July 2026 - Reminiscing

July has seen me successfully finish the first draft of the sequel to Finding the Lions! Adding in a scene is tricky, I find, as the story still needs to flow and past experience has taught me that if I stray too it leads to complications and massive rewriting of subsequent chapters. However I'm feeling confident that I essentially wrote what I did before I burnt the notebook by accident.

Whilst that was going on I found myself thinking about my previous books particularly my first ones; Mr Right I Presume and For the Love of Africa. The former was the first time ever that I had gone start to finish on a book. Ever since I was a child, around 7 or 8 I recall, I have written stories, but it was often just the opening or perhaps a few chapters, but nothing that I revisited to look to make a beginning, middle and end. I also wrote it and by and large edited and released in somewhat secrecy. At the time I simply remember wanting to have it published so that I could hold the book in my hand and prove to myself that I could accomplish something. It was amazing to do, but looking back I was in too much of a rush and too scared to do it as I do now, solely as an independent author as an e-book. Saying that 16 years ago (when I was looking to publish) I remember struggling to find resources to help me decide, now there's information overload on how you can do it and even get a physical book without having to go through a vanity publisher as I did. It was several years later when I revisited the book and decided to make a follow on, For the Love of Africa. This time I wanted to relay some of my experiences when I was working in Eswatini (Swaziland), however I didn't have the erotic romance that she did!

I still have copies of that first book, if you're interested in a copy for £5 let me know via your choice of:

https://www.facebook.com/sj.welsted

https://www.tumblr.com/sjwelstedsworld

https://substack.com/@sjwelsted

If you're more of an e-reader both can be found via my book page - Books

During my thinking I realised that Debbie McHewin still has more of a story to tell in her search for the job she desires and also the partner that she wants to spend the rest of her life with. I wonder if her sexual desires and lack of filter get in the way of the either? My hope is that she learns for the former and for the latter, he simply accepts her for who she is. If you would like to see what happens next let me know in the comments by replying Yes-Debbie!

For those waiting on book 2 (title still unknown) of The Pride series, following on from Finding the Lions, I aim to have the drafts to my editor before end of 2026, for release either Spring or Summer of 2027. Keep posted for progress each month.