My First Book!

Allow me to be self-indulgent with this post. You see, I've always wanted to have my name etched on the cover of a book. I've always wanted to write a book. I remembered telling my aunt Mak Kecik (she's the closest aunt then) when I was in my early teen that I want to become a writer when I grow up. I believed she still remember what I've said all those years ago and she wasn't one bit surprised when I ended up being a reporter about 20 years ago.

But, being a procrastinator tegar that I am, I've never got around to realise my dream of having my name up there along with my favourites JD Salinger (berangan kan?), Jeffrey Archer, Pramoedya Anantoer and more recently Khalid Hosseini, Feisal Tehrani and of course Rick Riordan. Yes, I have dreamed of becoming world famous fiction writer for the longest time. Alas, I keep on dreaming....

Until a couple of months ago when my boss proposed that I took up the "challenge" to take on the project of writing a coffee table book for the Proton Vendors Association (Proton as in the car maker, ya). The association has approached my company Berita Publishing to produce the book for them. Well, not exactly the fiction that I so wanted to write but I figure this was a good opportunity to get the ball rolling. So I agreed. Little did I know that it would be a one hell of a ride as the book this proportion normally would take at least six months to publish. But I did it in two freaking months. Let's not dwell on the details nor should I complain about its quality (of course I would like to have more time to make it more ... err... better).

Suffice to say that for two months, my life revolved around the book and only the book. It was a challenged all right but at one point I wanted to even give up. But the boss Charles Raj and my colleagues spur me on. For that I'm forever thankful. I also have to thank Irwan and Hazel for having to endure my endless rant.

But mostly I have to thank the wife Azian and my three kids Alia, Asma and Arissa for their immense support throughout. They too have had helped along the way and I cannot imagine having to do this book without them. And to Mak too for her doa.

And Alhamdulillah, the book came out a week ago and was launched by the former Prime Minister Tun M at a dinner a few nights ago. Although still having that feeling that more can and should be done, I too was feeling profoundly proud when the book "PVA- The Journey Continues" was revealed that night. And personally I do hope my journey to finally write a fiction will kick off too soon ... very soon. So my journey continues...