Celebrating 200+ Subscribers With A Sneak Peak of The Full Picture
An exclusive look at one of my favourite scenes in my debut novel
There are officially FIFTY-SEVEN days until my debut novel The Full Picture is released! AHHHHHHHHH!
This past month has been an absolute whirlwind for me! At the beginning of the month, I took a last minute trip to Barbados for my Grandpa’s funeral. It was a bittersweet return as it was my first time back in like twenty years, but I am grateful I got the chance to say goodbye and spend time with my family, especially my younger cousin!
I also had my very first interview for a feature and I can’t wait to share it. Sorry in advance because your girl be rambling when she’s nervous.
In The Full Picture related news, I’ve been getting so much incredible feedback from early reviews, and the one thing I keep seeing over and over is how impressed readers are with this being my debut. Every time I see that I tear up a little inside, because if you know what I’ve been through to get to this point, you know why that is a top tier compliment!
I have also been seeing more and more content being made about The Full Picture and I have to share some of my faves with you!
I mean, look at this video and review that perfectly encapsulates my story. I can’t get enough of it!
Then there is this video from my guy John-Paul that had me SCREAMING “Get behind me Robyn!” the entire time 😭 But I always knew that this would be a common opinion of my girl when I wrote this story, so I feel super proud whenever people stick it out to see her growth, because that is what coming-of-age novels are all about!
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Lastly, I hit 200+ subscribers on Substack!! *insert dancehall airhorn here*
My fellow gisters, I can’t thank you enough for the support! You all have been reading, sharing and engaging with me from my very first post and I don’t take that for granted!
To show my gratitude, I want to share an exclusive excerpt from one of my favourite chapters in The Full Picture with you all.
Let’s set the scene: Our girl Robyn has been in Accra for a few days, reconnected with her family and and has already met her first love interest, Osei. He and his twin sister Kuukua, have invited her out for the first time during Detty December but he is running late so the girls get there before him. In this chapter you’ll also see how she meets her second love interest Kelvin and get a nice little peak into her, shall I say, interesting dynamic with both boys 🤭
“Is that Osei?” I yell over the music to Kuukua, watching the tall figure make his way toward us.
“Huh,” she shouts while swaying to the beat beside me.
“Your brother! Is that him over there?” The crowd seems to part as I say this, making it clear that it is indeed Osei in all his six-two glory. He’s just a few strides away from our table when a short woman reaches out to hug him. She’s gorgeous, with proportions that probably aren’t humanly possible without Ghanaian DNA or a really good surgeon. I plop down in the cushioned seat and pull out my phone. Just because I don’t care for Osei like that, doesn’t mean I want to watch him all hugged up with some girl. When I hear hands next to me sliding and slapping one another, I scroll through Instagram, not bothering to look up. It’s been a few days since we last saw each other and the thought of facing him again in this setting is making knots tangle in my stomach. I don’t know why though. It’s not like I care about what he thinks or anything. I guess it’s just new territory for us.
“Yo, Jojo, David, how far,” Osei greets them.
“Chale, wassup,” says one of the two boys in a cheer. It’s hard to tell who as I can’t make out their voices yet.
“Sis,” his tone is playful, and I can sense a movement shift in front of me.
“Hey, watch it,” Kuukua cries. The sound of her palm connecting with his skin follows.
“Relax. Your HD frontal looks fine,” Osei teases, and I wonder if Kuukua has ever dreamed of being an only child. Knowing I’m not the only one he likes to annoy makes me want to join forces with her and take him down.
I keep my eyes glued to my screen, but it’s hard to miss his blue-and-black Jordans approaching before the couch I’m seated in sinks from the weight of his body. Despite the scent of sweat, alcohol and shisha lingering in the air, his cologne still manages to find its way to my nostrils. It’s clean and crisp and reminds me of freshly washed laundry.
“Hello, Miss Carter. You clean up nice.”
Against my better judgment, the corners of my lips turn upward at the compliment.
“I hope you didn’t make your cousin wait too long,” I smirk and finally bring myself to take him in. Up close, he looks as good as he smells. He’s dressed simply in a black graphic T-shirt and slightly distressed dark-wash jeans, but he manages to make it look like he’s just walked off the runway. I won’t be telling him any of that though. He doesn’t need me to point out the obvious.
