What my first #Nano has taught me

By Zee Monodee

Hey beautiful people!

Amid all the Nano madness, it almost slipped by me that I was supposed to post here today, about my experience as a first-time Nano participant. So where do I start telling you what a journey it has been since November 1?

I regularly describe myself as the quintessential headless chicken. Mind, I am organized, but to someone other than me, I just might look like a hot mess. Bridget Jones has nothing on me where being a basket case is concerned (just ask my husband!).

Now add the need to write 50,000 words in one month and you get...a freak show!

I'm a stay-at-home-mum, and November is prolly the worst month ever for me because my son is on summer break and my stepson, too, will be haunting my house during those free days. There's still chauffeur duty (to gym, jujitsu, all that lovely hoopla), and I seem to be on call in the kitchen 24/7 because growing boys will eat everything and the kitchen sink in a single day. I'm also a housewife, meaning I have no helper or cook or sous-chef to lend a hand around (that creature known as the hubby is at work all day).
I also hold a 'day' job (yes, I can work in my pyjamas and on my own schedule), in that I'm an editor with clients and deadlines and needing to answer to a boss. Life/work doesn't come to a standstill in November, sadly.
Then, too, as proud as I am to say this - I'm a 2x cancer survivor - I also hate this tag because it means I am not exactly able to power on at 100% the way 'healthy' people are. Yes, I do feel fine, but it's been 9 years since I last heard "you're in perfect health" coming from the mouth of a doctor.

And yes, I'm getting to my point, bear with me, please.

So I am the quintessential headless chicken turned freak show...but guess what? Today is November 20, and I am 893 words short of crossing the 50K mark on my Nano story.

My point would be? This:

If you want it hard enough, you can get/do it. It isn't simpler than this.

They say half the battle of fighting cancer is in the positive attitude. That's hard to do when you're chucking everything but your guts for 72 hours straight after a chemo session. That's almost impossible when you find yourself burnt like a nuclear bomb survivor 2 weeks before your radiotherapy sessions are supposed to be over. And it's like moving mountains when the biopsy results return and you hear that evil, evil M word - malignant.

But people the world over battle cancer everyday; I'm proof of the pudding. And I've seen folks with better-on-paper results and prognoses than mine not make it, because they didn't have the rage to fight.

So 50,000 words in under one month? Fight for it! Nothing will come unless you make it come to you. Find the time. Better yet, make the time. If I could do it, you can, too.

They say that where there's a will, there's a way. Clicheed idiom, but it became a cliche for a good reason - because it's the truth.

Will I attempt Nano again next year? You bet.

Will I try to write 50K in under a month again throughout 2014? Never on my life! I've got just enough in me to manage the freak show for a month, and not longer!

Believe in yourself, and only then will you reach the stars....

From Mauritius with love,

Zee

New Release - Dragonfly Moments

Release day is one of the highlights of being a writer. My book for the Ubuntu Series is out.

I would like to share with you the story behind my book which is now available to buy (see links below.) “Dragonfly Moments” was originally called “Tessa’s Choice” when I wrote a very different book in 2010, an inspirational romance / woman’s fiction. My writing ideas have evolved so much since then so I cringe when I look at how my book started off, but I just couldn’t let the idea go. The concept of Tessa writing a letter to a man she loved deeply years back and Ryan coming back to find her, remained intact. I tightened up “Tessa’s choice” for the Harlequin New Voices competition, making it into Dragonfly Moments. Some comments on my first chapter helped me to neaten it up even more.

When I heard about the Ubuntu Line for Decadent Publishing, I wished I had a book to send to them. I knew I needed something that brought in the feel of Africa more than usual. Then I realised I could work on “Dragonfly Moments” for the line. When I sent it, I honestly expected an outright rejection letter. Instead I received an option to send revisions. I was over the moon and bursting with hope. The revisions made sense so I sent them in. My contract came soon after that. You can imagine how excited I was.

