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Some worlds entertain you. Others awaken something within you. This one feels like a journey waiting to be lived—rich wi...
08/15/2026

Some worlds entertain you. Others awaken something within you. This one feels like a journey waiting to be lived—rich with culture, soul, and stories that deserve to be heard. 👍👍❤️

The World I Chose to Build

Last week, I shared what kind of book I've been writing. An epic fantasy romance.

This week, I want to reveal the world.

A world inspired by precolonial Africa.
More specifically, precolonial West Africa.

I've consumed romance, fantasy, and epic fantasy stories for years, but when it comes to fantasy, I probably watch even more than I read. I've happily lost myself in worlds inspired by historic Europe, China, Korea, India, America, and beyond.

And as I shared last week, language has never been a barrier. If the story pulls me in, I'll happily follow the subtitles.

I've loved being transported into those worlds.

At its heart, the story I'm telling is deeply human.

Love. Duty. Ambition. Sacrifice. Family. Power. Belonging.

I could lift that story and place it in almost any imagined world, and its emotional heart would remain the same.

I saw an incredible opportunity to draw from the richness of precolonial West African life, something many readers rarely get to experience this way.

That choice was intentional.

There is grandeur in this world. Kings and queens. Warriors. Palaces. Power. Conflict. Kingdoms.

But there is also the beauty of everyday life.

The homes people built.

The crops they grew.

The trades and crafts that sustained communities.

The cloth they wove and wore.

The food simmering in clay pots over open fires.

The markets where people gathered.

The music that accompanied celebrations.

The courtyards and town squares that shaped communal life.

The systems of leadership and traditions that ordered society.

The spiritual beliefs and ancestral customs passed from one generation to the next.

And simply, people living.

Falling in love. Raising families. Working. Celebrating. Disagreeing. Dreaming. Building communities and creating beautiful things.

One of the most rewarding parts of creating this world has been watching other people enter it with me.

Members of my editorial team, from Australia to Canada to Texas, came to the story from very different places and backgrounds. Yet I watched them become immersed, care about its people, and want to know more.

That reminded me of something I've experienced countless times myself through stories.

We don't have to come from a world to become lost in it.
A compelling story can carry us across geography, history, and culture.

I didn't build this world for you to observe from a distance. I built it for you to step inside.

To walk its paths. Enter its compounds. Hear its sounds. Experience its traditions. Lose yourself in the lives unfolding there.

And when you finally step out, I hope you'll find yourself wanting to go right back in.

Soon, the gates will open.

Stay close. The drums are getting louder. 🪘

Beautifully said. Growth comes from being willing to learn, improve, and never settle. Wishing you great success with yo...
07/25/2026

Beautifully said. Growth comes from being willing to learn, improve, and never settle. Wishing you great success with your book!🙏🙏🙏❤️

Another journey before the book

Story 17 | Good Was Never Enough

After two years of working with my writing coach, Lauren, she said something I hadn't expected.

"I think you're ready."

Not because the manuscript was finished.

Because she believed I had reached the point where someone needed to experience the story from beginning to end.

I sent the manuscript back to Renita, the developmental editor who had first told me, "You need a good coach."

Renita could hardly believe what she was reading.

"Who are you?" she asked.

She had read my earliest draft.

This wasn't the same writer.

Although epic fantasy romance wasn't her preferred genre, she found herself completely immersed in the story.

"Is this what I've been missing?" she asked.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"I want more."

Those words meant a great deal to me.

But they weren't the end.

She still found places where the story could be stronger.

So I kept working.

When I felt the manuscript was ready again, I submitted it for beta reading through a publishing house in Canada.

Their feedback encouraged me in a different way.

They described the story as emotionally mature and praised the restraint with which it unfolded. Rather than relying on spectacle or constant explanation, they felt the story trusted readers to discover its emotional depth for themselves.

It was another reminder that the years of learning had changed not just my writing, but the way I told a story.

Even then, I wasn't finished.

I wanted to know how much further the manuscript could go.

So I sought another developmental editor.

Madeline in Australia loved the story's power dynamics, traditions, and the quiet growth of the romance. She also challenged me to take the manuscript further.

I made those changes.

Then came line editing.

Anna in Australia pointed out the heart of the story.

It was a love story, woven through kingdoms, traditions, and political conflict. That was what made it timeless.

From that point on, every revision became an effort to let that heart shine more clearly. She helped me refine the language until every sentence carried more weight.

Now, after countless revisions, developmental edits, beta reads, line edits, and copy edits, the manuscript is entering its final stage.

Proofreading. The final review to catch the smallest remaining errors before publication.

Looking back now, I understand this.

Every publishing professional who read my manuscript found something they admired.

Each also found something that could be improved.

Those two things were never in conflict.

One reminded me I was growing.

The other revealed my blind spots.

I've learned that excellence isn't about proving we've arrived.

It's about having the patience to trust the process, the discipline to keep doing the work, and the humility to embrace constructive feedback.

Have you ever sensed there was still room to grow, even after others praised your work? What kept you going until you knew you had given it your best?

If this resonates, feel free to share this post or tell your own story. Someone else may need that reminder today.

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