Who do you rely on? In the last two weeks, I have had to ask myself this very question. Trust is an important part of being human, as is faith. But there are things we can not anticipate that come our way that can shake our world. My daughter’s fiance’s flight was cancelled two hours before he was due to board and I have had several of my support team fall ill. This comes after I had been ill for over two weeks, following a spell of burnout, and then my bank rejected all my incoming Amazon royalty payments because of some change in code. The list is longer than I care to mention in this message, but one could say that I have had a spell of bad luck and I was certainly feeling fragile. If we want to move forward in life, making plans and setting goals is important and misfortunate has a way of challenging the viability of those goals. While we may have to delay some of our plans, we should never be tempted to give up or give in to despair or harden our hearts towards others. In th...

  Have you ever been too afraid to act? Fear has a nasty way of robbing you of your dreams. This has probably been the biggest struggle of my entire life. One that I have regularly failed. Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the decision to act regardless of your fear. My progress has never been because I rush in a take on every battle. Sometimes I cowered, waiting for the danger to overtake me. However, there are sufficient times that I have mastered my fear to bring me the progress that I need. So now I am more forgiving of myself. Sometimes I will succeed and sometimes I will fail, but I know I am braver than I used to be. In this scene, Lady Christine was confronted by someone who knows who she is, but she was too afraid to step into her destiny. What is one small step you can take today to master your fear? #medieval #history #medievalfantasy #medievaltimes #sword  #warrior #medievalhistory #swords #fantasybook #fantasy #bookstagram #fantasybooks #booklover #books #...

  Have you ever faced an impossible choice? One of those “which is the lesser of two evils” kinds of choices.   Over the years, I have faced some tough choices. Ones I wished I never had to make. I felt the pain of my character here. The souls King Radolf was referring to were people that Nadine had a strong bond with. Only one soul… Well, that is an impossible choice/  What came into the play here was bigger than this one statement can reveal. Of course, I don’t want to give anything away, but I can say that most of our challenges don’t just boil down to that one choice. Rather, they are an accumulation of many small choices that we made along the way. And when you face those impossible choices, who do you have in your corner to help you through them? #medieval #history #medievalfantasy #medievaltimes #sword  #warrior #medievalhistory #swords #fantasybook #fantasy #bookstagram #fantasybooks #booklover #books #book #fantasyworld #toughenup #christianfantasy #Chr...

 Don’t you hate it when you are full of purpose and passion and then someone comes and crushes your dreams? Over the years, I have had to learn to take feedback. As a writer, my first feedback point is my editor. I have had to mature in this relationship. Sometimes feedback can seem harsh, but then I have to ask myself what the motives are of the person giving me the feedback. I think of all the war movies I watched when the training officer is brutal and then I ask, “Is it better to take feedback from someone who has a vested interest in your success, or get little “kindnesses” from someone who is not impacted by your success or failure?” I know that the more soldiers who die in a battle, the weaker the army will be. So taking feedback from your trainer whose success lies in your success not only makes common sense, it is a survival tool.   Over the years, I have had to learn to toughen up. Because my enemy wants to see me fail and my trainer wants to see me succeed. It ...

I had several challenges this week and I have to say that I realise I have matured in my approach. I think few family members may disagree, as I was rather snappy during the week. But perhaps some context is necessary. This week my computer died. Just died, for no apparent reason. I had one child vomit all over the bookstore floor and after getting through his stomach bug, my middle child followed suit yesterday morning at 01H11. Amidst it all, I had to get over 40 authors processed for the upcoming book fair this weekend and considering that only half of them applied to be part of the event through the official channel; I had to play detective to find all their details. My nine-year-old decided this was the week to wage war on us and I got the ceremonial “I hate you, I wish you never existed,” routine. Making sure that I also do some of my own marketing has been quite a challenge. But here I am writing this newsletter and my children are still alive and a very nice lady at Matrix in K...

 Tensions have been high at home this week. I had several deadlines to meet and things felt a little overwhelming. I was struggling to manage my time, and I wondered which goals should be taken care of first. I am due to leave for Port Elizabeth, which is now called Gqeberha to visit my parents. But I remembered an experiment that one of my lecturers at my tertiary education did for us.  He placed a large glass jar, some large stones, and sand on the table. The task was to fit all the stones and sand into the jar. He first started with the sand and then followed with the stones. Unfortunately, not all the stones could fit into the jar. Then he emptied out everything and this time he started with the stones. When he poured the sand in, it all sifted through the gaps in the stone and every last bit of the sand found space in the jar. You may have already heard of this experiment, but sometimes we all have to be reminded of the simplest messages.  My friend Daleen reminded m...

