It Takes a Village

Doesn't it though?
This morning I was, er, you know, performing my morning ablutions when I got this text from one of my oldest friends. He sent me a video of this single mom, who was also a student and she was having child care problems one day. So she let her professor know that she would not be making it to class and he was like "Oh no chile, bring that baby with you, it's fine."
So she brought her baby to class and the lecturer, who was an immigrant to the United States from Zambia, was photo'd carrying the baby as he lectured the class.
So naturally, she was feeling very grateful for him and his generosity. And I watched the video and my heart melted because I remember being a student with a baby and this whole village, including the guy who sent me the video, just helping me out. Of course, I did not find it such an unusual thing because, with all our faults, Africans just do have the warmest hearts on earth. They do. We do. But it was a great way to start the day with gratitude in my heart for all the people I may take for granted who make up my village.

Speaking of...if raising a child takes a village well, so does surviving the apocalypse. Imagine if you will, meteors falling from the skies as nations fight over inanities. Imagine Kim Jong Un in a battle to the death with Donald Trump to find out who can be the most childish. Nuclear proliferation accelerating in Iran and China because the threat of World War III is becoming more real. Hurricane Harvey, Irma, Maria wrecking havoc, earthquakes, tropical storms, tsunamis.
It's not one disaster, it's many all at the same time. And the biggest of them all, Vordania Prime bringing Armageddon.
BOOOM.

Armageddon playlist applies:
-Its the end of the world as you know it.
- If today was your last day
- I don't wanna miss a thing
- In the End
But not too many songs because the electricity is always the first thing to go right?
I've always wanted to write a post-apocalyptic book, and now I have. Or rather I am. So there are three main characters - our village - Ben Ojamoong, Anders Mikaelsson, and Zawadi Akasha. Anders and Zawadi are half siblings (same mom, different dads) from the coast and Ben is Anders' boyfriend. They have stuck together through it all and now, when the world has been laid waste, they find themselves on the road. Heading anywhere they've heard that there are still people.
Now right now, in this world, Egypt might be struggling a bit with the Muslim Brotherhood and all, but in an apocalypse, the fact that they are already used to living in dystopia might vote Egypt and Syria 'most likely to survive.'

Beirut Apr 2016

In this mythical future, Egypt has already set up something organized so our three refugees are trying to get there. Find somewhere they can call home.
It's all very straightforward, right? That's unless you count the plot twists, the kidnappings, extortion, murder, Egyptian gods...just...stuff.
If I tell you why would you read the book?
Oh and there's also man-kissing and man-sexing. Explicit lyrics do apply.
Did I mention all proceeds from pre-order sales go to this charity right here? Well, they do. You can also donate directly to the charity under our hashtag #booklaunchforcharity.

Of Ghosts and Legends

Child of Destiny has really benefited from Erase and Rewind launch week. But not my other books. Not Between Death and Heaven or Requiscant in Pace
*ponders why that could be*

Could it be that I pay too much attention to Child of Destiny and not enough to the rest?
Maybe.
So today, I'm going to talk about Between Death and Heaven. The fun facts.
For example did you know that my editor for the book called it a masterpiece? He was pretty in love with it. So in love in fact that he wasn't too thrilled that Child of Destiny went off in different tangent.
There I go, mentioning COD...
Anyways, seriously let us discuss the reasons why Between Death and Heaven is epic.

• It gives a whole new perspective on the after-life. Not totally original of course (what is?) but a twist on various cultural beliefs and legends plus a bit of Beetelgeuse which kind of depicted the afterlife as this dreary government office where you get these forms in order to move on to the next phase. And there are endless lines and lots of waiting.
• Between Death and Heaven has forms to be filled, and hoops to be jumped. But...like any good story, there are obstacles to getting there. Also Hitler.
• We meet Mama Ruth in this book. If you've read any of my child of destiny series books, then you know Mama Ruth. Only she and Armand are in all of them. Forever mysterious, forever pulling strings behind the scenes.
• Ah Armand...Mr. Hot Sexy Piece of Ass. What is he? Who is he? How does he fit? When I was writing him, I kinda visualized him as Louis de Pont du Lac. Not the Brad Pitt version; the original in the novel. Tall. Green eyed. Graceful. Angsty. Self-absorbed...Super cute.

And then there was Phil and Lillian. I wanted to write Lillian as the most anti-heroine to ever exist. She's taller than Phil, self sufficient, not delicate in any sense of the word. Hell, she's from south London. She comes from the Ends. She wrestles crocodiles for a living.She's a modern day Amazon. If she reminds me of anyone, it's Jamie Fraser.

Phil on the other hand is a delicate flower. In my head he kinda looks exactly like JLo's ex-husband Marc Anthony. Or Maria Doria Russell's Father Emilio Sandoz. Phil is actually part Native American so the latter probably fits better.

Yet.

They're a perfect fit.

Because the hero isn't always tall, square jawed and muscled.

And the female isn't always a crying, shrinking violet who needs to be saved.

Sometimes they save each other.