NEW YEAR + NEW WEBSITE

I want to use this opportunity to thank you all, my friends, fans, blog readers, feedbackers, contributors and those who've bought the book. You guys are really amazing. I love you all as if I know you personally. You all have been very supportive in the few months this blog has been up, and I cannot wait for more to come in 2010! Happy new year to you all!!!

I have launched a website to promote Myne Whitman and you can now buy an autographed copy of the book at http://www.mynewhitman.com. To celebrate, the contest to win a free copy of A Heart to Mend has been extended and modified. You'll find details on the new website.

Thanks for coming with me on the journey and I promise you that there will be more stories to come. This blog will continue the Blogsville interactive story on Sunday so don't forget to come back and catch up on other budding writers.

Once again, HAVE A GREAT 2010!!!!!!!!!

ps, enjoy this clip, Ms O reminded me of it. I never would have made it without you guys. Of course God is ABOVE ALL and believe me I am thankful!

WINNER ANNOUNCED!!! + Update

The winner for the contributors contest is Cerebrally Busy with a count of 77! Send your address to mulan.mine@gmail and you'll receive your autographed book ASAP!

The league table is as follows. Please blame my science side for this cut and dry method, LOL. I wanted it to be fair, transparent and to reward consistency. The numbers are the poll votes + chapter comments by readers + contributors feedback to the blog.

Fabulola = 2 + 45 + 5 = 52
Isha = 2 + 44 + 2 = 48
NaijaBloke = 2 + 43 + 1 = 46
CerebrallyBusy = 7 + 57 + 13 = 77
Bubbles = 6 + 47 + 5 = 58
David = 12 + 43 + 8 = 63
Leggy = 4 + 38 + 18 = 60

UPDATE

For readers, I have decided to extend the giveaway period to make it more open because it seems a lot of people are still away from blogsville on Christmas and the rest of the holidays. I received a couple of entries and one have complained that they're not on facebook or Twitter so the steps to enter doesn't favor them. Therefore I have modified the guidelines to make it easier for more people to take part and the dates have also been extended from end of December to 31st January.

Modified Guidelines for Readers/Feedbackers.

Answer the following contest questions.
- What is on the cover of the novel A Heart to Mend?
- Who is your favorite character from the Gladys and Edward's story?
- Why do you like this character?
- If there's to be a sequel of A Heart to Mend, suggest a major character.
- Name your 5 favorite characters from the ongoing interactive story?

Send entries to mulan.mine@gmail Subject Line: A Heart to Mend contest
Entries should be received before 12:00AM (US Pacific) – Sunday 31st of January 2010.
Entries are open to all MWW readers, the books will be delivered to genuine postal addresses anywhere including Nigeria and Europe.
To promote transparency and fairness, a random.org widget will be used to select winners. Their names will also be published here on the blog.

Good Luck to everyone and I look forward to reading more submissions. I will also try to ensure that you receive your prize as quickly as possible when selected.

When do you take down the Christmas tree?

So we put up the Christmas tree in the run-up to Christmas. The story of how we shopped for the tree and the ornaments will fill this blog post so I'll leave that for now. The question is when to take it down. After all the stress of buying it and then putting it up with the plenty decorations, we should leave it up till next Christmas. OK I kid, I kid...maybe till the end of January. And it's so beautiful when lighted up, what do you think?

Merry Christmas, one and all...

I want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas, have a great day and remember the reason for the season. Have you read the last chapter by Leggy below this? So go on and update first. OK, now most of you know my novel 'A Heart to Mend' has been published, YAY!!! Your hardcopy can now be purchased from the publisher's website HERE.

In the spirit of Christmas and the New Year therefore, I have decided to give away two autographed copies of the paperback. This is to reward the readers of the blog and those who have made it what it has been recently, an interactive story hub.

Also, the virtual tour is off to a great start and I'm very happy at the buzz the book has been getting from all around. I'm sure some of you have seen the rave reviews on several websites including Olamild Entertainment, Afrogist TV, GidiLounge, Jaguda.com, The Bookaholic, and the Nigerian Village Square.

Now to the giveaway which will be in two formats as follows;

1. For Contributors.

Guidelines to select the winner.

They should leave a comment after this post to show interest
Blog about their contribution to the story and link it here.
The following numbers will be added to get the highest total.
- the comments after their contributed chapter.
- the vote count by readers for their favorite contributor.
- the total feedback they have contributed on this blog.
The poll runs until 12.00AM (US Pacific) 29th December 2009
Contributors are free to canvass and direct friends to vote.
In the case of a tie, there will be a random draw.


