After the Rain (In Photos)

My Life at the Moment

The end of the year is nearly here and suddenly I'm crazy busy. I've finally finished the manuscript for If Not For This, the novel about the effect of the Herero genocide on a couple who get lost at the battle of Ohamakari and only find each other again in Tsau, two broken people trying to rebuild a life together. I really have high hopes for this book and am starting once again to try and find an agent in UK (my perennial search). Cross fingers for me.

Last weekend I got the Slovenian copy of Signed, Hopelessly in Love. It doesn't look anything like the orginal, I think the title is different too. I wish it luck!

I'm finishing up the last proof edits for The Vanishings which is to come out in January published by the Botswana based, Black Crake Books. Black Crake will be the first publisher to attempt to publish books for the trade market in Botswana. Though I must add, my publisher for Signed, The Secret Keeper is also trying to help build a trade market with the book. They'll be running a few adverts in national papers in the coming weeks trying to get people excited about the book. I'm glad to be part of these embryonic initiatives in our market.

The Vanishings will be my first published full length novel.(YAY!!)  Not my first written full length novel (there are plenty of those) but my first published. I've been a bit of a novella queen up to this point.

It is the first in a new detective series set in Maun. I'm very excited about it and I'm excited about some of the interesting ideas my publisher has for launching and marketing the book.

Beyond all of this writing stuff, I'm helping out with the Bessie Head Literature Awards. The ceremony is on the 30th November at the National Museum in Gaborone, so I've been busy today trying to send out press releases and invitations. Maybe I'll see you there???

Signed, The Secret Keeper- my newest book!!!

Look what just arrived by courier!!!! This is the second instalment in the life of Amogelang Sethunya, also known at Aunt Lulu, the agony aunt columnist for her school newspaper. The first book, Signed, Hopelessly in Love (Tafelberg) was featured in South Africa's O Magazine as one of the 40 Best Books of 2011.

The publisher is Diamond Educational Publishers, a local publisher who is taking their first steps into fiction with my little book and I couldn't be prouder. I wish all of us fabulous success!

This time around Amo has to deal with Nono, her best friend, losing her confidence, and the new girl Shania, forcing Amo to behave out of character. Meanwhile, the  sportswriter, Thusano, the 56 yr old teenager, nearly gets the newspaper shut down. And then in her typical Amo way, she misreads everything and just about ruins her favourite teacher's life. Meanwhile, the letter from The Secret Keeper is keeping her awake at night- but who is she to give advice to anyone?? Gran says she stumbles through life "like a donkey with a tea kettle caught on its foot", and Amo thinks that's about right. ....and... is that her falling in love with- DUNCAN?!?