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...

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...

Diary of Dorothea Copyright Kim Vermaak 2020 700AD  Day 1 - Morning  Lockdown with a Dragon  The horror of the day lurks in my mind. When my children are not watching I feel a wave of fear rise inside me.  The deafening shriek of that fearsome beast ripped me from my sleep. Adrenaline surged through me and a kind of terror covered me as I watched the flames erupt from the beast’s mouth.  Nicolous had raced ahead to see what the danger was and ordered me to stay with the children.  But the fear of not knowing what was out there had compelled me to follow him.    Then I saw her.  Enormous, fierce and unyielding in her anger. As I recall her body now while everyone around me is asleep, I can see the ferocious beauty in her shimmering silver form as the light of the flames danced over her scales. There was grace in her flight as her massive form covered the sky.  But I did not perceive that when she first invaded m...

The Plaster Does Not have to stay on Forever A Day in the Life of an Author By Kim Vermaak Do you ever feel disconnected? This morning I did.  I completed my normal routine.  Get up, read my bible app, hydrate, eat protein and get down to work, while the children were still asleep. I had committed to writing an article for a new woman’s networking group and had to cover some extra work in for book three of “T he Chronicles of Nadine ” series. I put on some instrumental worship music because listening to songs with lyrics just overwhelms me when I am trying to form my own. But still I felt disconnected.  Then I realised what it was the plaster that I had on my finger. My flying fingertips on the keyboard turns my thoughts into the words that paint pictures in my readers’ minds. It is where sunsets cast their brilliant fiery crimson light over the brilliant green and delicate pattern of leaves of ancient gnarled oaks. Where despair blossoms into hope as th...

Muquin was the first dragon to appear in Book One of the Chronicles of Nadine.  She is a Silver Wing Dragon. These dragons are the spiritual leaders of all the dragons and with the help of their whisperers, they form the bridge between human and dragons.   What makes her my favourite? Muquin represents the multi-faceted dimensions of women.  She is a passionate and playful partner to her mate.  But like all strong women, Muquin tries to mother her mate.  She sees danger and wants him to stay away from it. But leaders can not hide in the shadows.  They must step out to lead.  And Megadeus is no different. Muquin decides that if she can not dissuade him, she must fight alongside him.  But this brings tragic consequences and Muquin has to survive a life of solitude, cut off from all other dragons. I think we have all faced trauma or guilt that stops us from embracing all that we are meant to be. In these times the ...

Do you have a historical or fictitious character that you think you are most like?   I had to think hard about this question myself. I started off by researching real medieval characters in history. At first Joan of Arc came to mind for me.   I could well imagine dressing up as a man to take a journey to confront the King of France and standing up against the enemy of my King.   But I have always had a fear of being burned.  The reports that she endured being burned at the stake without crying out makes me think otherwise.  I would have cried out.  If I was living in a medieval fantasy, one of my dragons would have rescued me.  Perhaps it would have been a Silver Wing Dragon.  Because in the Series The Chronicles of Nadine, the Silver Wing Dragons are the custodians of Spiritual Wisdom.  So it would be fitting that a Silver Wing Dragon would rescue Joan of Arc. That would make me a hybri...

As an author I often get asked "Is this book is like Game of Thrones? Well, yes, and no. It has a complex  and vibrant set of characters. But there are some core differences. The dragons in The Chronicles of Nadine are an intricate part of the series. They are  creatures of legend and fear, who villagers  are compelled to slay. But their true purpose  unfolds along with the characters in this series.  However, unlike the Game of Thrones, The Chronicles of Nadine is a series that embraces a core moral compass that, is so often lacking in society and in some modern epic fantasy.   Not that there is no decay in society. The series has its fair share of murder, failure, and betrayal.  But at its core, there is a striving to overcome the struggles that often cause men and women to turn away from the light. It is possible to write an epic fantasy for Young Adults that does not need erotica, nudity or foul language to w...