Killer Thriller Book Launch - March 5-7

From March 5-7, check out the Killer Thriller Book Launch, a multi-author book launch featuring 7 thriller authors with new releases.

Want to know who these authors are?

• Cheryl Kaye Tardif
• Luke Romyn
• Consuelo Roland
• Giacomo Giammatteo
• Melissa Foster
• Claude Bouchard
• Russell Blake

You can follow us on Twitter by going to: #killerthriller.

We will be giving away prizes at the Killer Thriller Book Launch--separate from my own March Giveaway, so you'll have lots of chances to win some great goodies!

I invite you to check it out! :-)

SUBMERGED official book launch - March 4-7

Join me as I celebrate my new release, SUBMERGED, a thriller that I hope will leave you breathless.

SUBMERGED will be on a special new release promo for only $0.99 (Kindle) during March 4-7.

~ * ~

Also, from March 5-7, I am participating in the Killer Thriller Book Launch, a multi-author book launch featuring 6 other thriller authors with new releases.

You can follow us on Twitter by going to: #killerthriller.

We will be giving away prizes at the Killer Thriller Book Launch--separate from my own March Giveaway, so you'll have lots of chances to win some great goodies!

I invite you to check it out! :-)

Enter to win a Kindle or $50 Amazon gift card

During the month of February, a small band of horror & suspense authors are hosting a KINDLE giveaway.

So check out their books, and register for a FREE Kindle, a $50 Amazon gift card and FREE print books!

Enter at The Kindle Book Review!

PS: When entering, be sure to click on the box titled: 'Easy entry for all Cheryl Kaye Tardif fans on Facebook' for 5 points. :-) Good luck!

Summer Reviewer Giveaway - July 1-August 31

A special announcement from Imajin Books:

This July & August, we hope you'll join us for our Summer Reviewer Giveaway. No, we aren't giving away reviewers (though I'm sure some authors would LOVE to have their very own). We're rewarding reviewers!

We think reviewers are special. They take the time to read our books and then post their thoughts about our titles on blogs, websites, Facebook pages, Goodreads, LibraryThing, Shelfari etc. And it's time they get some real appreciation. So we're giving away ebooks to reviewers.

And our reviewers will be entered in a draw for a Mystery Prize worth at least $120.

Here's how it works:

• Borrow an Imajin Books title (ebook or paperback) from a friend or lending site, or buy from your favourite retailer. 
• Then post a review on Amazon, B&N or Goodreads. Only reviews posted between July 1, 2011 and August 31, 2011 qualify.
• Email us with the links to your reviews.
• You'll receive 1 free ebook of your choice (from our titles). No obligation to review your ebook prize.
• 1 Mystery Prize valued at $120 (minimum) will be given away to one lucky winner.
• Anyone, anywhere, 18+, can enter this giveaway. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary. No cash value.
  
• Imajin Books authors, their families and any subcontracted associates of Imajin Books are excluded from this contest.
• All prizes will be awarded after September 1st and before September 3rd. The Mystery Prize may take up to 4 weeks to be received.

Lancelot's Lady book trailer video needs your vote--by December 26th

The book trailer video for my bestselling romantic suspense, Lancelot's Lady, has been entered in the You Gotta Read Videos contest for December. It is entry #6 and I hope you'll check it out and vote for it.

My trailer was created by the talented Kelly Komm, who is also an author. Thanks, Kelly!

To view all the contest videos, please visit: http://t.co/d6GnHvT

Thank you to everyone who votes for Lancelot's Lady. I so appreciate your support! Have an awesome Christmas.

~Cherish D'Angelo/aka Cheryl Kaye Tardif
http://www.cherishdangelo.com

Guest author Maria Zannini discusses cover art

Today's special guest is Maria Zannini, author of True Believers, a science fiction romance. Maria, thank you so much for visiting and sharing your book cover experiences.

Cover Art Confidential

If you want to stab an art director through the heart, take away her privilege of calling the shots. I was an artist and art director for more than thirty years. It's hard to let go and allow someone else to design your work.

