Local author dreams of sharing more of his work with readers

When you are writing you are sharing pieces of yourself.

February 14, 2022

Jani de Beer 1 minute read

Darryl Reed (Avery Leaumax) believes that he has much more to offer the literary world. He just needs a conducive writing environment.

Growing up in Actonville, Darryl Reed, author of The Mule under the pseudonym Avery Leaumax, immersed himself in books allowing his imagination to transport him to mystical worlds.

The written word was like nourishment for his soul.

“I read everything I could lay my hands on, whether it was the Brothers Grimm or Mark Twain if it contained words I was in my element,” he said.

“I thought reading was every child’s pastime and was shocked to hear that my friends did not enjoy it.”

As his vocabulary grew he started dabbling with writing short stories and poetry.
“I started working and life took its course but the need to write remained,” he said.

“In 2010, I had a revelation and ideas for a book just started flowing onto paper. I drew from my work experience as I worked for the airlines and had the opportunity to see the world.”

The book was completed within months and soon thereafter he started writing his second book, Mistaken Identity.
“When I read through my work, I felt a sense of accomplishment, like I achieved something substantial,” he said.
“Once my work was completed, rewritten, proofread and tweaked I braved the publishing world in an attempt to share my work with other readers.”

Rejection after rejection followed and prompted him to self-publish on e-reading platforms such as Amazon and Smashwords.
“I was not disheartened by the process or its challenges, it excited me,” he said.
“Sadly life happened and my writing career ground to a halt. I became unemployed and subsequently lost my safe writing haven.”