TALENTED
MINISTER’S WIFE PUBLISHES FIRST NOVEL TO GREAT APPLAUSE
Her full time career as wife to
successful Hartbeespoort minister Anton van Zyl meant that René van Zyl had to
leave the hustle and bustle of a full time career in journalism behind her. This
however did not quell her passion for the written word and it was through this
and her love of Ireland and Scotland that Wee
Monk’s Tale – The Secret of Immortality was born.
The novel, a medieval action
packed adventure, tells of three child-warriors who are propelled, rather
reluctantly, into terrifying situations and forced to think on their feet
outsmarting Vikings, druids and witches. These dangers however are nothing
compared to the internal forces in each of their lives that continuously threaten
to derail them and no one is more surprised than our young adventurers to find
that deep inside of each of them lives a true hero.
Set against the backdrop of the
year 795, a time of superstitious beliefs in dark forces, a 14 year old orphan
named Shaughn finds himself without his adopted Scottish family when Viking
marauders attack and burn the monastery where he lives. He flees to Ireland
accompanied by his adopted and cripple brother Connor (who dreams of becoming a
knight) and an outspoken, superstitious gypsy girl named Heather. Never far
behind them is a cold-blooded, murderous Viking, Thorvald who is after the book
of Kells that Shaughn rescued from the burning monastery. Journeying
desperately from one medieval predicament to another, the trio find themselves
stranded in ‘bewitched’ castles, threatened in gloomy dungeons and even,
bizarrely, at a Viking tournament.
In the end God’s grace and love
prevails though and shines on everyone including an orphan, a Viking, a king, a
princess, a knight, a midget, a druid and a monk. Our three friends, with their
different beliefs and outlooks discover that it is this, more than anything
that is their greatest weapon.
René set out to write a book that
would be enjoyed by young and old alike and even with the Christian theme of
good vs. evil manages not to let it slump into the often associated ‘lameness’
as she keeps it fresh, hip and interesting throughout.
Her tremendously supportive
husband, minister at the Dutch Reformed Church Hartbeespoort, applauds the
energetic and worldly way in which this story is being told and has this to
say: “We need to provide the youth of today with supernatural, but Biblical,
stories as they crave secrets, intrigue and adventure. One just has to look at
the popularity of books like Harry Potter and Twilight for confirmation of
this.”
Main stream publishers, it seems,
do not agree and though and René has certainly received her fair share of
rejection letters. Local publishers have their sights set on authentic South
African stories with one wryly remarking that “our youth do not read books with
a historical background or, for that matter, books set in other countries.”
Strangely enough, it is exactly these types of books that René’s own teenage
daughters enjoy the most.
Determined to see her work
published and after several people of different age groups commented favorably
on the book, René took the plunge and decided to self publish regardless of the
risks and expense involved. True to the nature of the beast, she burnt her
fingers a couple of times and lost a great deal of money but pulled through in
the end and now sells the book through her own marketing initiatives. She still
holds on to the hope of finding a publisher though and continues to pop off
letters of enquiry to suitable agents and publishers.
An adaption of the screenplay has
found a home with an agent in Hollywood and is being offered to producers with
the view of turning it into a movie. Unfortunately this industry is a dog eats
dog world and René harbors no illusions about the fact that it is not what you
know but who you know that counts. Her Friend in higher places keeps a keen eye
on he though and she is convinced that He would appreciate a quality Christian
action adventure movie on the big screen as much as she would. She has pitched
the story as a combination of A Knight’s
Tale and Spy Kids but with a
Christian flavor of course!
She is currently spending the
little spare time she has left from her duties as a minister’s wife and mother
to three children, Michelle (18), Chantal (16) and Sean-Jacques (20), who is
brain-injured with very special needs, working on the second installment of a
planned trilogy. Set in fantastical Norway with its ‘Ice Giants’ and ‘Mountain
Trolls’ the heroes search for a monk that was captured by the Vikings during
the first book with many hilarious and disastrous consequences.
Aspiring writers may contact René on
0823964100 or at rene@kuierkerk.co.za to enquire how to best get around the
daunting process of self-publishing. It is a tough and nasty world to navigate
as a new writer and a helping hand goes a long way to smoothing the road.
Web address:
renevanzyl.blogspot.com
