“My name is Coenrad Johannes van Dyk, but you can call me Conrad.”
Thus begins the amazing story of young Conrad, who has just published his debut book, The Twelve Keepers and the Chamber of the Seven Crowns.
“I was born in the year 2000. I grew up in Vredendal, as the youngest of three siblings. The first word I ever wrote was “cat”, although I did write the c backwards,” he says.
Conrad was creative from a young age. He explains that Vredendal was not the most adventurous place to live, so his desires to explore the world and uncover ancient secrets were only fulfilled through reading.
OBSESSED WITH LORD OF THE RINGS
“I was obsessed with The Lord of the Rings when I was thirteen years old. And I wished that maybe one day I could create a world of my own. One with my own rules, where people treat each other with dignity and kindness.”
Conrad was seventeen when he started pursuing his dream of writing his book. Day and night he would ponder on the story, even going so far as to draw maps and write scenes while he sat in the exam hall.
SEVEN YEARS OF WRITING FINALLY PAID OFF
“I didn’t go to parties. I didn’t attend sports events. People were concerned about my mental health, often trying to get me to be more social. But I just kept going,” says Conrad.
After seven years of dreaming and writing, he finally achieved what he thought was impossible as a child.
THE TWELVE KEEPERS AND THE CHAMBER OF THE SEVEN CROWNS
“I created my own world. The Twelve Keepers and the Chamber of the Seven Crowns is a story about people who long to be with their loved ones in heaven. And the only way for them to be reunited is by obtaining seven magical crowns that are locked away in a chamber. The only person with the hopes of opening this chamber is Alfred, a young man with a traumatized past. He can run only for so long until his destiny catches up to him as the one who must protect the chamber from evil forces. Time and time again, as the enemy draws ever closer, Alfred tries to remember his father’s teachings; that they live so that one day they can sacrifice all they have for the goodness of the world. The Twelve Keepers is a story about love and how it enables us to do the impossible.”
CONRAD’S INSPIRATION
“As a fantasy novel it includes fantastical things but is rooted in spiritual truths found in Scripture. For how could I write a story about love without knowing the origin of love?”
If you want to enter a unique world, that is as brutal as it is beautiful, I recommend you look at The Twelve Keepers and the Chamber of the Seven Crowns. Who knows, you might even encounter the type of love that inspired this story many years ago.
For orders, Conrad can be contacted at conradvandyk12@gmail.com
As an author coach, I am available to assist you with your dreams of publishing your own book.