Tag Archives: Nikki Mariner Artwork

Today I am happy to share that my book AFAKASI WOMAN is now available in paperback print format from our Tala Samoa store. I only recently got all my rights back for this book and it’s a huge relief to be able to be the #BigBoss of this collection.

I spent the last week working on the print layout and cover design, and marveling all over again at the stunning artwork of Nikki Mariner. It’s a real gift and privilege for me to be able to know an artist like Nikki who lives and creates right here in Samoa, and who is willing to let her paintings be used for a book cover. I love that this collection is 100% Samoan and #madeInSamoa, by Samoan women, right from all the words to the layout formatting, to the gorgeous cover art.

It’s been quite a journey getting here with this book. The fifteen stories were woven together over many years as I worked as a school teacher, raised our five children, then left teaching to be a fulltime stay-home mum and homeschooler, then moved into working as a sort-of ACEO for Young Steel – all while I blogged, wrote books and stories in my ‘spare time’.

I first put a bunch of my stories together back in 2010 to submit to the USP Press writing competition, organized out of Fiji. That first collection was called ‘Sleepless in Samoa’ which was the name of my blog, and it won the prize for Fiction. I then renamed it A REAL SAMOAN WOMAN, and published it in 2012 through Amazon as an ebook only. I never got around to making a paperback version or getting books printed. I was too busy writing more books and stories! In 2018 I signed a contract with a publisher in New Zealand, giving them, giving them the worldwide distribution print rights only, for the collection. I added a bunch more stories to it, titled it AFAKASI WOMAN, and asked my friend Nikki if we could use her painting ‘Paddle Me Tausi’ on the cover. The final product was beautiful. In 2019, the collection won a Storylines NZ Notable Book Award and it was shortlisted in the 2020 NZ Book Awards for Young Adult Fiction.

Ongoing challenges with the publisher though, meant that I really wanted all the rights to my books back. Thanks to assistance from great legal counsel, I am now back in charge of ALL the rights for ALL my books. It’s a good feeling. I learned a lot from the experience though, including that I will never sign a contract with a publisher ever again! It’s certainly helped re-spark my writing  fire as I remember why it is that I loved writing  books AND publishing them myself.

To celebrate AFAKASI WOMAN going out into the world (again), Tala Samoa is having a celebration sale. Now is the best time to grab a print paperback copy of the collection. Use the discount code FIAFIA at the Tala Samoa checkout – and get 10% off your purchase!