Ghanaian-born Author Delights American Readers With African-themed Novels

Online, April 21, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Author Naa Shalman, after having earned rave reviews in the U.K., is now introducing her books to American readers who will enjoy a refreshing change from the common novel. Rich with African culture, her first two novels explore the romantic relationships and cultural issues facing the day-to-day life of their characters.

Naa explains: ''It's very exciting to have such great reviews for New Dawn, and hopefully my new novel, Sounds of the Drums, will be just as well received. As a writer I hope my words will build a bridge across the cultural lacuna that grows deeper as our world continues to shrink. I don't want my work to be favoured by one ethnic or cultural group; I want everyone to enjoy and share in the stories."

Naa, who moved to the UK in 1997, started writing as a youngster when she penned her first romance novel. But she took it ''more seriously'' after graduating with an MA in Public Administration in 2009.

"I wrote my first romance novelette as a teenager, but then left writing on the back burner while I concentrated on my education.

"After completing my MA, I found myself with spare time to fill. I kept telling friends and family that I wanted to start writing again, but never seemed to get round to it until my brother gave me the motivation."

She went on to write New Dawn, a novel set in 19th Century Gold Coast modern day Ghana. The 346-page book tells the story of two diverse women and their views on life, love and relationships. She also just released Sounds of the Drums, a 382-page novel telling the story of a family in the same community where New Dawn is set. Both novels are rich with information about life and love in postcolonial African villages.

According to Naa, the stories tackle social issues relevant to all women alike.

"I grew up reading Mills and Boon novels, and though I was keen to keep an element of fairy-tale romance in my work, I felt it was important to also deal with things happening in the real world." She continues, "The plights of my characters touch on social issues such as family, love, relationship, bullying, social discrimination, cultural discrimination and even intra-racial discrimination.

"I am keen to empower women through what I write. In Africa there are still cultures that treat women as inferior to men so with my characters such as Ima and Adiago in New Dawn, I'm showing how mutual respect can develop and strengthen a relationship."

New Dawn and Sounds of the Drums are available in eBook from most online stores as well as in paperback and Kindle versions on Amazon.
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Notes for editors: For more information, review copies of 'New Dawn', or 'Sounds of the Drums' or interviews with Naa Shalman, contact her by telephone on: 077 02023 525 or by email: [email protected]
Website: naashalman.com