If you've never had a cover designed for you before, let me put your mind at rest. They'll pretty much ignore your ideas.  It's not personal—just business.

Let's take True Believers for example.

• I asked for a warm color palette for the cover. They went with fire engine hot.

• I asked for an elaborate font. Since the main character, Rachel is an archeologist, I thought something like carved stone would work well. After a little negotiating (read: begging) I got the font "Traditional Arabic". It was definitely better than the first choice.

• I asked for the heroine to be young with exotic Middle Eastern features. After all, her father is none other than Gilgamesh, formerly of Sumer.  

…well, she's dark-haired anyway. :grin:

After the kerfuffle Bloomsbury caused using a white model for LIAR, a novel that demanded a young black woman, I think publishers are becoming more mindful about casting a little closer to the true race of a character.

But in this business, it's all a matter of degrees. Go too far in the wrong direction and you can create an incident of viral proportions.

After the incident with Bloomsbury ended up with egg on its face. Yet all the publicity was a boon to the author by virtue of grassroots movement. So even bad covers can work in your favor if you've got an angle.

I can't complain. Carina did all right by True Believers. It's not the cover I would have designed, but judging by the response, it's a cover that drives attention. And in the publishing business that's all that matters.

Authors: Have you liked all your covers? Are there any you would have designed differently?

Readers: Do you expect a cover to tell you what's inside or are you content simply with the tone the art represents?

***

Maria Zannini's latest release is a science fiction romance called TRUE BELIEVERS.

Mix one cynical immortal and one true believer and throw them into the biggest alien-hunt the world has never known. Rachel Cruz is a Nephilim masquerading as an archeologist and she's stuck with an alien who believes she can lead him to his ancestral gods. Black Ops wants to find these gods too. They want them dead. 

Follow Maria here:

Blog

Facebook

Goodreads

Twitter

Contest time! Every time you leave a comment, tweet or mention "Maria Zannini" anywhere with a link to my blog, your name goes in the hat for a chance to win a Texas sized prize. Go here for more information.

The business side of being a writer

Some people might not view an author as a business person, but I have to tell you, there's far more to being a writer than cloistering oneself in a small room for months and typing out 80,000 words. In today's world, a successful writer must also take on the hats of publicist, marketer, event planner, advertising rep, accountant, stocker (not stalker) and more.

As a successful Edmonton author, I am right at home with the writing and marketing part. I even make a decent publicist and have done this for other writers. It's the accounting part I suck at. And the stocking of shelves.

I'd love to discuss this here with other writers. How do you manage the number side of writing? Do you hire someone else or just suck it up and do it? Are there other options you've discovered (other than having books published by a traditional publisher, which I've also had)?

For me writing is both an immense pleasure and a business. I can't really have one without the other--unless I want to be my only reader. With the economy being as it is and so many changes in the book industry, authors must take on more of the marketing role, no matter who publishes you.

Finally, a small bit of promo from the marketing side: I am one of only a handful of Canadians who are competing in a writing competition sponsored by Dorchester Publishing, a very respectable US publisher. I think I'm the only Edmonton contestant as well. I'd sincerely appreciate your support.

Please check out my debut romantic suspense Lancelot's Lady on Textnovel.com and click on the blue thumb and blue phone circles. This gives me 2 points in the contest. There are 3 days to go until the semi-finalists are selected. I really want to win this! The prize is a publishing contract with Dorchester.

http://textnovel.com/stories_list_detail.php?story_id=928

Sign up is fast and free and you'll have access to many novels and short stories you can read for free. Thank you, in advance, for your support of an Edmonton author.

Now I must go and procrastinate about doing my accounting. :-)

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

Contest: Finish author Kelly Moran's sentence for a chance to win a signed copy of Divine Intervention

There's an exciting new contest over at author Kelly Moran's site. And it's very easy to enter. Simply finish the sentence she started there.

One winner will be selected and will win a signed copy of my paranormal thriller, Divine Intervention.

