CreativeLife update: being a dog parent, changing my mind, and planning something new

 Hey there creative friend!

With the A-to-Z blog challenge ending this week, I for one am grateful that the end of the month is in sight. The past two months have difficult to say the least. I mentioned the struggles with a broken geyser in past posts, but I haven't mentioned losing a dog. She died at home while I was alone and my husband was away. It was hard, but a good friend of mine helped which made the whole event less traumatic for me.

Then two weeks ago, on the eve of my husband having an obligation away from home, our only remaining dog got sick. He had not been himself the whole day, so we decided to take him to the vet. Initial prognosis? Heart failure or poisoning. It was a shock to say the least, but the vet kept him overnight for blood tests and an X-ray. Turns out he contracted pneumonia of all things. Apparently something rare for a dog.

But his heart is fine (very grateful for that) and obviously his blood work was okay otherwise. He stayed at the vet's for three days. I went to visit while hubs was away (we decided he should go after the diagnosis) and then we both visited him when hubs returned home. He came home on the Sunday, and we are being careful to care for him given the nasty weather the past few days, and restricting his physical activities as best we can. He is doing much better, but he is not a young dog so we are still careful to make sure he gets the best care.

Of course, he is loving all the attention, and just wants to play with his ball. 😂💜

What I am learning this week YouTube

I have been contemplating writing a guide book for the Nations of Peace series. I like having my characters appearing in multiple books, although the individual stories are standalone. But in my writer's brain, their stories are one big story happening in episodes. The plan was to write the guide after publication of the 10th novel (which has now happened) and make it available for free. But I changed my mind.

Two newly bound sketchbook/junk journals and embroidery on a piece of card
(as if I don't already have too many sketchbooks 🤦🏼‍♀️ LOL!)

Instead of writing a book, I thought to rather do a blog series about the origin of the characters, the planets where they live, and things like that. Since it is a fiction series, and fantasy, their universe is purely a figment of my imagination. I don't know if it will be of interest to anyone, especially if you haven't read, or plan to read my books, but to me it will be a living history of the novels that I have written, and will write in the future.

The current plan is another ten books, but we'll see how it goes.

I don't know when I will start the blog series, but I am excited about sharing more about the stories and process of writing a series across multiple genres.

There are a few more posts coming in the A-to-Z challenge this week, and then my blogging schedule will revert to the normal one or two per month.

Until next time!

🇿🇦💜 Linzé

A to Z Blog Challenge: N is for...

Nations of Peace book #10

Guardian of Dreams - a Lords of the High Council novel

SYNOPSIS

    At almost eleven centuries, Anoré D'Exelmante is the second oldest of the High Lords. Like his brothers, he has experienced nearly everything life and the universe have thrown at them. Yet beneath the weight of countless years, he carries a quiet longing for something he has never found: true love. Despite the close relationship with his brothers, Anoré feels the ache of solitude, and the need for connection. Unlike other human males, his mate has to have compatible abilities. As the guardian of higher mind abilities, like telepathy and telekinesis, he hadn't expected to find her so close to home.

    Allyson had struggled her whole life to live with her ability to sense others' thoughts and feelings. Constantly bombarded by what she couldn't control, it was her impending wedding that made her realise that her subconscious mind was her best defence against a life of unhappiness.

    Meeting the Lords of the High Council changed her life. Among their ranks, it was Anoré who stood out, his serenity and gentle insight resonating with Allyson in a way she had never experienced before. While the most powerful men in the universe welcomed her with warmth and respect, it was Anoré's presence that dissolved the loneliness that had always shadowed her. In his eyes, Allyson saw both acceptance and understanding, as if each unspoken thought bridged the gap between their worlds. For the first time, she felt her quiet, nerdy self seen and cherished by someone who truly understood her. The extraordinary bond that emerged between them uncovered a depth of happiness and belonging she had never imagined possible.

    Finding love with a High Lord revealed the secret of her abilities and drew out an old enemy, who seeks to use Allyson's gifts for his own ambition. He believes that corrupting her will unlock the power of an ancient prophecy, tipping the balance of the universe. He is determined to make her choose a dark path away from the faith that anchored her heart and soul.

