In Focus | Cheryl Tardif of Imajin Books

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.

What is your name?
Cheryl Tardif

What do you always find yourself saying?
"I kill people off for a living!"

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?
Stephen King

If you were to receive any existing public award, what award would you like to win?
Nobel Peace Prize

If you could spend a day with any historical figure, who would you choose?
Charlotte Bronte

Who inspires you?
The Universe

What are three things on your bucket list?
1. Meet Stephen King and/or Dean Koontz and have lunch with them.
2. See my inspirational novel WHALE SONG made into a major motion picture.
3. See my Divine Trilogy made into a TV series and filmed in Vancouver.

Please tell us about a defining moment in your life
The day I decided to open Imajin Books up to other authors and had my first batch of submissions was a major turning point in my life. I believe I was born to do this.

If you had an enormous yacht, what would you name it?
DIVINE LADY

If you could foresee a single day of your future in its entirety, what date would you select?
October 11, 2036

What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about all things writing and publishing. I recognize my responsibility toward my authors at Imajin Books, and I want them all to see great success. That inspires me to do my best. I am passionate about teaching them everything I've learned over the past 12+ years and scoping out new opportunities for everyone at Imajin Books. I want them to succeed. I am extremely passionate about our new novella imprint, Imajin Qwickies. We've released three to date, with more coming out later this year. These short, easy reads are perfect for the bus, car, plane, or bathroom. And a Qwickie at bedtime? What can I say? People are starting to get excited about Qwickies. I like to say: "A Qwickie a day keeps the boredom away!" And personally, the thought of working on my next novel project brings pure elation. I love where I am in life and what I do, especially writing. I am taken away to another world with every word I type, and I miss my characters when I am done. I am very blessed to be doing what I love! How could I not be passionate about my life?

What has been your favourite day of your life, up to this point?
My favorite day of my life was June 18, 1990, the day my beautiful and talented daughter was born. I know most parents might say the same, but for me this day held more than excitement and happiness. There was a lot of fear first. A year earlier on June 12th, I lost my first baby after a "perfect" pregnancy and 16 hours of hard back labour. My son died of a brain stem stroke, a fluke--no warning. He only lived for four hours, my beautiful boy, and I was in such gut-wrenching grief that I never had a chance to hold him before he was whisked away. So on the day I was able to hold my daughter, it was like I'd waited two years for her to be born. On that day I felt her life energy. It was powerful, mind-numbing and awe-inspiring. I will never forget that day.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Other than my daughter, my proudest personal accomplishment is making Amazon's overall Top 100 bestsellers list, not just genre lists. Out of about three million titles at the time, my psychological thriller CHILDREN OF THE FOG, was number four. Above it were the three titles in The Hunger Games trilogy. This led to two audio book deals, my sales were noticed by Robert Gottlieb, and I signed with Trident Media Group in New York, one of the best literary agencies in the U.S.

Where is your favourite place to dine in Kelowna?
Sammy J's in West Kelowna

What is your favourite activity or event in Kelowna?
Downtown Kelowna Block Party

What is the name of your business/organization?
Imajin Books

What does your business/organization do?
We publish fiction and select non-fiction - ebooks and trade paperbacks

Where can people find you or your business online?
www.imajinbooks.com

How do people connect with you on Linkedin?
ca.linkedin.com/in/cherylktardif

Where can people find your business on Facebook?
Imajin Books

What is your Twitter account?
@imajinbooks

What is your mission?
Our mission is to provide quality fiction and select non-fiction by international authors to readers worldwide at affordable prices.

If you could achieve one thing within your field, what would it be?
I would love to see some of our titles make the New York Times Bestsellers list.

Where do you want your business/organization to be in five years?
I envision Imajin Books as being one of few publishing houses in Canada that really cares about its authors and their success.

Who do you consider to be a forerunner within your field?
I think Orca Book Publishers has set the bar high, and we strive to jump over it.

What three qualities do you feel that your business/organization exemplifies?
1. Quality reads
2. Affordable prices
3. Wonderful, personable authors you can get to know online.

What would you like to say to your employees/volunteers?
I couldn't do this without ALL of you. Thank you!

How does your business/organization impact the community?
We hold online events throughout the year, plus our authors do their own events wherever they may live. Over the next three years, we plan to have a more visible presence in the Kelowna area, and you may see some neat local events in our future.

What makes you successful? Tell us about it.
I'm successful because I had a dream, and I followed my heart until my dream came true. My motto for years has been: "Dare to Dream...and Dream BIG!" Once I achieve a dream, I find a new one. I can't imagine living without dreams and goals. It truly fulfills you when you picture something so clearly, and then it happens. With Imajin Books, I believe I am successful because I know what it's like to be a struggling writer and then a struggling published author. I know the excitement of having my first book in my hands, then my second, third, fourth...etc. When I dream, it's not always about what I want. Originally I had no intention of publishing anyone else. But over time, a number of writers asked me if I'd consider it since I was seeing success with my own novels. At first, I politely said no. But then I started seeing THEIR dreams. And I knew I could help make their dreams come true. What a wonderful, fulfilling feeling that is!

If you were trapped in an elevator with several wealthy investors from any field, which field would you want them to be experts in? What would say to them/talk about?
I would love to be trapped in an elevator with film and TV producers/directors. What would follow would be a true "elevator pitch." Not only would I pitch them many of my own works, I would convince them that many of my authors have works that would translate very well on the Big Screen. I once worked as a background actor or "extra" in Vancouver. I met Stephen J. Cannell and actor Michael Chicklis. Since then, I seem to surround myself with actors, and many have read my very first novel, WHALE SONG. So if there were a few actors in that elevator, that wouldn't hurt. We would be trapped there until I had a film deal.

If I could change one thing about Kelowna, it would be:
Kelowna and West Kelowna are such beautiful areas that I'm not sure what I'd change other than I'd eliminate the snow in the winter entirely and have it snow only on the fields or where needed. Can't you picture little snow clouds hovering over the vineyards? Yes, I'm a dreamer.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
Kelowna = Paradise. As a new resident of West Kelowna, I have to say that I LOVE Kelowna. I have lived all over Canada (and Bermuda, which was also paradise). Kelowna is the California of Canada, and what makes it especially awesome is how friendly everyone is here and how they make you feel like family.

Some general comments I would like to share are:
I wear two hats--one as Publisher/Owner at Imajin Books and the other as an international bestselling suspense author. Both hats are huge and I'm doing my best to fill them. I was born in Vancouver, BC, and raised all over BC, including the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida G'waii). I spent three heavenly years in Bermuda when I was a teen. After moving around eastern Canada, I returned to B.C. but was transferred to Edmonton with the security company I worked for at the time. I lived there for about 22 years before finally returning to BC. I now live in West Kelowna, and I couldn't be happier. I'm a B.C. girl, born and raised, and I will ALWAYS be a B.C. girl...and B.C. author...and B.C. publisher. I am finally...HOME. You can learn more about my publishing house at www.imajinbooks.com/about-us and you can learn more about me at www.cherylktardif.com/about-cheryl.

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