Audio books of the Fateful Trilogy are now in production!

Soon to be released!!! The audio book of Fateful, narrated by Tristan Hunt!

And Fractured is now in the works, and then Forever will follow.

I'm extremely happy with how it turned out. The voice of Tristan Hunt is the perfect fit for this series. He did a fabulous job bringing my characters to life.

Of course I will post a link as soon as it is available!
ACX has been wonderful to work with, and I'm grateful to Audible for awarding Fateful a stipend.

https://www.acx.com/titleview/A2Z1MVBRQ2H0JM

Why not pick up the eBook of Fateful for FREE, and then listen to the audio!

 https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/fateful/id449647872?mt=11

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fateful-cheri-schmidt/1103264846?ean=2940045844642

http://www.amazon.com/Fateful-Book-1-Series-ebook/dp/B004VT0RJK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1398688306&sr=8-2&keywords=cheri+Schmidt

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/64361

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/fateful-4
 

Happy reading! And then when the audio is done, happy listening!

And thanks for visiting my blog!

Follower Love Giveaway Hop ~Win a signed copy of Fateful!

Welcome to an awesome Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and The Reader's Antidote. Please click on either one of those links for MANY more chances to win free stuff.

This giveaway just ended. Thanks to everyone who entered!

The Prize:

I love, love, love my followers, so I'm going to do something I don't usually do... One winner will receive a signed copy of Fateful with a handmade beaded bookmark! USA only please.

To Enter:
Simply follow my blog via GFC or email subscription and fill out the form at the bottom of this post so I know who to contact if you win.

Note: Winners are chosen via Virtual Hat. Winner will be contacted via email. Please allow 1-3 weeks for shipping. :)

~XOXO~

Synopsis:
A huge fan of Jane Austen, Danielle hopes to find her own Mr. Darcy when she leaves Colorado to attend art school in London. Of course she knows it's silly to wish for that, naive even. But she's met enough males who lacked respect for women, a growing trend it seemed. And at nineteen...well.... However, on only her second night there she gets lost and is threatened by a stalker who proves to be immune to her martial arts training. Before she is completely overpowered, she is then saved by Ethan Deveroux.

While Danielle does find the romance she seeks in Ethan, he's no Mr. Darcy. Her hero is held by a spell which fractures their chance at a happy ending. During the day Ethan is closer to mortal than immortal and can date her like any other man. Yet, as the sun sets, the powerful magic of an ancient curse returns and the evil of that spell is revealed. When that magic begins, Danielle's fairytale romance ends because Ethan Deveroux is a vampire.

Review by The Library Mouse one of my favorite UK readers:
(This review is of the entire series and does contain spoilers...Read on if you're just too curious to mind...)

The Fateful series was what I can only describe as a beautifully sweet vampire tale narrated using the style of Jane Austen.

Set in the present day, Danielle isn't your usual main female character. She's not a tomboy trying to act tough, she's not an antisocial creature because she's peculiar in some unexpected way and she hasn't got a personality that sets her apart from the usual crowd. Danielle is a regular girly girl. She doesn't do blood, gore, violence, injuries or dead bodies (undead or otherwise). It almost felt like she had been literature-transplanted out of a Jane Auste novel and into modern day time with a couple of upgrades. With a penchant for wearing skirts and dresses, a fondness for pastel colours and a rather strong artistic streak for painting scenery; Danielle was a typical girl and not what most recent heroines are like. Her parents were so concerned with her fragility and female defenselessness that they insisted she have karate lessons, to the extent that when we meet her she is a lethal-when-necessary black belt. The good this will do her, in the paranormal world she is rudely awakened to, I'm not sure of.

The combination of strength and weakness in this character was complex and forever changing depending on the perceived angle, forcing me to stop and reflect several times. The fact that she was able to defend herself in our reality, but that when put into the context of a paranormal one she was weak and harmless made her all the more real to me.

Through all her trials, adventures, fortunes and misfortunes, unlike most characters who adapt quickly to the knew knowledge, Danielle remained faithful to her beliefs, ideals and female squirmishness.

