Tshepiso Madihlaba
Author of Maserati
View from the coffee shop
I love the solitude of frequenting coffee shops and cafes with a good book. While I love being in great company, it is these solitary excursions that often revive my spirits. My love for coffee shops was not inspired by any sort of ambition or delusion of being some a coffee connoisseur. Whether my coffee is of the Arabica or Robusta variety does not matter much, as long as it made good cappuccino, a good hot cappuccino to be precise.
I love the ambience found at many coffee shops, whether it is the popular franchises or the quaint little “no-name” ones. My love affair with coffee shops began while I was studying Medicine at the University of Cape Town. I discovered a quaint little place in Observatory, where I would visit most Friday afternoons, to just curl up on their cosy couches with a book in hand. The coffee shop owner was a delightful English old lady, who delighted in serving me endless cuppas or hot ham and pea soup on those chilly Cape Town days. It was heaven. I shared this passion with one of my very good friends, and occasionally we would both go, each with a good book in hand and just get lost in the magical world of the written word.
Gradually the lone coffee shop escapades became not just about reading a good book while sipping hot caffeinated beverages, but also more about watching people go about their day. Aah, people-watching, such a favourite pastime. You need not be a behaviourist nor a social scientist to be fascinated by people go about their days, wondering what their lives are all about, what makes them tick, and what challenges they are currently facing and yet are able to put on a brave face and interact with the world. Interactions between people, and between people and their environments are fascinating to observe.
Maserati:
A Love Worth Finding
Maserati vowed never to endure the betrayal her mother had experienced at the hands of her father. When she met Tshepo, he was everything she thought she wanted, and a happily ever after was an inevitable right.
Everything was falling perfectly into place. Or was it?
Blinded by the love she felt for Tshepo and consumed by images of her future life, she missed the signs of betrayal he had hidden so well. Until that fateful day of the party. Her world as she had imagined came to a crashing halt.
How can a perfect soulmate be the source of such deep pain? Finally emerging from the heartbreak, Maserati is ready to experience love again. She meets Ben. But soon, learns that true love does not come in neat little packages. Ben’s life is complicated, and she yearns for simplicity.
Yet his brown eyes feel like the safe heaven she’d been looking for her whole life.
★★★★★
“… this story promises not just a romance but a profound exploration of finding safety and authenticity in the raw, unpolished aspects of another’s soul.”
Omoruyi
★★★★★
“A riveting tale of love, betrayal, and redemption.”
Xongi
★★★★★
“So much more than just the romance…A relatable story for all women!”
Alison
★★★★★
“This book is not just a page turner and light-hearted read but it is also a reflection of the author’s jovial and strong authentic spirit…”
Tshepo
★★★★★
“Waiting for HBO, Netflix or Showmax to come snatch this book up. What an amazing read.”
Modibe
★★★★★
“I loved the book and can see it converted into a Netflix rom com.”
Phumla
About Tshepiso
Tshepiso Madihlaba was born and raised in South Africa, where she studied at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and qualified as a medical doctor. She currently resides in Chicago, USA, where she works as a medical executive for a multinational pharmaceutical company.
She is a mother of two; a teenaged son, and an almost-teenaged daughter. They are and continue to be her greatest teachers in life – “They serve as mirrors, reflecting my strengths and shortcomings. As I encourage them to explore their full potential, I am equally called to explore my passions to the fullest”.
Writing has been her passion since childhood and her high school stories – an instant hit with her school mates – were filled with teenage angst and the innocent fantasies of a life yet to be fully lived. Today, she brings a wealth of wisdom and life experience to her writing, and has crafted an engaging read for a contemporary audience.
Maserati is her first published novel.
Tshepiso’s Musings
Wherein Lie My Strengths, Therein Lie My Weaknesses
Wherein lie my Strengths, therein lie my Weaknesses. It is two sides of the same coin: Strengths on one side, Weaknesses on the other. But these facets are not as distinct as they seem. Strengths, those sturdy pillars that hold us steady, can also be our Achilles’...
It’s A Hard Knock Life
"Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "Life!" Life will knock us all down. That is a guarantee. It is not a question of "if," but rather "when." When life's fist lands upon our hearts, how will we respond? The magnitude of the blow varies, influenced by myriad...
When We Relinquish Our Agency
We often seek solace in others, hoping they'll fill the gaps within us. Yet, in this yearning, we inadvertently surrender our agency—the very power to shape our lives. We yearn for completion from others, but at what cost? Responsibility awaits us. It behooves us to...
Life: The Ebb and Flow
We, the seekers of happiness, yearn for perpetual bliss, yet our existence is interwoven with challenges and suffering. Like twin companions, they walk alongside us, inseparable. In our pursuit for eternal happiness, we often wish to sidestep suffering. But this, my...
Is Happiness an Illusion? The Dance of Blessings and Burdens
As human beings, we are constantly seeking happiness, and dare I say, elusive happiness. We seek it in sunsets, in the laughter of loved ones, and yes, even in that extra scoop of ice-cream. Happiness isn't a permanent resident - just when we think we’ve caught it, it...
Navigating Life: Trusting Our Soul’s Compass
We are people with agency. We make decisions aligned with our spirit, with no fear but with full acceptance that every action has a reaction. This realisation should not faze us – when we trust in the process of life and that the universe at every turn, offers us the...