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Author: missmelissawrites
Book Review – The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
I am sure many of you have already read the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I know it was written in 2008 so I am very late to this party. Yet what a party it turns out to be. But perhaps, like me, you didn’t read it in 2008 (I suddenly remember why I didn’t. I had two…
Book Review – Death Other Happy Endings.
Way back in the olden days – Also known as Early March 2020 – when we still had Bookclub – I took out Death & Other Happy Endings by Melanie Cantor. It took me a while to knuckle down and read it because I didn’t feel like a death book, especially in the midst of a pandemic. I eventually decided,…
Staying Stoked
I’ve been overwhelmed by the support and goodwill out there in the surf community, after I shared my experience of an unpleasant encounter in the water. Thank you. I am also gratified that these difficult conversations about conflict and surf rage can be had in such a spirit of mutual respect. It has been interesting to read a variety of…
When surf rage overrides stoke
‘Don’t be sorry. Be better,’ said the surfer, after I apologized for my role in a collision with him. He didn’t look back. I watched him paddle out, his head high, back arched, shoulders squared, with the tips of his toes perched on the tail of his board. Be better? That seemed unfair. I’ve certainly made my fair share of…
How to create better stories in three simple steps
Taking a well-known story and ‘reverse engineering’ it helps you to understand key elements of a solid plot.
2019 – launches, festivals and fun
My last blog post was in JULY!!! What is wrong with me? Did I get writer’s block? Did I become a recluse? Did I surf too much? NOOOO, none of the above. (I don’t believe in writer’s block, I love ALL the friends and it’s impossible to surf too much.) Instead, I was carried away on the crazy wonderful roller…
Shadow Flicker launched at Xpression on the Beach
“On Saturday mornings, Kate and her dad used to wake up early and surf for hours at Muizenberg.”
Kate, the protagonist of Shadow Flicker by Melissa A. Volker, grows up in Muizenberg and becomes a surfing champion before a tragedy puts a stop to her career. Years later, she returns to the sea to face her trauma and to find love and healing.
Last night, Shadow Flicker‘s author visited Muizenberg, the place where she usually catches waves as a SUP champion, to launch her novel at her local surf shop, Xpression on the Beach.
The launch was hosted by surf legend Gary Van Rooyen. Melissa was in conversation with surfer, writer and historian Glen Thompson. Many friends from the surfing and literary worlds joined us for the special occasion, a kind of homecoming for the author and her novel’s protagonist.
A scene in Shadow Flicker is set in the St…
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Barbara Erasmus reviews Shadow Flicker by Melissa A. Volker in the Sunday Times
Local eco-romance novel will blow you away There are no blurred lines between the good and bad guys who all get their just desserts – cynical readers must bear in mind that Volker’s genre is romance rather than noir By Barbara Erasmus Many South Africans will identify with the heroine of Melissa Volker’s debut novel Shadow Flicker – she experiences…
Book Launch, Interview and SA SUP Surfing Champs
Wow. What a busy week I had last week. First I had the pleasure of making a trip down to the Cape Talk Studio for an interview with John Maytham. To say I was nervous is the understatement of the year. My mouth was dry like the Sahara desert and my stomach was in knots. I’m not sure why because…
Melissa A Volker 