Church girl in love is a Cameroonian romance novel that talks about a charming young blogger, Lisa.
From every indication, Lisa is in love with Andrew who is their assistant pastor and youth leader. Sly later comes into the picture though she does not like him from the onset and with time, his caring nature and gentleness put Lisa on the crossroads as to who she will choose. She finally breaks up with Andrew to marry Sly because she discovers Andrew cheating on her with a new comer to her church.
follow our exchange with the author
Who is Ngong Sandra Nyangha?
Nyangha Sandy, born Ngong Sandra Nyangha is a 23years old girl with the belief that everyone has a gift that can impact the society.
Nyangha Sandy is the first out of three, born to a pastor father and teacher mother who has grown into a writer, teacher and spoken word poet…
I am so in love with good novels and movies and a lover of everything beautiful…
Tell us the story of your life
Born in Kom, first of three children, my life has been an interesting journey. I used to read a lot enjoying books but never trusting I was good enough go send out anything to the world… This low self esteem started finding its way out of me when I emerged one of the winners of Young Cameroonian Writers’ Award (2015) and it dawned on me I can do better… I put in energy all these years, writing a lot but trying to find my niche in order to know exactly the kind of thing I want to send out to the world and that is how I settled on African romance… I love this genre and I think waiting all this while was worth it…
Tell us about the book you have authored, CHURCCH GIRL IN LOVE and other pieces you have done.
Church Girl in Love is my debut novel and I’m excited to say it is the genre I have loved most throughout my reading… It is an African story that captures the reality of the 21st century girl struggling to blend religion, career and family without giving room for failure… The novel captures the dilemma of a Christian girl in choosing a partner and her desire to have her dream love life. The novel is different from other African stories because it captures the realities of the young African and their expectations in relationships which are often left untouched in most stories…
Why this romance, church girl in love?
Yeaaa! I have answered this question a lot of times and I’m still ready to answer a million more… Hahaha…
I have read and enjoyed romance since I was in secondary school and the question I’ve always asked is, why do Africans not write such stories too? Why don’t we tell our own love stories, is it that we don’t love or we don’t find it as an important part of our society? Etc… These questions have bothered me until I chose to be the first to stop people from asking them too… Romance is a genre that addresses societal issues just like other genres but in a manner so entertaining that everyone will love to read. I chose romance because I wanted something new, something unique, something different from the narrative of corruption, unemployment, wars, gender which characterise almost all African novels. After a rough survey, I found out that the most interesting topics to young people is love, relationship and marriage and that is why they will spend hours watching telenovelas that does not in any way reflect our realities… So choosing romance is a way of bringing in our realities in a way that you will love to read.
Also, romance is like a cool bathe which I want to give everyone after a stressful day. We get too serious that it feels like there is nothing good again. This novel is like that glimpse of hope that whoever reads it will have a reason to smile. We need more happy people to have a better society and romance is my own form of putting a smile on someone’s face and combating depression…
What inspired you to write the story?
FANTASYYYYY… don’t mind that I’m screaming it… But truly, my first inspiration is my fantasy which is shaped by every good thing I see in this world… I live a lot in a fantasy world which is my mind, where all the good things happen… I’m always living a story in that world, at every point of my life but this doesn’t mean the story is all about me, though. I observe societal realities and put them in a way that they can fit in a world of happiness…
As a Christian, I have observed a lot of young people suffer with choice in relationships. Some end up with people with whom they aren’t compatible just so that they will fit the expectations of the church and society. This gets very frustrating but a lot of people never notice. This novel, then, was inspired by the desire to tell this untold story of young people and their desire to be happy…
In the shortest form, I get inspired by my fantasy and every little thing that happens around me. There is a story in everything that happens…
Where do you see yourself in the next few years?
Oh! That tricky question. I see myself as Dr Ngong Sandra Nyangha, the author of at least 10 African romance fictions. I want Nyangha Sandy to be a household name in the next five years (you know what I mean right? Lol)
Apart from writing what again do you do?
Oh! Apart from writing, I write… That doesn’t make sense, right? Almost everything I do is around writing but maybe you should know that I’m an upcoming movie producer, a spoken word poet and not forgetting, I’m a student… I study African Literature at the University of Buea. Apart from these, I eat and sleep.
You chose romance and for those who have read the piece, Sly is the lover boy who wins the heart and love of the church girl, Lisa. Have you found your own Sly and if you don’t mind, share a bit of your love story.
I don’t know why I’m blushing now… Hahaha. I think there’s someone trying hard to play that role.
From the novel, what do you think about relationship building and keeping for both males and females? (According to you, who among the parties mostly messes up relationships?)
Just like this like this, dem don di ask ma opinion about relationship. Wadafoolishting! (pidgin English)
From the novel, I have to say, take your time to know what you really want.
Sacrifice and exercise patience if you really want it.
Also, be useful in the life of your partner. Try not to be a liability and make yourself the kind of person that one won’t ever want to lose… Above all, have God at the centre and be sure to listen to him.
With these, if it doesn’t work, then he is a Silas or an Andrew…
interview collected by ACN
Wow, what and interesting and explicit interview you got hear… The microcosm if this piece gives me the huge to get whole of this book and enjoy the romantic nuggets. Love the article and hope more will keep on flowing.