Fish Hoek author completes tween trilogy

Libertalia: The End of an Era
was launched on Amazon. The
self-published series is aimed at
readers aged 9 to 14. 

The books, with a diverse mix
of characters, feature a hidden
Matabele treasure, pirates and a
sangoma. 

“I absolutely love the
Eastern Cape,” says Melina.
“I love the hills, beaches and,
dare I say, warm water. I’ve been
there on many holidays, and I set
the school, Dayeton College, there
as there are already a number
of private boarding schools along
that coast – so it wasn’t a leap to
imagine a school in that environment.” 

She says her 12-year-old son
reads her books easily in a few
days and gives ready feedback and
support. 

She suspects he may be a budding writer himself, and she sees
her daughter, 9, as more of a poet
as she enjoys music and words
together. 

“My daughter prefers me to
read books to her, so we are currently working through my latest
book as a bedtime treat.” 

Melina is passionate about getting local kids reading – and reading something other than British
writers. 

“I know it’s hard competing
with the likes of the thrill of Fortnight (I’m fighting this battle daily
too as a mom), but being able to
create images in your mind cannot
be beaten, especially local stories.
So try these books – I’ve kept the
books short enough for the ‘not
that keen’ readers, and hopefully
entertaining enough too.” 

She spent a lot of time researching the sangoma character, she
says. 

“I am careful to be respectful of the traditional healers and
their calling. The reason I drew
on this African element is because
I wanted to showcase traditional
roles, mixed with a modern day
environment and how, as a young
person, that can be difficult to
navigate.” 

Melina is 42 but says she feels 29
most of the time.
Her husband Trevor, 43, is a
small business owner. 

She grew up in the highveld,
where the veld stretches for miles,
and says she loves the contrast
of Fish Hoek with the mountains
behind her back and the ocean in
front of her eyes.
She advises aspirant writers to
get a good chair and press save. 

“Oh and have a back up in the
cloud/on a disc,” she adds. 

“Be patient – with yourself, your
story and the process. It all takes
time. You don’t just whip up a story
and publish it.
“So, you need to be patient in
allowing your story to develop on
the page, and then you need to be
patient in getting into the market
place.
“And, of course, you just need to
write. Sit on your bum and make it
happen – otherwise there is nothing to work with.” 

You can find her books on Amazon or Loot. Visit www.melinalewis.com to
read Melina’s blog.