Dave Yan has a personal story of dedication, perseverance and ingenuity, and he has now decided to release a biographical fiction novel, Over A Year, to celebrate being granted his New Zealand residency.

Set in Auckland, the story surrounds the life of an international student for the time period of over a year. He comes to New Zealand, pursuing his dreams, but he struggles more and more to achieve his value in this foreign country. Meanwhile, the story also explores his sexual awareness and perplexed relationships.

He is ambitious about his future as he believes he has entered a top university: he might become a linguist one day. During his study, he gradually realises that his life ahead isn’t going to be what he has predicted. The year he graduates, the world financial crisis grips the globe – Greece and Spain are in default, which causes cracks in the Europe Union; America’s deficit and debt keep mounting. All these events make New Zealand inflation hit 21-year high in history. He faces a jobless situation, in which he would have to leave New Zealand if he couldn’t get a job offer to extend his visa. All of sudden, he feels his dream is going to die hard.

Meanwhile, the story also explores the realities of his sexuality and gay life during the period he has stayed in Auckland – a gay friendly city. He has gradually sensed he is gay and starts a relationship with a Kiwi and cavorts with others.

David says, “Like almost any gay man, he consoles himself with the thought that he will outstrip his homosexuality. By chance, he gets to know a Chinese girl from a wealthy family, whose mother is eager to get her married due to the fact of her getting older. Tempted by money, power and prestige from her family, he struggles to persuade himself to date with the girl for several times and cultivates a relationship thereafter, if for no other reason than because being in love with her is proving to have financial benefits, in the assumption that he might be a heterosexual.

“In the end, from his inner soul, he finally accepts that he has no interest in women and tells her in a subtle way that he wouldn’t lead a traditional life and prefers to be single. When the time comes, his Kiwi boyfriend offers to help him get residency; he has to reconsider their relationship, and figure it out if he affirms his love for him with confidence and honest. He is going forward with his dream providing the best solution to his dilemma.”

David says that while the book is a work of fiction, there is a lot in the book that has a basis in reality.

“I have to admit that, all names, characters, locations and incidents in this book are neither the product of my pure imagination nor used in a fictitious way,” he says. “Any resemblance to actual events, places, or persons, if it does occur, is not coincidental but not intended to offend anyone.

“Auckland city is a place where, gay people can often see each other, unavoidably as well as unexpectedly, but they still try to pretend to be strangers, even though the fact is they once had sex a year before, months ago or maybe within a few days. They just couldn’t be bothered reacquainting each other.

“For although my own life experience is the material from which I form this novel, this material has been altered, recombined, shaped to create a coherent and meaningful fictional artefact – a crucial transformation of a period of my life.”

Dave’s book Over a Year is now available on Amazon. Pick it up HERE.