2. For Readers/Feedbackers.

Steps to Enter

Leave a comment after this post.
Join Myne Whitman Writes on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/Myne.Whitman
Tweet about the book mentioning @Myne_Whitman
If you're not already doing so, follow this blog.
Answer the following contest questions.
- What is on the cover of the novel A Heart to Mend?
- Who is your favorite character from the Gladys and Edward's story?
- Why do you like this character?
- If there's to be a sequel of A Heart to Mend, suggest a major character.
- Name your 5 favorite characters from the ongoing interactive story?

Guidelines

Send entries to mulan.mine@gmail (optional: indicate your FB/Tweet ID)
Subject Line: A Heart to Mend contest
Entries should be received before 12:00AM (US Pacific) – 31st December 2009.
Entries are open to all MWW readers, the books will be delivered to genuine postal addresses anywhere.
Only shortlisted entries will be contacted.
Winners will be chosen at random from this pool of top correct entries.
To promote transparency and fairness, a random.org widget will be used to select winners. Their names will also be published on the blog.


Good Luck to everyone and I look forward to reading your submissions. I will also try to ensure that you receive your prize as quickly as possible.

Match-making Mother....by Leggy

This is our last chapter for the year. So rather than voting for the next, you'll be voting for your favorite chapter (giveaway update). As usual vote on the left bar.

******************************

Chinedu stalked out of the party looking really mad. he couldn't even bear to face Iphey's mum and sister, he was that angry but confused at the same time. There was just a way that man hugged her with so much familiarity that he didn’t like, granted he had no reason to be mad. He wasn’t anything to her, not her boyfriend, not her brother, not even her friend, no matter how much he wanted to be the first.

Chinedu got into his car and drove out of the parking lot into the dim lit streets, easily manipulating the steering of his brand new Porsche Carrera GT. What didn’t he have that Iphey could possibly want in a guy? He was handsome-going by what other girls said to him, he was rich, he had his own company, and he was living the good life. He had paid for his mistakes over and over again; he deserved to be happy now without the shadow of a terrible mistake of his youthful days crowding his life. An occupation that didn’t even last that long and one in which he was pushed into by necessity.

He had to admit that Iphey looked really good in those clothes, very casual, not even a bit of make up on that face and she still looked so good. After watching her sleep in her apartment on the day of her sister’s son’s crisis, his feeling that they had a connection had become stronger. She had tried to apologize before he left and he kept expecting her call or something. After over a week and he had not heard from her, he had accepted her mother’s invitation to come for the party. He had been hoping that Iphey secretly knew about the invitation and really wanted to him to come. If wishes were horses….

But why exactly am I mad? He thought to himself, she kissed me, she left him and she kissed me, he might be whatever to her but it was me she chose to kiss. So why exactly am I angry?

The truth was that he felt he was getting so fed up with her games, fed up with wondering- does she like me? Always asking himself, Is she just fronting? Is she like all those other girls?

He gently drove into his drive way and got out of the car, picked up his coat and phone from the backseat of the car and walked into his house. As he undressed slowly he thought back at the events of that night, the taste of her lips still lingered on his lips, he liked Iphey with all his heart but he felt like he was being manipulated, being tested, she kept opening up to him and withdrawing. Maybe she doesn’t even like men, he thought and as that crossed his mind he smiled, okay he was going crazy.

He stepped into his pajamas, picked up his phone and called her mum. After the fourth ring she picked up and yelled ‘hello’ into the phone, it was really loud in there.

"Good evening ma," he responded.

"Hey, my son, I heard you left, you didn’t even think to come say goodnight to us?"

"Ahn ahn mama, it’s not like that now. There was an emergency in the office I had to attend to, all these newbies in the office always messing up one file or the other." he answered. A little white lie couldn’t hurt, he thought.

"And they had to call the CEO to attend to such details on a Friday evening too? No problem my son, at least you thought to call. So is Iphey with you? I can’t find her anywhere around here and she isn’t picking up her phone." Iphey's mother sounded a little worried.

"No, ma," he replied. "When I was leaving she was still there. I’ll try and track her down for you and get back to you on her whereabouts, she’s probably somewhere around there and can’t hear her phone ring because of the loud music." Or maybe she has gone off with the other guy an inner voice taunted him.