    With her new family, she finds the courage to face that enemy, despite overwhelming odds. But she also learns that incredible challenges can be faced with faith, a commitment to relearn everything after a severe brain injury, and the love of a man with faith and commitment to duty to the Divine Trinity. As their connection deepens, both Allyson and Anoré must fight not only for each other but for the fate of the universe hanging in the balance.

The Guardian of Dreams will be available on 21 May 2026. Keep an eye out, because visitors to my blog will have a special pre-order discount code.

EXTRACT

Allyson didn't leave. Actually, she stopped the car and sat with her head in her hands. She was bone tired. Not work so much, although she had been busy of late, but it was the wedding, and she knew it. She had not been able to sleep for days now, and didn't need the little mirror in front of her to see the black circles around her eyes, which even makeup could no longer hide.

This was it, and she knew it. Knew that she couldn't marry Richard, no matter what her family said. No matter what her head told her. Her heart was not in it. In fact, she had come to the conclusion that she didn't care for Richard. Not as in not loving him, she couldn't care less as to what happened in his life or to him for that matter. It was a rather sobering thought, given that she had known him for two years before agreeing to the marriage.

This revelation was not so much of a surprise as she had perhaps wanted it to be, but somehow, her subconscious had been nagging her, and only now did she start to listen. Alone in the quiet of the breeze and the noise of the rough and tumble of the ocean below, her mind finally worked out what had been bothering her.

Aware that her family thought her talent something to be feared, hell, even though she thought it a curse, she had not used it to read him. But her unconscious mind did, and she didn't like what she found. Usually trying to respect others' privacy, she deliberately avoided reading him. Still, of course, telepathy was not always that easily switched off. Her subconscious mind wanted to know, and it got the information – even without her express permission.

Shaking her head, she lifted her eyes to the shadows around her. He had no real love for her either. Perhaps she had known this all along. Marrying into the family was a step forward in business, that's all. As a business adviser to her father, he would gain more influence once he was part of the family, and that was the most important thing. Her wishes and perceived happiness at present were just a means to that end. Something he did to win her family's affection.

Until now, she hadn't realised that it wasn't what she needed from a husband. Neither was she sure what it was, but her relationship with Richard didn't feel right. Probably never has, and she had just been too stubborn or cowardly to acknowledge that fact to herself. Wanting to please her parents was not the way to ensure her happiness in marriage. Damn, stupid coward that she was.

Clutching her hands into fists, Allyson hit the controls in front of her. She had been so stupid, and yet, deep inside, she had always wanted someone to love. Someone who would be just hers, as she would be his. She was the oldest sister and the only one not yet married, so she was easily persuaded to believe that Richard was the one for her. Smart, like her, he fitted into the family structure, and everyone liked him.

She grimaced. What was not to like? He was handsome, charming, and intelligent. And that should have been her cue. She was plain, average-looking, geeky Allyson, who seldom dated and avoided social situations as far as possible. So, how could she ever have believed that this could work? Aside from a similar type of job, she just applied her talents in research and outside the family business, they had nothing in common. Not a single thing.

She enjoyed reading, learning new things, and helping her clients because they needed what she could offer, but only if they agreed to keep her name and work out of the public eye. She didn't like the publicity companies sometimes gave their advisers, feeling that she did what they paid her for. It was their dedication and implementation of her advice that led to their success.

Richard loved the attention, especially if his client made headlines. He loved the social gatherings, the parties, and the way people made an issue of him.

Leaving her own business was not an option, ever, so there was no way she could think that this marriage could work, even if only based on logic and reason. They would be in competition with each other, or at least their clients would be, and that could not be a good thing.

She groaned. She was just going to have to gather her courage to face Richard and the family. It felt like a conspiracy that she was about to reveal, with her as the bad guy. Two days before the wedding. Perfect. Just what she didn't need. Now everyone is going to think she had cold feet, or wedding jitters, or whatever they were going to call it.

She took a deep breath. This was not going to be easy at all.

Resigning herself to another long night, one filled with arguments and fraught with attempts at emotional blackmail, she reached for the control key of the car.

Nothing. Just her luck. She groaned again. It has been days since she last recharged the fuel cells. Mobile. No signal either. Oh well, then she would just have to get out and walk.

