I see dead people...

I am often asked where I get my inspiration for my stories, and I must confess that many of my ideas come from dreams. You see, my mind must be quite twisted. At least you'd think so if you could see what I dream about some nights.

I see dead people. I've always been haunted--by horrifying images, mind-numbing sounds and things that go creak in the night. These dreams are creations, no matter how scary or horrible they may be. My creations.

Perhaps my dreams stem from all those horror movies I watched as a teen. Or perhaps it's all Stephen King's fault. Yeah, let's blame the King. After all, he got me in trouble plenty of times when my parents would yell at me to put down my book and turn off my light. Thank God for flashlights and Duracell!

Some people ask me if my books are written from true experiences. Yes, I once was a young girl living on an island and being bullied while dreaming of killer whales and wolves. Yes, I once traveled down the Nahanni River in search of my father who had been presumed dead but was actually alive and in danger. Yes, I'm actually "Jasi McLellan", a psychic government agent who hunts down serial killers and is haunted by a dead girl in my closet. Yes, I once saw ghost children outside a cabin near Cadomin Cave, Alberta. Yes, I once fell madly in love with a handsome recluse who lives on a private island in the Bahamas.

I see dead people. It's not my fault. They're in my dreams. They're in my head.

And they want out.

That's why I write. Well, one of the reasons. After all, every fictional character is "dead" until a writer brings them to life. That's my goal with every book. To bring you characters that you'll love, hate, feel something for.

I see dead people. I hear them too. Right now they're saying, "Go to bed. You've got some dreaming to do."

Cheryl Kaye Tardif
http://www.cherylktardif.com