Jacky Dahlhaus

Jacky Dahlhaus – Editor

A proofreader with a keen eye for the little mistakes that other people miss

Overview

I'm a nerd who loves words. I love sentences that flow, words to make sense in their context, and the Oxford comma. Growing up in The Netherlands, I learned Dutch, English, German, and French at school. Since 1998, I have been living in English-speaking countries (England, Australia, Scotland), and I am currently learning Japanese ... because I can (okay, and because one of my future trilogies will be set in Japan).

I've always been an avid reader. As a young teenager I've read big pills like Shogun, by James Clavell, all of Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift, and all of the LOTR books, by J.R.R. Tolkien. I'm also a fan of Anne McAffrey and Terry Pratchett (I have almost all of their books).

In 2015 I dreamed about a girl bumping into a vampire and falling instantly in love. I told my kids, and they told me to write it down. I know, terribly cliché! But it was the start of my passion for writing. I have since written three paranormal romances (Living Like A Vampire, Raising A Vampire, and Killing A Vampire), a novelette (Releasing A Vampire), and two short story bundles (Short Shockers Volume 1 & 2, the latter not being published yet). I am currently working on the first book of a series of trilogies about witches.

Since the summer of 2018, I have proofread novels in different genres: a thriller (Blue Murder by Mark L. Fowler), an action-thriller (The Ghost Bandits by Clayton Morgan), a YA novel (Ayesha Dean - The Seville Secret by Melati Lum), and various books by Colin Garrow). I've also proofread multiple short horror stories in a horror anthology; Twisted Volume 2).

I edited a YA/sci-fi novel (The Free Prisoner, by Luna Rugova). It was tricky as the author is of Chinese origin. I was able to make it readable without changing her wording too much. I like to keep the author's 'voice.' Being an author myself, I try to teach the author to write better with comments on why I think things could be written differently, but I can't do it for them.

Communication is the key as they say, and that's what I find important: I say what I mean, and I mean what I say (i.e. I keep my promises and my deadlines) . I prefer to proofread fantasy fiction stories, nothing too serious, but with my medical background (being a veterinarian), I'm also capable of proofreading medical texts. Perhaps I'm best at medical thrillers?

So far, my reviews have been nothing but excellent, so why not give me a try? It is said I have magical vampire eyes ... ;P
Services
Fiction
Cozy Mysteries Military Science Fiction Paranormal Romance Post-Apocalyptic Steampunk Urban Fantasy Young Adult
Non-Fiction
Medicine, Nursing, & Dentistry
Languages
English (AUS) English (UK) English (US)
Awards
  • Twisted50 Volume 2 Award
Certifications
  • Graduate Diploma of Education (Science)
  • Surgeon of Veterinary Science (The Netherlands)
  • Certificate IV Business Administration
  • Proofreading 1: Introduction

Work experience

Self-employed

Feb, 2020 — Feb, 2020 (less than a minute)

It is always a pleasure to work with Colin Garrow. I proofread his new Rosie Robson murder mystery series this time.

Self-employed

Dec, 2018 — Dec, 2018 (less than a minute)

I have read many of Colin Garrow's novels, and he is a pleasure to work with!

Self-employed

Oct, 2018 — Oct, 2018 (less than a minute)

I proofread the horror anthology containing fifty stories of as many writers. I enjoyed picking out the inconsistencies and typos that three previous readers had missed. The organizers of the anthology were impressed with how methodical and thorough I was and my keen eye!

Self-employed

Sep, 2018 — Sep, 2018 (less than a minute)

I worked closely with Troy A. Hill in developing the first series of his Pennlyn Chronicles. We discussed story structure, and and I helped him 'Anglify' his American prose as his stories were set in medieval England.

Self-employed

Jun, 2018 — Oct, 2018 (4 months)

I produced my newsletter, including author interviews and short stories, in magazine form for a few months. I learned how to use InDesign and how to do the layout for a(n online) magazine. It was a lot of fun, but it cost me too much time.

