My Interview with Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Cheryl Kay Tardif, author of Children of the Fog and many other books, agreed to answer some questions for me. I hope you enjoy her answers as much as I did.


Children of the Fog is dedicated to missing children, and you name three specific children. What is the story behind this?
Children of the Fog is dedicated to missing children everywhere, and to Sebastien, Jason, and Ben. Sebastien was my son who died at childbirth and is now missing from my life. Jason was my brother who went missing for a while when he was living on the streets of Edmonton. He was murdered in 2006 and is also missing from my life. Ben is my brother-in-law who deals with mental illness on a daily basis. He went "missing" for a while, but was found. It is my greatest hope that he stays found.


Was there a specific inspiration for this book?
Nothing specific other than as a mother I can't imagine ever having to face the terrible decision Sadie faces.


There are a lot of people out there who have coulrophobia, or the fear of clowns. Did you use a clown in this story to play upon that fear and make your story scarier? Or did a clown just happen to be the appropriate character for the book?
Clowns do instill fear in many. I used it because it was both appropriate for the particular set of events, and because there is something terrifying about a person who hides behind a mask.


To walk into your child's room and discover that he/she is being kidnapped would be traumatic for any parent. How hard was it for you to write that scene?
Very hard. I couldn't keep up to Sadie's emotions. She wanted to scream and rage and fight. I found myself holding my breath when she turned on the light. I still hold my breath, thinking about that scene. It truly is a parent's worse nightmare. I battled tears as I struggled with her and watched her let Sam go.


How did you choose the names for your characters?
Sadie popped into my head when I began writing the story. When I thought of the infinity symbol she and her son ritually draw to show their strong, unbreakable connection, the name Sam popped into my head. The two S's, one drawn backwards, create the infinity symbol.


How much research, if any, did you have to do for this book?
I do research for every book I write. With this one, I researched a few areas, including the settings used, especially Hinton and Cadomin. Everything else just fell into place.


How long did it take you to complete this book?
The actual writing of it took about 5 months. However, life interrupted in between so it took about a year to complete.


When did you realize that you wanted to write?
My mother would tell you I first knew I wanted to write when she found me scribbling wavy lines in a Dr. Seuss book. Horrified that I was defacing a book, she asked me what I was doing. I told her I was writing the story. For me, my love for writing really started in school. I wrote my first novel when I was 16. It was stolen from my locker the day I brought it to school to show my English teacher. I've been a writer ever since; it just took a while to get my works published.


If you would like your own copy to read and enjoy, I have provided a link below for you. Warning – once you start the book, be prepared to not put it down until you have finished it.