AUTHOR BIO: ENGLISH
René van Zyl is an award-winning South African author, storyteller, and creative visionary with a passion for faith-driven narratives and compelling fiction. Over the years, she has published multiple novels across genres — including thrillers, youth adventure, romance, and inspirational works — through respected publishing houses. Her books have been recognized for both literary quality and storytelling impact, earning awards and nominations within the South African literary community.
She is the creator of Bible Bookworm for Kids, a unique Bible-learning resource that presents all 66 books of the Bible in engaging, visual format. Designed to help children and families understand Scripture as one unfolding story, the project includes colourful and black-and-white illustrations of Bible books (mind maps/ memory pictures), summaries, memory games, and a user-friendly timeline. René’s heart behind Bible Bookworm is simple: to make the Bible accessible, memorable, and exciting for a new generation.
In addition to her writing career, René has served as a children’s pastor and has invested many years in creative faith formation. Her work consistently reflects themes of courage, redemption, identity, and hope.
René believes stories — whether fiction or faith-based — have the power to shape lives, strengthen families, and build lasting legacy across generations.
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 supportive husband, minister at an independent Christian Church in 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 andSpy 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.
Contact info for René: (+27)-823964100 or imaginemoonstones@gmail.com
Web address: renevanzyl.blogspot.com
Other blogs:
Other blogs:
biblebookworm4kidz.blogspot.com
www.bybelboekwurm.blogspot.com
www.Kuierkidz.blogspot.com
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In 2014 I wrote on my blog:
VOLCANIC ASH HAPPENS
So I went on this mission to do some networking at the London Book Fair 2010. My suitcases were all packed, including published copies of my book, Wee Monk's Tale, The Secret of Immortality; my screenplay, visitor's cards and whatever! My hubby, Anton joined me and so did our two daughters, Michelle and Chantal. We planned a week in Wales and a week in Norway before the BIG BOOK SHOW! I was going to hit London with a BANG! And I wasn't going to leave without a publisher or literary agent. No, way!
But, with a BANG the volcanic ash hit us while in Bergen, Norway and we had no way of getting to London. We were stuck in Oslo for another week. It was one of the biggest disappointments of my life. What now? What now. Shortly after, back in South Africa with all my books and stuff still in the suitcases, we had the opening night of my best musical, ever, A New Day has Come, a Passion Play (with the music of Celine Dion). And some Christians decided, no, Christ can't be crucified accompanied with the music of Celine Dion! So they staged a nice little boikot and what should have been a smash hit (as far as hits go in a town in South Africa) turned out to be just another show, maybe 800 people came to watch. We thought there would be at least 1500. But the play changed lives and empowered people nevertheless. Poor buggers who decided to stay away, missed the show of their lives!
I'm struggling to get over the feeling of failure and disappointment in events that I can't control. So, what to do. what to do? Write. since then I have finished two screenplays: King's Men, about an ex-convict who tries to convert his yuppie friends who abuse their wives/families in different ways; and Heartsong, a Greek Love Story (Musical) about an arrogant singer who needs to learn about life and love after fleeing for his life and hiding out on a Greek island. I'm also working on another Community play: about the life of the big Sampson in the Bible (it will be a comedy, I suppose, but with a valuable life lesson!) So, this is me. 2010 was a TERRIBLY exciting year.
But, with a BANG the volcanic ash hit us while in Bergen, Norway and we had no way of getting to London. We were stuck in Oslo for another week. It was one of the biggest disappointments of my life. What now? What now. Shortly after, back in South Africa with all my books and stuff still in the suitcases, we had the opening night of my best musical, ever, A New Day has Come, a Passion Play (with the music of Celine Dion). And some Christians decided, no, Christ can't be crucified accompanied with the music of Celine Dion! So they staged a nice little boikot and what should have been a smash hit (as far as hits go in a town in South Africa) turned out to be just another show, maybe 800 people came to watch. We thought there would be at least 1500. But the play changed lives and empowered people nevertheless. Poor buggers who decided to stay away, missed the show of their lives!
I'm struggling to get over the feeling of failure and disappointment in events that I can't control. So, what to do. what to do? Write. since then I have finished two screenplays: King's Men, about an ex-convict who tries to convert his yuppie friends who abuse their wives/families in different ways; and Heartsong, a Greek Love Story (Musical) about an arrogant singer who needs to learn about life and love after fleeing for his life and hiding out on a Greek island. I'm also working on another Community play: about the life of the big Sampson in the Bible (it will be a comedy, I suppose, but with a valuable life lesson!) So, this is me. 2010 was a TERRIBLY exciting year.
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