Cheryl Rainfield

Last updated
Cheryl Rainfield
Born (1972-08-19) 19 August 1972 (age 51)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
OccupationNovelist
Nationality Canadian
Period2006-Present
GenreChildren's and young adult fiction
Website
www.cherylrainfield.com

Cheryl Rainfield (born August 19, 1972) is a Canadian author. She is an incest and ritual abuse survivor. She battled with abuse by reading numerous books, and by writing and creating art during her early life which opened doors for her as an escape. She is an active feminist and a lesbian. Her favourite pastime is reading. She is a passionate reader, and enjoys writing and creating art. [1] She lives with her dog, Petal, and her cat, Amazon. She currently resides in Toronto, Ontario. [1]

Contents

Volunteer work and education

Rainfield was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She has been involved with the Regular Children's/YA Critique Group for more than 11 years. She volunteers at CANSCAIP (Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators, and Performers). She completed an editing course at George Brown College in 1999 that covered proofreading, copy editing, and substantive editing.[ citation needed ]

Notable works

Rainfield is most famous for her book called Scars. She wrote the first draft in a few short months, and then for over ten years she edited and revised the book more than forty times before it was accepted for publication by WestSide Books. [2] She based the book Scars on some of her personal life experiences. [3] Cheryl Rainfield has many similarities with the protagonist of the story Kendra. Rainfield wrote the book in order to speak out about self-harm, sexual abuse, and being a queer teen, and to help others who've been through those experiences to know that they are not alone, and to encourage greater compassion and understanding in people who don't have those experiences. [4] For the launching of the book, she partnered with the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre because she used this centre as a help line when she was a teen. [2] Cheryl donates a portion of all her earnings from Scars to RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) and the TRCC (Toronto Rape Crisis Centre). [5] The actual cover of the book is a picture of Rainfield's forearms which shows that she has been through much of Kendra's pain. [4]

Novels and short stories

The Healer

It is a compilation of 14 different horror stories. Like most anthologies it contains a variety of stories. The Horrors: Terrifying Tales: Book Two is no different. The stories ranges from the proverbial babysitter gone mad to the necrophilia fairy tale with a twist. The one thread that weaves itself through this collection of stories is teenage angst. Each story deals with an aspect of teen life, and the worst nightmares contained in that demographic come true. The Horrors is a teenager's worst nightmares given breath. [6]

Comfort Food

It is a collection of twenty three writers and seven artists. The vibrant vivid cover represents the contents inside the pages. The common denominator is anything fast food related, and the ensemble runs the gamut from zombie delicacies to child hungry playgrounds. No food was safe, burgers, seafood, even the healthy conscious vegetarian cuisine has a darker ickier side. [7]

The Last Dragon (Dragon Speaker, 1)

Manning, the evil Lord rules through fear and magic over the fallen kingdom in the year 1144. The only hope seems to lie in the prophecy that a dragon speaker will appear to save the people. Jacob, a small young man is an unlikely hero. He walks with a limp and is the only one that can speak to the dragons. When the last dragon returns he is the only one that can communicate with her. Jacob and his friends Orson and Lia must rescue the egg of the world's last dragon. This is a hi-lo (high interest, low vocabulary) book for reluctant teen readers published by High Interest Publishing (HIP Books). [8]

Scars

Scars is a fiction book about Kendra, a lesbian teen who was sexually abused but doesn't remember who abused her. As her abuser starts leaving her threatening messages, Kendra uses self-harm, as well as art and therapy, to cope. Kendra is aware that she copes with her emotional pain through self-harm and tries to seek help through a therapist. Scars is a compelling story of the teen survivor, Kendra and her journey to becoming a person she wants to be. [6]

SkinWalkers (Walking Both Sides)

Claire and her cousin Kelsey are hunting and Kelsey ends up shooting a deer Skinwalker. They soon find themselves captured by Skinwalkers seeking revenge. When angry villagers attack the Skinwalker camp, Claire finds herself in a difficult situation. Who will she choose and whose side is she really on? [8] This is a hi-lo (high interest, low vocabulary) book for reluctant teen readers published by High Interest Publishing (HIP Books). [8]

Hunted

Hunted is a paranormal fantasy/dystopian book about Caitlyn, a teen telepath in a world where Paranormal powers are illegal. Caitlyn is on the run from government troopers. Whet Caitlyn falls for Alex, a Normal, and discovers dangerous renegade Paranormals, Caitlyn must decide between staying in hiding to protect herself, or taking a stand to save the world. [9] It is a journey in which Caitlin must make decisions in order to do what is right. [8] Cheryl drew on her abuse experiences (and specifically ritual abuse and torture) to write Hunted, [10] just as she did with Scars.