From what would appear a very simple and easy to understand character, I would not have expected the depth and incredible number of facets that I found. Danielle's simplicity was endearing and eye opening, making me dwell and appreciate aspects of a paranormal romance and situations I had not previously considered.

Of course this series would not be complete unless our Austen-like fan, found her corresponding Mr Darcy.

Ethan was a worthy Mr Darcy alter-ego for this paranormal romance. Forever a gentleman despite the course of centuries having passed him by, he held fast to his upbringing, ideals and traditions. The only modern thing about him were his clothes (which he had no choice in unless he wanted to arouse suspicion and generate medical mental health interest) and his love for his cars. I found his jealous and slightly possessive streak surprisingly sweet and funny, considering he had nothing to fear as Danielle had eyes for no other.

He was a Mr Darcy attempting to adapt to the current century whilst desperately trying to cling to his ways of life, and I loved every second I read of it. He was a knight in regular clothing but who knew how to wield a sword, treat a girl like a lady and get any parents' blessing. What can I say, he was without a doubt too good to be true.

True to his century he was looking for someone special, a girl and not a tomboy; someone to whom he'd be willing to give the world and his life.

Unlike most romances, Ethan and Danielle didn't fight what they felt for each other. They knew it to be true and real, which is all that mattered to them. What they did have to fight was everyone else, to preserve what they had and their future.

Cheri Schmidt narrated their sweetly moving story, that revealed itself to be more than I expected. Confronting present day issues and morals, the more I read the more I enjoyed it.
I particularly appreciated Cheri Schmidt's ability to describe beautifully romantic scenes that made me feel at peace whilst sitting alongside the characters.

Everything about this series screamed Jane Austen, from the setting, the manner of speaking, down to the behavioural quirks. Being an admirer of Jane Austen's work, narrative style and storyline I very much enjoyed this series. Unlike most paranormal romances which are described as forever but feel more like an immediate lightning passion, The Fateful series spoke of a steady strong burn that would last forever where it counts the most: heart and mind.

The Fateful series was a sweet and tender paranormal romance that I would recommend to anyone in search for a tale of modern nights in shining armour with a hint of magic.

Thanks for visiting my blog and good luck!

I love comments as much as I love reviews.... Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to post either for me. I'm very grateful.

Jane Austen Giveaway Hop

Welcome to another awesome giveaway hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, and vvb32reads.

This month has been the month of giveaways on my blog, so don't miss out because I plan on taking a break from them during November and December. There are only two more left for this month so stay tuned!

As I wrote Fateful, I felt like my vampire would be somewhat like Mr. Darcy plucked from the past and dropped into our modern day.  The charming hero would probably be considered a bit cheesy in our time, but to me, that would simply make him more interesting. This reviewer, The Library Mouse, really caught onto what I was trying to accomplish with these characters. I absolutely love her review and must share it with you...Thanks again Library Mouse!

"The Fateful series was what I can only describe as a beautifully sweet vampire tale narrated using the style of Jane Austen.

Set in the present day, Danielle isn't your usual main female character. She's not a tomboy trying to act tough, she's not an antisocial creature because she's peculiar in some unexpected way and she hasn't got a personality that sets her apart from the usual crowd. Danielle is a regular girly girl. She doesn't do blood, gore, violence, injuries or dead bodies (undead or otherwise). It almost felt like she had been literature-transplanted out of a Jane Auste novel and into modern day time with a couple of upgrades. With a penchant for wearing skirts and dresses, a fondness for pastel colours and a rather strong artistic streak for painting scenery; Danielle was a typical girl and not what most recent heroines are like. Her parents were so concerned with her fragility and female defenselessness that they insisted she have karate lessons, to the extent that when we meet her she is a lethal-when-necessary black belt. The good this will do her, in the paranormal world she is rudely awakened to, I'm not sure of.

The combination of strength and weakness in this character was complex and forever changing depending on the perceived angle, forcing me to stop and reflect several times. The fact that she was able to defend herself in our reality, but that when put into the context of a paranormal one she was weak and harmless made her all the more real to me.