"I hope so oh. I assumed that you both went off together, you know I saw you both." She laughed, 'well, call me when you speak to her oh. I'm just a little worried because the last time I saw her she looked upset."

"I think I upset her by coming without her knowledge, there was another guy..."

"Rubbish, of course that's not true. That guy works at her office that's all, he's still here."

"OK no problem, ma. I’ll call her right away. Bye bye ma," he replied, not in the least bit relieved and even a little worried.

"Bye bye my son" she answered back.

As iphey’s mother closed her phone, she smiled cunningly to Iphey’s sister, Ngozi who looked at her with a mixture of a frown and a smile.

Iphey is going to kill you if she finds out you are meddling in her personal business. Just because you were right about James and I getting together doesn’t mean you should consider yourself a matchmaker. Remember that we still don't know whether he only missing or he's deserted me," she said.

"I'm sure James will still come back, isn't Obi back home after what the doctors said? Trust me on this, I'm still the very good and wise mother who married you off single handedly. As for Iphey, she is being too much of a fool and I can’t just stand by and let her run this nice Chinedu off like all the others."

She smiled at Iphey who stood quietly with her colleagues looking sad and annoyed at the same time. Iphey's mum turned and winked at Ngozi; she could already hear the wedding bells ringing.

**********************************


Our contributor is LEGGY. This is an excerpt from the last entry on her blog on the topic of marriage and would be matchmakers, LOL...

i hate it when people ask me if i dont want to get married.
marriage is something that will happen if it will happen
its not an institution that is an attractive venture for me.
well, unless someone pays me to marry them...that'd be super cool.
im 18, marriage is a thought that barely crosses my mind.
ill cross that bridge when im done living my life and feel like i need an extra hobby.

Results are in + End of year Giveaways

I hope you guys are enjoying the holidays and looking forward to Christmas like me. This is to say a big thanks to all who read and voted. There was no close draw here, the vote was clear that we wanted to hear from Chinedu. So the story will continue from where it stopped in David's chapter from the point of view of Chinedu. Why did he walk away? Did he go home or have a discussion with Iphey's mum and sister? Did he find out who the man hugging Iphey is and why she kissed him? Remember the first person to comment on the next chapter wins a free copy of my eBook "Love Happens" or you can download it on lulu.

Our next contributor is LEGGY who I think is a great writer. She has had some poems and short stories up on her blog. Check back by Tuesday latest to read what she writes for the next chapter. After that, I'll write the last chapter of the year. We need more contributors so please let me know if you're interested and the time frames that work better for you. Just send me an email mulan.mine atgmail dotcom with your contact/tweeter. Previous contributors are very welcome to write again too.

END OF YEAR GIVEAWAYS

1. Contributors competition: Winner to be selected based on comments and vote count.
2. Random draw from all the names on my top 50 commenters list.

Winners to get an autographed copy of my new paperback novel, A Heart to Mend. Details to come...

Blog Promo Update for A Heart to Mend

So I told you guys about the Virtual Tour and the blog promo of my upcoming book, A Heart to Mend. Two bloggers were gracious enough to host me on their blogs in the past week. I want to say a big thank you to both Muyiwa and Pinkapplecore. Below are excerpts from the interviews, the full gist can be found on their pages linked with the blog names below.

An update on the book is that I'll certainly be holding a copy before Christmas and maybe you may too. You can pre-order from the publisher's website in the AuthorHouse Bookstore. In the meantime, I'm still open to interviews between now and January 31, let me know if you're interested...mulan.mine atgmail dotcom

1. From Muyiwa of PEOPLE IN THE LIMELIGHT

When you started blogging,what made you think you will create a niche for yourself in area of writing?

Most times, I am very private unless I feel I have established a rapport with the people I meet. So I knew I could never start off with a personal blog. I used to read two writing blogs which gave me an idea of what I wanted to do and they were by Favoured girl and Flourishing Florida. I'm happy I have been able to establish my blog as a story and writing site but it has just been luck. I salute all the naija blogsville members especially those who have stood the test of time and made it the community it is today.

How easy are you finding it now?

Blogging has been amazing especially in my chosen niche. I got overwhelming response to the Gladys and Edward story which is now a Heart to Mend on my blog and again when I decided to self-publish and open up the blog to other budding writers. In the four months since I started, I have won several awards and a couple of giveaways (an Ankara material from Olamild and an Ogoo Ogbata book from SolomonSydelle.