It was almost dark, and there wasn't enough light to move the car back into the sun to charge with the solar cells. Securing the car, she stood and wondered which way to go. Back to the main road seemed prudent, but it may also take longer that way since she would have to go the opposite direction to get home. Home was simply too far away and too risky on foot after dark.

She glanced back towards the ocean. Perhaps there was a footpath of some kind along the cliffs. She had spotted a house or two while sitting on the cliffs and only hoped that people actually lived there, not just used the houses for holidays or occasional visits. Nodding to herself, she pocketed her mobile and key and turned towards the water.

˜ ˜ ˜

~~~

For the Letter O we will talk about feeling overwhelmed. Join the conversation and share your thoughts. Thank you for visiting today. Until tomorrow!

🇿🇦💜 Linzé

CreativeLife update: art, the novel, and that pesky geyser problem

Hey there creative friend!

Our pesky geyser problem has finally been fixed, and I have started work on repairing the ceiling in my studio. It's mostly scraping off the flaking paint, and then repainting it. Most of the water damage was inside the cupboard, which made it awkward for someone who doesn't like ladders, to reach. But I managed.

Of course, I could ask Hubs, but it's my studio and I like painting walls and ceilings, which he certainly doesn't. And if you don't like something, you either postpone it, or you do a crap job. Since a crap job was not an option, it meant that I had to do it.

Reorganising is still a challenge. Since I want to move some furniture around, it is taking time with unpacking and moving and storing stuff again. Also a good time to get rid of things. I have already put aside a lot of pencils, and other materials, but they are still in the house. I want to put everything up on a website maybe in two or three batches to sell. I thought of donating everything, but advertising it might interest someone who actually needs a few things and don't live in my area. I will share where and when everything is available.

At least now I can get into my studio and work on some larger panels again. The tiny watercolours are still fun, but the big brushes are calling and those are the most fun to play with.

My 10th novel's editing is going well. The final edit is in progress, then it needs to be proofread and formatted for publication. The cover still needs some work, but I will have a chat with Hubs since he is my cover guy. This means I could actually make the new May deadline! Woohoo!

The A to Z blog challenge is underway if you want to have a look at the other kind of stuff I am up to in April. The next post is tomorrow.

Until next time!

🇿🇦💜 Linzé

CreativeLife update: a special sale, finishing a challenge, and December

 Hey there creative friends!

With life still grinding at a pace I can hardly keep up with, am I happy to report that I have finished the Novel November challenge. It feels like a huge achievement, and on some level it is, but with everything going on, it is just that much bigger, you know?

To celebrate the completion of the draft manuscript of my tenth novel in the Nations of Peace series, you can get all the published books in the series (and a few others) either free or 75% off by using the coupon code below.

The coupon is only valid until midnight on 1 December - all time zones.

And only on the Smashwords website. The link will take you directly to my ebooks. Please share this post with everyone, since the coupon is only for readers of my blog. You don't even have to subscribe - seriously!

The annual Smashwords sale is still coming, so you have another chance to perhaps gift someone with an ebook - there are many authors taking part in this sale.

So December is almost upon us, and I am looking forward to a good break. I still have a stack of work to finish, but it suddenly doesn't feel so heavy with the break as the carrot for a year of hard work.

I have a miniature or two to build, a coloured pencil drawing to finish for the Derwent competition, but the lack of work pressure is the one thing I am looking forward to the most.

What are your plans for the upcoming holidays? Any projects you have been looking forward to? Please share in the comments!

Until next time!

🇿🇦💜 Linzé

Cheating the Muse - Letter S

Hey there, fellow creative!

For all my confidence in my abilities as a consulting engineer, artist and writer, the one thing I don't do well is marketing my art and books. Other people do the engineering stuff, or potential clients find me by word of mouth. You get the point, yes?

It's not that I don't know what to do; I just don't spend the time to do the work. There is a tiny post on Instagram, which is the extent of my marketing efforts. (My Instagram) I prefer doing other things with my time, like painting and writing the next book.

Okay, this post is not about any tips to cheat the muse, but as mentioned a few times this past few days, I have a surprise for all of you.

