Borders Group Inc. has decided you can sell a book by its cover.

In a radical move aimed at jump-starting sales, the nation's second-largest book retailer is sharply increasing the number of titles it displays on shelves with the covers face-out. Because that takes up more room than the traditional spine-out style, the new approach will require a typical Borders superstore to shrink its number of titles by 5% to 10%.

Reducing inventory goes against the grain of booksellers' efforts over the past 25 years or so. Chains like Borders and Barnes & Noble Inc., the nation's largest book retailer, became household names with superstores that stocked as many as 150,000 titles or more. The rise of Amazon made it even more important for stores to offer deep inventories.

Borders has little choice but to experiment. Competition from the Internet, videogames and other electronic devices has flattened growth in book sales in recent years.

The new display strategy is the brainchild of CEO George Jones, who says he learned when he was a buyer at Dillard's Inc. early in his career that dresses sell better when the entire garment is shown rather than hung sleeve-out. So he recently decided to test sales of books shown with the cover visible at a newly built prototype store in Ann Arbor, Mich., where the company has its headquarters. Results were so encouraging after the first two weeks -- sales of individual titles were 9% higher than at similar Borders stores -- that all of the retailer's superstores have been told to adopt the new strategy.

The retailer says customers throughout the country should be able to see the difference in displays within six weeks. While books shown face-out will still be in the overall minority, as many as three times the titles as in the past will be shelved with covers showing. Certain categories, such as books about food, cooking, travel, art and photography -- and children's books in particular -- lend themselves to the new approach.

Shoppers in the Borders store where the new face-out display was tested Borders says customers visiting its prototype store said their impression was that more books were available. Even so, its new strategy -- which at a typical superstore will mean a reduction of anywhere from 4,675 to 9,350 titles from the former total of around 93,500 -- could make Borders vulnerable to a marketing campaign from Barnes & Noble that promotes its own vast selection. The average 25,000 square-foot Barnes & Noble superstore stocks approximately 125,000 to 150,000 book titles, and the chain says it has no intention of cutting back.

The Borders push may affect small publishing houses, which can often place a debut novel in Borders because it has such a broad selection. Whether that will be more difficult in the future is unclear.

From Cheryl:

I have always bought books that are facing out, unless I've gone in for a specific title. It is always the cover that grabs me first, then the author's name, then the title and back cover or inside flap text. This is how I pick a book.

What about you? What makes you buy a book? Does it matter to you if it's facing out?

If you're an author, have you ever gone into a store and turned your books face out? :)

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif, bestselling author

The Girls by Lori Lansens

4 solid stars!

ISBN 13: 978-0316066341
Publish date: April 2007
Trade paperback; 368 pages; $13.99
Fiction; Family Drama
Recommended for: Anyone who enjoys an emotional tale of love, loss and life.

Unbelievably believable!

Lyrical, poetic prose opens this heartwarming and unique story of conjoined twins Rose and Ruby and the lives they led, both separately as two individuals with different likes and dislikes and together as sisters who must rely on each other solely for their very existence. Joined at the head, ‘The Girls’―as they are known as in their small Ontario town―are raised by loving adoptive parents Aunt Lovey and Uncle Stash, after their birth mother disappears shortly after giving birth. The conjoined twins are considered the pride of the town, not an oddity, and they rise above what most of us would think of as a handicap or disability and love each other unconditionally.

The Girls is a diary told in two voices―Rose’s and Ruby’s. Rose encourages her sister to contribute to what will become their life story and although she does most of the writing, both characters come to life as they observe the lives of everyone they meet, sharing their innermost thoughts, hopes, fears and dreams with the reader. I found myself so connected to Rose and Ruby that I didn’t want their story to end, and when it did, I was left with a bittersweet ache for more.

The first paragraph reads like pure, sweet poetry that is sure to haunt any reader; it is what first grabbed me and pulled at my heart. The Girls opens like this:

“I have never looked into my sister’s eyes. I have never bathed alone. I have never stood in the grass at night and raised my arms to a beguiling moon. I’ve never used an airplane bathroom. Or worn a hat. Or been kissed like that…So many things I’ve never done, but oh, how I’ve been loved. And, if such things were to be, I’d live a thousand lives as me, to be loved so exponentially.”

