I did it! I think to myself as I place the final illustration in the book. My goal was to publish a hardcover children’s book on Amazon. However, a hardcover on Amazon must have at least 76 pages. What have I gotten myself into? “I can do this,” I...
It was the day after Christmas when I received an email: ‘Thank you so much for the book! It brought me to tears.’ It was from my doctor in America, the one who had played a pivotal role in my recovery. The journey that led to this moment began after a car...
As soon as the end-of-year lists appear on Spotify, Facebook, and other platforms summarizing 2024, I begin crafting my own list. But it’s not about my personal highs and lows from the year. Facebook already does that for me. Instead, I review what worked in my...
“Where do I start?” is the most common question I hear when someone tells me they want to put the story on paper. “With the first word,” is my usual reply. A nice joke, sure, but how do you really get started? Step 1: The Writing Phase It might...
Tadaaaa here it is! The cover of my new book! The book is not completely finished yet of course. I still have to finish a few illustrations before I can send it to a printer. It is written in English but I will also translate it to Dutch and maybe even Russian but we...
“Look mom, you open WhatsApp like this, then you click on this paperclip…” I watch the scene from a distance in amazement. You might think I’m watching an explanation for an 85-year-old. But no, this demonstration is for my sister, who is 1.5...