The Shade of Devotion A Tale of Perseverance

My new novel The Shade of Devotion is now ready for purchase in paperback form from bookstores like Barnes And Noble, Books A Million, and Amazon. It is also available on any eBook device including Kindle and Nook.

I am really excited about this novel because it took a lot of work and effort to complete it. This novel was literally a novel of love and perseverance. And, not just for the characters Yasmin, Nisay, and Kaleb-- but also for me! This novel was a testimonial of my trails and struggles from the past and the present.

If you follow me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/dawnelljacobs) you would know that I endured a lot of sorrow as I embarked on this writing journey. This story briefly took me to a place in my past when I had lost everything: my mom, my dog, my home and even my friends. I literally recreated past events of my teenage years into a fictional character-- her name is Yasmin. Through her, I traveled back in time where I was faced with a choice after losing my younger brothers and my mother-- to marry an Asian immigrant for money. If you know me personally, you know I ultimately made the choice to say no. However, my fictional character Yasmin didn't-- she married a fictional Asian immigrant named Nisay and found herself on a roller-coaster of self-loathing, romantic passion, and lust-- which is not what happened to me (but that's another story for another time). However, in telling this tale of sorrow and great reward, I ended up in my own battle of loss in the present. 

I dealt with two great evils-- one unfortunate and the other darkly tragic. First, my favorite dog died-- my blue put named Missy-- who I loved to pieces. She was an awesome pet and never left my side. She went with me almost everywhere, and I had her since she was 3 weeks old. She died from a brain tumor that caused her to have rampant seizures. I was sad to let her go, but I wasn't sad to see her leave. She was in so much pain, and I no longer wanted her to suffer. When I held her in my arms as she took her final breath-- I was filled with grief; however, I knew she was going to a better place. Finding peace is a lot easier when you know the person-- or animal in this case-- is suffering. I wished her well on her journey to the other side, I got to say goodbye, and I reassured her that she was a good dog (which is an understatement). 

After her passing, I was welcomed with a gift of life-- my son Donovan Jacobs. I carried him for 5 months before I lost him at 20 weeks gestation. I had no reason for his loss from the doctors. I and my little one were perfectly healthy-- but for some reason he entered the world too early. I loved him then, and I still love him now. He was my first pregnancy after years of trying, my first child, and the first stent at true paralyzing and crippling grief. I couldn't fathom how God could steal from me my little perfect miracle. How can you grant a small taste of happiness and cruelly rip it away with no warning. Honestly, I still don't understand it-- and many times I think that I never will. 

As you can see, the writing of this novel was a testament to loss and labor in pain both figuratively and literally. For a moment, I was so succumbed to grief that I decided not to finish; I didn't think I had the strength or even the will to live-- let alone write a 535 page novel. I didn't want to write a love story when I was feeling so alone and isolated and lost. How could I write a bout a woman finding love-- when I had lost the ones most dearest to me. Then, I remembered myself-- I remembered who I was and my purpose and how writing always made me feel better-- writing was my escape and not a prison. 

Thus,  persevered through my pain and with the help from my children, family and friends-- I was able to ease the burden enough to give this story the happy ending it deserved. No, I can't say that I am completely better or healed; however, I can say that I am proud to stick to my goal, I am happy to accomplish my dreams, and I am thankful for the reassurances that the novel was worth the sacrifice. 

So far, I have awesome reviews from readers from all over the world including Britain and Mexico. I can't wait to hear your thoughts as well. Feel free to comment your responses below and tell me how you feel.


Dawnell Jacobs is the author of The Shade of Devotion, Brains Not Included, Black Magic, and The Monsters of Within: Heart of Darkness. She has also published a self-help book Your Story Matters: Leaning How To Be The Author of Your Destiny. You can find all of her books on Amazon, Kindle, Nook, and Barnes And Noble. She is also a motivational speaker to young audiences. She uses her personal journey to inspire hope and change. All pictures and entries in this blog are subject to copyright laws. ©Dawnell Jacobs 2018. 

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