Lori Lansens is an extraordinary Canadian author who paints a picture of rural Ontario farm life and two distinct lives with a magic wand of effortlessness, vividly colorful description and heartfelt compassion. At times you’ll forget you’re reading a novel because it reads with such clarity and believability. In fact, this novel is so full of realism, you may find yourself flipping to the author’s photograph at the back of the book to see if she is a conjoined twin. Instead, you’ll find her sitting alone at one end of a sofa, as if waiting for someone to join her.

The Girls: A Novel is a MUST READ for anyone who enjoys an emotional tale of love, loss and the challenges of life. Other books of comparable emotional impact: The Lovely Bones: A Novel and Mothering Mother: A Daughter's Humorous and Heartbreaking Memoir .

~ Cheryl Kaye Tardif is TV, film and book critic, freelance journalist, plus bestselling author of Whale Song: A Novel , "a compelling story of love and family and the mysteries of the human heart."

Find inspiration at the Canadian Authors Association Annual Conference - CanWrite! July 3-6 in Edmonton, Alberta.

Learn how to source new material, break into new markets, try new genres, polish your word gems and get your writing out there!

If you can’t attend the entire conference, invest in yourself with a day of professional development or take in a keynote address. Mingle and celebrate with publishers, agents, writers and readers who enjoy a good book at the National CAA Awards Presentations Gala. Listen to the National Literary Award winners at a reading at the Timms Centre.

Keynote speakers: Ralph Keyes - author and speaker; and Ian Ferguson - writer and humourist

Presenters include: Cheryl Kaye Tardif, Carolyn Swayze, Gloria Sawai, Jacqueline Baker, Richard Helm, Jay Bardyla, Susan Musgrave, Matthew Bin, Ted Bishop, Sharon Budnarchuk, Gloria Sawai, and many more.

Where will you find inspiration this summer? Learn more at: www.canauthorsalberta.ca/CanWrite

This cartoon was designed by the talented Ivana Hrubá, author of A Decent Ransom

In the beginning, there was non-coincidence #1: A while ago, a woman passed by my table where I was signing books in a mall and she ended up stopping. When she left, she had bought Divine Intervention for herself, The River for her sister (or mom, I forget) and Whale Song for her daughter. She gave me her business card. She worked at Ben Moss, a jewelry store I had never bought from before.

Non-coincidence #2, 3, 4, 5, 6: This woman read The River and Divine Intervention and loved them. Then she read Whale Song. She cried through parts of it and was surprised by her own personal connections--some of the characters were native, she's native (or part); a painting is described and she has the exact painting on a drum in her home; a family death occurs in the story and her grandmother had just died; one of the main character's spirit guides is a wolf and this woman's spirit guide is a wolf (she's also connected to killer whales); in the novel, Nana says "Forgiveness sets you free" and this woman's grandmother always said "Forgiveness will set you free."

Non-coincidence #7: Last year, my husband and I decided to look at wedding rings; he'd lost his and I was considering switching to white gold. We checked out a few different stores over a couple of days, and then bought rings at...Ben Moss, but not the one this woman worked at.

Non-coincidence #8: I took a ring into my Ben Moss in Southgate to get it sized. It's the grad ring that my parents gave me (an opal and 2 emeralds) and I want to give it to MY daughter for her grad. I could have taken it to another store that's much closer, but for some strange reason I didn't.

Non-coincidence #9: Today I got a phone call from Amber at Ben Moss. She was going to tell me my ring was ready, but she never got that far. Instead, she switched gears on me and caught me off guard. "Are you the author?" Thinking about it now, I guess I was pretty bold to say "yes". I mean, she could have been talking about some other author--someone famous. Amber then told me that she was the woman who stopped by my table at another mall when she used to work at another Ben Moss location. Then she told me about non-coincidences 2-6 above.

