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...

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...

 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...

  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...

  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 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 ...

  It is only a few hours until Christmas, depending on where you stay. I am busy finishing the first draft for the prequel for the Chronicles of Nadine. “A Mother’s Warning”. In the reviews of the series, some of my reviewers have mentioned King Radolf, and there are several readers who have commented on Lady Christine’s fear of King Radolf.  I think we all have fear to some extent and each person’s fear shapes the decisions they make. This year amplified many people’s fears, so I wanted to create a character that represents the genuine fears that we have as humans. Those of you who read book 1, The Last of the Silver Wings, know that Christine is living away from King Radolf. But instead of stepping into freedom, she finds a way of living without him knowing where she is. Even though she is no longer trapped by him, she lives in fear’s shadow and it stops her from stepping into her destiny.  For many readers, 2020 is a lot like Christine’s relationship with King Radolf. ...

This past week I interviewed two authors for my YouTube channel. One of them once wrote 30 000 words in one weekend and he has 11 published books. It was a jaw-dropping moment for me. My immediate reaction was that I felt such an underachiever. I just finished the last chapter of my third book on Friday and on my most productive day ever, I can manage 5000 words. But then I realised that while we should have mentors and people who challenge us to live to a higher standard, everyone has to run in their own lane. When you are in a race, you can’t cross over into someone else’s lane. You need to stay focused on who you are and what your purpose is. While I can learn from this author, I can’t compare my journey to a writer who published his first book four years ahead of me and whose life is very different from mine. In my series, the Chronicles of Nadine, Lady Christine has a different battle to fight to her companion Beatrice. King Radolf murdered Lady Christine’s parents, and so she mus...

Choosing your tribe is critical. You may be tempted to believe that your friends have to fulfil all your emotional needs.  But that is not true. They may be an excellent friend in one area, but not able to support you in another.   Choosing the wrong people for your tribe can kill your dream. So treat it like a fragile baby. When I had children, I stopped spending time with certain people. Not because they were awful friends, but because I was going through a season where worrying about my baby touching their glass table with their sticky fingers would fill me with anxiety.     Once I had a babysitter then, I could reintroduce that friendship into my life. When you are reaching for a goal, you may need to take a break from some people, or only speak to certain people about your dream. Choose your tribe carefully when building your dream. You want a group who had got your back, the ones you can trust.  The Chronicles of Nadine is in the medieval period where powe...

Feudalism flourished in Medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. It was a way of structuring society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour. Although the Chronicles of Nadine takes place around 800 AD, we used a range of medieval concepts that spanned across many centuries to create a world for the series.Under the feudal system, there were different groups with varying degrees of power and status. A king or queen owned all the land, which they broke up and gave out in exchange for military service. The Lord or knight who received the land was called a vassal and was legally obligated to provide services in exchange for that land.  In the Chronicles of Nadine, Nadine’s father, Nicolaus received Land from Lord Logan and had to resume his Knightly services.Knight service was military duties performed in exchange for the lands.  A King or Lord might require the military service for wars or expeditions or for riding and e...

What does the word destiny mean to you? People say that it a predetermined course of events that leads us to some kind of purpose in our lives. There are a lot of debates about whether life is a matter of choice or a matter of destiny. The argument is that destiny predetermines everything. If that is true, then why should we bother with any decision making. It almost takes the fun out of life. We want to believe that we have control over our lives. In the series The Chronicles of Nadine, this is a theme that Nadine struggles through. Does she bend to what those around her say is her calling, or does she make her own choices? For a stubborn and fiercely independently thinking young lady, that seems an impossible choice. In the beginning, Nadine made some decisions based on what she thought would be the fate of her parents when they were captured by the dragon… Come to think of it, what is the difference between fate and destiny? Are they the same thing? . Fate  is the preordained co...

What does the word destiny mean to you?  People say that it a predetermined course of events that leads us to some kind of purpose in our lives. There are a lot of debates about whether life is a matter of choice or a matter of destiny. The argument is that destiny predetermines everything. If that is true, then why should we bother with any decision making. It almost takes the fun out of life. We want to believe that we have control over our lives. In the series The Chronicles of Nadine, this is a theme that Nadine struggles through. Does she bend to what those around her say is her calling, or does she make her own choices? For a stubborn and fiercely independently thinking young lady, that seems an impossible choice. In the beginning, Nadine made some decisions based on what she thought would be the fate of her parents when they were captured by the dragon… Come to think of it, what is the difference between fate and destiny? Are they the same thing? Fate  is the preordaine...

My eldest daughter loves the charming, if somewhat eccentric Inspector Hercule Poirot from the Agatha Christie series. His famous words when working through a problem were “The little grey cells are working well today.” Well, my little grey cells certainly were active this week. I had to invent a coding system to reveal the location of something of extreme importance to three district groups in the third instalment of the Chronicles of Nadine. The code protected something precious, when the dragons faced possible extermination. The location of the hidden items could only be worked out by someone who had an intimate knowledge of the workings of their inner society. Coming up with the system was one thing. But creating the clues was an entirely unfamiliar process that challenged me far beyond what I expected. It rather reminded me of the Disney movie starring Nicolas Cage called National Treasure. The character Benjamin Gates thinks through a series of clues that lead to various l...

Have you ever been confronted with the need to change, but you do nothing? Even if you know that the change is in your best interests. The  fear of change  or  changing  things is called Metathesiophobia. Psychologists often link it with Tropophobia which is the  fear  of moving. When we are children, we are often fearless.  But as experience mounts, our fears grow, and sometimes trap us. This is when that we begin to compromise our dreams and hopes for the future. Our fear of moving traps us in lives of mediocrity. In the movie Night at the Museum the wax model of Teddy Roosevelt tells Larry Daley,” Some men are born great, and some men have greatness thrust upon them.”  It is in times of turmoil that many seemingly ordinary people rise to greater heights than they ever imagined. This was true for Larry Dayley, as it is for Nadine, in the Last of the Silver Wings. Having skills does not make us heroes. Even villains have skills. Sometime...