the new cell phone with about a zillion features that you never knew existed let alone even suspected you needed, are you reduced to whining for help to one of your scornful children who look at you like you're the drooling, village idiot of cyberspace. And then as though to confirm your lowly status as a Luddite of the information age, they nonchalantly scroll through and program all of the functions that you know you'll never remember how to use let alone ever be able to access again.

But wait - wait; weren't we the generation who gave the world the first 'home' computer, the Apple, the Mac, the PC ????!

Why we 'Boomers' practically invented the freaking internet, thank you very much !
And while I'll admit that we might have had some help from those big mainframe computers that the military has got stashed under every hollow mountain in the Rockies, it was the Boomer generation that came up with all of the hardware like printers and modems and disk drives/storage devices and the software to make them all work. Yeah Boomers, when it came to technology we rocked!
Didn't we? Use to rock? I mean - ah, past tense. Yeah… Hummm.

So what happened? Exactly when did we become the 'Grandpa Fudd' and 'Grandma Moses' of on-line cyber life?

"We're not!" I hear someone screaming. "Why I use the computer to pay all my bills and even do that on-line travel thing!" (even if it is with about as much finesse as the 'roaming gnome').

OK… but how many 'chat rooms' do you belong to? How many 'buddy' groups are you a part of? How many blogs do you do a week... a day ... an hour ?!

Ah-ha, I thought so.

You see while we Boomers were experimenting with getting more of those cool little binary 1's and zero's onto smaller and smaller chips of silicone and transforming vacant lots outside of San Jose into the multi-billion dollar semiconductor industry of Silicon Valley, we never really gave all that much thought as to what people were actually going to do with the little gizmo's.

I remember attending a electronics trade show back in the early 80's where I saw a nifty little keyboard that was being touted as a computer gadget that was actually aimed at the… gasp - consumer. The techie demonstrating it said they were going to call it a "Home Computer". He showed me that by punching a long string of keys, you could actually make the lines on the screen change different colors! Why how cool is that? I went right out and bought one.
"It's for the kids honey," I told my wife when she asked in bewilderment, what the heck were we going to do with a ... keyboard in our house?
"Why you just hook it up to the TV in the kitchen and someday, you'll be able to store all of your recipes sweetheart."
"Yeah, when pigs fly," I heard her mutter as she walked away. "But I really bought it for the kids," I yelled after her.

I then spent the next three weekends trying to teach a four and a six- year-old how to enter long streams of code into the key board so that the screen would change color. It was not a happy experience. The only thing that kept me from wearing the official family dunce cap of 'classic bone head blunders', was the advent of Pong. Yes! I was saved.
Now the kids could spend mindless hours in front of the TV, electronically swatting a cyber ball back and forth.
"It will help develop their computer skills," one of my engineer friends loftily told me. (I think I answered back something involved with pigs flying.)

But you know what? He was right. Not only did the ensuing generations of video games, internet chat rooms and 'Their space' turn the adorable little 'rug rats' into computer experts and programming genius's, but it change the world in which we live, work and play unalterably and forever.

So the bottom line is, don't feel too bad the next time that you have to hang your old gray head and beg one of your kids or some young computer guru to help you turn off that blasted ring tone that plays 'Old MacDonald Had a Farm" every time the darned thing rings. After all, we were the ones that started the information age stumbling towards the future.
And who knows, maybe someday with a lot of help and a little luck, we may even be able to use all the stuff we invented.

As my wife says... "When pigs fly."


Ric Wasley
Author
Shadow of Innocence
Kunati - April 2007

You can pre-order a copy of Shadow of Innocence from: Amazon.com

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ric_Wasley
http://www.kunati.com/shadow-of-innocence-hip-myster/


Ric Wasley has spent almost forty years wandering through corporate board rooms and honky-tonk bars. He now divides his time between writing mystery novels – Shadow or Innocence – A McCarthy Family Mystery – Published by Kunati, http://www.kunati.com , and observing the really ‘juicy parts’ of the human condition

***************

New from Kunati Publishing: SHADOW OF INNOCENCE - The Newport Folk Festival provides a groovy backdrop for this fun and exciting mystery set in the music and drug soaked sixties. The Baby Boomers and everyone else are sure to enjoy this appealing mystery featuring a pair of musician partners in love and danger. Don't miss Shadow of Innocence! From Kunati Publishing. Available now for pre-order at; http://www.amazon.com/gp/product

And don't forget to check out my fellow Kunati author Cheryl Kaye Tardif and her tragic yet uplifting novel Whale Song, the story of a young woman haunted by the assisted suicide of her mother and the mystery that surrounds her death. Read more about Whale Song at http://www.kunati.com/catalog_whale_song and check out Cheryl's site at http://www.cherylktardif.com

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Modern Day Helen Keller Receives Honorable Mention in National Writing Contest for Empowering Essay

Shirley Cheng, a blind and physically disabled 23-year-old author, has received Honorable Mention in the 3rd Annual Be the Star You Are!™ Writing Contest for her essay, I Hold the Power, her inspirational story of overcoming blindness at the age of seventeen. She was tied for 1st place in the same contest last year.


