I hope you all are doing great, because I’m also doing great. In fact, I have some great news...
My novella, which was a top 5 finalist in the Quramo Writer’s Prize 2018 is coming soon... actually, it’s coming exactly one month from today, on 14th December 2018. I can't wait to share the story with you all.
While waiting, I have three other interesting things to share with you: the book cover. the book description, and a preview to wet your reading appetite.
So first off, the cover...
Drum roll...
More drum roll...
Okay, enough of the suspense, here goes:
So what do you think of the cover? It took me some time to decide exactly what I wanted, but I wanted to remain within the story line... I like all my book covers to relate to the plot of the book, or rather, I like my book covers to interpret the plot.
In this story, there’s a woman burdened by a dark secret, so the cover had to portray this darkness...
Wait, what am I doing? I’m explaining the story when I have the book description below for you. Apologies, here goes...
The description:
"After almost ten years of trying, Kora and her husband, Timothy finally get the child they have always prayed for, but there is something amiss with the child.
Kora is convinced that she would take the dark secret to her grave, and was doing so until fifteen years later when the truth threatened to reveal itself and disrupt her life.
With nothing else to lose, she must undo the past at all costs to save herself, even if it means destroying the lives of others."
What do you think? Want to know what was amiss? Read the preview below, but remember, with C. M. Okonkwo, nothing is always as it seems.
Enjoy...
***
Prelude: Conscience
Friday 24th March, 2000
The fluorescent light in the room flickered several times and stopped. The noise woke Kora up. She looked across the room and saw Anita, her roommate sleeping. The maternity ward was unusually quiet given the number of births the hospital had had in the last couple of days. Kora had a baby boy; god’s gift to her, as she had waited almost ten years for the fruit of the womb. Anita had a slightly similar fate. She had a boy, which she had wanted for many years, having had four girls already, but desperately needed a boy, until god answered her prayers.
They had both given birth a few hours apart from each other, but on different days; Kora two mornings ago, and Anita, three evenings ago. Even though they had both given birth vaginally, they were considered high risk, so they had to stay a few days in the hospital. Anita was due to leave the next morning, while Kora was due to leave the next evening.
Since Kora’s son was born, she noticed that he wasn’t really responding to her facial expressions or to anything close to his eyes whenever he opened them. He didn’t even react to light when the curtains were drawn or when the lights were turned on. He had passed the eye test quite all right, but Kora still felt that there was something wrong. When she looked at Anita’s son, he seemed to be livelier and reacting to everything that passed his line of vision, and he reacted perfectly to light.
It was too soon to detect, but Kora feared the worst; she feared that she had given birth to a blind son. Her first son, her only child, how could he be blind? she thought.
The fluorescent light flickered again a few more times, bringing Kora’s thoughts back to the room. She looked at Anita who was fast asleep, then quietly got up from her bed, making a mild creaking sound.
She tiptoed to her baby’s crib and looked at him; he was sleeping peacefully. She then glanced at Anita before going to Anita’s baby’s crib to look at him. Anita had moved and adjusted in her bed, but she remained asleep. Kora ensured Anita was asleep, then went over to Anita’s son’s crib and looked at the boy. He, too, was sleeping peacefully. She smiled at him and touched his cheek, making him turn his head to the side. She could have sworn she saw a smile, but she knew that it was just her imagination. She played with his nose, touching it a few times; she thought how cute he was and how he could see with his eyes. She looked at her son, her blind son, then looked back at Anita’s son.
Unwelcome negative thoughts immediately flooded Kora’s mind; thoughts of swapping the babies...
***
So what did you think of the preview? Well, it’s just the beginning. You would have to read the whole book to truly have an opinion, and to know why the book became a top finalist.
#SaveTheReleaseDate #14December #2018 #IalsoCantWait
Literarily Yours,
CMO.
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