Author Guest Post with Oby Aligwekwe

Welcome to one of the March 29th stops on the blog tour for The Place Beyond Her Dreams by Oby Aligwekwe, organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for excerpt spotlights, reviews, other author guest/interview stops, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

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Author Guest Post

Why you became a writer/your journey to publication

My journey to becoming a writer started with my son. When he was six years old, I noticed he preferred to read my stories rather than read the other storybooks at his disposal. On one occasion, after he pressured me to write more stories for him, I asked why and he simply responded, “Because you’re a very good writer.”

Before then, I never considered myself to be a writer, as I only wrote for fun and of course to entertain my children. Fast forward to 2012, after my grandmother died, I was inspired to write something in her honor—something about a strong female protagonist who overcame barriers and took her world by storm. At the time, I created two plots for Nfudu and wrote the first chapter before putting it away. I was so swamped with work for the next few years that I abandoned the project. In 2016, my daughter stumbled upon that first chapter and after reading it, she urged me to finish the story, which I did and eventually published in 2017.

Publishing my first novel, Nfudu-Skirts, Ties & Taboos was daunting but I gave it my best shot and learned a lot along the way. I repeated the process for Hazel House and applied what I learned the first time around to improve the outcome. I continually try to improve and together with my publishing team, we’ve applied a streamlined approach for The Place Beyond Her Dreams which is slated for release on March 16, 2021. I basically figured out what was needed, put together a strong team, repeated successful practices, learned some more, and grew along the way. It’s been quite a rewarding and enjoyable journey. 

About the Book

The Place Beyond Her Dreams
by Oby Aligwekwe

Published 16 March 2021
Eclat Books

Genre: YA Fantasy, #OwnVoices Black & African American Fantasy
Page Count: 287
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

At the sudden death of her grandfather, Ona’s pain drives her to mystical Luenah—a place of infinite possibilities. There, she discovers she is an Eri, chosen to accomplish a special purpose on earth, and is handed a box in exchange for what she desires the most.

Burdened by her quest, Ona learns that dreams carry a hefty price, and no one is who they seem. As evil looms, she must unmask the villain and save the one she loves, even at the risk of losing everything she holds dear.

Set against the backdrop of two warring towns, The Place Beyond Her Dreams delivers life lessons using a powerful fable. This coming-of-age fantasy takes the reader on the path to self-discovery and demonstrates the transformation one must go through to realize and eventually occupy their purpose.

Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | B&N

Excerpt

“How did I—I mean when did I become an Eri?” I asked wide-eyed.

“It started several millennia ago when Luenah was restricted to its original inhabitants—a handful of people living in utmost serenity and joy, never growing old or dying from diseases. Everything changed when a wily princess, Ani, found her way in through a portal in an ant hole. When she arrived in Luenah, panting from exertion, our ruler had taken pity and accepted her into our fold. With time, she proved to be loyal and imaginative, wildly so, that she found immense favor in his eyes, but she wanted more.”

“What did she want?” I urged.

“For her people on earth to inhabit Luenah. At the time, the earth was plagued with famine and diseases, and she felt Luenah would provide the respite they needed. As noble as the idea was, it wasn’t feasible.”

“Why not? There’s enough space here for everyone,” I claimed, looking around at the beauty and riches in Luenah.

“There’s enough space,” he agreed. “But there is no room in Luenah for conflict and turmoil. Look at Ide and Ntebe. See what has become of them.”

I nodded once, and he continued.

“A few years passed, and Ani presented her plea again. She threatened to expose the ant hole so her people could enter if our ruler failed to grant even a few ‘chosen ones’ access to live here.”

“Did they fall for it?” I asked, my heart beating in anticipation.

“The negotiation was tough, but they later struck a deal. Ani was permitted to select a handful of good earthly humans to visit Luenah. These humans, called Eris, were bestowed gifts to be passed on to chosen ones in their future generations, and they were assigned missions to help the earth regain its balance.”

“So, Eris are born?”

About the Author

Oby Aligwekwe is the author of Nfudu and Hazel House. The Place Beyond Her Dreams is her Young Adult debut.

Oby’s first novel, Nfudu, a romance set in 1960’s Paris, received critical acclaim and was featured in publications such as Excellence Magazine and Mosaic Editions. Her second novel, Hazel House, paints a vivid portrait of how the needs of humans collide amidst intense desire and the quest for power. In her Young Adult debut, The Place Beyond Her Dreams, the protagonist Ona goes on a transformative journey to discover her purpose.

A talented writer, Oby is also an inspirational speaker and a chartered accountant. She lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her family and supports her community through her charity Éclat Beginnings.

When Oby is not working on her day job or whipping up stories, she enjoys traveling to exotic locations and bringing pieces of her travel with her. She lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her family and supports her community through her charity Éclat Beginnings.

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Giveaway Alert!

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card.

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