My new book, Tiger Gold, is coming out on 30 April, but it is available already for presale at only 99c. The publication price is $7.99.  You need to provide your email in return, but I don't have a newsletter any more, so there won't be any emails from me. Spam or any other kind. Ever!

You can find the special presale link to Tiger Gold only here.

Don't click the link to the right of my blog, it will not go to the presale discount offer.

Thank you for visiting today; I truly appreciate all of you 💜

Until tomorrow!

💜 Linzé

One month in...Goals and 2025 so far

To follow some kind of structure, and I have decided to use my first post of 2025 as a guide, then I can see how I am doing compared to the incredibly productive year I had last year.

Work: January was unexpectedly quiet. The work was there, but some clients weren't ready with the hardware or documentation I needed for the tests. I did manage to start some tests, so this coming week is a continuance of those jobs.

Business: As I write this post, I am slapping myself against the head because I forgot to send out an invoice at the end of January. Stupid newbie mistake! But first thing on Monday, that invoice will be going out, that's for sure.

Books read: Although I have the goal to read more non-fiction this year, I haven't finished the first book yet. I have read a few fiction stories while out and about and waiting somewhere. A Kindle is definitely convenient, but reading time at home is much more limited. I schedule art-making time on my planner, so I am now scheduling time to read the non-fiction books too. Two hours per week for a start.

Goal: read at least 12 books, 8 of which will be non-fiction. I am currently reading Black Holes by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw.

Books published: It is a bit early in the year, even for me, but my first book is already with my editor. Tiger Gold is scheduled for publication in April 2025. I don't have the exact date yet, so keep an eye out if you like my books.

Goal - Novels: Tiger Gold - The Strikemasters (April 2025) and The Guardian of Dreams - Lords of the High Council (Dec 2025). They will be books 9 and 10 in my Nations of Peace series.

Goal - Novella: Rowan, I Dare You (July 2025); it is the first story of a new series, The Silk Club stories.

Words written: Writing continues on a new novel. No title yet. So far, I have written 10,981 words this year, although the manuscript has over 100k words already. There is no goal for the number of words.

Goal - stories: The plan is to finish the current draft (by the end of March) and another novella by the end of the year, if possible.

Sketchbook for 2025 practice

Other projects: I don't plan for these except for the projects for my art group. We will do a project every other month with the in-between months planned for drawing and painting techniques practice in a sketchbook we made in December last year.

Goal - art: I will probably take part if the AGAC competition is on again this year,. Since it is a competition, there is a deadline, and planning to work on the painting works around that deadline.

Goal - art: I am a member of Artkula.com, and usually do at least one of the monthly challenges every month.

Many lofty goals for 2025, but I don't beat myself up if I don't make a goal, except for projects with a deadline. Those take priority when it comes to my time.

I haven't mentioned the apothecary cabinet because I haven't started working on it yet. But I will share my progress once I do start.

Stay creative, until next time!

💜Linzé

2024 - a crazy year in review

Can I do it again it 2025?

When I look back at this past year, I shake my head because what I have managed to do blows my mind. Did I plan all of this? But more importantly, can I do it again?

Honestly, I have no idea how I managed all of that. Of course, I plan things, like we all do, but to have actually done it—I have no words.

But let me show you what I am talking about. This is the list of stuff I managed to complete in 2024:

Work: I am self-employed but contracted as a safety certification engineer by a testing authority in Pretoria. And I managed to do 59 jobs for them in 2024. That is more than one per week! Practically, that means that I did several jobs in parallel because the average time for the work I do is about three weeks, with some jobs taking two to three months.

Business: I also do consulting work for South African companies who want to export their high-tech products. I assisted with 9 technical construction files for EU and UK exports.

Books read: I love the Goodreads reading challenge, and 2024 was a fiction year for me. I did read one or two non-fiction books, but I wanted to read more fiction, and cosy mystery is my genre of choice. I would read when I was eating breakfast alone or had to wait for people. My Kindle lives in my handbag, so it is always at hand for those unplanned minutes. And by doing this, I managed 145 books. I cannot tell you how that happened, but it did!

Books published: Thanks to my fantastic editor, Vanessa Wright, I got two novels in The Nations of Peace series published in 2024. You can check them out here: A Memory for Love (book 7), and Prime Pledge (book 8).

