Local ‘word maestro’ publishes second book

Local lass, Natasha Hardy launched her second book Fire, a sequel to her internationally published debut Water, in Newcastle last week Wednesday.

A St Dominic’s Academy old girl, Mrs Hardy now lives in Benoni, but travels to Newcastle regularly as her parents still live here. Born in Zimbabwe, Mrs Hardy moved to South Africa with her family when she was two, and to Newcastle when she was seven.

Her publishers describe her writing style as ‘lyrical fantasy’, which she can only agree with.

Water revolves around Alexandra, a teenage girl who discovers some interesting facts about her family and the world, mainly that she is a mermaid. According to Mrs Hardy, the mermaid inspiration came from a love for the idea that humans know very little about the sea. “I also wanted to get across the idea that every single one of us has God-given talents and is able to do great and wonderful things,” she said.

Signed with Carina UK, a division of Harlequin Publishers, Mrs Hardy launched Fire, and another book, The Broken Boss in April, giving fans a much awaited sequel and a new work of corporate fiction.

“It was a strange feeling addressing Mr Douthwaite, the principal, and the teachers and students, as it feels like such a short time ago that I was part of the school,” she said. “I chatted to everyone about my journey to publication and the new story of Fire, as well as the changing publishing industry and the opportunities that exist for anyone interested in becoming an author.”

“Questions on character development and how to end stories were insightful,” she continued. “It assisted me in explaining some of the areas that have been fascinating for me to learn about as I grow as an author.”

Mrs Hardy started writing as a much needed escape from her life at the time. She saw her books as a world she could dive into where her characters had bigger problems than her. She started her own business as a marketing and communication consultant, which afforded her the time to finish Water and start to send it out to publishers and agents around the world.

“At the end of the talk, I was thrilled with the response from the students for an art competition I am running at the school,” said Ms Hardy. “The winning picture will feature prominently in the Water and Fire sections of my web site and will also be featured on the Carina UK web site as part of my promotion for the book. In addition, the top three pictures will be awarded Amazon.com prizes.”

“I am so pleased to have been able to celebrate such a special occasion at the school that provided me with the springboard from which my writing career has blossomed,” she concluded.