“There are a large variety young adult books out there, but none depicting its characters with an Afrocentric feel, I wanted to change that,” says Peters.
Pretoria, South Africa – Local author, Anya J. Peters’s book “The Lady of the Desert”, the first book of her Chronicles of Yutae series, has just been published by an international publisher, Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie Publishers LTD. This young adult fiction tells the tale of “Yin” who is on a journey of self-discovery in a fictional world filled with magical creatures.
The book is a first of its kind, being written in a style that is not the norm. Peters is only the second local South African author who has had a book published with Pegasus.
Peters says that she wanted to write a book that could reach a diverse audience internationally but also wanted a story that local readers would be able to resonate with as well.
“There are a large variety young adult books out there, but none depicting its characters with an Afrocentric feel, I wanted to change that,” Says Peters.
Peters has been using colour-and powerful images on her social platforms to market her new book, to allow YA readers a glimpse of what these fictional characters might have looked like in real life.
With the reading decline rates of our youth, Peters aspires to write stories that would make them want to read again, especially locally. People read not only what they like, but what they feel they can relate to as well. Peters believes that this book will also encourage other local authors to tap into a new genre of writing, and with more support from local publishers, authors will be able to expand their creative potential, writing the type of stories that could be produced into movies.
The book is currently available on digital platforms, and will also be shipped and distributed to local bookstores soon. This series is bound to leave its readers captivated, as it takes them away into this fantastical world where “Yin” discovers that family does not change blood, but that blood can change everything.
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