Location: South Africa
Member Since: Dec. 19, 2014

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Diane Van der Westhuizen

Publisher info

I jumped off the office job hamster wheel and started doing what I should've done yeeeeaaars ago - writing! It sure as heck doesn't pay the bills (turns out the world wasn't gagging for my work), but at least I'm finally using what little talent I was given. It's taken years but I'm now producing work that doesn't, at the very least, embarrass me.

I'm either demented or inspired, but I've ploughed ahead writing without thought of fame or sales. As a result of dogged determination and stubbornness, I have subsequently had articles published in South Africa's most widely-read family magazine and published a collection short stories on Amazon :Chilli Bites - Revenge, a Dish Best Served Cold, as well as my latest novel, The Seagull and the Sheikh.

Smashwords Interview

What motivated you to become an indie author?
Publishers tend to follow trends to try and net readers of a popular genre, for example the Twilight series spawned a plethora of other vampire novels. My book, on the other hand, is quirky and doesn't fit into publishers' 'pigeonholes' of what they perceive to be the Next Big Thing. So, I took my book, my future as an author and fate into my own hands and traveled this path (mostly on my own) over a number of years. The result? A polished, tight story written with attention to every aspect of the storyline and character. Writing what is in one's own heart gives authors the freedom to give life to their story without trying to second-guess the publisher or agent's opinion.
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
The power of Smashwords lies in its ability to spread the word about my book into every nook and cranny of the internet. As an author, it gives me the freedom to do what I do best - write, without having to spend as much time marketing my book as I normally would. Thank you Smashwords!
Read more of this interview.

Where to find Diane Van der Westhuizen online

Twitter: @DivdWesthuizen
Facebook: Facebook profile
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=248569596&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

Where to buy in print

http://www.amazon.com/WILD-AVENGERS-Defenders-Animal-Kingdom-ebook/dp/B00CFK4IMO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419237876&sr=1-1&keywords=wild+avengers

Videos

WILD AVENGERS
A short video about Wild Avengers.

Books

The Seagull and the Sheikh by
You set the price! Words: 99,940. Language: English. Published: April 4, 2016. Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Action & suspense, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Action & suspense
A family's determination to save the life of an injured seagull draws them into a web of industrial espionage and royal intrigue. More than the seagull's feathers are ruffled when they find themselves in the cross hairs of a crooked boss, a scrotty private eye and a royal family.
Chilli Bites by
You set the price! Words: 23,860. Language: English. Published: November 13, 2015. Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller
Dark humour spices these twisted tales of love, betrayal and revenge; where the innocent have the pleasure of watching Karma deliver the coup de grace to the unsuspecting guilty.
Wild Avengers by
You set the price! Words: 97,970. Language: English. Published: December 19, 2014. Categories: Fiction » Young adult or teen » Adventure, Fiction » Fantasy » Contemporary
A whale has beached itself on the shores of the River Novus. The world watches, willing her to live, as she struggles to survive. But a dark force wants the whale to die. Morbidius Ultimatum, a diabolical creature who draws his power from humanity’s negative emotions, knows that the whale’s death will generate so much sorrow for him to feed on that he will become invincible.

Diane Van der Westhuizen's tag cloud

africa    amazon rainforest    baboon    betrayal and revenge    cape town    cockroaches    crime    dark humour    detective action adventure mystery humor    dubai    dubai mall    dubai marina    elephant    inheritance    jumeirah    jumeirah beach    lion    murder    revenge    rhinoceros    seagull    simonstown    tarantula