Self-employed

Jun, 2018 — Dec, 2018 (6 months)

I had a monthly workshop for young children in which I taught them to write better short stories, teaching them about grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. One of my pupils went on to be a finalist in a national writing contest.

Self-employed

Nov, 2020 — Nov, 2020 (less than a minute)

Another great story from Colin Garrow. This second Rosie Robson murder mystery keeps the suspense going.

Self-employed

Dec, 2019 — Dec, 2019 (less than a minute)

I proofread Colin Garrow's YA 'The Curse of Calico Jack' early December. He always has fun books and I enjoy reading them. Colin is always happy with my work, that's why he always comes back to me. Soon, I'll be working on his new murder mystery novel, set in 1950 Newcastle.

Self-employed

Sep, 2019 — Oct, 2019 (about 1 month)

Colin Garrow is a friend a favorite author of mine. His work is always a pleasure to read. I gladly proofread his 5th installment of The Watson Letters, Murder at Mystery Island. It's a Sherlock Holmes steampunk spoof. I picked up quite a lot of comma misplacements, some typos, some missing punctuation (missing end quotation marks, missing full stops). I also capitalized the word Luger. Such fun :). The text was just over 45K words and it took me two days to finish.

Self-employed

Jun, 2018 — Jun, 2018 (less than a minute)

I helped Mark Fowler with his novel, Blue Murder, to iron out any inconsistencies and typos.

Self-employed

Mar, 2017 — Mar, 2018 (about 1 year)

This is the third and last installment of my first trilogy. It took me about six weeks to write the first draft but so much longer to have it in a shape I was happy with. Very proud to have finished a trilogy!

Self-employed

Oct, 2016 — Mar, 2017 (5 months)

Since I had so much fun writing my first trilogy, Living Like A Vampire, I just had to write a sequel! It took me six weeks to write the first draft, but only because I got stuck on the escape. In the end, I had to call a flight center to find out if gliders could fly at night :). And if you're interested, no, they can't.

Self-employed

Nov, 2015 — Dec, 2018 (about 3 years)

I ran a local writing club for a few years. We normally would write short stories of about one thousand words. I would prepare a grammar subject to discuss, and, after setting the keywords together, I would set the extra grammar assignment to incorporate into the story.

Self-employed

Aug, 2015 — Jan, 2016 (5 months)

This is my first ever written novel. I had an idea, sat behind my computer, and typed 55K words in two weeks! I had no clue about writing, though, so it took me a few edits (and a whole lot of self-education) to get it in the shape I was happy with.

Defence Maritime Services Pty Ltd

Apr, 2006 — Dec, 2009 (over 3 years)

As the office manager, I was in charge of:
- collecting work timetables and assuring correct payment to staff
- manage online and paper filing systems
- organizing meetings
- booking transport and accommodation
- ordering stationery and furniture
- be in charge of petty cash
- dealing with correspondence and queries
- preparing letters, presentations, and reports
- supervising and monitoring the work of administrative staff
- managing office budgets
- liaising with staff, suppliers, and clients
- implementing and maintaining procedures/office administrative systems
- organizing induction programmes for new employees
- using a range of software packages
- attending meetings and taking/distributing notes
- assisting the organisation's HR function by keeping personnel records up to date, arranging interviews and so on

Western Australian Department of Education

Feb, 2005 — Apr, 2006 (about 1 year)

My career as a teacher was mostly as a relief teacher, having spent only a few months as a proper science teacher.

Settlers Hills Residents' Association

Jan, 2003 — Dec, 2005 (almost 3 years)

As a Secretary, I was in charge of collecting agenda items, distributing agendas for monthly meetings, taking notes during meetings, writing up those notes and distributing them to our members.

