If you read my previous post on "connections", you'll know that I have taken on a new project. My goal is to do whatever I can to help the Alliance for Children's Enrichment (ACE) find sponsors who are willing to give some teens a real Christmas this year--complete with gifts. Since many of these teens asked for books (and one asked for Whale Song), I am especially drawn to this cause.

You can read my first post on this HERE.

Original wish list...these are the kids who are still waiting for sponsors.

Here is part 2 of the wish list (updated Nov. 29th, 2007), printed with permission from Jan Taylor at ACE:

Girls' list:

April: age 15 wishes for size 7 Minnie Tonka swede loafers that have sheepskin lining; Speak and Twisted by Laura Henderson; & Cut by Patti McCormick; soft, warm socks

Brenda: age 14 wishes for Who am I without Him, Begging for Change and Money Hungry by Sharon Flake; a purse; & cologne

Carly: age 16 wishes for a speaking electronic collegiate dictionary and new size 0 or 26 jeans. (This child is trying to improve her SAT vocab and desperately wants to go to college.

Diana: age 14 wishes for a soft light pink or cream throw blanket; a plug in the wall black or silver cordless telephone; and a pair of Medium flannel pajamas with tee shirt

Ellen: age 13 wishes for Lurlene McDaniel books: Letting Go of Lisa; My Secret Boyfriend; Don’t Cry for Yesterday; More than Just a Smart Girl; bath set; and lip gloss, mascara and blush

Francesca: age 16 wishes for size 7 tennis shoes for running track; Sarah Dessen books: Just Listen & the Truth about Forever; and anything for her room (she likes nature and neutral toned stuff)

Gretchen: age 15 wishes for the Bourne series on dvd; and a white feminine white bedside lamp. She also needs size 7 or 29 jeans and M junior shirts. She likes sporty stuff.

Helen: age 16 wishes for The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin and What Happened to Cass McBride by Gail Giles; She needs size 11 junior jeans and a light weight jacket, jacket or fleece.

Inez: age 13 wishes for a purse; personal cd player; and Lil' Wayne cd (clean version)

Julie: age 17 wishes for light beige makeup kit (red haired girl with lots of freckles); teenage Christian novels; and teenage Christian rock music

Kaye: age 15 wishes for Smart Girls & Fast Boys; French Kiss; Laguna Cove and Faking 19 by Allison Noel; she also wants a scarf, gloves and ear covering headband; and cologne

Lana: age 16 wishes for hip/hop cds; a swatch (watch); and jewelry (loves loud stuff)

Myra : age 14 wishes for Who Needs Boys & Studying Boys by Stephanie Davis; nail polish kit; and face cleaning products for very oily skin

Nina: age 14 and twin to Myra wishes for Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard; a curling iron that won't fry her very thin straight hair; and cologne

Olla: age 16 wishes for a steam iron; candles and candle holder; and a sewing kit

Priscilla: age 14 wishes for any Meg Cabot books other than the Princess Diaries series; bubble bath stuff; and classical music cds

Quenita: age 17 wishes for Paris Hilton cologne; purse and dress flats in a size 7.5 (She sings with her church choir)

Rita: age 13 wishes for the Clique series of books by Lisa Harrison; lip gloss, mascara and eye shadow; and a L junior sweater

Stephanie: age 16 wishes for a learn to crochet kit; size M or 8 women's Christmas sweater; and a bath robe

Tina: age 14 wishes for A Certain Slant of Light and any other books by Laura Whitcomb; acne kit for oily skin; and a necklace/earring set

Ursula: age 13 wishes for The Gossip Girl series of books; charcoal drawing set; and a blue jean purse

Victoria : age 12 wishes for High School Musical 1 & 2 dvd; Keith Urban cds: Be There, Days go by; Love, Pain and the Whole Crazy Thing

Whitney: age 15 wishes for silver or white 3x5 and 4x6 picture frames; Carrie Underwood & Rascal Flatts newest cds; and a scrapbook kit.

Xanda: age 15 wishes for A Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr; Lost It by by Kristin Tracy; Harmless by Dana Reinhardt; bath & body works stuff; and tickets to the movies

Yvette : age 15 wishes for The Chocolate series for a Teen's Heart; compact powder in sand beige, with mascara, rose blush and lip gloss; and a throw blanket

Zara: age 16 wishes for Nora Roberts books: The McKade Brothers; Carolina Moon; Montana Sky; Irish Rebel; a cross necklace; and a Medium zip up & lined hoodie in blue, green, black, or brown.

