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.
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