In a summary,is there any lesson to learn from the story?

In the book, Gladys is a young woman, newly arrived in Lagos and from a deprived background. She had been estranged from her aunt and is a bit cynical of rich people. While still working on her new relationship with her Aunt Isioma, she meets Edward, a wealthy egoist who is surprising kindhearted. She is smitten by his physical looks and his interest in her though she continues to feel he's out of her reach. Edward is highly attracted to her physically but as time goes on, he realizes he may have set up his heart for a fall. He is from a shadowed past and has been deeply scarred by events that happened when he was younger. They are able to surmount this and all other obstacles before them including differing views on premarital sex, social class and contrary advice from friends. Gladys and Edward decide to trust their hearts with each other and begin to prepare for their wedding. This main story line runs through the subplot of growing friendships, family reunions, the Nigerian stock market, business intrigues and a vendetta.

The novel details how we can be affected by events from our past and how it may limit our opportunities in the present especially in the area of love and relationships. Gladys obsesses over the divide between her and Edward, while he had barricaded his heart and was not letting anyone in, man or woman. The lesson is that none of us is perfect but we should be able to keep our heart open for that (sometimes one) person who has enough masking tape to cover our imperfections and make an ideal couple.


2. From Pinkapplecore of THE MAGICAL CHIP BAG

Is there a character you modeled after yourself or someone you know?

None of the characters in this book is based on myself or any one I know but on a cumulative of my world view and experience. Since I try to make my stories as real as possible, they also share our fears and hopes, our victories and our pain. Other than that, they're just people of my imaginings and therefore may seem free from some of the usual constraints real persons face.

If you could chose three words to describe the book what would they be?

Intriguing, fun, and lovely

Do you plan on writing more books or a sequel?

I definitely plan on writing more books. A sequel is not on the books right now but who knows what will happen? LOL. I am currently working on another romantic suspense manuscript and a couple of short stories, one of which I hope will be published before the end of the coming year.

The game takes a turn ....by David

Iphey got home early from work and dressed to go to her sister’s house. She had had a fair enough day but wasn’t to be pushed…she was almost at her limit.

Her mom had been in Lagos for the past couple of weeks. Though she was staying with Ngozi to help take care of Obi, her presence still weighed heavy on Iphey. The bright side was that her nephew had been released from the hospital two days ago. They had all been surprised, considering his still weakened condition but the doctors said he was stable and would bounce back faster at home.

“Mum, how can you have a party for Ngozi and Obi? Shouldn’t they be resting and besides, how come I'm just finding out about the party?” Iphey recalled her conversation with her mum just last night.

“My daugther, I’m sorry but seeing as you are a very busy lady, I didn’t want to stress you more than you are. I know the few times you could come to the hospital. This is also my send off, I'm returning to Port Harcourt on Sunday.”

That was the only excuse she got from her mom. An excuse that raised suspicions that didn’t sit well in her stomach. Though her attempts to find out who the other guests were from her mom seemed futile, she was so relieved her mum was finally leaving that she let it slide. Her mum had visited her office twice and she'd also caught her going through her phone. Iphey was beginning to feel like a third wheel with her colleagues and friends where her mum was concerned.

Oh well, she didn't want to overdress so she wore a pink, light sweater on a faded, deep blue jeans and a black, sleeveless leather jacket over that. She wore no make-up that evening. Looking into the mirror to make sure that her curves were not too pronounced, she stepped out of her apartment.

************

Chinedu parked his car on the street his heart beating a little bit faster. He had taken a chance to accept the invitation from Iphey's mother. He and her daughter had not spoken in nearly a week. Aisha had asked what he did since Iphey didn't want to talk about him though she had tried several times to find out what was happening. He was of half a mind to give up but something told him not to.

He had never had it this difficult with a girl. He had the looks, the money, and the charisma. She was different…he suspected that she was not swayed by frivolities but was more interested in his personality. If so, he’ll take things slow.

He walked into the house and saw other guests that had been invited, holding drinks and making conversation. He scanned for Habib but first found Aisha and her husband in a corner of the room with the lady who most definitely made his heart stop. ONLY ONE WOMAN MADE HIM FEEL THIS WAY! He took charge of him emotions, mustered a bland expression and walked up to them. Before he got there something unexpected happened.