Non-coincidence #10: Someone else could have called me or my ring could have been ready tomorrow when Amber isn't working. But Amber was meant to call me. She was meant to share her feelings about what I had written and I was meant to hear how my books had touched her life. That is the best gift any author could possibly receive! It's not every day I get a phone call from a fan and her words left me nearly speechless at times. This series of non-coincidences made my day--and probably my month.

So the next time you think something is a "coincidence", remember: there is no such thing as coincidence. Everything happens as it should, for a reason that only the Universe/God/Higher Power knows for sure. We can only go with it, ride the waves and learn to enjoy the journey while at the same time sharing our gifts with others. Thank you, Amber.

Read the review.

Mother's Day is just over 2 weeks away, so if you haven't bought something for dear Mom, then now is the time.

• Is your Mom an avid reader?
• Does she like soft, family dramas filled with emotion, authors like Luanne Rice, Jodi Picoult or Sara Gruen?
• Does she prefer paranormal suspense with sizzling romance, like Kay Hooper, Iris Johansen or J.D. Robb novels?
• Or does she like adventurous yet creepy thrillers full of fast-paced action and twists and turns, like Dean Koontz and Michael Crichton?

If your Mom fits any of these reader profiles, then I have the perfect book for her, and the perfect gift for you to give.

WHALE SONG - a "compelling" family drama that explores family ties, love, tragedy, deception, sacrifice, forgiveness and hope.

"Whale Song is deep and true, a compelling story of love and family and the mysteries of the human heart...a beautiful, haunting novel." --New York Times bestselling novelist Luanne Rice, author of Beach Girls

The benefits of giving your Mom WHALE SONG:

1. It's a novel that will change how she views life...and death.
2. It has been known to bring strong emotions to the surface, allowing for personal reflection.
3. It has been responsible for healing broken relationships.
4. It has brought mothers and daughter closer together.
5. It has helped some people deal with death and the loss of a loved one.
6. It has inspired and restored hope.
7. By giving your Mom a copy of Whale Song, you can feel good that you are also helping 3 nonprofit organizations dealing with poverty, homelessness and addictions.
8. If you email me after you order Whale Song, I will send you a bookmark and SIGNED bookplate, so you'll be giving Mom a personalized and autographed book that she will treasure.
9. Mom will pass her copy of Whale Song along to other readers, maybe even you.
10. You can order Whale Song online now and your gift buying will be done! :)

DIVINE INTERVENTION - a paranormal romantic suspense that pits a team of covert psychic agents against a deadly serial arsonist.

"An exciting book from start to finish. The futuristic elements are believable...plenty of surprising twists and turns. Good writing, good book! Sci-fi and mystery fans will love this book." --Writer's Digest

The benefits of giving your Mom DIVINE INTERVENTION:

1. It's a novel that offers entertaining suspense and a steamy cast of characters.
2. It is great for anyone who enjoys books about psychics and includes an underlying sub-plot that is ghostly.
3. If you email me after you order Divine Intervention, I will send you a bookmark and SIGNED bookplate, so you'll be giving Mom a personalized and autographed book that she will treasure.
4. Mom will pass her copy of Divine Intervention along to other readers, maybe even you.
5. You can order Divine Intervention online now and your gift buying will be done! :)

THE RIVER - a "mile-a-minute pot-boiler" thriller that explores nanotechnology and man's search for youth and eternal life.

"Superb! The River is Tardif’s most exciting novel yet! Full of unpredictable twists and lurching turns, The River is a non-stop adventure into Canada’s mysterious north." --Kelly Komm, author of Sacrifice

The benefits of giving your Mom THE RIVER:

1. It's a novel that offers thrills, suspense and interesting characters.
2. It is deals with terrifying scenarios that make the reader ask: "What if...?"
3. Email me after you order Divine Intervention and I will send you a bookmark and SIGNED bookplate, so you'll be giving Mom a personalized and autographed book that she will treasure.
4. Mom will pass her copy of The River along to other readers, maybe even you.
5. You can order The River online now and your gift buying will be done! :)

Or order all 3 novels for your 'bookworm' Mom and give her a relaxing Mother's Day!

*Can you tell me where to find the book: Political Warfare and Toxicology...blah..blah
(because I so obviously look like not only a bookstore employee but an intellectual...hmmmm)

*Where's the washroom?
(go outside, walk about 5 blocks, then pick a house...)