 On the weekend, I started reading a book gifted to me by one of my clients. It is a book that plots out what new top levels in a new role should focus on in their first 100 days of their new position. One thing that struck me was the author’s advice that these executives should acknowledge their feeling of overwhelm. I often thought that executives of multinational companies had their act together and that it was only a few emotionally challenged few like myself, who struggled with this feeling of overwhelm.  I know I have often felt like throwing the towel in, especially when having to juggle homeschooling my books, helping other authors with their journey and reminding myself that my husband also needs some romance. Overwhelm is a massive challenge. And then there are people who will happily criticize your every move. Wondering what everyone is thinking can drive you mad. It can also be a very lonely place where you worry about where to turn. It is almost as if by admitting...

by Kim Vermaak Image by Willgard Krause from Pixabay On the weekend, I started reading a book gifted to me by one of my clients. It is a book that plots out what new top levels in a new role should focus on in their first 100 days of their new position. One thing that struck me was the author’s advice that these executives should acknowledge their feeling of overwhelm. I often thought that executives of multinational companies had their act together and that it was only a few emotionally challenged few like myself, who struggled with this feeling of overwhelm.  I know I have often felt like throwing the towel in, especially when having to juggle homeschooling my books, helping other authors with their journey and reminding myself that my husband also needs some romance. Overwhelm is a massive challenge. And then there are people who will happily criticize your every move. Wondering what everyone is thinking can drive you mad. It can also be a very lonely place where you worry about...

  I am thrilled that Spring has started, and it is a real Spring. In my experience, the promise of spring does not always bring the results that I had hoped for. For too many seasons, I have had to keep the winter woolies out for the first few days of Spring. But this year, the promise came with some genuine warm weather. I love the sunshine and it is so much easier to get my quota of Vitamin K when soaking up some glorious rays.  I am in a happier mood than I have been in quite some time. And it is not just the sun. I am finding more and more page reads for my books on Kindle Unlimited. I am unashamed to say that as an author; I need to have a bit of a boost to my ego once in a while. When you are writing in the early hours of the morning and hoping that your words will make their way to someone’s heart, it can be a very lonely place. Most authors, if they are honest, will ask themselves, “Is my work good enough?”  Of course, not everyone will enjoy the same authors’ wor...

  It thrilled me to see that I remained at number ONE for an entire week in the New Releases in Teen & Young Adult Classic eBooks. A celebration that I could not wait to share with my editor. Yesterday I spent a few hours catching up with her. We had not seen each other since the beginning of the pandemic and it was a treasure to see her in the flesh again. As we sipped coffee and munched on chocolate biscuits, it reminded me of how much I have missed her companionship along the journey and I counted my blessings once again that I found a kindred spirit in her.  She reminded me of the day that we met. It was at a coffee shop in a nearby nursery. The heavens had opened up that day and we could not experience the greenery that I was craving. But despite the gloomy skies, I felt a renewed energy when we started chatting and somehow the naysaying voices of those people who questioned if I could write a book disappeared in that cocoon of our first meeting. Any victory that I ac...

Do we really want things to change? When times are bad, we crave, wish, and pray for a change. A change for the better. But change always comes at a cost. That cost is letting go of what we know and that can be painful for many people. Perhaps it is because I am adopted and spent some time in a home of safety that stability and setting down roots is a primary need for me. Every time I moved, I swore that this would be the last move. And yet, I feel very much like a member of one of the nomadic tribes. A bit like the movie Chocolat, a 2000 romantic comedy-drama film based on the 1999 novel Chocolat by the English author, Joanne Harris. The main character Vianne Rocher, played by Juliette Binochean expert chocolatier and her six-year-old daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol), drift across Europe following the north wind. But there are some changes that must happen and when we look back at our lives, we find that some of our greatest growth as humans have come in times of change. This past w...

  If you have children you know those dreaded words “Are we there yet?” In my case, as I am home schooling, I also dread the words, “Is the food ready yet?” I use this continuing theme to help my little ones, aged 8 and 6, to work on their time telling skills. So they have to come and tell me where the big hand and the little hand are on the clock. This tactic only marginally assists me in getting some peace and I feel more like a caterer than an author.  But I have to admit I feel the same way about my third book. Whenever I see my editor has made another comment or suggestion I think, “Really, are we not done yet?” I still need to get the ISBN number and complete the cover. But I am stuck on the title and that influences all the other bits and pieces.  Then the big thing that we are currently debating is that there are two “parts” in the book that initially seem like two different stories, but that link up in the end. Someone suggested putting a break in the book “PART ...

  This past weekend we moved. It was probably not the most dramatic move we have ever made, because it was from an upstairs unit to a downstairs unit. Although my teen was extremely helpful in the move, she had a rather critical spirit about the new spot. It certainly is smaller and aesthetically. It needs some work before we can really call it home.  While we are still in sifting and sorting mode, all of our furniture is in the correct places. Most of our paintings and family photos are up and I believe that within a week, we will have found a place for most of our belongings. Moving does not mean that I can allow myself to be distracted when fulfilling my goals. Rather, I have to guard my writing and editing time as it is precious. This takes some self discipline, and I have to turn a blind eye to a few piles of things that still have to be sorted. It makes me think about two of my characters who had to move in books 1 and 2. Nadine and her entire family had to move after bo...

