After reading the Chrome Rain series on Ivor Hartmann's Facebook page yesterday, i was sharply reminded. Ivor Hartmann is gradually releasing the story in parts of which i have read five. The story is about a young woman, Mry-Ann, who leaves her home upset and it's possible she might never return. She has to go through the desert which has it's dangers. For survival she knows she has to get to an oasis called the Al Wabe. When she finally arrives at the oasis she meets a 'Doc' who lives in a tent heavily painted with Alchemy symbols. That is what struck a chord in me. It reminded me that i have to complete my review of Paulo Coelho's book, The Alchemist which in contrast is about a shepherd boy, who after meeting a mysterious King, decides to sell the rest of his sheep and cross the desert to reach the Eqyptian pyramids in pursuit of a hidden treasure. As he crosses through the desert he arrives at an oasis where he meets an Alchemist. My review of The Alchemist, as promised, will follow shortly. Ivor Hartmann's Chrome Rain Story, which has some science fiction, can be followed on Facebook.
Therefore, with loads of reading and reviewing to be done i am beginning to realise that this is a full time job. I am an Occupational Therapist by profession but soon i will be reading and writing full time!!. I love to encourage others in their craft and see them bloom. At the same time, I love learning from those that are doing an excellent job of entertaining the world with the written word. Both aspects of what i am doing help me to improve on a daily basis.
Books Reviews:
Just a short recap and to let you all know that i intend to keep to my word. These are my outstanding reviews:
1.African Folktales for Children by Uncle Blen Blen
2. A Caribbean Tale by Rudy Gurley
3. Many Rivers by Christopher Mlalazi
4. Harare North by Brian Chikwava
5.Dreams from my Father by Barack Obama
6. Elergy for Easterly by Petinah Gappah
7. Journeys of Love, Voices of the Heart" by Hillary Roy and Rose Mitchell
Then something knew that i would like to add to my list. This is a debut novel by Janine Dube called A Dark Horizon. The front cover is above. I have copied the blurb of her book from her website.
"After inheriting a struggling company Rachel is tempted into marrying an older man who also happens to be one of the wealthiest and most powerful businessmen in the country. She knows she faces an uphill struggle but she relishes the challenge of resurrecting the ailing company. Soon she is facing more challenges in the form of his children, especially his son who is adamant that she is wrong for his father. As she struggles to prove herself at work and at home she is unaware of the meticulously planned plotting meant to bring her already shaky world crushing down."
From the blurb i am sure that i will enjoy reading about the the struggles and hopefully triumphs of the protagonist Rachel.
Short Stories:
Over at the Story Time E-zine i have been reading some short stories. The ones i have read so far are incredibly written with thought provoking themes and life lessons (ALL of them). The ones that come immediately to mind are Yesterday's Dog by Masimba Musodza and Dear Sender of the Bulldozers by Christopher Mlalazi.
A Disapppointing Truth:
This is the title of my debut novel which i must say has been generating a lot of reader interest in the past few months. I have started a blog at http://adisappointingtruth.blogspot.com/.
Anyway, the plot is generating much debate and discussions. Many people have shared their experiences with me for example which characters they hate, which ones they love. Some have told me the moments of their tears of sadness and tears of joy. As a result of all this, a few people, of their own volition, have decided to start a book club! Hopefully i will be able to persuade them to write their opionions on my blog!! So that is an update on my writing and very encouraging indeed.
In addition, a friend of mine called Dayo Ogunmuyiwa has asked if he could work on a screenplay based on A Disappointing Truth. That is fantastistic!! Will tell you what he comes up with.
My new books:
I have some new novels that have been working on and hopefully will have them published in the next four years.
1. Amelia's Inheritance ( You can find an extract to read on this blog)
2. Sarah - Truth on Another Level (Sequel to A Disappointing Truth)
3. Tom & Eliza
4. Marcus and the Daughter (a story based in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, the United States, Italy and London)
New Horizons:
1. Because of my passion for film and screenwriting, i will be starting a blog where i will be reviewing the plots, dialogue and characters of some of my favorite films. This will be purely for my learning. I had a fantastic opportunity of working on some TV scripts with US Film Director Rahman Oladigbolu. A great learning experience for me.
2. I am going to start publishing some of the songs i have written over the years. Certainly new beginnings.
Anyway, i suppose i will get back to my reading, writing and publishing!!