A tall, well dressed man joined the group, greeted them and hugged Iphey with familiarity. Even Chinedu couldn’t deny that this new man was very attractive and he looked like he’s got money as well. He felt a stab in his chest and his face betrayed his cool demeanor. He was full of jealousy in a way he had never been, especially as the stranger's hand was still resting on her hips.

“It’s not that she’s my lady but I know I can’t stand her with another man..." A voice broke into his thoughts. It was Habib, "Why you stand here, come on…”

Chinedu walked with him to say a very brief hi to everyone. He saw an expression of guilt on Iphey’s face…this made him a little happy. He walked away after a muttered excuse to get a drink.

“Chinedu, Chinedu…hold on. Stop! Please…”, Ipey called out. She had left the man she was with and came after him. He smiled.

He turned around so suddenly that she ran into him and almost fell. He caught her on impulse and held her close. His heart raced and seemed to beat twice as fast. He looked into her eyes as the adrenaline pumped through his veins…and drowned in the beauty before him. A thousand years could have passed and he would not have traded that moment for anything. He stood there oblivious to his surroundings and wondered what was going on in her head. He wanted to know.

Without warning, she kissed him, For a second, he thought he was dreaming, only to realise that it was for real. She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek but he remained tense and unyielding. Although he wanted nothing more than to fold her close he still smarted from the jealousy she had stirred in him. He pulled away and watched as she looked at him in disbelief.

“What was that about?” he asked.

“I wanted to say welcome and thanks for coming…” He could see she was embarrassed by his aloofness and didn’t know what to say. She followed the direction of his gaze and gripped his arm. "I know what you're thinking but trust me, he's not...”

Cutting her short, “What does that have to do with me? Why should I care? At least you’ve made it clear that you want nothing to do with an ex-armed robber. Now I know why you refused to hear the circumstances that led me down that path..."

"Chinedu please..."

He smiled without mirth, "Well I came on your mother's invitation, so I’ll go greet her and your sister and be out of here…let's just say my eyes are now opened.”

With that…he walked away, leaving her transfixed and at loss of what just happened.

*************


That is it folks. I have to say that this is another post I really loved. Now vote for the next chapter on the left side bar. Our contributor is DAVID.This is an excerpt from the last entry on his blog;

WHY ARE YOU SCARED TO LOVE?
Well, I'm not really scared to love...I'm the kind of person who gives it all when he loves someone who loves him back but until then, I'm pretty much not accessible.

HAVE YOU BEEN HURT BEFORE?
Of course...lol! Contrary to the belief that I'm not human or that I do not have a heart, I do. DANG!!! IT HURT LIKE CRAZY AND I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO FEEL IT AGAIN...but the irony is that, the pain makes you appreciate LOVE on a whole different level.

Go over and show him some love on his 50th blog post and answers to reader's questions. davidolorun.blogspot.com Our next contributor is Leggy, I can't wait for the explanation to this.

Update + Virtual Blog Tour Promo

I want to say a big thanks to all who read and voted. The results are in and the next chapter of the story is more on the Iphey and Chinedu story. What happened between them? Does he meet Iphey again? Did Iphey call to apologise? Our next contributor is David, God's favoured numba one (nice name eh?). His chapter will be ready by Wednesday latest. Remember the first person to comment on the next chapter wins a free copy of my eBook "Love Happens" or you can download it on lulu. So update your blog rolls accordingly.




On other news, Myne Whitman is about to hit the road, at least the virtual road. I have sent out emails to a few web-based news vendors to promote the book via interviews, features and reviews. I have got positive interest from African Loft and a few others. I still await feedback from Bellanaija, Gidilounge, Mimimagazine, Genevieve, OlaMild Entertainment and several others.

The poster above is a promo and since this started from Blogsville, the bus has to move from here. I therefore want to invite interested bloggers to contact me (mulan.mine@gmail.com) for interviews, reviews or just a feature on their blog. I will give them all the necessary material including the poster above, a pdf copy of the book for giveaway to their readers and themselves, pictures of me and links to the necessary sites. I will also promote their sites on this page.

The first stop was yesterday on Spesh's World Paparazzi. Click on the link and go get some more info about me and the book.

See you soon.

Office Politics: Small small girls....by Bubbles

Bisi was on her BB as she stepped out of the bank’s official car. Her last marketing call had been very successful indeed. She was smiling as she walked into the closed banking hall from the back entrance.