Prize: a signed copy of Divine Intervention by finishing her sentence.

Enter now at: http://authorkellymoran.blogspot.com/2009/10/contest-and-giveaway.html

Cheryl talks about using contests to promote novels at 'Your Shelf Life'

Today I was featured at 'Your Shelf Life', a great blog geared for writers and readers. The main question asked is what can you do to extend your 'shelf life' as an author and the 'shelf life' of your books.

I talked to Sandy about how I use contests to keep things fresh, interesting, exciting and interactive.

How Contests Can Promote Your Novels & Extend Your Shelf Life

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Vote for Lancelot's Lady by Cherish D'Angelo

I've entered a contest on Textnovel.com and I really need your votes. The grand prize is a guaranteed publishing contract with Dorchester. I'm submitting a novel I started years ago that I've always wanted to finish. The genre for the contest is ROMANCE. You'll be able to read as I write.

I can't do this without you. To become a top finalist ALL I NEED ARE YOUR VOTES, and those of your friends (so please tell your friends and family.) If you'd like to subscribe to Lancelot's Lady, you'll receive my updates automatically, and please leave a short comment too.

Go to my novel Lancelot's Lady (a contemporary romance about a palliative care nurse who ends up on a private island, much to the owner's dismay).

Then sign up on Textnovel so you can vote (it takes a couple of minutes), and to vote, click on the circular "thumbs up" icon at top of story.

Thank you all so much for helping me with this. I sincerely appreciate it. Your votes could make the difference between a major publishing contract or being in limbo.

Please vote now. Lancelot's Lady

P.S. I designed the mock cover for inspiration only. This won't be the actual book cover.
     
Cheryl Kaye Tardif
author of Whale Song
http://www.cherylktardif.com/

Cheryl Kaye Tardif's "Opening line contest"

While playing cards with my good friends Bobbi and Rus, Rus noticed that I always led with hearts. He mentioned this and someone replied, "She always leads with her heart." Rus jokingly bet me that I couldn't use that line as the opening sentence of a novel and have it make sense. Not only did I use it, I made it important to the story.

Now I'm taking that idea to a whole new level!

In the spirit of fun and because I love a good challenge, I invite you to submit a single sentence as an opening line to a thriller I plan to write in 2010. I won't tell you anything about the story.

By leaving a sentence in the comments section on my website, you are giving me permission to use it in this novel if you are selected as the winner. I will credit you, so please leave your name and email address too. I won't be judging this contest for a while, so feel free to enter as often as you like.

The winner will receive a credit or acknowledgement in my novel and a free signed copy of the book once it's published (a few years from now).

Please don't leave your sentences here. Only entries left on my website in the comments section of this contest will qualify. Enter here!

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Whale Song giveaway!

An author friend emailed me yesterday and mentioned that as a birthday gift to me she was blogging about Whale Song. That made my day! :) (Plus the roses from my husband, flowers from my daughter's friends, an ankle bracelet and photo from my daughter, the 3 day holiday from my best friend...and more.)

My author friend is Karen Harrington, the author of Janeology, which I read and truly enjoyed. From now until August 14th, she is giving away a copy of Whale Song.

To enter just go to her blog, read the post and leave a comment.(Be sure to add the word "whale" to your comment.)

Go here to Karen's blog to enter her Whale Song contest.

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

Contest: Win a framed print of Aynsley Nisbet's painting "Whale Song"

If you haven't read the amazing story about Edmonton artist Aynsley Nisbet and how my novel Whale Song inspired her to paint again, please check out her story.

Now, for the contest...

One lucky winner will win a matted, signed and framed print of Aynsley's beautiful painting, titled "Whale Song".

To enter:

Leave a comment after reading Aynsley's story. Be sure to leave your name and email.

On July 30th, Aynsley will pick the lucky winner, and I'll make arrangements to send the print.

So be sure to leave a comment after reading Aynsley's story so you qualify. Good luck!

