Release Day for Cosmetic Heart

I've been checking my emails almost every hour the last few days in anticipation of the release of my novel, Cosmetic Heart. My son woke me up at three this morning with a complaint about a tick from his cat so I grabbed for my phone quickly to check if it had come out. Sure enough, there was an email waiting there for me from the publisher. I struggled to go back to sleep after that.

Cosmetic Heart had a tumultuous journey in coming to being. Last year, for Nanowrimo, I buckled down and focused on getting a whole book done in the month of November. It was hard, especially seeing I actually didn't have the whole month but had to finish early to start writing exams for my kids. And in between that, I was sick with a spider bite (although I'm still not sure what bit me.) Somehow, the words kept on flowing and I even made my poor heroine, Lisa, also get bitten by a spider and get cellulitis like me. The good thing was, Dan fussed over her and looked after her while she was sick which brought them even closer. Although it also made all of Lisa's fears about a long-term relationship come to the surface.

The editing for my novel was quite a challenge. As seems the case with most of my books, (wink, wink,) they often need a strong content edit. Somehow, my characters do the strangest things sometimes. But after several run throughs, I finally felt confident that my book was neat and clean.

I really feel grateful to Katherine Tate, Supervising Editor, who was patient with all my changes right near the end.

The most fun parts of writing this novel were the research bits about cosmetics that you will find at the start of several chapters, some of the secondary characters and I loved the hero, Dan. Lisa really gave him a run around. A bit like me with my hubby who had to ask me to marry him three times and even then I said, "Wait, I'm not ready yet."

So, here it is. The cover for my new novel and the blurb.

Lisa works for a top South African magazine as the make-up artist, but writes articles on the quiet. When the chief editor, Daniel, asks for her help in posing as his ex-fiancée to save face with his family, Lisa agrees, hoping to obtain a promotion in return. She doesn’t expect to fall for the handsome editor nor to fit in with his family who love her unconditionally. But Lisa has more secrets, and she doesn’t believe in love and family. After Daniel finds out her secrets, will his forgiveness and determination be enough to cut through all the layers Lisa has put over her heart?

Buy links:

Astraea Press
Amazon