Iphey and Jane were at the front desk. “Welcome back.” Iphey greeted.

Bisi nodded. “Follow me,” she mouthed since she was still on the cell phone.

She walked into the marketing office which was empty, all her colleagues must have left for the day, and settled into her swivel chair. “I will see you once I get off here...ok bye bye.” She pressed the end call button and turned. Iphey was leaning on the door looking at her with a smile.

“Hey babes, I've told you to relax with me. Come and sit down, I have gist.”

Iphey walked over and took the seat opposite.

“I met your boyfriend…”

“Who are you talking about?” Iphey looked surprised.

“I met Chinedu in Silverbird last night. Fine hard working bobo like that. All he could talk about was you, his friend said he even left us to run to your side…”

“Oh, he’s not my boyfriend ooo abeg…”

“But wouldn’t you like him to be? Maybe if Funmi hears about you both, she'll know you left Ayo for her…”

“Shheshh. Don’t let anyone hear you say that. I told you about them in confidence.”

Bisi motioned of zipping her lips.

“I...” Iphey moved forward but the ringing intercom cut her off.

“Hold on.” Bisi picked it up, listened for a bit and hung up. “Jane said she needs you back, she wants to leave soon.”

“OK, let’s talk tomorrow.” Iphey stood up and left the office.

Bisi tidied up her desk, put all the necessary documents in a black folder and slammed it shut. She shrugged into her dark purple blazer, and re-applied her lip gloss. She smacked her lips and walked down the corridor around the corner. On the right stood a beige door, she knocked twice.

"Come in."

Bisi walked in with a smile on her face. “Oga mi…” She walked towards the table.

“I’ve told you to stop calling me that. Wetin sef?”

“Ahn ahn, Funmi calm down jo! Body too dey pepper you.” Bisi huffed and crossed her arms in annoyance.

The head of operations backed down. “Ok, ok sorry! But I don’t know when you’re being sarcastic with the Oga thing.”

“I just dey hail you. I know that when the time comes, you will help me just like Ayo gave you a double promotion.” Bisi uncrossed her arms and sat down.

“You can trust me on that. Did Alhaji give you the account?”

Bisi took off her blazer and leaned forward with excitement. “Yes now, don’t you know me again?” She waggled her eyebrows. “Who can resist this?” She bent low till her pendant was hanging in the exposed cleavage.

Funmi laughed. “No forget say na me give you the connections and 411.”

“I fit?” Bisi sat back and placed the black folder on the desk between then. “He said we should expect turnover of at least five hundred million a month…”

“Wow, with this, you’ll soon be head of marketing and I’ll be branch manager.” Funmi jumped to her feet and came around to hug her.

“So you want to displace your former lover?” Bisi laughed.

Funmi leaned on the corner of the table. “Don’t mind that stupid randy goat. He wants to push me over because of small small girls. Did Iphey tell you anything else?”

“She said she'll hook him to displace you, and is still bad mouthing you sha..."

"I will show her..." Funmi shook her head and bit a nail.

Bisi laughed. "Listen to new gist first. I went out during the weekend and met this guy…”

“Where did you go sef? I hope it wasn’t that razz place in Silverbird?" Funmi interrupted, eyeing her with disdain.

“The place is not razz jo! Please let me finish my story now?”

“Ok, ok continue.”

“As I was saying, I met this guy who asked me if I knew Iphey. He wants her. I don’t know how or where she met him but she is one lucky girl, he is very handsome.”

“How is that my concern?”

“Don't you want her to date him and leave Ayo for you?”

Funmi pursed her lips. “Hmmm...that one is her business o. Imagine, less than three months and she wants to pull weight with me. Ayo or no Ayo, she has to leave this branch if not the bank. I can’t stand her.”

Bisi got up and faced Funmi. “So Ayo is not getting back with you?”

Funmi sucked her teeth, “So he says but I’m still working on him…”

“That fool! Maybe you should just forget about him.”

“We shall see.”

“Ok o! I have to go now. I’m meeting Alhaji.” She put on her blazer.

“Alright, full gist tomorrow?”

Bisi nodded and tapped her folder. “Abeg get the small small girls to open the account. You can add more mistakes to bounce on their head as usual.”

"I need the ammo to show that small girl pepper."

They both laughed as Bisi walked out.


*************************

That's it folks and remember to vote on the left sidebar for more. Office politics are so like high school drama, some people like to stir wahala up. This contribution from BUBBLES reminds me of a post on her blog. LWKMD when I read it...

