Evander resident is an avid author of romance and children’s books

Local hidden gem Nadege Dagnicourt (35), aka N Bella, is a best-selling author of her steamy romance novels The Hidden Love of Yakuza and The Middle Man.

Nestled away at her relatives’ wildlife farm, a very private Dagnicourt agreed to a one-on-one interview. In just a year and a half, she has released a children’s book, six steamy romance novels, a series of books for teenagers, and, on top of that, launched an online writing school.

She also recently received a job offer for an editor position. Her inspiration for writing romance novels came from the ‘old school’ love her parents, Jean and Colleen, had for each other.

“My mother was my father’s world. He never looked at another woman, nor did she look at another man. They never shouted at each other when they fought, nor did they argue in front of us as children. I want the love they had,” said Dagnicourt.

She is a single mother of two daughters, Crystal (15) and Chloe (14). She wrote her first story about her animals at the age of nine and later began writing more seriously in high school. Her first release was her children’s book What’s Paradise, published in 2023.

“My children inspire me to keep going. Writing is my escape,” said Dagnicourt.

She is a great fan of Mills & Boon novels, and as a youngster, she would even steal her mother’s books.

“My goal was to write for them. I wrote to them, and they accepted the first three chapters of my romance. This inspired me to write more, but unfortunately, my computer broke, and I lost all my work,” said Dagnicourt.

However, all was not lost. In 2024, she joined a Facebook group with her editor Jessica Christeen, as well as housewives, mothers, and young people.

Through sharing stories, they suggested that Dagnicourt try online publishing platforms. She has three genres: children, romance, and steamy romance (18+).

“My writing comes from having an open mind and also from my own experiences,” said Dagnicourt.

Her romance and steamy romance novels feature the mafia, powerful CEOs, fantasy elements like werewolves, and more. To keep the audience wanting more, she writes in series.

To share her knowledge and ideas, she has an online writing school where she helps aspiring writers.

“There are seven of us authors in South Africa. If you are struggling with your writing or want to get your book out there, I can help. We have so many local people with potential, but don’t know where to go or how to start,” said Dagnicourt.

Her book, Wolf, was made into a movie called Alpha’s Midnight Reign. She has made a name for herself as a talented author.

“My dream was to become an author. I never thought I would make it, because there are no opportunities. I reached out overseas, and now I earn dollars and have sales.

“I am amazed and speechless. I never thought I would get to where I am now. I don’t want to stop,” said Dagnicourt.

Her steamy romance novels combine everything: swoony, lovable, dangerous – every woman’s dream. Dagnicourt has also earned the International Literacy Excellence Award for her writing in four languages: English, Afrikaans, French, and Spanish.

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“My Spanish readers are going crazy over my novel The Hidden Love of Yakuza. I am still learning Spanish, so I do make mistakes. I apologise to my audience for my spelling.”

Besides enjoying writing and being an author, she describes herself as a ‘normal house mom’. She enjoys taking long drives and loves exploring nature.

“I am a creative person. While I talk to you, I come up with new ideas. I always come up with an idea,” said Dagnicourt.

Besides writing, she also loves reading. The book that got her into writing steamy romance novels was The Hated Luna.

When describing the character, she said: “He is such a big man, everyone is scared of him, but when he is with her, he is like a baby. He saved her, cares for her, and is gentle with her,” said Dagnicourt.

Her friend Nikita Grundling doesn’t enjoy reading, but said, “She will send me her work on WhatsApp, and it is WOW. I just want more. She is following her dreams and is an inspiration to everyone.”

Dagnicourt also gets her ‘trigger of inspiration’ from her own life experiences and people she meets along the way. She will be releasing her latest novel, Pretty Little Savage, at the beginning of spring on September 1.

Readers can expect lots of romance, possessiveness, feistiness, and more. The novel caters to youth, women, and yes, men as well.

“I want to keep pulling in my audience,” said Dagnicourt.

Her advice to aspiring authors is: “Stop being boring, live your life, go for what you want, and don’t be scared. Fear holds you back.”

“I’m writing these books because women love to read them. It makes them go crazy because they want more. For them, it is fantasy; they want the romance and the man. Everyone wants ‘that man’, but not all are lucky enough to get him. If you find him, keep him,” concluded Dagnicourt.

N Bella’s novels can be found online on her website, https://authornbella.my.canva.site/, Amazon or Google Play Books. For more about the online writing school, contact Dagnicourt on WhatsApp at 076 523 4772.