"I am absolutely honored and thrilled," says Shirley. "I hadn't expected to literally be a winner twice in a row. It is so important to get my story out to empower others to live their life to the very fullest. Receiving Honorable Mention has definitely helped me fulfill my goal of inspiring people to go for their gold medals in life, whether they are disabled or non-disabled."


Shirley Cheng (b. 1983), a blind and physically disabled motivational speaker, poet, self-empowerment expert, and author and contributing author of ten books, has had severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since only eleven months old. Owing to years of hospitalization, she received no schooling until age eleven. Having mastered grade level in all areas after only about 180 days of special education in elementary school, she entered a regular sixth grade class in middle school. Unfortunately, Shirley lost her eyesight at the age of seventeen. After a successful eye surgery, she hopes to earn multiple science doctorates from Harvard University.


Shirley is the author of "Waking Spirit: Prose & Poems the Spirit Sings" (ISBN: 978-0-6151-3680-6), exploring a world of dancing hearts, singing spirits, with infinite love from life (with foreword by New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Brian); "Daring Quests of Mystics" (ISBN: 978-1-4116-5664-2), a soothing read to relax the mind, body, and spirit; an empowering 700-page autobiography, "The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine: A Young Woman's Autobiography of a 20-Year Tale of Trials and Tribulations" (ISBN: 978-1-4116-1860-2); and "Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells" (ISBN: 978-1-4116-1858-9), an anthology of inspirational and fantasy short stories (fairy tales, fables, and myths) and poems for the heart from the heart.


With highly acclaimed experts like Dr. Wayne Dyer, Tony Robbins, and Brian Tracy, Shirley co-authored Wake Up...Live the Life You Love: Finding Your Life's Passion, Second Edition, the latest installment in the bestselling Wake Up...Live the Life You Love series; she is also the co-author of 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2, along with leading experts Jack Canfield, John Gray, Richard Carlson, Alan Cohen, Bob Proctor, et al.


Shirley is also an advocate of parental rights in children's medical care, students with special needs, and people with disabilities, and has the vision of a better America for both parents and children. She is a victim and miracle survivor of not only her painful disease but more so of serious faults in American medical system, including two custody cases her mother, Juliet Cheng, had battled and won after disagreeing with doctors' recommended treatments, one of which lasted for five months in 1990 in Connecticut that made international headlines on major media, like The New York Times and The Associated Press, and gained the support of Katharine Hepburn and Taiwan's former first lady. Juliet and her lawyer, George Athanson-a former mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, for eleven years-appeared on CBS This Morning with Paula Zahn. Shirley is also the victim of abusive behavior and mistreatment from one-to-one aides for years while attending public schools. Using her new voice as an adult, Shirley now fights to protect today's parents and children and the future of America. She hopes to bring awareness to the public with her 700-page autobiography, The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine: A Young Woman's Autobiography of a 20-Year Tale of Trials & Tribulations.


She had been published twice before her writing career. One of her short stories, Mary Miller, the Elusive Lady, received Honorable Mention and was published by the Poughkeepsie Journal in 1997, and a poem, The Colors of the Rainbow, earned merit status and was published in Celebrate! New York Young Poets Speak Out in 1999.


Shirley is available for interviews, speaking engagements, book signings, and inspirational events. She has been on over twenty radio shows, including Be the Star You Are! for three times, The Donna Seebo Show, and Stu Taylor on Business. She was featured in World Journal, the largest Chinese national newspaper in North America, in July of 2004. Visit Shirley at http://www.shirleycheng.com

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

West Edmonton Mall Sponsors Whale Song Book Launch


West Edmonton Mall, "the greatest indoor show on Earth", has sponsored
The Whale Song Book Launch ~ A KILLER Whale of a Launch Party

In support of Edmonton mystery author Cheryl Kaye Tardif and her new April release Whale Song, West Edmonton Mall will be providing World Waterpark passes and optional attraction passes as door prize items to be given away during the launch.

The Whale Song Book Launch will be held at Chapters - South Point, in Edmonton, AB, on Saturday, April 7th, 2007, from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm.

Catered munchies, great entertainment provided by local musicians and singers, and fabulous door prizes will make this the "BIGGEST and BEST book launch Edmonton has ever seen".

For more information about Cheryl Kaye Tardif, please visit www.cherylktardif.com.

For information on Whale Song, see www.whalesongbook.com.

Visit West Edmonton Mall's site at www.westedmontonmall.com.

Monday, January 08, 2007

Memorial for Cheryl Kaye Tardif's brother, Jason Kaye, and for others who died in Edmonton


On January 7, 2007, a special memorial service was held at Hope Mission in Edmonton, Alberta, for all people who had died on or around Edmonton streets and those who had used the services of Hope Mission.

And Jason Kaye was one of them.


Below is the eulogy and announcement made by Jason's sister and Edmonton author, Cheryl Kaye Tardif.