Through all her trials, adventures, fortunes and misfortunes, unlike most characters who adapt quickly to the knew knowledge, Danielle remained faithful to her beliefs, ideals and female squirmishness.
From what would appear a very simple and easy to understand character, I would not have expected the depth and incredible number of facets that I found. Danielle's simplicity was endearing and eye opening, making me dwell and appreciate aspects of a paranormal romance and situations I had not previously considered.

Ofcourse this series would not be complete unless our Austen-like fan, found her corresponding Mr Darcy.

Ethan was a worthy Mr Darcy alter-ego for this paranormal romance. Forever a gentleman despite the course of centuries having passed him by, he held fast to his upbringing, ideals and traditions. The only modern thing about him were his clothes (which he had no choice in unless he wanted to arouse suspicion and generate medical mental health interest) and his love for his  cars. I found his jealous and slightly possessive streak surprisingly sweet and funny, considering he had nothing to fear as Danielle had eyes for no other.
He was a Mr Darcy attempting to adapt to the current century whilst desperately trying to cling to his ways of life, and I loved every second I read of it. He was a night in regular clothing but who knew how to wield a sword, treat a girl like a lady and get any parents' blessing. What can I say, he was without a doubt too good to be true.
True to his century he was looking for someone special, a girl and not a tomboy; someone to whom he'd be willing to give the world and his life.

Unlike most romances, Ethan and Danielle didn't fight what they felt for each other. They knew it to be true and real, which is all that mattered to them. What they did have to fight was everyone else, to preserve what they had and their future.

Cheri Schmidt narrated their sweetly moving story, that revealed itself to be more than I expected. Confronting present day issues and morals, the more I read the more I enjoyed it.
I particularly appreciated Cheri Schmidt's ability to describe beautifully romantic scenes that made me feel at peace whilst sitting alongside the characters.

Everything about this series screamed Jane Austen, from the setting, the manner of speaking, down to the behavioural quirks. Being an admirer of Jane Austen's work, narrative style and storyline I very much enjoyed this series. Unlike most paranormal romances which are described as forever but feel more like an immediate lightning passion, The Fateful series spoke of a steady strong burn that would last forever where it counts the most: heart and mind.

The Fateful series was a sweet and tender paranormal romance that I would recommend to anyone in search for a tale of modern nights in shining armour with a hint of magic."

Synopsis for Fateful:

A huge fan of Jane Austen, Danielle hopes to find her own Mr. Darcy when she leaves Colorado to attend art school in London. Of course she knows it's silly to wish for that, naive even. But she's met enough males who lacked respect for women, a growing trend it seemed. And at nineteen...well.... However, on only her second night there she gets lost and is threatened by a stalker who proves to be immune to her martial arts training. Before she is completely overpowered, she is then saved by Ethan Deveroux.

While Danielle does find the romance she seeks in Ethan, he's no Mr. Darcy. Her hero is held by a spell which fractures their chance at a happy ending. During the day Ethan is closer to mortal than immortal and can date her like any other man. Yet, as the sun sets, the powerful magic of an ancient curse returns and the evil of that spell is revealed. When that magic begins, Danielle's fairytale romance ends because Ethan Deveroux is a vampire.

...Note: This series is not suitable for anyone who doesn't like glittering fairies, vicious pixies, hot vampires, the dashing Mr. Darcy, arachnids, or large amounts of snogging...

If you've already read and loved The Fateful Trilogy, then enter the giveaway only for my readers that is posted on my Fateful Facebook fan page and win a signed copy!!!

And now for the giveaway!!!

The Prize:
The Nook, or Kobo, or Kindle eBook copy of either Fateful, Fractured, or Forever. (You must have an account with either Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or Amazon to accept this prize. USA only UNLESS you have an account with those US sites, then you may enter. Kobo can go to Canadian or US readers.)

To Enter:
(This giveaway just closed. Thanks to all who entered. I'll contact the winner soon!)
Simply follow my blog via GFC or email subscription and fill out the form below so I know who to contact if you win.

Drew’s interview of Ethan Deveroux: (Don't miss the giveaway at the end ;)

Drew: Thanks for joining me today. It’s nice to talk man to man.

Ethan: Indeed. The pleasure is all mine, I must say.