The journey from there has been marvelous. Decadent has taken my book to a new level with their professional editing and they made me feel like a part of the team during the whole process. Zee Monodee, who also belongs to the ROSA group, was my content editor and if anyone is considering writing a story set in Africa, she will do magic with your book if it gets chosen for the Ubuntu Line. I’ve certainly learned the importance of creating a rich setting and showing more of my character’s reactions, emotions, and thought processes.

I loved many things about writing this book but most of all was the symbolism of the dragonflies. I’m not going to give it away yet - you have to read the story to find out. I also loved writing about art. Although I’m not a professional artist, I dabbled in oil painting and sketching, especially in my teenage years and appreciate good art. A heroine who owns her own art gallery was begging to be written.

Here is the blurb and a short excerpt:

A young woman’s first love walks back into her life at the worst time possible—she is about to start a family with another man. But when her dreams begin to crumble, which one will be there to help her pick up the pieces?

Seven years earlier, Tessa Calitz wrote a letter to Ryan le Roux promising her undying love. As time passed, she forgot about that letter...but not Ryan, who clung to the hope that she would wait for him.

Such is not the case when he walks back into her life. Tessa is in a serious relationship, and is busy setting up her art gallery in Johannesburg. She has plans to start a family, and the arrival of Ryan into her life throws her for a spin.

He is the worst thing that could happen to her dream of stability and starting a family...or is he? Because when her relationship and everything she clung to starts to crumble, Ryan is right beside her to inspire her to greater things.

But her obsession for having her own child pushes Ryan away when she falls in love with an orphaned HIV-positive baby. Will Tessa push him away or realize what her heart has longed for all along?

Here is an excerpt:

“You’re making a mistake, Ryan. Coming in here and trying to bring up the past. It’s too late now. I’m committed to Mark and have found a life for myself. You never wanted me then. You loved Annie.”

“I didn’t love her. I loved you. And you promised forever….”

His voice was resigned, and then he winked at her as if to dispel the tension. It did no such thing.

The letter at the back of the sketch had promised she would love him forever, hadn’t it? She had believed she would never love anyone as much as Ryan, and that he showed her what true love was.

“You never loved me.” She dropped her gaze onto her lap. “We were just good friends.”

Pushing up her chin to pretend that her heart wasn’t zinging with emotion, she rose up and walked toward the one wall to adjust a painting. He grabbed her hand. She tried to pull away, but he firmly pulled her close.

Heat and energy radiated off him, and his manly scent encompassed her. Even his breath was a sweetness she wanted to drink in. She took in the shape of his face—his mouth, which drooped slightly to the left, his skewed jaw line and the prominent cheek bones. His eyebrows were dark and perfectly shaped, and he had such long eyelashes. Yanking her burning hand away, she made sure her back was facing him.

“I was blind to the true treasure. All the time when I was going out with Annie, I really wanted you, but I couldn’t do that to her—dump her for her best friend. I’ve loved you for years, Tess. I’ve been trying to find you. No other woman has measured up, and I’ve had several relationships. And you’ve become so beautiful.”

She faced him, her mouth partially open, devoid of words. He’d loved her? Why didn’t he tell her then before it was too late?

His gaze followed her from head to foot, and heat branded her face while a spark ignited her body.

“But I wasn’t then. You thought I was ugly. You must have because Annie was so beautiful, and you never looked at me.”

“I did. Besides the kohl and black clothes, you were adorable, especially in your pajamas.”

Tessa wasn’t usually one to blush easily, but fire lapped up her whole face and neck. “But the way you used to look at Annie. She had the most stunning legs. Long and muscular.”

Ryan smiled. “You have better legs than Annie.”

She pulled back. For a moment, he had her in a trance. Maybe she should leave Mark and pursue this. Jump right in. No, of course not. Who was Ryan now, anyway? She hardly knew him. He could disappear. Mark cared for her, and he was the perfect match to build a family. That’s all she needed.

Links to buy Dragonfly Moments:

Decadent Publishing

All Romance E-books

Amazon

You can read more about the process of writing this book on my blog at www.kathybosman.com