My name is Cheryl Kaye Tardif and I am the sister of Jason Kaye, Edmonton’s third homicide last January. Jason was a young man, only 28 when he died, who struggled with alcohol and depression. We tried to be there for him and never gave up hope that he’d turn his life around. Until he was murdered and left to die alone.

As a teen, Jason was a red-headed computer genius, who had so much potential. As an adult, he was always the jokester and would give his shirt off his back to help a friend. Since his death, we have heard so many heartening stories from some of his wonderful friends, and this comforts us to know that he was not alone, even though he had cut himself off from family.


It was difficult for the police to track us down, since my last name is not the same and we’re the only family Jason had in Edmonton. But Jason had told his friends that his sister was an author who had written a book about whales. That’s how the police found me. Whale Song, a novel, was the only book of mine that my brother had ever read, and this April it will be re-released, bigger and better, with a special dedication to my brother. Whale Song is Jason’s book now...

Read Cheryl's special announcement that will affect Hope Mission, the Mustard Seed Church and the Bissell Center. Click here.

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Wanted: Contributions for New Parental Rights in Children's Medical Care Book

Advocate of parental rights in children's medical care in the American medical system seeks contribution for new book for this point: "When doctors ask yes or no, parents should have the right to say no." --Shirley Cheng

I am looking for articles (unbiased, factual), personal experience stories, case studies from medical personnel (doctors, psychologists, etc.), lawyers, reporters, journalists, writers, parents, survivors (children), and anyone who has involved in this issue or has written about this issue, about the injustice system that strips the rights from parents and that takes the child away from their parents over medical disputes. I am especially interested in the cases of Abraham Cherrix (Virginia, 2006), Edward and Michele Wernecke concerning their daughter Katie (Texas, 2005), Corissa Mueller (2002), Pam Anderson concerning her son, Anthony Mitchell (2000), Miguel Regino and Adela Martinez concerning their daughter Anamarie Martinez-Regino (New Mexico, 2000), Sherry and Paul Lipscomb (Ohio, 2000), Valerie Emerson (Maine, 1998), and Tina Phifer concerning her daughter Amkia (1997); and I'd also be very interested in any articles anyone has written concerning my own mother Juliet Cheng's custody case in 1990 that made international headlines.

I will need permission to reprint any contribution in my new book and will give full credits to the contributors at the back of the book. No monetary rewards will be given, but every contributor will receive a free copy of the book and can buy the books at a discount.

Contribution Requirements

* Be truthful, honest, and accurate. Fact-check all the information you provide in your contribution, including dates, places, names, etc.

* You must have permission and/or the copyrights of your contribution to submit it for the book, including permission to use any person's name in your contribution

* Articles should be between 400 and 2000 words long

* Personal experience stories/essays should be between 400 and 1500 words long

* Case studies should be between 600 and 2500 words long

*Articles and case studies should be unbiased, strictly factual

* For personal experience stories, you may make up the names of the people, including yourself, in your contribution in order to protect your or other people's privacy

* But use real names in articles and case studies

* E-mail me first before submitting any contribution (e-mail me from http://www.shirleycheng.com)

* There's no actual deadline for any submission, as I am the publisher, but I'd like to have the project move along in a steady pace, so please submit any contribution at your earliest convenience

As a contributor, you will retain full copyrights to your contribution, but I will have publishing, promotional, and distributing rights. Once I accept your contribution for publication in my book, I will have you read and sign an agreement outlining these basic terms.

One voice is not enough--we must work together to make a difference, so please contribute to this book if you have a story/article/case study to share with others, so we can put an end to this injustice that's plaguing our democratic society! Let us turn our country into a true nation run by the people for the people!

Please e-mail me from http://www.shirleycheng.com

Thank you and please pass the word on!

Shirley Cheng, a blind and physically disabled 23-year-old author of four books, is the survivor of mother Juliet Cheng's two custody cases in America.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Booklist Reviews WHALE SONG, a Novel that Explores Assisted Suicide


Well, here we are. It's 2007, January 2nd to be precise, and already my year is looking stunning and exciting. Everything started with an email from my publisher announcing that Whale Song had been reviewed by the esteemed Booklist.


And here are just a few things they said:

"Moving..."
"Sweet and sad..."

This has made my year already! :)

To Mary Frances Wilkens, Booklist's gracious reviewer...I wish you the very best year and I hope you can feel how happy you have made one humble author...and the year has just begun.

To read the full review, please go HERE!

The Assisted Suicide Controversy

Here's a question from my Whale Song Forum. Please follow the link to the site to answer.

If someone you loved was suffering from chronic pain, with very little chance of survival and only a painful, traumatic death to look forward to, could you see the possibility of assisted suicide?

Monday, January 01, 2007

Criminal Minds at Work Blog


Ok, ok, so I admit it. I'm a bloggin' addict! I need another blog like I need a hole in the head. Wait! I guess I needed the hole in the head then too. Anyone have a drill?? :)

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hannibal Lector and I'll be making dinner tonight. You bring the wine...

Announcing...a new blog featuring numerous talented crime writers. It was officially set up January 1, 2007, so please be patient...we'll be posting soon.

Feel free to check out our...