Words written: I've been keeping track of the number of words I write since 2014. I have been writing since 2000, so getting that first number of words for the spreadsheet took some effort. In 2024, I wrote 163,000 words. I have managed more in previous years, but in my defence, I have been busy with other things.

The good news is that the series' ninth book is on my priority list to finish formatting and send it to Vanessa next week for editing. It is scheduled for publication in April 2025.

Art projects: I did one commission (6 drawings) in 2024. I finished the Inktober challenge in October (I post my drawings to Instagram), about 10 pieces in a sketchbook, and completed 13 paintings. I didn't participate in any exhibitions last year but may do so again this year.

Other projects: I love building models and finished two in December. I bought a few items to make an apothecary cabinet, which I received this past week. There will be some construction work, and I am considering sharing my process in a few blog posts.

When I look at this list, I shake my head mainly because I cannot comprehend how I managed everything. Am I particularly motivated or productive? Definitely not. But once I get stuck in on a project, whether it is work or a painting, I get it done.

I put everything I have to do every week in my planner, mostly so I don't forget to do the laundry, but it helps a lot.

I don't plan the number of jobs; that is out of my control, nor do I plan the number of art projects. I lead an art group, so I have to plan projects for them, but I also belong to a group where there are two challenges every month. All these activities keep the artistic and creative juices flowing.

Writing has been in my blood for so long that I no longer think about it. Several ideas are on my list, so I am never short of ideas when the muse strikes me with the urge to pen a few words.

This post is getting long, so I will share my 2025 goals in another post.

Have you had a year like I had in 2024? What was your secret to getting everything (and more) done?

Do something creative. It's good for you. 😂 Until next time!

💜 Linzé

VAMPIRE ROMANCE SEASON 12 Dec - 1 Jan

Snuggle up to a sexy vampire

VAMPIRE ROMANCE SEASON 12 Dec - 1 Jan

Jarod and Wolfe find their soulmates amidst the challenges of vampire royal life.

Find PRIME PREY and PRIME PLEDGE at 75% off during the end of the year!

PRIME PLEDGE by Linzé Brandon (Book 8 in the Nations of Peace series)

PreSALE offer - get the book BEFORE its release on 1 December 2024! 

Wolfgang Hauer is not just a businessman, he is the Prime Alpha, prince of the vampires. Like all the males he craves the relationship with his soul-mate. Cursed into blindness by a vindictive lover, he is deprived of the chance to see the tiny flame in the eyes of the woman who would fulfil that craving. Until he meets Isabeau, whom he knew was going to change everything ... including his future.

Isabeau D'Amour is the epitome of beauty with her long, curly black hair, flawless skin and deep green eyes. But she has the brains of a brilliant engineer and researcher in the field of medical robotics. And yet underneath all the beauty and brains hides her true nature: she is a ritual healer, Karri'anah. Revered by the vampire clans for her abilities, she is cursed by her bloodline. She needs to be loved to be beautiful.

Meeting Wolfe stirred emotions inside her heart that she didn't know was possible. But when she learned of his curse, how could they possibly get involved if she wasn't his soul-mate and then deny him the chance to meet the woman he craved?

Sinister forces threaten their lives and family disputes are not helping them figure out if there was a future for them. But Isabeau quickly learned that Wolfe wasn't someone who took those threats lightly as he rallied his cousins around him to actively search out and take the threats head-on.

Prince or not, Wolfe was not going to let his chance at happiness slip through his hands. He would make sure that people understood that being Prime Alpha was not about being royalty, it was about responsibility, and protecting his people and his soul-mate, no matter the cost.

PRIME PLEDGE is available from these online retailers:

Smashwords Apple Books Barnes and Noble

Everand Gardners Kobo Books

Take a look at the rest of the series here

Smashwords Summer/Winter sale - The Nations of Peace are on sale!

 The first seven Nations of Peace books are 50% off for the whole of July.

Series link to the sale books

Series link to the sale books

BOOK FEATURE: A Memory for Love by Linzé Brandon

 

A Memory for Love

"Their attraction brought heartbreak. Could their struggle for survival bring them back together?"

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1508808

Presale discount available at link.

Zarina sa'Der is not just an officer of the law, she is a category one memory witness, trained to work with the most vulnerable victims of violent crimes.

   Her last court case left her with nightmares which requires her to take a break to focus on clearing her special memory banks before she goes insane. As a Treasure of the Magicians' Order, the Grandmaster arranges that she can take her vacation at the High Order retreat for the ideal peace and quiet she needs.