“Oh, trust me, I’ve learned my lesson,” he chuckles, popping a piece of fried yam into his mouth. His easy response surprises me, but I fight the urge to push it further.
“So where is he?” I question, looking around the crowd for someone who resembles the Mensah twins. Maybe if I’m lucky, he’ll be the alter-ego of his male cousin. Deliciously handsome, but with a personality that doesn’t make me want to yank my puff out strand by strand.
“Who?” Osei asks while pouring orange Ceres Fruit Juice into a plastic cup full of ice.
“Uh, your cousin,” I say, bringing my own cup to my lips. “I thought you went to pick him up.”
“Oh yeah,” Osei says, licking his lips as he nods toward the entrance, and I awkwardly avert my gaze. Why is this boy always drinking something around me?
“He saw some old friends when we came in and went to say hello. Also, he’s not our cousin.”
“That’s not what Kuukua said,” I say, glancing over at his sister. I watch as David whispers something in her ear, and from the way her head snaps back as she giggles, I just know sis is down bad.
“We just say we’re cousins because it’s easier than explaining that our dads are just best friends,” Osei explains, his eyes following mine. When he spots the two giggling, he immediately hops up, his knee knocking over the unclosed carton of Ceres in the process.
“You have got to be kidding me,” I shriek as the orange liquid seeps through my dress, but Osei has already wedged himself between David and Kuukua and doesn’t seem to notice.
“Where’s the bathroom?” I yell over the music to Jojo, who is dancing by himself with his eyes closed.
“At the back,” he shouts back without opening them.
After locating the bathroom and squeezing past a group of girls taking pictures in the mirror, I pat down my dress with a wet paper towel. I’ve removed the stickiness, but the fabric is thin, so a big wet splotch remains.
“Well, at least we’re in an open air club,” I mutter while looking down at my dress as I leave the bathroom. I barely make it two steps out of the door before I walk directly into a firm body entering the area. Two large hands swiftly grab me as I’m about to hit the ground, and we both break out in simultaneous apology.
“I am so sorry!”
I lean back to look at my saviour’s face as he steadies me on my feet. Although the sun set several hours ago, amber eyes gleam down at me from behind tinted brown lenses, and his intense gaze sends a chill down my spine.
“Hi,” he breathes, slowly releasing me from his grasp.
“Hi,” I whisper back, taking him in.
A linen, short-sleeve button-down hangs loosely off his defined upper body and on his exposed chest sits a thick gold Cuban. In his earlobes, round diamonds sparkle, and his haircut is so crisp, I could probably slice my palm from just brushing against it.
“Wow, you are stunning,” he breathes, his eyes dancing across my face. My cheeks heat up at the compliment, then cool down as I register his familiar accent.
“Wait, are you from Toronto?” I laugh, my nose scrunching up in surprise.
“I am. Well, technically, Brampton. But it’s all the same thing,” he chuckles. “Is it really that obvious?”
I laugh loudly. “I can pick out my people in any crowd.”
“I literally just landed today,” he beams. His smile lights up his entire face, and his skin, a warm shade of brown, appears golden.
“What are the chances that two people from the GTA would meet for the first time halfway across the world?” I joke as we move out of the way of passing bathroom-goers.
“The probability is definitely not high,” he remarks, his eyes soft with wonder. “But who am I to question my good fortune? I’m Kelvin, by the way. I’m guessing you’re Ghanaian.”
“Robyn,” I reply, pressing my palm to my chest. “And I’m only half-Ghanaian.”
“Oh yeah? What’s your other ha—”
The shrill sound of a record scratching cuts him off, and the tease of the next track causes the bar to roar.
“Oh my gosh, I love this song!” I cry, recognizing the beat drop. Spinning towards the music, my body sways to the familiar sound. Before I can register what is happening, the dancing crowd pushes me into Kelvin, closing our gap. His hands swiftly slide around my waist as we collide, and the motion causes my body and brain to freeze.
Think, Robyn, what would Chelsea do right now? I can almost hear her kissing her teeth in my head. Dance, stupid!