"Ok my first high school...

I would take a girl's uniform/house wears from her room and put it in another girl's closet in like room 20. Then I would take the clothes from the girl in room 20 and put in another girl's closet in like room 1. These girls will wake up the next morning tryna figure were the fuck their uniforms went?! I took ALL of their uniforms! I didn't even leave a shirt. nope...

I would switch people's books. I was in JSS1B. I would take books from 1B and put it in people's lockers in like SS2A. Like I showed them PEPPER! I would take people's school bags and throw them outside. Only if these people pissed me off tho! I didn't just do things randomly..."

My Book Cover!!!!!

I know we were waiting for BUBBLES, (her story is coming soonest I promise) but I just couldn't wait to share with my blogfam. The galley of my book and the mock-up cover arrived yesterday. The cover is the picture shown above and I'm thrilled! I'm not totally satisfied with it but it certainly makes this even more real seeing it. What do you think and what changes would you make if it were you?

Sorry I've not been to some of your blogs, I was busy yesterday looking through the galley for any typos, etc. I'll do my rounds when I'm done with that. I want to see if we can get the book out for the new year.

Thank you all so much. You've all been a part of this.

Results + Update

This is to say a big thanks to all who read and voted. The votes have been counted and the results are in. Again we almost had a tie however, with one more vote, we'll go on to hear from Bisi on what happens in the office. Does she tell Iphey she met Chinedu? What happened between them? Remember the first person to comment on the next chapter wins a free copy of my eBook "Love Happens" or you can download it on lulu.

Our next contributor is BUBBLES who I think is a great writer. She had a short story running on her blog recently. Check back by Tuesday latest to read what she writes for the next chapter. After that, we'll have the following two chapters from David and Leggy consecutively. The remaining list of people who have expressed interest in contributing is in no particular order below. Please let me know if you're still interested and if there are time frames that work better for you. Just send me an email mulan.mine atgmail dotcom with your contact/tweeter. Previous contributors are very welcome to write again too.

1. Omotee!
2. Tisha
3. Miss Natural
4. Afronuts
5. Miss Fab.
6. Neefemi
7. My world
8. Nita
9. G-func
10. Neo
11. Severus Snape

Meanwhile, if you've not gotten your button for everyone who had read, commented and voted on the story, you can still do so. Copy the picture below and link it to my blog. You can do this by saving the picture to your computer, adding a gadget for pictures on your template and putting my blog address on the URL area. I have seen it on some blogs in my rounds and want to say again, thank you all and I really appreciate you.

Please don't judge me......by Atala Wala Wala

Chinedu watched her as she slept, taking in the delicately curved lashes, the slight uptilt of her nose and her long, tied-back hair. As he did, once again he regretted the reckless streak that had made him tell her that he was an armed robber during their previous encounter. He shrugged; I guess that's just who I am.

Iphey stirred and and opened her eyes. She sat up with a jerk and looked around. How could she have fallen asleep with a guest in the flat.

"Madam, drinks are served." He bowed with an exaggerated gesture and presented her with the glass.

She sat up and took it with a grateful smile. "How long have I been sleeping?"

Chinedu smiled back. "Not long enough. After the stress of today, you definitely need some rest. Even your body agrees."

While Iphey drank, her mind turned cartwheels. He was kind and considerate; he was funny; and he was good looking. She did want to like him, but... that history. And how could he be so comfortable and nonchalant about it, too? What exactly had happened to drive him down those darker paths of life?

But did she really want to know, anyway? Wasn’t it her curiosity that had saddled her with the burden of this knowledge? What if he revealed even darker secrets - secrets that made it too difficult to bear the contrast between the person she was getting to like and the person she wanted to keep at a distance?

A musky scent intruded into her thoughts as Chinedu settled himself beside her. “You seem to be a lot better, but it looks like you also have something on your mind.”

“Oh… I was still thinking about my nephew… I’m praying that he’ll pull through.” Iphey was thankful for the handy smokescreen Obi’s hospitalization presented to her.

Chinedu nodded. “I completely understand. Was it very shocking to hear the news?”

“He’s had asthma attacks before, but nothing like this…” Her voice trailed off.

“I hope he pulls through; in any case, he’s in good hands now. There’s not much else we can do except pray”.

They sat together for a while, each lost in thought.