*What are you selling here?
(my book...? I'll throw in a free bookmark.)

*Can you give me a discount on this cookbook?
(do you have an iRewards card? If so, I'll give you 10% off.)

*Where's the bus terminal?
(Hmmm...I'm inside a mall...my guess is...OUTSIDE...?)

*What's your name?
(uh, let me check that big sign in front of my table.)

*Will the author be coming in to sign books?
(yup, she'll be here all day)

*Your sign is crooked.
(Thank you. Do you want a free bookmark to go with the book you're going to buy off my table?)

*Can you watch my bag for a few minutes?
(got anything interesting in there? Chocolate maybe?)

*Does your book have....you know...lots of...sex...in it?
(Not Whale Song, but my other two have enough to heat things up. Why, did you want more sex?)

*So Divine Intervention is about psychic government agents. Are you psychic?
(I knew you were going to ask me that.)

Now don't get me wrong, I love meeting people, and I know they're just looking for someone to help them out. I actually don't mind. But it is funny when you look at it from my perspective and I can't help the thoughts that sometimes come into my mind. Mostly I just think them, but I did actually say some of them out loud, including the last one. :)

To read what my friend and fellow author Karen Harrington hears at her signings, please go HERE.

Okay...a lot!

I seem to blog in spurts. I'll go on a nice run, a blog every day or every other day for a few weeks, followed by a week or two with only one or two blog posts. But this is per blog. You see, I am a blog addict, and one of the requirements (by law!) is that every blog addict must have more than one blog. The fun part is trying to remember them all.

Here is a sample of my blogs and their main purpose (other than to contribute to my insanity, perhaps):

• http://www.whalesongbook.com/whale-song-blog -- "Whale Song Blog" - designed mainly to promote my novel Whale Song and events or news pertaining in some way to Whale Song. (Ok, sometimes I've forgotten my purpose and have blogged about American Idol or Medium.)
• http://www.kunati.com/cheryl-kaye-tardif-blog -- My blog on my publisher's site (Kunati.com), where I talk about anything Whale Song related, including events, awards, etc
• http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com/ -- my "official" blog where I talk about ALL my books, including ones I am working on, plus events, TV shows, other authors or books, or anything else that I find interesting.
• http://www.criminalmindsatwork.blogspot.com/ -- Criminal Minds at Work blog, a multi-author blog featuring a variety of authors who write mystery, suspense, thrillers and crime novels.
• http://www.writetype.blogspot.com/ -- The Write Type - Multi-Author Musings, featuring a variety of authors and their thoughts on writing, the book industry and anything else we can think of.
• http://www.booknookreviews.blogspot.com/ -- Book Nook Reviews, reviews of books in any genre
• http://www.filmclipz.blogspot.com/ -- Film Clipz & TV Showz, a site that critiques or discusses television shows and movies
• http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A28SDQQVF42ZB5 -- My Amazon Blog, where I write about anything to do with my novels, writing, promoting or life as a writer.

I have more...somewhere.

I hope you'll consider checking out my blogs, and if you do, please leave me a comment on any posts you read. It helps me to know what readers like to read about. :) Thank you and keep reading! :)

To order my novels, please go to:

Whale Song (This book makes a perfect gift for Mother's Day! And know you're helping others too because  every time you buy Whale Song, a portion of my royalties goes to 3 nonprofits!

The River (This novel is perfect for Father's Day! If your Dad likes exciting, action-packed conspiracy thrillers, this is the book for him!)

Divine Intervention (My psychic says this is the perfect book for those who enjoy psychic or supernatural phenomena and sizzling romantic suspense. :)

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif, bestselling Canadian author

For the past 2 or so months, Whale Song has been competing for Erin's 2007 Book Cover of the Year award.

I am proud to announce that...

WHALE SONG has won the 2007 Book Cover of the Year award!

Thank you to everyone who voted. I wish I could take credit for this beautiful, haunting cover, but I can't.

It was designed by Kam Wai Yu, graphic designer for Kunati Books.