To Love and Let go by Annabella

Damilola shifted uncomfortably in the plush settee, she had been in one position too long. It was late, 10pm, but to Damilola it was as good as past midnight. She had been expecting him home for the past two hours and his two phones were off. She still sat pensively in front of the TV not really seeing any humour in the antics of Nkem Owoh’s character in the Nollywood movie. For a moment she forgot her anger and said a quick, worried prayer for Dotun.

Passion on the Plains by Sherita Smedley - Author Spotlight

Sherita Smedley has a Master's of Arts in Creative Writing from National University and her freelance articles for www.blackprint.cc, include "Feminism vs. Womanism", "Post Pregnancy: The Misshapen Body", and "Army Wives, Army Lies". She has also done "how to" articles for demandstudios.com. Her short story "The Hour", a fictional account of a runaway slave's escape to freedom has been published in National University's GNU.

In her spare time she loves to read, crochet, knit, volunteer in the children ministry at Destiny World Outreach Center, and to spend time with her family. She resides with her husband and two children in Texas. Sherita Smedley's current work is an inspirational historical romance novel titled, "Passion on the Plains."

Be Safe as Hurricane Sandy Makes Land Fall

The phone calls started yesterday, as friends and family called to be sure it wasn't our Washington that was in the way of Hurricane Sandy. We assured them that was DC and we're all this way over on the other side of the country. I was even flippant, saying it couldn't be worse than maybe some rain and flooding. It was jarring to listen to the evening news after a busy day and hear of death tolls and destruction.

Nse Ikpe on Friendship, Finding a Man and Hobbies

Nse Etim Ikpe is a nollywood actress and has been nominated and won some awards that prove how good she is. She features in a lot of the new nollywood movies and in a recent interview, she talked about what she thinks about friends and friendship, her adventures in finding a man, and some of her hobbies. Enjoy...

The Bino and Fino Show Fund Raising Campaign

Is there any parent here wanting a more African or Nigerian TV content for their kids? Bino and Fino is an African educational cartoon show, currently in production, about a brother and sister who live in a modern day city in sub-Saharan Africa. A 24-minute TV feature of the show has been broadcast in the UK, South Africa, online for free, and at festivals. To help complete a 26 episode first season, the filmmakers have started a campaign to raise $50,000.

Why do women turn a blind eye to Infidelity? Search #2

This particular topic has been discussed in several posts we've done on Infidelity but not really from this perspective. The closest I could find was on the reason Nigerian marriages are such a farce. But beyond naija and our issues, why do women generally turn a blind eye to their men cheating? The biggest name you'll hear the most often is Hilary Clinton, and she is still with her husband, Bill Clinton. Thoughts?

Dear Myne - How do I tell him I'm no more interested?

Dear all, please I need your help? I have a boyfriend, and we have been dating for one year now, and our parent know each oda as boyfriend and girlfriend. I dont know what happened, but I am tired of the relationship. I hardly saw my boyfriend in the past few months. First, it was because of his youth service - he was posted to Lokoja - but now he is back and he still doesn't have my time. I had to beg him to talk to me in those days but now I am just tired of everything.

Houston Grey - Turn Me On : Music Meets Romance

I liked the mellow tunes in this song, which kind of reminded me of some parts of the K'Naan SA World cup anthem. The video itself is also well made. Enjoy...

Infertility, Bravery, Building Networks of Support

Sometimes the unfairness of my infertility bugs me and I am tempted to compare. Why is that teenager having a child after just one sexual encounter and after years of loving sex with my husband, I can't? How could that 60 years old woman who did IVF in South Africa have had twins and I had a failed IVF? Atala and I had been pretty decent human beings, so why did we have to suffer this delay and difficulty is building our family?

Go Myne, It's Your Birthday

Today has started in a fantastic way and to think it's just the morning. I just want to say a quick thanks to everyone who sent messages through one or the other of Facebook, Twitter and email, I really appreciate it. And to share the love, I'll be giving away 2 eBook copies each of A Heart to  Mend and A Love Rekindled and one $20 gift card to some lucky commenters. Thanks again! Now let me go and enjoy proper :)

Birthday Wish Gone Berserk By Isa

So on the 27th of September, a day to my birthday, I made a wish. I had just found out that my 'friend-with-benefit-no-strings-attached' guy was hitting on my friend. Now I couldn't protest or confront him for two reasons. 1. I shouldn't be bothered he is hitting on her because we had agreed no emotions attached. 2. She made me swear to secrecy on our friendship that it wouldn't slip. Now there's something wrong with that also. She doesn't know he's my nack-and-clean mouth guy. She just wanted to gossip. In fact, we weren't gossiping. We were talking and his name seemed to pop-up and she goes, 'Ouh do you know..."

The Waiting Booth by Brinda Berry - $100 Giveaway

Book Blurb

A missing boy, government agents, an interdimensional portal... Mia has one goal for her senior year at Whispering Woods High-find her missing older brother. But when her science project reveals a portal into another dimension, she learns that travelers are moving in and out of her woods in the most alarming way and government agents Regulus and Arizona are policing their immigration. Mia's drawn to the mysterious, aloof Regulus, but it's no time for a crush. She needs to find out what they know about her brother, while the agents fight to save the world from viral contamination. But when Regulus reveals that he knows Mia's secrets, she begins to wonder if there's more going on than she thought...and if she was wrong to trust him...

Is Mercy Johnson Divorced? - Search #1

So is Mercy Johnson divorced? Not to start any rumors or anything but ever since my post on the divorce controversy surrounding the actresses' marriage, a lot of the searches come to this site asking about her divorce. As far as I know, Mercy Johnson is NOT divorced from her husband. In fact, she is reported to be pregnant and due soon. Pictures below.

Love and First Impressions - Conclusion

Over the next few months, Taribo and Julie continued to see each other. They had both agreed that it would be a good idea for them to start off as friends, and to see how things developed. And the more Taribo saw of Julie, the more he liked her. He sometimes met her at the hospitals that she visited in the line of her work, and he saw how the staff and patients responded with affection to her genuine interest in them. He noted how cheerful and optimistic she was, even on days when things hadn’t gone her way.

This is Donald Trump's Obama Bombshell?

After enjoying Obama's outing at the last debate and cheering for him to win the forthcoming elections, I didn't know whether to laugh or rant when I read about Donald Trump's big announcement gimmick. There were rumors on what it could be, from more birth certificate shenanigans, to an alleged divorce between the Obamas. Check out the video or press release below for what the challenge or announcement really is.

A Good Man Who Can Find? by Tofa Ige

I know a lot of people will ask, who is a good man? What defines good? What does a man have to provide to be termed good? Does he have to be stinking rich to fit that tag? Should he be a father figure, an encourager….or perhaps a protector? I perceive that many will even turn up their noses and scoff that there is no good man on planet earth.

Trick or Treat? The Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

Welcome to my stop on the third annual SPOOKTACULAR GIVEAWAY HOP, and with over 400 blogs taking part. As some of you may know, my birthday is just around the corner and so also is Halloween. Whether you like to be scared or not, this prize is for you. The winner of my Giveaway will receive their choice of up to $20 in books from The Book Depository (including shipping) or a $20 email Gift card from Amazon.com.

Halle Berry, Low Self Esteem and Bad Choices in Men

Some of us often ask why a woman in an unhealthy relationship remains in it. As much as we don't know her partner as she does, and maybe he does need help, first of all however, the victim has to realize her self-worth in order to begin to understand that she needs to withdraw from that relationship and save herself before she can worry about her partner and what he needs. [see post on Rihanna still loves Chris Brown]

How to Get Nigerian Igbo Guys - Search #1

Remember when I announced the search series? Most of my #1 keywords are for topics we've already discussed, but when one we haven't comes along, I'll share - if it sounds interesting or I think you guys have an answer. The first was on how to reject a Nigerian man. Today, it is the opposite, someone wants to know how to get Nigerian Igbo guys. If these Igbo Nigerian men pictures below are anything to go by, I am not surprised, lol...

Love and First Impressions - Short Story

Taribo repeatedly scanned the restaurant for Julie, hoping that she would be on time. There was nothing he hated more than people who had no concept of punctuality – that was why he had arrived a full fifteen minutes before the time that they had agreed on the phone. In between scans, he thought about the circumstances that had led to their date.

Eldee on Love, Marriage, Family and Celebrity

Lanre Dabiri, or eLDee the Don as he is more popularly known, is a Nigerian music star and was featured on the BN weekend interview where he spoke about his marriage and family. I was intrigued enough to want to know more. I found that BN had also covered his wedding and I was impressed enough by their story to share.

Ebisan - Jowo: Music Video Romance

Singer-songwriter Ebisan is also one of the actors in another of her video directed by MR AK ONE. This one features South African artist Moneoa as The Bride, with fun cameos from Nigerian RnB group Styl-Plus and rapper Provabs. The story illustrates that saying, Hell Hath No Fury. Nice enough, but I think the singer's voice was a bit over auto-tuned in the song.

The Bremerton Ferry to Seattle - Weekend Pictures

On one of the last days of summer, we decided to take advantage of the good weather and enjoy a nice drive and ferry ride. This would be my first ferry, something we had been planning for two years now, but always put off till the weather turned each time. Since my mum was around this time, we wanted her to share the experience and so fixed a date.

Having to Choose - IVF versus Adoption

To summarize for those just joining us, Atala and I had been married three years, trying to get pregnant for over two years, and had about a year of fertility tests and assisted reproductive therapy (ART). The doctor's diagnosis was unexplained infertility. My laid back personality allowed me to take each day as it came but there was some anxiety and disappointment as the results for each stage came - positive if it was a medical test, and negative if it was a pregnancy test. Yes, most things were OK with my body, but I just was not getting pregnant. You can read more on the infertility page.

Dealing with Fruitflies in the House!

I am usually level headed when it comes to pests but some either scare me or just creep me out. For instance, I am scared of bees and wasps, have been since I was much younger. I have this fear that they will sting me to death. Some may say that is extreme, but even a sting is painful and everyone who has been stung talks of the swelling, pain and more pain. I have seen one such person and the sight stayed with me. Not nice at all *SMH*.

The Enchanted Truth - Book Review and Giveaway

I have received two copies of The Enchanted truth by Kym Petrie from the publishers so I have a copy to giveaway. To stand a chance to win it, keep reading.

Couple Marries 65 years after First Meeting

The story of Ethel Lee and Odell Robbins arrived in my inbox under the alert for my novel A Love Rekindled. The couple got married last week, 65 years after they first met. Ethel met Odell, they dated for a while, and then moved on with their lives, only reconnecting this year, when Odell moved back to the same city. Certainly echoes of Kevwe and Efe in A Love Rekindled. Enjoy the old school love story...

A Christian Woman Lives Biblically for one Year

A blogger decided to attempt to follow, as literally as possible, all the instructions in the Bible concerning women. She called her husband "master," grew out her hair, slept outside of her house in a tent when she had her period, and broadcast his praise at the gates of her city (picture above). She has now documented the year-long experiment in a book - A Year of Biblical Womanhood.

Jane Austen Book Giveaway

Jane Austen is one of the classic writers, she has been touted as the pioneer of romance novelists. If you love reading, or you studied literature at all, it's very likely you've read at least one of Jane Austen's books. I admit I've watched more of the movies than the books, Colin Firth as Mr Darcy is a favorite.

The Ticking Biological Clock

If all the talk one hears is to be believed, most women have their biological clock start ticking once they hit puberty. At the most, you block your ears to it until you're thirty, and then BAM, it smacks you in the face. To be honest, mine has been quite muted if it's been ticking at all.

A Dangerous Affair by Edydemi

“I’m sorry Al., b…but this madness has got to stop. We have–”

“What do you by ‘this madness has got to stop’?” he demanded, cutting her off in mid-sentence. They were in another hotel room in one of the obscure parts of Lagos.

“All these…” Mary Jane swept her hands in a helpless gesture. “I mean I can’t go on with this charade anymore. My wedding to Eric is just three weeks away, what if anyone gets wind of what I’ve been up to? It would be disastrous.”

Who Keeps the Ring after a Broken Engagement?

The last Bachelorette couple, Jef Holm and Emily Maynard have just announced their breakup after getting engaged just a couple of months ago. This got me thinking, seeing as it comes on the heels of the news a few days ago that Courtney Robertson had also broken up with Ben Flajnik. These couples got engaged on national TV with engagement rings worth tens of thousands of dollars. Now they're broken up, what happens to the ring?

Kranich's Jewelers Review

A few days ago, I got some packages in the mail and one of them was from Kranich's Jewelers. I had been discussing with them and so was expecting the package, but it's always nice to get a gift. The hard-working people over at Kranich’s had sent me a lovely Penn State wristwatch.

First Lady Patience Jonathan Returns to Nigeria

The Nigerian first lady, Patience Jonathan, returned to Abuja today following a mystery illness that kept her out of the country for the past two months or so. I was seeing Atala off to work when my mum came out excited by the news of the return of the First Lady. I couldn't help asking, did the President's wife look slimmer? Yes, that's cynical of me, right? My mum said Patience Jonathon looks about the same though she wore a large Boubou.

7 Things to Work on Before You Say Yes or I do

The other day, we were discussing the best age to get married. The consensus is that there's no set age because people are different. What is more important is that one has experienced life as an independent individual, is mature, and knows what marriage is all about. Marriage is about love and sex, but it is also about the future, working together with another person to help each other be the best you can be, both personally and as people in a community. Most couples also hope to have children and so one has to think about that too.

Fall Into Fantasy With Wisteria by Bisi Leyton

Welcome to today's giveaway. I'll be featuring Wisteria, an urban fantasy by Bisi Leyton. To win an eBook copy, use the rafflecopter form below. Check out the book blurb, about the author and an excerpt below.

Dear Myne - I Want to Meet Ladies on Your Blog

I got this email on Facebook from a guy who wants me to do some matchmaking for him. He wants a god-fearing virgin. I believe this is a honest request and that's why I'm posting it, even though it might not be for everyone.

A Failed IVF Caused by Non viable Eggs

It is quite difficult when you have always assumed you would have children, to then find out that you need some form of treatment in order to conceive. But it shifts the ground from under you when even that treatment fails. In the cases, it is only the grace of God and the reactions of the people around you to stabilize you. I thank God for my faith, for the person He has made me to be, and for the man I chose to go through life with.

Stories of Chance Romance Book Tour

Tell me in the comments about a story of chance romance you've had or heard and stand a chance to win Kindle copies of “Crazy for Cowboy” by Roxy Boroughs (a sweet romantic comedy) or “Witch in the Wind” (a sweet paranormal/fantasy romance) by Brenda M. Collins. Just state which one you prefer. You can also click on the banner to follow the tour and get other chances to win. Cheers!

Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad - Weekend Pictures

So a few weeks ago, we decided to take my mum and ourselves on an adventure. Mount Rainier is one of the highest points in Washington state, but while it might be too high to climb, or too far of a drive, we can take a locomotive train ride around it and enjoy the view. And that we did. And no, green is not my favorite color, it just so happened :)

Why Do Girls Love Lies? by Tofarati Ige

There are two ways to catch a woman’s attention! If you want to be a ladies’ man, you’ve either got to be rich, or be a darn good liar!

I know so many girls reading this would be like, what? But yes, sister, that’s the truth, and you know it.

Girls love to be told stories that are out of this world. Girls love to be pampered and made to feel very special. They love to be treated like queens, and demigods.

Flavour - Baby Oku : Music Video Romance

This video is in two parts - the first is slow and romantic and the other is dancehall. While I prefer the song in the first part, the chemistry between Flavour and his leading lady is as flat as mud water and so the dancing before the end looks even more interesting. Enjoy!

Should couples use the same Bedroom or Separate?

Atala and I share the same bedroom and bathroom and I can't even imagine having to use separate ones in the near future. But I know that lack of privacy has been identified as one of the reasons strain develop in some marriages, and if an individual had their own space to get a good sleep, or just do them in peace, they may be more amenable when working on other issues. And some people can be so messy, it gets on their partner's last nerves.

Michelle Obama Speaks on the International Day of the Girl

Today Oct 11 has been declared the first-ever International Day of the Girl, and in an interview with Yahoo, the American first lady talked about her hopes for her own daughters. When it comes to raising her girls, Michelle Obama says that she's much like any other parent.

