by J. R. Wagner
I've been blessed to have developed a relationship with Cheryl Rainfield during my short writing career. Cheryl is an incredibly hard worker -but that doesn't make her special, all writers who have any desire to 'make it' in this industry work their tails off. What makes Cheryl special is her dedication to a cause beyond writing, her positive attitude and her obvious love and appreciation of her readers.
I could quote her website, which is loaded with information about Cheryl, her past, her motivation to write and all of the wonderful resources she provides to anyone seeking help (with a focus on teenage girls), guidance or just an outlet, but I won't. Visit
her website -It's all there.
I will say this; I have two daughters and the strength, courage and determination (all tucked neatly beneath an uber-friendly and charming exterior) she displays will inspire them for years to come. Not because they've ever met Cheryl but because of her writing. One of Cheryl's greatest strengths in her writing is her ability to take what others would perceive as a weakness and turn it into a source of power for that character.
Cheryl is fearless in her addressing of issues most writers shy away from. Sexuality, self-harm, rape, race and on the list goes -all beautifully interwoven in her stories. It's never forced, never seems as if she's putting it in there just to put it in. Each issue is dealt with carefully and responsibly. It is clear that she puts plenty of thought into how she wants to present these issues. The mailable teenage mind always appears to be taken into consideration so, when you're reading her work the issues most of us are afraid to talk to our children about are slowly exposed like the pulling away of petals on a delicate flower.
So why all the hub-bub?
I recently had the pleasure of reading Cheryl's latest release, Parallel Visions and was once again struck by the ease with which Cheryl immerses the reader into the life of the main character. From page one, you fall deep into the mind of Kate (main character) and don't come up for air until the end.
(check out my Goodreads review HERE)
I was recently on Cheryl's Create Space page for Parallel Visions and noticed a quote of hers in the header that sums up all of Chery's writing.
"I write the books I needed as a teen and couldn't find."
Cheryl has been gracious enough to grant me an interview, (stoked!) which will post in a few days. Keep your eyes peeled!
Cheryl's other works include:
