Bawo and Ek'abo! Hi and welcome! I am Sharon and this is my very first blog entry! I sound green don't I? LOL! I can't help it. I know a handful of people who have their own blogs but I was never compelled to create one until now.
You see, I am the author of Amachi's Hope, a rich and colorful (YA) young adult fantasy that is influenced by West African culture. The idea for the story was a seed that took root over 10 years ago and was originally meant to be a pre-school book for my boys. What mother wouldn't want to leave a part of themselves for their children? :) This journey started in Jamaica (where my fam. is from) and ended in West Africa (particularly in Nigeria).
You're wondering, "Who is Amachi?" Well Amachi Yenyo Inotu is an immortal woman and powerful oracle that becomes the catalyst of change for her people. Responsible for unifying tribes and ending an ancestral war, her presence in the world heralded the return of UNITY and HOPE; beliefs that seemed to be lost to humanity.
Through her bloodline she bestows upon her ancestors, a number of extraordinary abilities. As a result, they are exposed to dangers from the Orisa (gods) and humans alike. And that's just the beginning :)
After many starts and stops, I finally finished the book in 2011. HOORAY!! Then I began the next part of my journey: editing, revisions, brainstorming. Even when you are done, are you ever truly done? LOL! The stressful process of creating queries, synopses etc. made me feel like I was back in school.
More importantly, this process has left me w/ a lot of questions. I'm left wondering whether the world is ready for my story. Wondering if they are ready to help me bring Amachi "into the light?" Hence my tagline :)
Another reason for my blog, is to hopefully reach out to other authors whose stories have a multicultural influence. There's a big difference (in my belief) between African-American fiction and multicultural fiction. Have you been published? Are you like me, a newly minted author who has just started down the road to publishing multicultural fiction? I would love to hear your stories, opinions and advice :)
Od'aro and Good Night!
S-
Reading this blog post definitely sparked my interest in your book. You stopped by my blog(that I run with my sister) and I would love to connect because its very important to us to celebrate authors who step outside the euro centric norm. Is your book finished yet? Even if it isn't I'd still like to keep in contact because your story seems really important and so does your vision :)
ReplyDeleteLibertad
Libertad:
DeleteYes the book is finished. I am currently having my editor do a final review for small grammatical changes but I am proud to say it's done. I am so pleased to know that you are interested in my book! The vibes that I've received fall between "I think people are ready for your book. It's time for it to be published!" to "Is there a market? Can we promote this?" When I first started sending out queries, I had to rethink my strategy as far as who I was sending my work to. It doesn't make sense to send it to someone that does not have an understanding or respect for the multicultural voice.
Congratulations on your blog launch! Nice to see your work!
ReplyDeleteThanks Alicia! I'll be posting an excerpt from my story. Tell me what you think! S-
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