There she was, a little shy (public speaking) and determined (achieved NaNoWriMo challenge 2016 and turned it into a full book) at the same time, ready to sign the piles of books neatly stacked before her on the table.

Last Saturday, we hosted a book signing party in a cultural center for my daughter, for her to present her first book. She had finished it before her 14th birthday.

All our friends and her friends and families gathered around her to celebrate her achievement, teachers, colleagues, close friends, dear friends  too.

I am so happy for her.

I remember how at her exact same age, I had decided I wanted to be a writer and a playwright (the latter in order to act in my own plays). Unfortunately, my parents were not as supportive of my talent / dream as I chose (even before her birth) to be for my child.

Sure I wrote things, marketing strategies or communication campaigns in corporate jobs, and texts and poetry for me on the side. I think things would have been quite different if I had received support and encouragement, not jut the odd “whoa, you write so well” from friends, classmates, teachers and weirdly too, my parents.

I think I was born in a time when people around me had this strange idea that you have to get a “proper” job and were oblivious that one can work a “proper” ( as in decent money and occupation I gather) AND still set time aside to write, and be supported to give a try at publishers or poetry magazines. Not once did my family tell me I should continue to write on a larger scale, and finally put that book of poetry together (for starters). Don’t get me wrong, I am not angered or bitter , because I eventually went on to write and publish 4 books (5th novel in the pipes and a book of poetry  about World War 1 on its way).

I am extremely happy that I created such an opportunity for my daughter, first by encouraging her to sign up for the literary challenge, that I did and finished myself, too.

I am so happy that she could experience at such a young age what it is like to see one’s dream come true, an experience she can reap the spiritual and personal benefices on long after the event has taken place.

I bought a giant 2017 grad card and asked every visitor to put a word in it for her. So that she can carry this reminder as a keepsake for the rest of her life, and at any given time draw from it strength, pride, self-esteem and the assurance that she can achieve anything, if need be.

Friends told me ” you must be proud of her’, well, I cannot be proud for something I did not do, can I? But I can be super happy for her and rejoice in her success, and bask in the fact that she is happy, knowing that she put efforts to achieve it. I salute her determination, and her success, and THAT makes me feeling happy for her.

SHE can be proud of herself, yeah, that is hers totally.

Ok, now, I must finish to polish my sci-fi book written during NaNoWriMo 2016…

Wishing you a great success folks in all your endeavours,

love,

Floreva

“The Hidden Hero”. by HM Storm  on amazon.

Not everyone wants to be a superhero, and not everyone is meant to be one. But sometimes, you don’t have much of a choice, especially if you are the world’s last hope… For four young teenagers, having that kind of responsibility is much harder than they expected it to be, particularly when one of them ends up having more power than anyone could ever imagine. 12 years old Nicolas Hunter doesn’t know how special he is until he accidentally meets four superheroes. Nicolas never wanted the power, but when his only friends get captured by those they tried to stop, what other choice does he have but to save them and everyone else? When the whole world rests on your shoulders, what choice do you have but to save it