Member-only story
Has my life changed now that I published my first book?
The answer: 5 yeses and 3 nos
My first graphic novel The Adventures of Princess Lailya, Bulumbu, and Tilley Turtle has launched. I’m so proud for my characters. Finally, they are visible to the world, their story written and told.
My heroine, Princess Lailya, has slowly and consistently developed into my story character. I’m thrilled to see her as my star, there, on the cover. She’s become real. She’s my creation.
At first, a book was but a dream
Publishing a book seemed out of my sphere. I’m a visual artist first, writer second. But one can have a dream, and I did.
I chose to develop the character of a Princess as a strong-minded, independent, and curious young woman. On her adventures, she befriends creatures from all walks of life, literally.
Lailya forms a deep bond with a giant goldfish, Bulumbu. Together, they possess perfectly aligned skills making it possible for them to travel across vast oceans.
This was my premise when I first started painting the scenes. One painting led to the next and my visuals became the storyboard for the novel.