  This month I am working more aggressively on my over-all goals. I love writing. In fact, since May last year, I have completed 45 newsletters. All with bits of what I am up to, what new books there are out there, and snippets of my novels. But now it is time to up my game. I want to be a full-time writer. In fact, there is a scholarship that I want to apply for, but that requires up to 75 reviews on Amazon, just for me to apply. Being a full-time writer means I must consistently sell enough books to support a family of seven. I have included my elderly parents in the mix. It is an enormous responsibility, and I need new skills to make that happen and hence the application for the scholarship. If you have read my books and qualify as an Amazon reviewer, please head over to Amazon to give me a review. I need 75 of which 10 must be a 5 star review. I average at about 4.3 across all the platforms and one on seven reviews will give me a 5 star review. Which if you are percentage type...

  I admit I wrote most of Book 3 during lockdown. It was a troublesome time with me having to learn how to home school and deal with lots of conflicting expectations. So it does not surprise me that my characters seem to be all over the place with some of them resistant to lessons they need to learn. After my editor started going through the first draft, she pointed out some of these characters who seem to stray off and doing their own thing without sticking to the mission. So now I have to ask myself some tough questions. Are these behaviours a reflection of my mind as I have persevered through the “stop start” feel of 2020? Or are these reflections of the characters’ journeys? It means I have to do some serious reflection on the suggested rewrite from my editor. As authors, we want independent creative expression and feedback is something that makes us stop and reevaluate our position. It is not a natural process for an author because feedback seems a lot of like criticism and of...

What are you wanting to achieve this year? They say there is a no such thing as a free lunch. I believe this is true. With everything you want to achieve, there is a cost. Sometimes that cost is time, sometimes it is money or relationships. I had to sacrifice a lot of time in order to write the Chronicles of Nadine. As I was writing part time, I got up at 03H00 every morning to carve out some time to write. Not much has changed. Since the start of the pandemic, I have to home school two children as well, so in order to work on the book series, I need to get up early. I changed my Television viewing material. Instead of watching the series that I used to, I watch documentaries of medieval times on YouTube. I swapped watching my Tinyhouse shows to researching medieval weapons. My daughter said I was part-time author physically but full time emotionally. I had to give up some relationships. People who could not understand my journey or who tried to dissuade me from following my dream. Som...

  Have you ever had one of those days where you don’t know how to carry on? A time where you feel so overwhelmed by responsibilities that the weight of it suffocated you? If you have lived long enough, you know everything changes, just like the tides of the ocean. I grew up in a coastal area and some of my happiest times were at the beach jumping up as the waves pushed us forward. The ocean can be a refreshing and fun friend, but also a raging enemy in times of storms. Many years ago I had a nightmare of a wave that seemed as large as a three story building. I was about to run and way, when I heard a voice telling me to shelter myself but remain where I was. The only thing I had was a tabletop. Well, as you know these things just appear in dreams in a way that makes perfect sense. As the waves thundered over the door, I sat with my eyes closed and waited for it to pass over me.  The scene had a familiarity to it. When I was just a child, my friends and I were playing on a buri...

Does 2021 feel a little like Deja vu for you? Some challenges we had from 2020 have carried through to this year. But I have to admit that being in lockdown brought a fresh perspective to me. I used to feel a little guilty that I was robbing myself of income producing hours and that my children would suffer for it. However, I came to realise that while I do not wish to have a repeat of last year, I could write without the guilt that I used to carry. That was so liberating for me. Established authors who created courses for authors released some of their material for free, and I grabbed on with both hands, so I could create better stories for my readers. While I can not minimise the sorrow and suffering that so many people had, I am grateful for what I have gained in that time. I learned more about my craft and the publishing process. While I am convinced that my computer was an original issue in Noah’s arc, I still completed the first draft of book 3 on it in 2020. This year I started...

  Have you ever met someone who has told you to “just get over it?”  Sometimes this is easier said than done. We all face our own challenges. No one set of people has the same circumstances, but sometimes journeying with others who are facing challenges and who overcome them can encourage us.  I know that when I was a teenager; I found my courage through books. I did not find courage through people overcoming small trials, rather I found courage when reading about people who overcame massive trials.  My mother used to tell me that if we all threw our problems in a hat, we would probably want to take our own troubles back out again when we compared our problems to others. While I do not believe that it is true in all circumstances, I know that no one can fully understand my personal trials. However, I can learn of people who have overcome similar trials or can bring a fresh perspective to me. This week I released my Novella. This Prequel Novella deals with the nastier...

It feels like we have had at least three quarters of the years dedicated to lock down. While we have had more freedom in my part of the world in the last few months, there have been some changes that have been long lasting. Many people have become more fearful, and that is difficult to remedy. This Christmas I wanted to invite someone I know who was alone for Christmas, but then I realised we have to restrict ourselves to just family. It is one of the many sad realities of living in a decade where there is a virus of this magnitude. My husband is 63 and in a higher risk category (because of age), which meant that I had to ask myself what would happen to my children if something were to happen to their father. That kind of distancing fear annoys me, because too many people were alone for Christmas. In my new Novella, A Mother’s warning, readers get to learn about Lady’s Christine’s mother Queen Isabella. King Radolf trapped Queen Isabella, manipulated her and silenced her until she had ...