Just Say It is my first attempt at writing a novel. It is the bittersweet story of Lisa Grant who struggles to overcome the emotional impact her narcissist mother has had on her life. She holds herself back from committing to a long-term relationship because she is terrified of turning into her mother, until the day she finally manages to say the words, I love you.
It is a story I have needed to get off my chest for a long time. It still has a few rough edges, but I’m trying to smooth them out.
Going down the traditional publishing route is important to me and, predictably, it is also proving to be a character-building process. I am growing a thicker skin on a daily basis, but I’ve come this far and I have no intention of giving up on Lisa Grant now.
EXTRACT FROM CHAPTER 17 – Into Exile
‘Life is just a slide. Back and forth between loving and leaving, remembering and forgetting, holding on and letting go.’
Nicole Lyons
Instinctively they were drawn to the veranda where they stood for some time, completely mesmerised by the view, which stretched out beyond a small orange grove, across the vineyard, sloping gently down towards the Atlantic Ocean. In the pastel shades of the evening sunshine, the view was stunning.
The smell of dry, dusty earth was replaced by the infusion of fresh, tangy pine emanating from the abundance of umbrella pine trees mingling with the scent of lavender, growing rampant and spilling over what used to be flowerbeds. The bougainvillea too ran wild and unrestrained, draping itself around the house, as if trying to cover the cracks, in a fusion of pinks, purples, and reds.
The sun had started its descent into the Atlantic Ocean and its orange glow spilled across the horizon for as far as the eye could see. Crickets began scissoring their legs and the calming resonance soothed their minds. The tension in their bodies, their clenched jaws and churning stomachs which, just a few moments before, wound them up so tightly they thought they might snap, started trickling away as they breathed in the soft, aromatic air.
It was time to start over.
– End –
And now… I’ll leave you with the Book trailer.
