How long does it take you to write a novel?

I started Badger first, in 2010. That wasn’t the title then, and​ the story was too complicated. Fortuitously, I printed what I had; my hard drive crashed about a week later. In 2014, I dusted off the story, making it much simpler. I couldn’t cut and paste, so I circled what I wanted to keep and began to retype. This time, writing the novel wasn’t a chore; it was fun! My daughter’s best friend read parts of the draft, liking what she was reading. She and my daughter gave me so much encouragement, that I had to finish. Remember my motto? Don’t Cave!

Early in 2016, I started Mthunzi. I completed Badger and Mthunzi about the same time (October 2017), with Mthunzi being published first because it doe​s not have interior illustrations. So, Mthunzi took roughly 9 months to write. I’ve been asked many times if I got confused going from one manuscript to another. Simple answer: NO.

After Badger and Mthunzi were published, I began Maricopa Blood & Tears, the sequel to Badger. I took a break from writing for about 5 months following a mini-stroke. I had major writer's block. I received some much needed encouragement and then I was off like a rocket! Maricopa was published in January 2019.