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
author of Whale Song, The River and Divine Intervention

Contest Winners Announced for 'Create a Corpse'

I received so many wonderful entries for my 'Create a Corpse' contest that it was very difficult to pick one name for one corpse. So I decided to pick 3 winners--3 corpses!
(I guess that kind of makes me a serial killer...)

"Deirdre Dailey" is the corpse named by...who else but Deirdre Dailey! Yes, I did have a few brave people who volunteered to "kill themselves off" for the benefit of my novel Divine Justice. Congratulations, Deirdre!

"Monty Winkler" is the corpse named by M.F., who says this "grade school bully knocked my glasses off one time after school" Bad Monty! Kudos, M.F.!

"Porter Sampson" is the corpse named by T.L. and I'm not sure if there's a story behind that name or if T.L. just likes making up names. T.L, feel free to tell us the story in the comments section!! And congrats!

These names will be characters in Divine Justice, a new paranormal suspense and book 2 in the Divine series. No publish date as of yet.

http://www.cherylktardif.com/contests

New Holiday Contest where Everyone Wins!

Holiday Book Contest

In the spirit of the upcoming holiday season and Christmas, I’d like to give some of my reader friends the gift of The McCarthy Family Mystery series.
I know that during this hectic season, it’s always a challenge to get everything done that’s on your list, so I thought I could perhaps help you out with at least one of them. In particular, what to get that reader on your list. And/or – what to read in that long line at the post office while you wait to dump your packages into Santa’s sleigh via the USPS.
The contest rules are simplicity itself. And best of all… everyone wins!
Just read all, some or even a review of; the latest McCarthy Mystery, Shadow of Innocence, then write a short review (between 1 sentence and 1 paragraph) and e mail it to; ricmrp@comcast.net.com, and the best entry, will win a complete set of the first two books in the McCarthy mystery series; Acid Test and Shadow of Innocence! Plus the winner will also receive an ARC (advance review copy) of the next exciting book in the McCarthy series; The Scrimshaw - due for release next fall and have the review reprinted on our website and other review pages.
But… unlike most other contests, in this one – everyone wins!
Everyone who submits a review, will receive a signed and personally dedicated, book plate. And the bookplate can be inscribed to anyone you wish. You, a friend, relative, dog, cat, gerbil … anyone!
So start reading and writing and… good luck !
All the best,
Ric

Ric Wasley – Author/Musician
 Shadow of Innocence - Kunati - April 2007
 Acid Test - 2004

And please check out my McCarthy Family Mysteries free sample chapters on Amazon and Google!
Baby Boomer article series: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ric_Wasley
*******


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 on; Amazon ,Borders, Barnes & Noble and at bookstores everywhere.
************
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 and observing the really ‘juicy parts’ of the human condition.

'Create a Corpse' contest is still on!

Ever want to 'strangle' your husband, or 'clobber' your high school bully?

Well, now you can! Here is a surefire way to get away with murder!

Enter my "Create a Corpse" contest and submit the name of someone you want me to 'kill off', and I'll gladly oblige the winner--no questions asked and no payment necessary.

More information and contest rules!

_________________

Cheryl Kaye Tardif,

bestselling author of Whale Song, The River and Divine Intervention http://www.cherylktardif.com/

Win Whale Song, The River and Divine Intervention - TODAY ONLY!

November 15th only, enter to win a Cheryl Kaye Tardif triple pack, with copies of Whale Song, The River and Divine Intervention, plus signed bookplates and bookmarks.

Prize package valued at approx. $70.00 CDN.

For contest rules, go to the Love of Reading.com Online Book Fair.

Contest: 'Create a Corpse'

When bestselling suspense author Cheryl Kaye Tardif is asked what she does for a living, she likes to say this: "I kill people off for a living."

You don't want to miss reading the rest of this tongue-in-cheek post about mystery, murder, messages...and corpses. Author Karen Harrington invited Cheryl to share a bit about her mystery/suspense novels and while visiting Karen's blog A Writer's Diary, Cheryl decided to hold an impromptu and ‘deadly’ little contest.

Visit Karen Harrington: A Writer's Diary for more information.