   It has been three suns since Aidan Crea lost his mate and youngest daughter in the Wa'raki war that devastated Xa'an. When his best friend accuses him of becoming a grump, he agrees to take a break before the Grandmaster orders him to. After some soul searching he realised that he needed to get back to living instead of purely existing after the loss he had suffered.

   Zarina and Aidan form an unusual friendship that soon grows into something deeper, until Aidan is tasked to protect her after a contract is given out to assassinate her. Although her job exposes her to the worst criminals of society, things take a turn for the worse, when they finally find out who is behind the attempts on her life.

   They find themselves pawns in a larger plot and they have to risk their hearts and their lives to finally get a chance at a happily ever after.

#adult #fiction #fantasy

Book Feature: PRIME PREY - The Protectors by Linzé Brandon (Book 6 in the Nations of Peace series)

Buy link

=>

Click the cover!

=>

EXCERPT (from Chapter 3)

If you become pregnant, will you allow me to provide for the child?

She felt her eyes widen. The tone of his voice, even in her mind, was pleading. She tilted her head sideways as she thought about this. Did he want a baby? In her experience with friends and family, human or otherwise, the males were not usually the ones who wanted children.

Are you serious?

He nodded. In any way you need. Money included.

She frowned slightly as they got out of the cooling water. She wasn’t exactly poor, but babies had more needs than she might be prepared for. She rubbed her forehead for a moment. Was she considering having this man’s baby?

She lifted her eyes back to his. He was deadly serious. Not only did she see it in his eyes, but she also felt it in his mind. He was promised to another woman, but he would not relinquish his responsibilities. On some level, she was sure he wanted her to have his baby. It made no sense. They had barely been introduced, to say nothing of knowing each other. How could he know what kind of mother she would be? To his child, no less. Shivering from a sudden chill, she felt him take the towel and wrap it securely around her before carrying her back to bed.

If it wasn’t that her thoughts were otherwise occupied, she would have protested; she did have a perfectly working pair of legs, after all.

“If there is a baby,” she started quietly as he lay beside her, holding her close, “I will tell you, and then we can decide what to do.”

“Thank you,” he replied.

He watched her drift to sleep and looked at his timepiece. He had to leave. It was not how he had planned to spend the first day with his soul-mate, but he had no choice. Prince Wolfgang was scheduled to travel to Zo’en today on family business, and he had to accompany him, being his chief bodyguard and his oldest cousin. Wolfe, as he preferred to be called, trusted very few people with his security, and Jarod was the only one he allowed to travel with him on family business.

Loathe to wake her, but he would feel like a jerk to just leave without at least saying goodbye. He got dressed and then gently shook her awake.

“It’s time,” he said when she opened her eyes and looked at him.

“I have a solar address, so you can reach me anywhere, anytime. I saved it in your contact list on your handheld.” He held up the tiny hand-sized computer he had found on her bedside table.

He touched her cheek one more time, running his thumb over her lips. “Will you be all right?”

She tried to smile but gave up. This was all they had or were going to be. Slowly sitting up, clutching the towel as a shield to her chest, she nodded. “I will be just fine.”

The sudden wariness in her eyes told him that lingering would not make it better. “Remember. Any time. Anything,” he said, with a last tender kiss on her cheek. He got to his feet and left the room. A few moments later, she heard the front door close quietly. He had obviously walked here since she didn’t hear a vehicle.

Lying back against her pillows, she wondered if they had been insane to do this when they both knew there could never be any future for them.

Lying in bed all day would not solve or change anything, so she got up and went to her closet to pick something to wear. The inside of the door had a full-length mirror, and a slight shimmer on her chest caught her eye.

Turning to fully face the mirror, she dropped the towel. She ran her hand quickly over her skin, removing the magic glamour hiding her body markings. Born from a Hunter and a Life-Giver, her body markings reflected both bloodlines. Then she frowned.

“Oh, shit.”

-----------------

About Linzé Brandon

Linzé Brandon is the pen name of Lizette de Vries-Venter. She is a self-employed consultant and specialist engineer, author and artist. Living a creative life is what makes her happy and she loves to share her knowledge in both art and engineering.

She does, however, leave the teaching of story writing to others.

Linzé is the author of fiction and non-fiction books.