About Me
I grew up in Central Florida. My dad was a scenic artist for Disney World in Orlando. I was lucky enough to witness the creation and design of so many famous images from the park as I was growing up. I was influenced by fantasy from such a young age that it became part of me. I was a bit of a loner in school which inevitably led me to books. The school library was my sanctuary, and it was there that I met many of my favorite authors. With so many distractions in this fast-paced world, it does the soul good to sit down and commit to a narrative, to get to know and follow characters, and to feel like you were part of an adventure. In these difficult times, it helps to find comfort in fiction and to let someone tell you a story.
I write about writing, literature, teaching English, and anything else that challenges perspective or brings new insights. I have published novels in three different genres, from post-apocalyptic to fantasy romance to literary fiction. I also have several published articles on The Artifice and the Micheal Smerconish website. Check them out:
https://the-artifice.com/genre-fiction-university-writing-programs/
https://www.smerconish.com/news/2019/7/1/power-in-numbers?rq=wendy%20tardieu
I am an educator and learning support specialist. I have taught college composition, high school English, and I also work with students who are learning English. I love to help others understand how to use words for their own empowerment and enrichment.
My Books
The Ruined Grove is a collection of stories set in Florida that explores human isolation and displacement accented by the backdrop of magic and mystery. The characters are often cynical and disenchanted while harboring deeply suppressed longings. They are guided by strange events and circumstances that ultimately transform their world-views.
Post Apocalyptic Fiction
Many years after a nuclear war has ravaged the nation, small colonies have survived fall-out. What’s left of the population thrives on trade, overstock, and scrap, forming their own communities, rituals, and traditions. There is a sense of peace after a long and tragic era. But, a threat has come to the quiet hillsides. A government experiment gone wrong has begun to show its face in the form of senseless attacks and kidnappings.
Kai is the daughter of the chief of Red Sky, a prominent trade colony. When rumors reach him that she may be a target, she is forced to set out on her own across the landscape. Finding the company of a thief and an exiled murderer, Kai must warn the other colonies and discover the secret behind what threatens the world she knows.