Colourful life

By Sharon Bech

You are just four when you and your five siblings are taken from your parents, separated, and thrown into the chaos and unfriendliness of the welfare system. You have to adjust to a life of living in cold children's homes and with foster families who don't treat you like your own. You’re shuffled from one home to the next, and can only dream of being reunited with your parents and your siblings.

It seems your luck is changing when you are sent to a primary school, and find your sister Debbie there and you’re joyously reunited in the playground. But this is just the start. You soon find yourself living with another of your sisters, Glenda, and when the foster situation falls apart, the two of you are allowed to return to live with your parents. It’s a dream come true. But your image of a happy home life and a happily ever after is shattered when you’re faced with abuse. Repeatedly let down, you feel like you don’t belong anywhere. You grow into a rebellious and resentful teenager.

The turning point comes when you go to live with your mother’s brother and his wife. In them, you finally find a loving and supportive family. They nurture you and you learn that you have a choice in how you deal with life’s difficulties. These are the lessons that become your foundation when, years later, you’re confronted with a terrible truth and you’re faced with a life-defining choice: let go of resentment and find forgiveness for those who hurt you, or hold onto the anger and let it become you.

Colourful Life is a heartbreaking and powerful memoir that shows no matter what difficulties you face, you have the choice to transform your life through forgiveness. It’s the poignant story of a little girl who, against the odds, has the courage and conviction to keep going.

It truly is a colourful life.

Why did Kez Wickham St George, already a popular global book reviewer, an award-winning international author with fifteen books under her name, come to the decision to create a Global Book Cover Awards?

Well, it all began as a fun conversation with one of her colleagues who stated, “you always know a book by its cover.” In that moment, the power of those words stopped Kez in her tracks. With her expertise reviewing over 400 books, she knew that the cover is the first drawcard to your readers, the idea slowly took form. Kez believes in insight, the idea of book cover awards had a certain ring to it, she mulled it over until it was tangible, to impact the market with her idea, she needed innovation and influence of others creativity, so many questions were asked from her peers in the literacy field. Kez took their valuable suggestions to heart. She knew if she placed this opportunity in the right places, it would encourage authors, artists, and publishers to enter. She also delighted in the reality that increased exposure resulted in increased book reads –WINNING! The decision was no longer optional, she had to dive in and make it a reality.

Like all pioneering initiates, there were times when the idea activated Kez to grip the handbrake and question if she should progress. Yes, imposter syndrome affects all of us, but she dealt with it by pushing through her internal restlessness. There were times she thought it was going to be too hard. While self-doubt can be conquered there are layers of new requirements that get activated when a new creation is born. Deep down she was driven at a deep soul level, knowing that it’s physical response should never be dismissed.

Kez is overjoyed when stories are shared in one formed or another. And this means authors need to be acknowledged and rewarded for the words they share between the book ends. A major bonus was her continued commitment to her writing community. Kez knew her own experience that well-read authors needed more than their own selfbelief firmly in place. They need others to believe in your authorship and she now had a way to make that happen.

Once her dream took shape, it became a rollercoaster. When the artwork arrived, the flyer was perfect. When the word got out the response was joyous. As she basked in the moment, she drew from a fresh new energy source that only comes from a divine calling. So, let’s reward those who love the covers on their amazing books.

Kez would like this opportunity to welcome all authors, artists & publishers who have a book published and would like to be awarded for their amazing book covers to apply.

The #wickhamstgeorgebookcoverawards has been launched.