Influences

Cheryl Rainfield is one of the many authors of this day and age that has influenced darker subject matter in novels for the life of teens. With correlation to her writing; she has inspired many to speak out against abuse and feelings of teen angst. Rainfield has also been reviewed in many blogs, newspapers, and magazines such as the Torontoist . [1] In many articles she is portrayed as a notable writer in the subjects of inner strength and about self acceptance. [1] The nature of her books are about love and being a strong individual in the most extreme emotional conditions. Throughout her career, she has also made many public appearances like Daytime Toronto (TV) and as well as numerous radio interviews. [1] On her website Cheryl Rainfield states, "I write about some of the harsh things teens go through ... things that shouldn't be hidden…". [1] The ideas from her books come from experiences she has faced as a teenager and ones that many young adults may have confronted in their lives.

Awards

She was a finalist for the 2010 Governor General's Literary Awards for Scars, which was also a nominee for the 2011 American Library Association (ALA) Stonewall Book Award, [11] and was #1 on YALSA's 2011 Top 10 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, [12] and was on ALA's 2011 Rainbow Project List. [5]

Bibliography

Novels

Short stories

Related Research Articles

Patricia Nead Elrod is an American novelist specializing in urban fantasy. She has written in the mystery, romance, paranormal, and historical genres with at least one foray into comedic fantasy. Elrod is also an editor, having worked on several collections for Ace Science Fiction, DAW, Benbella Books, and St. Martin's Griffin. She self-published a signed, limited edition novel under her own imprint, Vampwriter Books.

<i>The Perks of Being a Wallflower</i> 1999 novel by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a 1999 young adult novel by American author Stephen Chbosky. Set in the early 1990s, the novel follows Charlie, an introverted and observant teenager, through his freshman year of high school in a Pittsburgh suburb. The novel details Charlie's unconventional style of thinking as he navigates between the worlds of adolescence and adulthood, and attempts to deal with poignant questions spurred by his interactions with both his friends and family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skinwalker Ranch</span> Reputed paranormal area in Utah, United States

Skinwalker Ranch, also known as Sherman Ranch, is a property of approximately 512 acres (207 ha), located southeast of Ballard, Utah, that is reputed to be the site of paranormal and UFO-related activities. Its name is taken from the skin-walker of Navajo legend concerning vengeful shamans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naomi Novik</span> American author (born 1973)

Naomi Novik is an American author of speculative fiction. She is known for the Temeraire series (2006–2016), an alternate history of the Napoleonic Wars involving dragons, and her Scholomance fantasy series (2020–2022). Her standalone fantasy novels Uprooted (2015) and Spinning Silver (2018) were inspired by Polish folklore and the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale respectively. Novik has won many awards for her work, including the Alex, Audie, British Fantasy, Locus, Mythopoeic and Nebula Awards.

Elaine Marie Alphin was an American author of more than thirty books for children and young adults. Although she specialized in fiction, she has published many non-fiction titles, including biographies of Davy Crockett, Louis Pasteur, Dwight Eisenhower, and John Paul Jones, which she co-wrote with her husband Arthur Alphin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon M. Draper</span> American childrens writer and educator

Sharon Mills Draper is an American children's writer, professional educator, and the 1997 National Teacher of the Year. She is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award for books about the young and adolescent African-American experience. She is known for her Hazelwood and Jericho series, Copper Sun,Double Dutch, Out of My Mind and Romiette and Julio.

Fablehaven is a fantasy book series for children written by Brandon Mull. The book series, which includes Fablehaven, Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star, Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague, Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary and Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison, is published by Shadow Mountain in hardcover and Simon & Schuster in paperback. It is followed by the five-part sequel series Dragonwatch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheryl Strayed</span> American writer (born 1968)

Cheryl Strayed is an American writer and podcast host. She has written four books: the novel Torch (2006) and the nonfiction books Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (2012), Tiny Beautiful Things (2012) and Brave Enough (2015). Wild, the story of Strayed's 1995 hike up the Pacific Crest Trail, is an international bestseller and was adapted into the 2014 Academy Award-nominated film Wild.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richelle Mead</span> American fantasy author (born 1976)

Richelle Mead is an American fantasy author. She is known for the Georgina Kincaid series, Vampire Academy, Bloodlines and the Dark Swan series.