Boys list:

Adam: age 12 wishes for the Pendragon series by Ferguson; size 14 boys rock n roll long sleeve shirts; size 14 boys black jeans and size 8 men's black tennis shoes

Brent: age 14 wished for Avenged 7 Fold cd "Avenged" and Breaking Benjamin latest cd; personal cd player; and a skateboard

Cal : age 16 wishes for a football, Blue October cd "Hate Me" and a personal cd player

Daniel: age 17 and a homebound student from an auto accident wishes for a personal DVD player and any action movies. He also needs 2XL pajama bottoms and tee shirts

Evan: age 15 and brother to Daniel wishes for a poker set; basketball and 2XL hoodie

Felix: age 13 wishes for a Risk board game; The Wheel of Time series books; and joke stuff

Grant: age 13 wishes for a hand held game; S men's racing team tee shirt; and racing team sunglasses

Henry: age 13 wishes for any of the Halo books; a camo sleeping bag and camping lantern

Jeremy: age 17 wishes for a boombox, watch and basketball

Kent : age 15 wishes for a rechargeable electric razor; and cologne

Lowell: age 14 (child has heart problems) wishes for The Lightning Thief, Sea of Monsters, Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan; Fact or Crap board game; and a S men's hoodie

Martin: age 14 and twin to Lance wishes for The Search for the Red Dragon and any other books by this author; Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader game; and a L hoodie

Norman : age 15 wishes for a Beat the Parents game; wallet and men's cologne

Patrick: age 13 with Hodgkins Lymphoma wishes for New Spring and Books 10 & 11 of the Wheel of Time series by Jordan ; an inexpensive MP3 player and a music card to download music

Quentin: age 14 wishes for an Uno Attack game; basketball and a L Polo shirt

Randy: age 17 wishes for a pocket watch with chain; rechargeable razor

Sean: age 12 wishes for the Totally Spies series, any books; a chess set; and a watch

Todd: age 16 wishes for an XL v neck sweater and a size 16.5 neck button up shirt. He also needs size 12 loafers

Vince: age 13 wishes for Ted Lazarus books 1 & 2 of Dragonman; Lord of the Rings DVD set

Walt: age 13 and identical to Vince wishes for Percy Jackson and the Olympians books 1-3; and Transformers DVD

Yancy: age 12 wishes for Harry Potter book 7, Dragon and wizard figurines

Zane: age 15 wishes for a hand held game; basketball and watch

Anyone interested in sponsoring a child for Christmas may call Jan Taylor at 770-254-3339 or e-mail her at cjantaylor@aol.com . Monetary contributions to help with the Christmas project can be sent to ACE, 8 Carmichael St., Newnan, GA 30263.

Read UPDATE #2.

Thank you!

Cheryl Kaye Tardif

http://www.cherylktardif.com

Mayra Calvani interviews me on Blogcritics.com...

Cheryl K. Tardif is the author of Whale Song, an emotional novel that has been getting a lot of attention lately. Cheryl took some time off from her busy schedule to do this interview. Among other things, she talks about her recent virtual book tour and finding a publisher. 

Why don’t you start by telling us a bit about your book, and what inspired you to write such a story?

To read the answer and more, please go to Blogcritics.com.

We are all connected. We're connected by past, present and future, by nature, spirit and energy, by hopes and dreams, by fate and faith, by love and light...and caring.

And yesterday, I was reminded again that this world we live in may seem unbelievably large--infinite even--and yet, the smallest of actions can set into motion something that spreads across land and sea, from one country to another, from one heart to another.

It all started with a wish list I saw online. No, wait! Let's go back further.

It started with an organization in Newnan, Georgia. The Alliance for Children's Enrichment (ACE) is responsible for helping the less fortunate families and children of the Newnan-Coweta area. Every year, ACE makes a wish list, with names, ages and gift wishes of children who live at poverty level. The hardest category to fill is the teens. Their needs are sometimes more expensive and they are often overlooked as many people want to help the younger children first.

This saddens me. I have a 17 year old daughter. Christmas is just as important to her now as it was when she was a child. And every child deserves to have something beautiful and colorful to unwrap on Christmas morning. That is the excitement, the thrill of Christmas.

So how did I find out about this organization and their kids? That is the amazing part.

I have a Google Alert set up on "Whale Song" and "Cheryl Kaye Tardif", so that any time someone writes about me or my novels and posts it online, I'll get an email with a link. So imagine my surprise when I found an alert, followed it to the Times-Herald newspaper in Georgia and read the article by W. Winston Skinner (I'll post the link below).

At first, I thought it was a mistake, that the alert was incorrect. Until I read further and saw the girls' wish list section. And this one heart-wrenching post...

"Lisa, 12, Bath and Body Works stuff, diary with lock, Cheryl Tardif books--"Whale Song", "A Grave Error" and "Picture Perfect".

I was stunned. I still am. There is something so absolutely bittersweet yet hopeful about a young girl asking for books for Christmas--and even more touching that she asked for mine.

There was no way I was going to just hit 'exit' and go back to work. I had to do something. So I contacted Jan Taylor at ACE. We are both amazed at how I was led to this newspaper article, and to this child.