David Clare Veterinarians

Oct, 1998 — Aug, 1999 (10 months)

I worked as a graduate veterinarian for David Clare in England for just under a year. Soon after I moved to Australia.
My jobs included:
- holding surgery hours at three different locations
- doing surgery on patients as required
- maintaining computerized data sheets of patients
- out of hours emergency assistance
As a veterinary student, I read a lot of medical texts and had to write lots of academic papers. As a veterinarian, I had to do the same for my CPD.

Archaeopteryx

Aug, 1986 — Jun, 1988 (almost 2 years)

I was an editor for the student magazine Archaeopteryx, a monthly magazine for and by students, writing articles on exotic animals, their husbandry, and their diseases.

Portfolio

Intrepid investigators Holmes and Watson continue their fight against crime in a not quite Post-Victorian, steampunk parallel universe.In three more adventures, the tenacious twosome encounter an ocean-going iceberg, an American werewolf and a gigantic metal f... read more
V-virus Infected 1

Dahlhaus, Jacky

A mysterious book. A creepy kidnapping. A ghostly pirate on the loose.Researching ideas for a pirate story, 12-year-old Jeff and his pal Suzi uncover a mysterious book that reveals weirdly moving images of a scary pirate captain. After an old movie appears to ... read more
New Friends, New Adventure, New Mystery!Ayesha, Sara and Jess are back in an exciting new adventure, and this time they're off to Spain! When a fellow passenger's beloved grandpa strangely disappears, Ayesha and her friends gladly join in the search for the mi... read more
This bundle contains twenty short stories of about one thousand words each. They were written by Jacky Dahlhaus as assignments for a local writing club. Most stories have a shocking twist at the end. A great little gem to read when you don't have a lot of time.
Settle into a cozy corner and find out in this novelette how the deadly 'Succedaneum' virus was created. Who engineered it and what was it supposed to do? How did it escape into the world? What is Kate, the main protagonist of the Suckers Trilogy, doing when i... read more
At the end of book 1 our notorious bank robbers we trapped in a room, left to face the police officer at the door. Book 4 concludes that ending and advances eight years into the future.Guy and Betty’s way of crime has led them into a life of hiding. It’s nothi... read more
You may call him Kevin, but Kevin is not his name.One hundred and forty-nine years have passed since Earth fell apart. The new human settlements, though resources scarce, are thriving in peace. Or that’s what Kevin has thought. Until red flames engorge town af... read more
When consumptive Doctor Edward Armstrong turns up at Baker Street with an invitation to visit a mysterious island, Sherlock Holmes smells a rat. Sounding deviously similar to the plot of a recent novel by celebrated lady author Mrs Christie, Holmes decides to ... read more
The past is back to haunt Kate. Will her partner survive this evil?Kate thinks her relationship is on the rocks because of her past infidelity. She’s wrought with guilt and wants nothing more than her missing partner back. When the police don’t believe there’s... read more
Who is friend and who is foe?Kate and her little family lead an extremely quiet life. This life is thrown into chaos when the true identity of their daughter gets out. Can Kate keep her family and her wits together?One day, Kate makes the mistake to invite a c... read more
Staying alive is hard in a world full of bloodsuckers. What do you do to survive?Kate has just begun her new job as a high school teacher and is looking forward to living her suburban dream life. All her hopes and dreams turn into smoke as a virus turns people... read more
Arthur is dead, and a dangerous game for Britain’s soul beginsThe prequel series of novellas to the exciting new Cup of Blood seriesThe goddess of Britannia must choose a new champion. One that will protect Britain as well as Arthur, Bran and Mabon.She is forc... read more
Highly acclaimed crime series featuring the inimitable DCI Jim Tyler and DS Danny Mills.Fame. Fortune. Murder.Johnny and the Swamp Seeds are on the cusp of success when singer Johnny Richards goes missing. The body of a young man is found in the local canal. B... read more
Twisted 50 volume 2 is your second sitting at the table of contemporary horror. Prepare for an forbidden feast of fifty courses… A slice of terror, grilled to perfection. Ripened dread, stewed in a sensual broth of dark delights. Followed by succulent wonder, ... read more

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