Anouske Truter was born in Boksburg, South Africa on the 30 October 1980

Anouske grew up in a mostly poor and unstable up-bringing. From the age of 6 years old, the author has faced many violent, traumatic and life altering events that have shaped her as a woman and as the mother that she is today. The author was limited in most everything she did and was ostracized by her classmates after the teachers found a report of the abuse and trauma she had been exposed to. This has never stopped her, but helped her become a power house for others hurt the same way. In this time of seclusion she found ways to express herself in her arts, poetry writing as well as short stories.

However, life didn’t get any easier once she left school after matriculating, by becoming a young mother at 19 years of age. But that according to her, was the biggest blessing that she could ever have imagined as she set out on the journey of motherhood. After a rather abusive first marriage and two gorgeous children later, the author sought divorce 2004 as the only way to survive and protect her boys.

And it was in this counselling that she found out that reading to her boys and telling them stories, was the beginning and the right way to communicate with her broken hearted children. At that moment she decided to make story time a habit. By making up stories and personalizing it to make it exciting for each child, soon her two little boys began their journey to healing.

Anouske then met Johann Truter in 2004 and married her hero, Johann and the couple were blessed with two more beautiful children. Their last born being the muse for the Children’s Book series called ‘Bella and Bunni’ (the adventures of..).

Anouske has drawn a lot of experience from her past and from being a mother of four, to write these books. She understands how a child’s mind questions and answers things in their own time. She has seen firsthand how a broken hearted child thrives under the words of a story as it comes alive in their mind. And she loves pleasing little minds with puzzles and stories and pictures every night before bed.

Anouske believes that every child should be able to have one story time before bed every night or a weekend book to help them explore their world instead of sitting in front of the television. The author believes that stories do help a child’s brain unlock its own creativeness and aids in a more peaceful sleep.

The Author started this book series because her youngest child is a little feisty girl named Aliyah that sets out on countless adventures with her stuffed bunny. Aliyah was told by a family member one day that there were limits to what she could do, and at that point the author new that other little girls where probably hearing the same things that her daughter was hearing. Anouske also remembered hearing those words herself and believing it. So the author decided to write stories of Bella and Bunni and of how these two never get tired of exploring and how free they are to grow without judgement.

Aliyah and her own bunny always seem to amuse her three older brothers and her parents with all her quirky wittiness. All three of her brothers are boxers, so she has learnt from a young age to defend herself (adding fuel to the fire of her wild little heart, if you ask her mother Anouske).

Aliyah is super witty and has such a delightful character. The author hopes to bring her magic and passion for life out in her stories. So that other little girls don’t get stopped because of stereo-typing. And to teach little girls that if you believe hard enough, you will achieve your goals and dreams. But you can’t keep waiting for prince charming. You need to help yourself in the meantime. And learn to have fun.

Anouske has been in the sales industry for over 19 years. And Anouske has been an artist for much longer. The author as an artist still paints, sculpts, and writes stories and poems. The author is regularly commissioned to paint for many customers. So she definitely doesn’t lack any creativity or work ethic.

The author has graduated at the age of 38 years old in the Finance and Insurance Management. The author wanted to teach her children that dedication pays off, and most importantly that age should never stop you from reaching your goals and that you are only limited to what you limit yourself to. There are no more limits in the author’s mind. Only questions she wants to answer with all the zest of how daughter shows for life. And to show her little girl that it’s ok to break boundaries set by others… to find your own way.