Hello my lovely friends and readers, I know I’ve been quiet for a moment, but I promise it was all for a good cause. I took some time-off from posting to get ready to publish my very first novel (well, novelette by word count, but we’ll bypass proper terminologies for now); The Favour… or Maybe Not, and I was able to make it happen, finally. By the way, you should really give it a read; the ebook is now available on Amazon and Amazon Kindle in all territories (direct links to different markets, ie. ca and co.uk— for Canada and the UK, will also be included at the end of this post, clicking on the the title and image of the book throughout this post, however, will take you to the US market—and for those who prefer the feel of a physical book in your hand; like myself, paperback copies will also be available early next year—2023— yay me :) !), and of course, don’t forget to leave a review too, and that’s whether you did enjoy it or not— I appreciate and welcome all feedback, it’ll certainly help me to grow :).
Now then, since I’ve finally been able to see it go live, I thought I’d open up a little bit about the journey… I’ll start off by saying, it was definitely not easy! I wrote the book in a year— it started off originally as a short story, but soon after, numerous other characters kept popping up in my head, wanting their stories to be told and of course, I couldn’t ignore them. I’ve watched it change in many ways so many times, I lost count (from storyline to title, to book cover, to author photo, to bios… whew!). It was originally set to be published last year (2021) for Halloween (I even had a trailer and everything); I remember people getting excited with me too, to see it released, but I still couldn’t hit that button… It was done, but still not done in my mind. Something was missing, and it frustrated me because I couldn’t quite figure it out; but there it was, that feeling lingering in the back of my head, clawing at my subconscious, tormenting my every waking moment… something was missing… it just… wasn’t ready.
I remember the sting of my own chagrin, the dark abyss my depression kept me in, tunneling deeper and deeper like a rabbit hole, as the pre-planned launch date inched closer and then passed. I felt useless and defeated, sitting there with a “completed” manuscript that I just couldn’t publish.
Flash forward to several long, dark months after, it came to me; the missing piece! It came to me like a flood, impressed upon my mind and heart; I finally knew what was missing and exactly how to work it in. This is also why I believe that whatever plans and deadlines you’ve made for yourself for whatever personal goals, if God doesn’t agree and say it’s also time, IT WILL NOT WORK; listen, God has to give that final stamp of approval first, because as He has all the plans and knows what is best for you and when, His timing is the most perfect timing there is. Without His approval, it really is just a waste of time and that’s why we are told to be still and trust and know that He is God, and He is working on the details. He gave me that missing piece of the puzzle at the exact time I was meant and ready to receive it.
And then finally a year after the original launch date, the wait was over and I was ready and able to meet the next deadline. If I were to explain all the details of this long and tedious journey, this post would have probably ended up being another book, because of how extensive it would be, but of course, time and place.
And then, differently from that, there was also the tussle of finding editors, beta readers, getting it copyright, formatting, the back and forth of deciding just the perfect design, and a plethora of other intricacies that comes with self publishing, experiences which I am also grateful for, they've taught me a great deal— by the way, huge big up to my editor who really did an awesome job at polishing my shit and my beta reader who gave it that extra sheen, not to mention my designer who did a fantastic job on the new cover!
Long story short, I am happy to announce, my dear friends and readers, that I am now officially a published author (yay me, again :D !) and whether you’re into thrillers or not, The Favour… or Maybe Not is something you may still enjoy; it’s mild and the characters are relatable, some may have made a few poor life choices, I’ll admit, but haven’t we all at some point or another? We all have our crosses, don't we?
But, that’s how I leave you for now, until next time, grab yourself a copy, your favourite drink and snack, happy reading, and of course, as always, big up yuhself! :D
Signed,
Zhanna T. W
—Check out The Favour... or Maybe Not in the Canadian Amazon marketplace HERE
—Check out The Favour... or Maybe Not in the UK Amazon marketplace HERE
Comments