ON SALE for $0.99
Children of the Fog
by Cheryl Kaye Tardif
Children of the Fog is currently ON SALE for only $0.99 (save $3.00). On 12 August, author Cheryl Kaye Tardif celebrates her 50th birthday. Say "Happy Birthday, Cheryl" by buying her book or gifting it to a friend. Help make this book a New York Times or USA Today bestseller! You can join in all the fun from 12-18 August at the official Facebook event.
Description
You have 10 seconds to make a decision: let a kidnapper take your child, or watch your son die. Choose!
Sadie O'Connell is a bestselling author and a proud mother. But her life is about to spiral out of control. After her six-year-old son Sam is kidnapped by a serial abductor, she nearly goes insane. But it isn't just the fear and grief that is ripping her apart. It's the guilt. Sadie is the only person who knows what the kidnapper looks like. And she can't tell a soul. For if she does, her son will be sent back to her in "little bloody pieces".
When Sadie's unfaithful husband stumbles across her drawing of the kidnapper, he sets into play a series of horrific events that sends her hurtling over the edge. Sadie's descent into alcoholism leads to strange apparitions and a face-to-face encounter with the monster who abducted her son - a man known only as ... The Fog.
Children of the Fog has a unique tie-in to Cheryl Kaye Tardif's newest thriller, Submerged.
Excerpt
Prologue
May 14th, 2007
She was ready to die.
She sat at the kitchen table, a half empty bottle of Philip's precious red wine in one hand, a loaded gun in the other. Staring at the foreign chunk of metal, she willed it to vanish. But it didn't.
Sadie checked the gun and noted the single bullet.
"One's all you need."
If she did it right.
She placed the gun on the table and glanced at a pewter-framed photograph that hung off-kilter above the mantle of the fireplace. It was illuminated by a vanilla-scented candle, one of many that threw flickering shadows over the rough wood walls of the log cabin.
Sam's sweet face stared back at her, smiling.
Alive.
From where she sat, she could see the small chip in his right front tooth, the result of an impatient father raising the training wheels too early. But there was no point in blaming Philip—not when they'd both lost so much.
Not when it's all my fault.
Her gaze swept over the mantle. There were three objects on it besides the candle. Two envelopes, one addressed to Leah and one to Philip, and the portfolio case that contained the illustrations and manuscript on disc for Sam's book.
She had finished it, just like she had promised.
"And promises can't be broken. Right, Sam?"
A single tear burned a path down her cheek.
Sam was gone.
What reason do I have for living now?
She gulped back the last pungent mouthful of Cabernet and dropped the empty bottle. It rolled under the chair, unbroken, rocking on the hardwood floor. Then all was silent, except the antique grandfather clock in the far corner. Its ticking reminded her of the clown's shoe. The one with the tack in it.
Tick, tick, tick…
The clock belched out an ominous gong.
It was almost midnight.
Almost time.
She drew an infinity symbol in the dust on the table.
∞
"Sadie and Sam. For all eternity."
Gong…
She swallowed hard as tears flooded her eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you, baby. I tried to. God, I tried. Forgive me, Sam." Her words ended in a gut-wrenching moan.
Something scraped the window beside her.
She pressed her face to the frosted glass, then jerked back with a gasp. "Go away!"
They stood motionless—six children that drifted from the swirling miasma of night air, haunting her nights and every waking moment. Surrounded by the moonlit fog, they began to chant. "One fine day, in the middle of the night…"
"You're not real," she whispered.
"Two dead boys got up to fight."
A small, pale hand splayed against the exterior of the window. Below it, droplets of condensation slid like tears down the glass.
She reached out, matching her hand to the child's. Shivering, she pulled away. "You don't exist."
The clock continued its morbid countdown.
As the alcohol and drug potpourri kicked in, the room began to spin and her stomach heaved. She inhaled deeply. She couldn't afford to get sick. Sam was waiting for her.
Tears spilled down her cheeks. "I'm ready."
Gong…
Without hesitation, she raised the gun to her temple.
"Don't!" the children shrieked.
She pressed the gun against her flesh. The tip of the barrel was cold. Like her hands, her feet...her heart.
A sob erupted from the back of her throat.
The clock let out a final gong. Then it was deathly silent.
It was midnight.
Her eyes found Sam's face again.
"Happy Mother's Day, Sadie."
She took a steadying breath, pushed the gun hard against her skin and clamped her eyes shut.
"Mommy's coming, Sam."
She squeezed the trigger…
Book Trailer
Review
By Dinasbox
I know a book is good when it evokes so many different emotions as I read it. The Children of the Fog is exciting! On several levels I could relate to the heroine; her anger, her despair, her confusion, her resolve, her fear, and her joy! Cheryl Kaye Tardif has a unique skill of drawing you into her novels and making you part of the story. Not only do you feel what the character feels but you also want to reach out and help. I could not put this book down, because the main character needed my help! I recommend this novel for all those that enjoy murder mysteries, suspense, and thrillers.
About the Author
Cheryl Kaye Tardif is an award-winning, international bestselling suspense author. Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Cheryl was a "military brat" and a "military wife" who has lived all across Canada and in Bermuda. She now resides in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with her husband Marc and the family dog.
Cheryl's novels include Children of the Fog, The River, Divine Intervention, Divine Justice, Whale Song, and her latest release Submerged.
Cheryl also enjoys writing short stories inspired mainly by her author idol Stephen King, and this has resulted in Skeletons in the Closet & Other Creepy Stories and Remote Control.
In 2010 Cheryl detoured into the romance genre with her contemporary romantic suspense debut, Lancelot's Lady, written under the pen name of Cherish D'Angelo.
Known for her expert marketing skills, Cheryl is also the author of the bestselling book marketing ebook, How I Made Over $42,000 In 1 Month Selling My Kindle eBooks.
Cheryl is also the publisher at Imajin Books, a venture that is dear to her heart. Imajin Books publishes quality international fiction at affordable prices, with a focus on ebooks.
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