Taking a deep breath, I allow my hips to sway against his firm frame slowly. He guides me to follow his tempo, and we simultaneously ride the beat. Pressed so closely together, the sound of his heavy breathing trickles from my ear to my heart, causing it to thrash against my chest. The intimacy is daunting and foreign, yet I don’t want it to end. I squeeze my eyes shut, wanting to savour every second, but a teasing voice infiltrates the moment.
“I see you’ve met Kelvin.”
My eyes pop open to see Osei grinning down at me. Oh, you have got to be kidding me! Is Kelvin their family friend?
“You two know each other?” I hear Kelvin ask from behind me. I swear there’s a tinge of jealousy in his tone, but I’m too shocked by this revelation to turn around and confirm if it shows on his face as well.
“Remember I was telling you about the girl from Canada staying next door? This is her. Anyway, Jojo got another round of drinks. You people coming or what?” Osei asks, looking down at me expectantly.
“I think we’re good right here,” I answer promptly. Osei chuckles, but doesn’t reply as he pivots back to the table, not giving us a second glance.
Just as I’m about to press Kelvin about his relation to Osei, the D.J. cuts on a fast-paced beat. It makes him slightly tighten his grip on my waist in preparation for the swift change in dancing styles.
“And this, right here, is where I tap out,” I laugh, pressing my palms over his hands and twisting to face him. “I’m not the girl for all that.”
Slow wining, I can manage, but fast wining is the easiest way to set myself up to be embarrassed. My West Indian genes did not come through in that department.
“Aww, come on, you were killing it,” he grins, removing his sunglasses, and I’m nearly hypnotized by the hazel flecks floating in his irises.
“Oh, please,” I scoff.
“Honestly. I’ve been to my fair share of house parties and encountered a lot of bad dancing. That,” he says, focusing on my lower half, desire flashing across his eyes. “Wasn’t bad.”
I playfully roll my eyes, ignoring the heat spreading across my cheeks. “You’re just trying to gas me.”
“I’m serious. Maybe different, but definitely not bad,” he winks. “But don’t worry, different is good. I need that in my life right now. Here, let me see your phone.”
He doesn’t wait for my response before leaning forward and pulling it from my hand. He holds it to my face to unlock it, and I watch his fingers tap across the screen.
“Kelvin Williams?” I ask, reading the new name in my contacts out loud after he hands it back–my nose wrinkles in surprise at his last name.
“Yeah, I’m Fante.”
“Ohh, you’re a Fante boy,” I tease. “You know I’m Ashanti, right?”
Beyond the names of the largest tribes, Ashanti, Fante and Ga, I don’t know much about tribes in Ghana. But I know enough that people across cultures typically prefer to be with their own people.
“Well, I’ve always thought Ashanti women were the most breathtaking women in Ghana, and clearly, I was right about that,” he states, staring down at me intensely. “Well, I’m glad the odds have been in my favour today. Not only are we from the same city, but we get to spend this trip living next to each other.”
“Wait, you’re staying with Mensahs?” I know my voice is unnecessarily loud right now, but I’m too shocked to care.
“Yeah. This trip is my first time back since my parents and I left Ghana eight years ago, so they suggested I stay with the Mensahs. We have a place, but it’s not in the city. It’s more of a holiday spot if anything.”
I bite down on my bottom lip as I process this information. I should be excited that Kelvin is guaranteed to be in close proximity for the rest of my trip, but knowing Osei will be there right next to him seems to taint the joy I should be feeling. But before I can process why I feel that way, the crowd goes ballistic as the D.J. plays a viral song, and I can feel the surge of collective effervescence course through my body. It runs through my veins and streams through my bloodstream, making me forget about anything other than this moment. Yanking Kelvin’s hands back around my waist, I merge my body into his and together, we move as one.
I love this chapter because I wrote it while envisioning my first time at Bloombar (IYKYK) and I think it perfectly captures what it can feel like on a night out in Accra. So if for some odd reason, you haven’t pre-ordered your copy yet, I truly hope this convinced you to do so!
Lastly, don’t forget to check out my monthly musings brought to you by my hardest working app—after TikTok and Libby.
Until we gist again,
Jess 🫶🏿
I really enjoyed the excerpt, the tension the slowly building character development. I’ll for sure order a copy of The Full Picture!
Wow this was gewddd!! I’ll def get a copy! I could feel the awkwardness when Robyn realized how the two men were related! Ahh love the culture and representation in this. Brava!!