Local author releases debut fantasy novel

Pretoria-based Michael Ferguson is out to weave new worlds based on his lifelong love of mythology, horror, fantasy and folklore with his debut novel, A Prophecy of Flowers and Lightening.

This author is not only breaking out in his writing career but is also becoming increasingly popular on TikTok.

After self-publishing his first two works, Ephemera, Short Fictions and The Acrimonious: Paranormal Fictions in 2020 and 2021 respectively, Ferguson was offered a publishing agreement with Krest Publishers for this novel.

The book follows the collision of destinies between Cadence, who is ostracised and lonely but gifted with the power of foresight, and the demigod, Prince Arlo. They are connected by the cosmic union of fates.

Ferguson told Rekord he was inspired by the many strong women in his life, leading to this work in which the women tie it together.

“You never really know what you are doing or how the story will unfold. I have this picture in my head of what I wanted it to be,” he said.

“I sat with these two main characters and I just started to hate them. I found them a bit whiney. Then I introduced this other character, and I just fell in love with her. She is made up of pieces of all the women in my life.”

Ferguson has dedicated his debut to his biological mother Laetitia and stepmother Annalie, and has also included parts of many other women he looks up to.

“One of the themes of the book is motherhood. It was an easy theme to unravel. Many of the characters in the book are mothers, and everybody has a mother, it’s something that connects all of us.”

He was intrigued by the way the women in his life made decisions and dealt with difficulties, and how they considered others on their journeys.

“I was working with two women about a year ago. They were very smart women, but were struggling to get ahead in the corporate industry.”

He said it really upset and frustrated him to see how these two extremely capable women were treated and shut down.

“They understood what they were up against, and they were good at playing the field, but they were also very hard workers, and they built the people around them up.”

The women in the book are not the central characters in the story, but Ferguson said the women held the story together and built the plot for the male characters to navigate around.

“They hold the whole story together.”

The journey to Ferguson’s debut novel was a carefully planned one, with his first self-published works helping to work out the kinks on his way.

“I wanted to gain experience in writing, but I also didn’t want to go out and throw everything into writing my first novel immediately,” he said.

Writing his first novel was not only about working up to getting it out but also building a bank of experience to draw from.

“I like to watch people, and I like to watch them when they are behaving at their worst,” he joked.

“You get to see a lot of that here in Pretoria. You’ll get to see an artistic aunty with purple hair and crazy clothes, and you’ll get to see a butch ‘oom’ cross paths, and I love that there is so much diversity here.

“Taking notice of these things is what we do as writers, you observe people, and eavesdrop on conversations, and appreciate everybody for what they are.”

Speaking about his relationship with Pretoria compared to where he used to live, he said: “I still love Benoni, it’s my home, but I don’t miss it. I feel like it’s a lot more modern and metropolitan here, there’s a lot more to do.”

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