The Tribune | Weekend | 11
Friday, May 10, 2019
books
Best-selling Bahamian author deals with grief By FAY KNOWLES
W
hen best-selling Bahamian author Tanya R Taylor’s beloved father Cecil Caleb Ferguson passed away unexpectedly on April 5 her life was immediately put on hold. She was in the middle of writing her 25th book, “A Faint Whisper”, the 12th in her popular Cornelius Saga series, which was due to be released last month. The author had no alternative but to notify all of her fans and followers around the world, including those who had already pre-ordered the book that she would have to postpone the release. She told them: “Your preorders will still stand and those who have not ordered the book as yet still can. I’m sorry to have to delay the release, but I want to give you a great story, one that isn’t rushed, and this is the best way.” She also shared her feelings and experience of losing her father with her followers and told them: “My family and I are struggling to cope with his loss. I know he was the type of person who would not want me to remain in the same place as I was on April 5, so I’m trying my best while planning his April 13 funeral to move forward and to continue with what I know he would have wanted me to do. He was so proud of me as a daughter, friend and author and was always so very supportive. I never knew before his passing what it is to lose a loved one.” As a result of her newsletter, Ms Taylor received an outpouring of condolences and support from her readers. She said it took her several days to respond to each e-mail because of the volume of messages she got. She wrote back: “I truly appreciate your outpouring of love. I’ve kept each message from you in a special folder that I can revert to whenever I’m feeling down
Author Tanya R Taylor and need some encouragement and right now I’m taking the pain of my loss one day at a time. I also appreciate your understanding for the postponement of ‘A Faint Whisper’. It’s now due to be released on May 24. From the depths of my heart, again, I say thank you.” Ms Taylor stated in the funeral programme that she personally prepared for her father’s funeral. She wrote about how her father was educated at St Joseph’s Catholic School and became an altar boy. One of her father’s first employers was Nassau Ready Mix and at age 16 he was responsible for doing the payroll where he worked. She said: “He was very industrious, becoming a home-owner before the age of 21.” Cecil Ferguson was employed at Bahamas Pavers for several years, and then eventually ventured into his own paving business. He leaves behind his wife of 58 years, Gwendolyn Ferguson, three daughters, three sons, 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Ms Taylor fondly remembered the times she and her father spent watching TV shows together during her
“A Faint Whisper” will now be released on May 24. childhood and how this later impacted her writing. She said: “We both enjoyed shows like ‘The Twilight Zone’, movies based on books by Stephen King and documentaries. My father always used to say, ‘Think big’. That meant I had no room for mediocre thinking.” “Cornelius”, Amazon No 1 best-seller in Teen & Young Adult Multigenerational Family Fiction, was inspired by an adventure Ms. Taylor and her older brother Dwayne had when she was a little girl living in Sea Breeze. One of the scenes mentioned in the book concerning a canal was from her memory of a childhood event that her father never knew about until she told him decades later. She laughed: “If Daddy had known about it back then, we would have had to face his wrath as what we did was forbidden by him!” She said after her second book in the Cornelius Saga, “Revenge of Cornelius” (now “Cornelius’ Revenge”) and the tremendous response she received from readers from all over the world, she knew she had to continue the series.
And now, encouraged by her father’s memory, the author is focused on releasing her new book, “A Faint Whisper”. The novel centers around a vacant house located directly across the street from the Cullens. When a family from out of town moves in they have no idea that their new life won’t be anything even remotely close to what they expected. Seventeen-year-old Ashley Morrison is plagued by what she soon perceives as taunts from the unseen realm. Is the house really haunted or is there something more sinister at work? When the mystery is eventually unravelled it leaves the entire community in shock. Ms Taylor writes in various genres including paranormal romance, fantasy, science-fiction, mystery and suspense. She is the author of several No 1 best-sellers across the various Amazon stores. All of her books have made Amazon Kindle’s Top 100 Paid Best-sellers’ List in several categories. For more information about Tanya R Taylor’s books, visit her Amazon author page or the website tanya-rtaylor.com.