Drew: (wrinkling his nose like something smells bad) “Indeed?” and “I must say?” Your...um, historic choice of words prompts me to ask: Do you realize that you sound kind of cheesy sometimes?

Ethan: It might be that British, Mr-Darcy-like side of me coming out. I grew up in the late 1800’s. Sorry, old habits. (Ethan grins showing teeth)

Drew: Mr. Darcy, huh?

Ethan: I daresay, if someone plucked him from the past and plopped him right in the middle of the 21st-century, wouldn't people label the poor bloke as cheesy too? (Ethan slants an offended gaze back at Drew)

Drew: Dude! People don’t say “daresay” anymore!

Ethan: British guys do.

Drew: Really? (still not buying it)

Ethan: We use words like actually, bangers and mash, bloke, pip pip, cheerio, and knickers quite frequently too.

Drew: (Drew gaped at Ethan before saying) You’re pulling my leg.

Ethan: (smirking knowingly) Perhaps.

Drew: So is it safe to guess that you know the effect this kind of speech has on women?

Ethan: (shrugs shoulders) Danielle likes it...and with that knowledge, I confess I might be pouring it on a little thick.

Drew: Let’s get back to business, shall we?

Ethan: Very British way of putting it. (Ethan offered in approval)

Drew: Er, thanks...So in the books it's mentioned that you and Danielle recognize and know each other. From like another time. Can you explain that?

Ethan: I believe we knew each other BEFORE we were born into this life, as spirits basically. I also believe we chose one another then and had a relationship then. But since none of us can remember our existence before we were born, we too can’t remember that time together either. We can only see it when we look directly into each other’s eyes, or sense it, really. It’s sort of like how one’s spirit continues to exist after death of the physical body—one existed before physical life too.

Drew: Don't you know a witch, or fairy, or something that could shed some light on this for you?

Ethan: Hm, perhaps. That’s a good idea, though. I'll look into it and inform you all in book 3.

Drew: So how old are you?

Ethan: A little over 170.

Drew: And how long have you been a vampire?

Ethan: I was turned in my twenties, so for about 150 years.

Drew: Why do you want to be human and mortal? Why not stay a vampire with all of the benefits that come with that?

Ethan: I still consider myself human, just cursed. And as a cursed man I can't have children. I want to be a father more than I want immortality.

Drew: But all of that power and strength! Can’t you hypnotize with our eyes and don’t you have some kind of magical breath that smells intoxicating instead of like normal breath...which might smell more like a burger with onions for example?

Ethan: (Glancing sideways, a grin lifts the corners of his mouth.) I rather fancy American burgers with ketchup and mustard and pickles and, of course, melted cheese. Ah! Don’t forget the chips!

Drew: You’re getting sidetracked again.

Ethan: (rubbing his stomach) I suppose I should have stopped for a bite first.

Drew: So at the end of book 2 you make a decision that seemed sort of impulsive to me. Why so quick? Why no hesitation?

Ethan: Inside I did hesitate. There are advantages, so to speak, that I will miss due to that decision. But I strongly believe it was for the best, for both Danielle and me. I will always do what's best for her. Deep down I can be as selfish as anyone, but in this instance, I was choosing what I thought was best for her. She really hated being a vampire even if I thought she was safer that way. I just want her to be happy.

Drew: What do you have to say to people who say you’re like Edward?

Ethan: Well... I’m older than he is. I have blond hair and blue eyes. I can grow facial hair and I can tan when exposed to the sun. I’ve never looked down on Danielle as though she were a child. Our spirits are the same age even if our physical bodies aren’t. I see her as an equal, no actually, that isn’t right either. I put her above me. I respect her. She can kick major a—! And I’ve let her defend herself when I knew she could. Like with that handsy-creep she met at the dance club.

(Ethan took a big breath and released it slowly, also releasing his fisted fingers.)

Going back to that Edward chap, I certainly do not sparkle, and I have real fangs! I believe I do have a soul, always have. I believe in an afterlife as well as a pre-earth life, which is where I believe I met Danielle, and probably why I don’t fear the idea of growing old as a mortal man. And, most importantly to me, I wasn’t constantly resisting the urge to eat Danielle. I was more concerned with getting to know her, winning her heart and becoming un-cursed so I could have a normal life with her. ~He’s a little aggitated. His accent got thicker...~

Drew: So what is the deal with you and Lucas?

