Her books feature young, self-assured and independent women who work, play and, of course, fall madly in love in vibrant African cities from Lagos to Cape Town. Ankara men are confident, emotionally expressive and not afraid of independent and sexually assertive women. Her sensuous books challenge romance stereotypes and empower women to love themselves in their search for love.
Enjoy The Seeing Place and its sequel This Crazy Paradise today.
The Seeing Place from Ankara Press follows hot-shot producer Thuli Poni is holding auditions for her latest play in Cape Town. Andile Sebe is an up-and-coming star, just waiting for his big break. Thuli casts Andile and challenges him to link his painful past with the role he is portraying, leading him to open up to her. The two fall for each other and a passionate romance ensues.
But when auditions open for Sins
of the Fathers, the most-watched TV show in South Africa, Thuli turns cold.
Will she play a part in Andile’s rise
to fame, or will she hinder it?
This is a story about how love
can triumph against the odds if we stay humble, take risks and are willing to
learn. The Seeing Place offers a very
different kind of romance – between a powerful woman and a man who wants
something only she can offer.
Excerpt from TheSeeing Place by Aziza Eden Walker. Ankara Press.
e-book available on Amazon.com
That woman’s face was incredibly familiar … And she was
beginning to address him. It was her. No doubt about it. Andile froze.
Damn,
she’s lovely. She was wearing a kind of
skin-coloured chiffon number that made her look almost naked.
What
the hell is she doing here? Was she Gordon
Tshabalala’s buddy? Or, heaven forbid,
his sister or his wife?
“Yes,” he stuttered, hearing her say
his name.
“My name is Thuli Poni.” She cleared
her throat. OK, it looked like she was going to pretend they’d never met. “I am
the producer and casting director here.”
First his heart leapt into his mouth
and then it ricocheted down to his feet, with an almighty clang.
“How do you do?” he said politely,
thanking God and his theatrical training that he could play nonchalant.
“Perhaps we could have a brief word
before you begin. You are aware that these are the auditions for The Lions at Night?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And you are auditioning for the role
of David Ranaka, the Reverend?”
“Correct.” He marvelled that his voice
was holding up so well.
“Then why, may I ask, are you dressed
so stylishly? The character is a rascal and a jailbird.”
“Doesn’t mean he can’t be a snappy
dresser.”
“Explain.”
“Well, I don’t have a penny to my name
and I managed to source this suit, so.”
“Don’t get sassy, wena.” It was Gordon, tapping a pen on the desk. Andile ignored the
comment.
“Why are you dressed like that,
Andile?” Gloria asked, rescuing him. “This is not The Matrix.”
“Ranaka has resources. He’s no fool.
He’s an inveterate ladies’ man, so he’s likely to have a few tricks up his
sleeve. And some stylish outfits.”
Thuli seemed to shift uneasily in her
chair. Or perhaps, he thought, admiring her shapely leg slung over the seat in
front of her, she was getting turned on. “Carry on,” was all she said.
“This is how he works it. It’s his suit
for special occasions, for getting a girl, like this is mine for getting
parts.”
Gordon snorted. Andile went on, “In the
first scene, the one I’ll be reading from, we see him in full strutting mode.
That’s why it’s such a shock to his wife later. She has no idea about this side
of him. That he’s the lion at night. That’s the deception. All these years,
she’s been loving him, thinking he’s the quiet one, meantime he’s more like the
Long Street Festival.”
It was a foolish thing to do, alluding
to their earlier meeting under these circumstances, but he couldn’t help himself.
Besides, he was getting heartily sick of the attitude coming from the director’s
table. What did they think this was, So
You Think You Can Dance, wena?
“Go ahead,” Thuli said in a voice like
ice. “Show us what you’ve got.”
About the author, Aziza Eden Walker--
Aziza Eden Walker is a former
actress and psychologist who now writes full-time. She began writing love
stories on a little blackboard as a teen, the advantage being that she could
rub the risqué bits out before anyone saw them! She has published short stories
and poetry. The Seeing Place is her
first novel with Ankara Press.
Wow, thanks so much Kathleen - and your wonderful network! Nice to feel so connected with romance authors everywhere. Greetings from Africa.
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