Realms and Roads

Audio: CHAPTER 5. Love Back

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit realmsandroads.substack.com [https://realmsandroads.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7] With twenty thousand rand burning a hole in his pocket, Senzo Sedibeng is ready for his glow-up. After years of township hustling, he and his ever-nervous sidekick Vusi are going high-class—designer suits, a rented luxury car, and an attitude to match. Their mission: crash a charity gala and make Ayanda Zwane fall for the man Senzo pretends to be. But no…

Episode 3. Love, Lies, and Handbags: Fidel on Chapter 3 of "Love Back"

In this episode of Realms and Roads, Phoenix and Fidel unpack the madness of Chapter 3 of Love Back — where Senzo’s pursuit of Ayanda crosses from romantic to downright criminal. From stalking her online to stealing her handbag (and somehow making it sweet), Fidel reveals how humor keeps readers rooting for a con man with a broken heart. They dig into the novel’s growing web of schemes, from corporate corruption and class divides to the psychology of obsession and the thin line between love and self-deception. It’s a conversation packed with laughter, insight, and the art of keeping chaos compelling. 🎧 Press play — and hear how far Senzo will go to rewrite his love story. Show Notes: Listen to Chapter 3 of “Love Back” here: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit realmsandroads.substack.com/subscribe [https://realmsandroads.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Episode 2. Prophet, Player, Pretender: Fidel on Chapter 2 of "Love Back”

What happens when a teenage romantic becomes a grown-up con artist? In this episode of Realms and Roads, Phoenix sits down with author Fidel to unpack Chapter Two of Love Back — the chapter he calls the true start of the story.Fidel reveals how Senzo’s heartbreak has hardened into hustle, how a fake prophet scam inspired by The Daily Sun mirrors real survival in post-apartheid Johannesburg, and why irony and humor are his tools for telling the truth.From the return of Senzo’s old rival to the grounding force of Big Mama, this conversation dives deep into love, delusion, class, and the comedy that keeps people afloat when the world’s gone mad. It’s candid, funny, and full of writerly gold — the kind of talk that makes you see both the story and the society behind it. 🎧 Listen now — and hear how heartbreak, hustle, and humor collide when Fidel reveals why Love Back truly begins with a con man chasing redemption. Links: Love Back Chapter 2. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit realmsandroads.substack.com/subscribe [https://realmsandroads.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Audio: CHAPTER 2. Love Back

Chapter 2 of "Love Back". Fifteen years later, the orphan with big dreams is still hustling—only now he’s a fake prophet with dreadlocks, sunglasses, and a talent for bad decisions. Senzo claims he’s a success in Johannesburg, but the leaking roof and mattress on the floor say otherwise. With Vusi reluctantly playing sidekick, he cons the lovelorn out of cash—until a client walks in who changes everything. The man? His old nemesis, Jasper Ndlovu. The woman Jasper wants back? Ayanda Zwane—the girl Senzo has never stopped loving. As lies pile up and old wounds resurface, Senzo finds himself torn between revenge, friendship, and a reckless hope that fifteen years of longing might finally pay off. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit realmsandroads.substack.com/subscribe [https://realmsandroads.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Audio: CHAPTER 1. Love Back

First love never comes easy—especially when your rival is the biggest bully in the township. Senzo may be an orphan, but he’s never short on swagger. With his best friend Vusi as his cautious sidekick, he hustles essays, dodges trouble, and insists he’s destined for greatness. Then Ayanda Zwane walks into his classroom, and Senzo’s world tilts on its axis. One problem: Jasper Ndlovu, the local terror, has noticed her too. What follows is a laugh-out-loud clash of bravado, bad ideas, and accidental poetry, as Senzo discovers that chasing love might cost more than he ever imagined. Click here to read Chapter 1 of Love Back. [https://www.patreon.com/posts/love-back-1-136397241?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link] Please support the creation of more content like this by signing up as a paying member on Patreon or Substack. Your support would mean the world to me! Thank you! [https://www.patreon.com/c/realmsandroads] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit realmsandroads.substack.com/subscribe [https://realmsandroads.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]