Iphey broke the silence. “Oh, I feel so bad; you’ve been so kind. I am a bad host. Can I get you anything?”

Chinedu laughed. “This isn’t a proper visit, I only came over when your mum told me about your nephew's crisis. I've put some Indomie in the microwave for you, otherwise, I'm happy to just talk. Like I said earlier, once I heard from Aisha, I was hoping we could set another date. ”

Again, Iphey felt herself torn apart by the self that said “go for it, he’s a great guy” and the other self that said “watch out, he used to be an armed robber!”.

The cautionary self won out. “Well, I don’t know… right now, my mind is not settled enough to think about that.”

“I understand, and that’s why I’m not asking you for anything immediate. I only want to know if you would like to meet at all.”

Seeing her hesitate further, he added “Think about it. You’ll get the chance to hear about my adventures during my life of crime.”

At that remark, all her apprehension boiled over into indignation. “How can you be so callous and talk about it as an adventure, as though you had been on holiday? Don’t you even feel any remorse?”

Chinedu nodded his head. So it was the armed robber thing; he had thought as much. “I regret what I did then, but that doesn’t mean that I cannot describe some of them as adventures. Or do you want me be to lie about my past to you?”

“I’m not asking you to lie, but please show a sense of shame! Why should I want to hear about the adventures of an armed robber on a date?”

Chinedu began to feel irritated; he had meant to bring the issue up in a light-hearted way to diffuse any possible tension, but that sure wasn't working.

“OK, I’m sorry that I’m not perfect. I’m sorry that my life has this smear you disapprove of. But at least, one good thing is that if I meet someone who made mistakes and turned their life around, I’m less likely to judge them harshly.”

Iphey was defensive. “I’m not judging you; I’m just saying that you shouldn't take it so lightly.”

“Really?" Chinedu smiled bitterly. "Avoiding Aisha's calls and not even calling me to say thanks all this while has nothing to do with me being an armed robber before? Do you remember the anger and force with which you responded to the revelation?”

Seeing that Iphey had been embarrassed into silence, he continued in a softer tone. “I don’t blame you; others have judged me before too. I found it wiser to be quiet about my past. Even now, I don’t tell everyone. I only tell people I’ve known for long enough to trust.

“But sometimes, I take a chance, follow my instincts and tell people who I feel I have strong connection to, even though I’ve just met them; people who I feel will be willing to listen more and judge less.” He looked into her eyes, and continued. “The trouble is, sometimes, my instincts are wrong.”

Chinedu rose and stretched. “It’s getting late so I must head out.” At the door, he stopped and turned. “My instincts may be wrong sometimes; but somehow, I don’t think this is one of them. How do I know? Maybe it’s my instinct telling me.”

He smiled wanly and added. “I really hope your nephew makes it out of intensive care. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. Have a good night, Iphey.”

She listened to the door latch slowly, her head bowed in thought. The ping of the microwave brought her out of it.


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That is it folks and thanks for reading. Vote on the left side for the next chapter. Our next contributor will be BUBBLES. Please if I have skipped you, let me know. We're still taking writers so continue to indicate interest in the comments. Thanks.

Finally, I may be biased cos of who's writing but the ending of this episode made me think. What are your thoughts?

Results + Thank you buttons

This is to say a big thanks to all who voted. The votes have been counted and the results are in. Isn't that what they say in all those reality TV shows?

Anyway, the results are in again and this time we almost had a tie again. However, two people more want to move on with the story and hear what happened between Chinedu and Iphey. Could this really be love?

Our next contributor is ATALA WALA WALA. I know other contributors have their own blogs to run so SO will be coming in once in a while. And he's liking the story and wants to remain involved. So the next chapter of the story will be up by Friday latest. You can download a copy of the ebook on lulu now and remember, the first person to comment on the next chapter wins a free copy.

In the meantime, I wanted to appreciate all the contributors so far and all those who will contribute as time goes on. So we (you know who, but let me claim small too abeg) made this button. The recipients should check their emails for the code.



1. Atala Wala Wala
2. Fabulola
3. Isha
4. RealNaija Bloke
5. Cerebrally Busy

However I also wanted a button for everyone who had read, commented and voted on the story, to show you're also a big part of this. There are so many of you and you all know yourselves. Copy the picture below and link it to my blog. You can do this by saving the picture to your computer, adding a gadget for pictures on your template and putting my blog address on the URL area. Thanks again for contributing on my blog and I really appreciate you.