FIRST EVER GUEST POST with author Mary Bello, A Change is Gonna Come

I am SO SO SO EXCITED for today's post, my very first Guest Post and the first stop of the #CHANGEBOOK Blog Tour!

Today's post is from a Brand New Author Mary Bello who's story 'Dear Asha' is a part of Stripes' 'A Change Is Gonna Come' book which is released on the 10th August 2017. 

I've been so excited for this entire anthology since the moment I heard about it at Stripes' blogger event.

So without further ado here is Mary's post all about her exciting journey from journalist to published short story author, why she was so keen and proud to be involved and more...

For the last few years I've been a stay-at-home mum taking care of my three-year old angel, Lalita. Before becoming a full-time Mummy I'd worked as an entertainment journalist but in my heart, I'd always held a desire to write stories and poetry. I'm so passionate about books - the transportive nature, how they can make you feel something otherworldly leaving an indelible mark on your soul. So this year, with my beautiful mini-me ensconced in nursery, I decided to focus on creative writing.

When I saw the call for open submissions from Stripes something just felt right about submitting a short story.

With the anthology's theme of change in mind I set about crafting a story close to my heart. A huge change happened in my life a few years ago when I lost my mother therefore the concept of change or more precisely loss and how it can rock you to your core, felt like the right underpinning for my story. Through my experience of loss I could empathise and understand the journey that my main character would go through. My story 'Dear Asha' gives you a snapshot into the life of a 17-year-old girl whose mother has just died.

The first time I held a copy of A Change Is Gonna Come in my hands I was overwhelmed. It's a blessing to see something you've written published. And I love what the book stands for – a real representation of the wonderful wealth of stories BAME writers have to offer.

Making the transition from journalist to creative writer has been both a daunting yet exciting journey so far. It's great being able to really free your mind and see your ideas come to life. Plus I love the freedom of working from wherever I fancy (hello sweet little café in the park or better still bed). You definitely need to be disciplined as you are fully in charge of your daily structure, deadlines etc. You have to fit it in around your other commitments, which can be tricky at times, but writing brings me so much joy.

In creating poetry and stories, you are truly putting your heart and soul on a plate for the world to see. You make yourself vulnerable, sharing with people the intimate way in which you view the world and your emotions but in doing so you can connect and give something truly magical to the reader. So many great authors have done this for me and I'd love for my writing to do the same to others.

A little bit more about Mary...

Mary Florence Bello was born in north London to Nigerian parents and grew up on a diet of tales from Yoruba culture. She studied law and worked in finance before embarking on a career as a journalist.

You can Pre-order A Change is Gonna Come here on Amazon or go to your local book store on or after August 10th.

A big thanks to Charlie Morris at Stripes Publishing for having me as part of this blog tour. But this is only the start! There's lots more exciting stops on the #CHANGEBOOK Blog Tour so be sure to keep following to hear from more authors, read reviews and much more.

Blog Tour: Q&A with author of Goodnight, Boy

Today I'm a part of the Goodnight, Boy blog tour on Twitter which I'm sure lots of you have heard about on twitter or through the blogs of many book bloggers including the lovely Chelle at TalesofYesterday from Nikki Sheehan

So, what is Goodnight, Boy all about? 

The kennel has been JC’s home ever since his new adoptive father locked him inside. For hours on end, JC sits and tells his dog Boy how he came to this country: his family, the orphanage and the Haitian earthquake that swept everything away.

When his adoptive mother Melanie rescues him, life starts to feel normal again. Until JC does something bad, something that upset his new father so much that he and Boy are banished to the kennel. But as his new father gets sicker, JC realises they have to find a way out. And so begins a stunning story of a boy, a dog and their journey to freedom.

I really enjoyed this story and was really glad I picked up a copy. I'll be posting more about my thoughts next week but without further ado...

Q and A with Nikki Sheehan



1) Goodnight, Boy in itself is a very unique story about a refugee boy forced to live in a kennel. What was your inspiration in writing the story?

Friendship. I always start from the point of view of theme, and weave the story around the thread of the emotion. I’d been through a bit of a tricky time a few years ago and

it struck me then just how powerful friendship is in the face of difficulties. I suppose I could have just given JC a human mate, but friendship with a dog is of a very pure kind. Dogs love you entirely unconditionally, so it struck me as a good way to explore the relationship in an extreme setting. The pressure of the kennel bring out the worst and best in JC, but it brings out the best in the dog every time, so I suppose he’s a kind of idealised friend. I’m not sure exactly when I decided my character would be shut in the kennel, but I had certainly read about children in America who had been put in dog houses and other tiny places as punishments, and so the idea was born.

2) The writing style of Goodnight, Boy is very unique in that there's no chapters used throughout. What made you decide to write in this style and did you find any difficulties?

I hadn’t really thought about the lack of chapters until you asked this. I suppose it’s not really an issue because chapters tend to mark the passing of time, and in this book time is expansive and slow, and I show it through the physical emptiness, with big line drops, and sometimes pages with just one or two words on.

3) Why did you write in second person?

The vast majority of books are written in the first or third person, but I wanted to bring the characters closer as they’re all each other has. A long time ago I read an amazing book called The Reluctant Fundamentalist, which was in second person. I thought back to that and realised that if JC is speaking directly to Boy, he is in essence making the reader take the role of the dog (as they both listen passively) and let the reader feel like they’re within the story.

4) What was the hardest part of writing this novel and why?

Knowing when to stop tinkering with the writing. When you’re using fewer words it feels even more important to get them exactly right, and although the book looks quite chunky, it’s actually very short. Just before final edits, in a fit of madness, I began editing all of the more direct conversation with Boy so that it had an iambic rhythm because it sounds nicer. I knew that no one would ever notice, but once I started it became addictive and I couldn’t stop!

5) What did you enjoy most about writing this story?

I actually enjoyed all of it. The research around the story, and the earthquake in particular, was sometimes harrowing, but it also reminded me that kids are incredibly resilient and how they often find what they need, wherever they happen to be.

6) The voice of JC is so strong; you've captured him so well. How do you write from the perspective of a boy with such an insight? 

Thank you. I’m not sure really. I have two sons, one of whom is now JC’s age. But mostly I write from my young self, and the fact that I’m a girl doesn’t seem to matter!

7) The bond between JC and Boy (his dog) is a touching one and a much more unique one for novels. What made you write about a relationship like that?

I have two dogs, mother and daughter labradoodles, who are right next to me, hanging out during the day while I work. The bond between us is a strange thing, that almost feels magical, or telepathic at times, so I was able to mine this, and, of course, study my dogs’ behaviour really carefully to make sure I got it right. Boy is a sort of amalgamation of my dogs, but probably more like the very sensible, well behaved older one. When he’s being daft though I draw on the clownish behaviour of the younger dog. I have told them of course, that they star in my new book, but they remain unimpressed, as they prefer nature programmes on the telly.

 Well that's the end of my Q and A with Nikki Sheehan a big thanks to Cailin at RockTheBoat (OneWorld Publications Ltd) for organising the Q and A and for asking me to be a part of the #GoodNightBoyTour and to Nikki for answering all of my questions.

Goodnight, Boy is released tomorrow (6th July 2017).


Any questions/ enquiries or just a message to say hi you can comment, tweet me (@brokefrombooks) or email me at iambrokefrombooks.sophia@gmail.com