Ethan: The troubles with him go back to our days in school as teenagers. He became a murderer before he ever became a vampire. My friends and I tried to stop him but failed. He blames me for things I couldn't change and things I did do to him. Because of that conflict he went after Danielle. I regret the fact that my past put Danielle in danger.

Drew: What should readers look forward to in book 3?

Ethan: Readers will learn the details about my past with Lucas. And you’ll get to know me even better than before. Look forward to another wild ride with a considerable dose of danger, an introduction to more mythical creatures and, as always, plenty of romance and sexy Victorian lingo. (Ethan winks, only smiling with half his mouth.)

Author note: The sale on Fateful will be ending soon, so I suggest you snatch it up now! Plus I’ll give away a free e-book OR PRINTED COPY of Fateful or Fractured or Fair Maiden to one of the lucky people who post a comment below by August 12th. (Yes, even international.)

Cheers! Cheri

Fictional people, real places - Van Kampen Gardens

Guest post by Cheri's husband....

So Cheri is very busy trying to get the 2nd book of the Fateful series, Fractured, released as well as finish the cover for both Fractured and Fair Maiden. As such, I'm going to take this opportunity to give you a bit of background on some of the factual places in Cheri's fictional book Fateful.


Like most books the people in Cheri's books are fictional but they are placed in real places, or at least environments based on real places, though probably tweaked by her imagination. In Chapter 4 of Fateful we are introduced to a place called Van Kampen Gardens.

To tell this story we'll go back to April of 2009. It was our 20th Anniversary and Cheri dreamed of going to England. With a large collection of frequent flyer miles and hotel credits from my business travels we cashed them in and spent two wonderful weeks travelling all over England.


Cheri was finished with Fateful, which was written some time in 07-08, and was looking for an agent or publisher. She had studied this garden remotely over the internet and we purposely picked this as a stop on our trip. This is a beautiful Garden. Unfortunately for us spring had not yet sprung so while the garden was beautiful, it had not fully bloomed.


Just as there is in the book there is a huge wisteria arch that runs through the gardens. Yet as you can see below there were no blooms or green on it yet.




And of course there was a maze. This is the archway and door that lead to the start of the maze.





And of course there is a tower in the middle of the maze.






The area of the gardens is very flat. And from the tower you can see the entire garden and of course the entire maze.





The tower has a secret exit that runs under the maze and deposits you into a garden that is hidden and secluded.



We sort of wished that we could have seen the garden at it's peak. I'm sure we'll try to get back here some day.




We visited the gardens twice in as many days. We took over 400 pictures. For a final bit of trivia it is very probable that many of Cheri's ancestors knew of this place. And even a bit strange, Cheri didn't know she had so many ancestors who lived near here when she chose the location for her book. She only discovered the connection afterward.

Cheri's Great Grandfather was born near here in 1824. For over 180 years prior to that her ancestors called the surrounding area just west of this garden home. In fact, her 2nd Great Grandfather is buried only about 4 miles from this garden. As we visited the area we had to wonder what those ancestors knew of this place and wondered if they had any interaction with it.

If you haven't already picked up a copy of Fateful go get it while it's on sale for .99 cents. It will not be at the price forever....


In closing I just want to say thank you to all of you who have purchased Cheri's book. Keep an eye out for some new books within the next week or sooner. - Drew

Published!

PUBLISHED!!!

Fateful, the first in a 3 part series is published and available on Amazon.com as a Kindle download. I'd like to thank all those friends and associates who helped with editing, design, cover choices and most of all encouragement. I'm grateful to finally see this work complete.

If you don't have a Kindle don't worry. There are tons of free Kindle Apps. For example: Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry, iPad and Android. Follow this link to download a Kindle App.

In the future I will be posting versions for the Nook, iPad and eventually printed copies as well. Of course iPad users can currently use the Kindle App for iPad.

So - - if you are ready to buy it - - here is the link!