Today I mailed off a parcel to Jan at ACE. At least one child on that list is going to have their Christmas dreams come true. And I am so very honored to be a part of that. I couldn't give her "A Grave Error" and "Picture Perfect" because they are Amazon Shorts (short stories via computer), but I do have 2 other novels--The River and Divine Intervention--and they found their way into that parcel.

My goal now is to contact as many authors whose names were mentioned and ask that they think of doing the same. And if you are inspired to help a child in need this Christmas time, I invite you to contact Jan Taylor at Alliance for Children's Enrichment (ACE) at 770-254-3339 or cjantaylor@aol.com.

I can't imagine that in Canada and the US there will be children who will go without gifts or a Christmas dinner. I don't want to imagine this. Yet, even in my own city, this will be a fact. I am already doing something for my city--I'm donating a portion of my royalties from Whale Song to help 3 nonprofits combat homelessness, poverty and addictions.

Then I come across ACE and their Christmas wish list. I was "led" to them for some reason. And I'm going to listen. They're fighting the same fight. The fight against poverty can only start with action. I wish I could help all the kids on that list. I really do. I wish I had enough money to buy them all at least one thing they wanted--and they didn't ask for big things. Some of their wishes are so simple; some give you great insight into that teen's life.

On a glassy, reflective surface of water, all may seem still and quiet. Until you get a glimpse at the life beneath the surface. Drop in a stone and watch the ripples move outward, reaching further, encompassing all around it.

I invite you all to be a 'stone' this Christmas. Drop yourself into the water by doing something for someone else, something unexpected, something more. Then watch the ripples grow. I think that is what Christmas should really be about. Reaching out to someone in need. Helping them without questions or judgment.

To read the article at the Times-Herald, please click on Search our Archives and then in the Search box type in 'Cheryl Tardif' (a direct link to this page expires in a day or so, so I can't give you a permanent link).

Search our Archives

We are all connected by a single invisible thread...

the thread of life.

November 29th UPDATE!

~Cheryl

So let's see...who do you need to buy for? I think I can help. I have something for nearly anyone, from 8-108 years old.

DIVINE INTERVENTION:

Mystery/Suspense/Crime - for older teens 14+ and for adults--men and women.

This novel is for anyone who is a fan of TV shows like CSI, Medium or Ghost Whisperer. If you know someone who enjoys these shows, give them a copy of Divine Intervention, a paranormal suspense about a group of psychic government agents searching for a serial arsonist in BC.

A mix of crime novel, paranormal suspense and thriller, Divine Intervention is also enjoyed by fans of authors such as J.D. Robb, Kay Hooper and Iris Johansen.

Order Divine Intervention from Amazon, Chapters or your favorite bookstore.

THE RIVER:

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller - for older teens 14+ and for adults--men and women.

The River appeals especially to male readers who enjoy conspiracy thrillers with a lot of action. Think high octane 'Mission Impossible' style thriller, exploring stem cell research, the fountain of youth and a deadly conspiracy that threatens mankind. Women enjoy The River too.

Del Hawthorne heads up north to the Nahanni River in search of her father who was presumed dead seven years earlier. Over the last decade, in an area know as the "Bermuda Triangle of Canada", many people have gone missing , bodies have washed up on the shore and headless corpses have been discovered. But what Del uncovers is something unbelievable...and very frightening. How far do we go until we've become God?

Recently compared to works by James Patterson, Michael Crichton and Dean Koontz, The River is a terrifying ride that you won't soon forget.

Order The River from Amazon, Chapters or your favorite bookstore.

WHALE SONG:

General Fiction - for children and young adult readers, 8-15 years old.

Give them the gift of a novel with heart and soul. Whale Song is a beautiful novel that explores what it's like to be a pre-teen and teen whose life is uprooted and then tragically altered by a single decision. Whale Song explores issues of racism, bullying, death, native legends regarding reincarnation, and forgiveness.

Originally marketed for adult women, this novel has found a strong following among YA readers, boys and girls. It's also a perfect gift to give a reluctant reader since I welcome emails from young readers and have found this particularly helpful in encouraging readers. Give them Whale Song this Christmas, plus an invitation to email me. I'll answer them personally.

Also for women 16-108, and especially popular with book clubs and reading groups.

Whale Song will take you back and make you remember what it was like to be young again. It will grip at your heartstrings as you follow Sarah's troubled journey from child to adult. Great for fans of Jodi Picoult, Sue Monk Kidd and Alice Sebold.

*A portion of my royalties from Whale Song goes to 3 nonprofit organizations to help combat homelessness, poverty and addictions.

Order Whale Song from Amazon, Chapters or your favorite bookstore.

Order Whale Song before December 10th and email me and I will send you an autographed bookplate, personalized to whomever you're giving Whale Song to.

You can find US bookstores listed at BookSense.com

Thank you! CKT