Kendra Norman is an African-American writer of Christian fiction and non-fiction Christian literature. Her novels are known and widely applauded for their positive male lead characters and their combined romantic and suspenseful story lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa Marr</span> American writer

Melissa Marr is an American author of young adult/urban fantasy novels.

<i>Paranormalcy</i>

Paranormalcy is a series of young adult urban fantasy novels by American author Kiersten White, beginning with the inaugural entry of the same name. The story focuses on a girl named Evie, a member of a special international police force assigned to paranormal cases. As the tale progresses, Evie's professional duties begin to conflict with her growing desire for a normal life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Becca Fitzpatrick</span> American author

Becca Fitzpatrick is an American author, best known for having written the New York Times bestseller Hush, Hush, a young adult novel published in 2009 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. She wrote three sequels to Hush, Hush, along with two separate novels. Fitzpatrick also contributed to the short story collection Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kami Garcia</span> American writer

Kami Garcia is an American writer. She is known for writing young adult fiction and graphic novels for DC Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily St. John Mandel</span> Canadian writer (born 1979)

Emily St. John Mandel is a Canadian novelist and essayist. She has written six novels, including Station Eleven (2014), The Glass Hotel (2020), and Sea of Tranquility (2022). Station Eleven, which has been translated into 33 languages, has been adapted into a limited series on HBO Max. The Glass Hotel was translated into twenty languages and was selected by Barack Obama as one of his favorite books of 2020. Sea of Tranquility was published in April 2022 and debuted at number three on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Katie Rain Hill is an American transgender activist and author. In 2014, she published the award-winning autobiographical book Rethinking Normal (2014).

Margaret Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton was an Inuvialuit author of children's books, story keeper, and residential school survivor.

Bisexual literature is a subgenre of LGBT literature that includes literary works and authors that address the topic of bisexuality or biromanticism. This includes characters, plot lines, and/or themes portraying bisexual behavior in both men and women.

Arlene Chan (née Lumb) is a Chinese Canadian historian, activist, athlete, and author from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her works focus on documenting the lived experiences and histories of Toronto's Chinese community, as well as the cultural celebrations and traditions important to the Chinese Canadian diaspora. As a prominent member in the community, Chan serves as an advisor for the Chinese Canadian Museum and the Toronto Public Library's Chinese Canadian Archive, among other organizations. She is the president of the Jean Lumb Foundation.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rainfield, Cheryl. "Cheryl Rainfield: Teen Fiction Author, Reviewer, and Book-a-Holic". Archived from the original on November 16, 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
  2. 1 2 Grainger, James (2010-06-24). "A Q&A with Scars author Cheryl Rainfield". Books.torontoist.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-21. Retrieved 2012-11-20.
  3. ↑ ""Among Friends" invites Cheryl Rainfield into the house! 12/06 by NDB Media | Blog Talk Radio". Cache.blogtalkradio.com. 2010-12-07. Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2012-11-20.
  4. 1 2 "Cheryl-Rainfield-TV-interview_DaytimeToronto.wmv". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-11-20.
  5. 1 2 "Teen Fiction Author, Reviewer, and Book-a-Holic". Cheryl Rainfield. Archived from the original on 2012-12-25. Retrieved 2012-11-20.
  6. 1 2 "SCARS". ProQuest   755499571.
  7. ↑ "Darkmythproductions.com". Theworldofmyth.com.darkmythproductions.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-27. Retrieved 2012-11-20.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Teen Fiction Author, Reviewer, and Book-a-Holic". Cheryl Rainfield. Archived from the original on 2012-12-30. Retrieved 2012-11-20.
  9. ↑ "HUNTED - YA book trailer for dystopian/paranormal fantasy HUNTED by Cheryl Rainfield". YouTube. 2011-09-12. Retrieved 2012-11-20.
  10. ↑ Cheryl Rainfield (2011-09-13). "Cheryl Rainfield: My Inspiration For HUNTED". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-11-20.
  11. ↑ "Scars · CherylRainfield". CherylRainfield. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
  12. ↑ "Literary Agent with Harvey Klinger Inc, Agency in New York City, New York - Cheryl Rainfield". Andrea Somberg. Archived from the original on 2012-10-31. Retrieved 2012-11-20.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.