My First IVF Experience

I think I first heard about IVF in my late teens. This couple, our family friends, had not conceived in almost twenty years of marriage and the woman later had twins through IVF. This was in the 90s and it was called test-tube baby. Luckily for me, my parents were overjoyed for her and though it was announced on sorta like the hush-hush, it wasn't too secret either and those in our social circle did not treat her with stigma.

Latest Review of A Heart to Mend

I get a little thrill like a little kid whenever google alerts me to reviews of any of my books and when it is a thorough review, and unexpected, it is doubly exciting. The icing on the cake is when it is as positive as this one by Bookshy, 4 out of 5 stars. Yay!

Gladys, twenty-something, has just moved to Lagos after completing her compulsory one-year National Youth Service in Enugu. She has secured an interview and test with a company in Lagos and has been invited by her estranged aunt to live with her. Edward, thirty-something self-made business tycoon, is instantly attracted to Gladys the first time he sets eyes on her. But there's a problem, Mr. Ice does not give his heart to anyone - he's had a bad past and doesn't trust anyone with his heart - but his attraction to Gladys makes him want to be around her, and have her.

Dear Myne, How can I leave him after 5 Years?

I met my fiance during my first week at university. I had just started attending a private Christian school, one of the best in the country and some of my friends and family members advised me to look out for good young men who were marriage material. That day we met, I was having some problems during my registration and he was one of those helping us. When we struck up a friendship after that, I was so happy to have met such an smart, interesting and best of all, Christian guy so soon.

Most Committed Christian Men are not Interesting

On the post about finding true love as a celibate Christian woman, a thread emerged about Christian men and the fact that it seems a lot of them, especially the ones who are willing to abstain, are not as interesting and other men around. At least not interesting enough to the women involved. The original poster mentioned it and other commenters agreed. Below is the latest comment to this effect. What is your own opinion and experience?

Infertility is a Medical Diagnosis

A lot of people still have various ignorant and unfounded ideas about infertility. Some believe it is a curse from the wicked witches in your village, or it is a sign from God for you to repent and be saved, or you need to pray more, or you must have had uncountable sexual partners; or had numerous abortions, or you need to resign from your job, etc, etc. It makes me wonder if those people have even bothered to read even the most general information on infertility?

Is it OK to Snoop through your partner’s Phone or Email?

In the article, How to show Nigerian Love, Elnathan lists cooking as one of the entitlements due a Nigerian man. The commensurate entitlement, he says, is for the woman to snoop through her man's phone. In his words, "This is the time to dive for his phone and read all his text messages. You will find something. If you don’t, go through his call records- you are likely to find calls to or from an Amaka after he said he needed to rest last night."

Ebisan - Suru : Music Video Romance

I just discovered Ebisan  this week in what turns out to be her third music video - the soundtrack video of the movie Tango With Me. The singing was exceptional, the video on point. I don't have much else to say except, who knows where I can watch this movie online? IrokoTV are you listening to me?

10 Signs Your Boo is Ready to Get Married

It is not often that I share posts from women's magazine's like Cosmo because I find that most of the advice in some of their articles is very cookie-cutter. I am usually of the opinion there's no one size fits all in relationships, and everyone has to study the one they're with to know what will work or not. But I saw this article and felt some of the listed tips were generally true.

Breaking Records - Redbull Stratos and Felix Baumgartner

I'll be lying if I say I'm not excited about the forthcoming jump from the edge of space being sponsored by Red Bull. It is still in my bucket list to go skydiving at least once, but this is extreme! It's been all over the news here and each time I'm like, wow, just wow.

Our Road to In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

Atala and I started TTC (trying to conceive) around October 2009. By April the following year, we notched it up and I started checking my temperature to monitor ovulation. We had then been married just over a year and moved into the new house we bought. The new place had more room, and I considered the spare room will turn to the baby's in due course. In the meantime, we called it the arctic room as we joked and cuddled under the duvet in the warm embrace of each other.

How to Reject a Nigerian Man - Search #1

Around the close of day or so, I check my blog's statistics to see that the site did OK. Recently, I've noticed that the blog has been ranking #1 for a few keywords not related to my blog name. Most of the time, it is for a topic we have discussed on here, like Nigerian romantic names for husbands, but once in a while a new one comes along. I have decided to bring you guys some of the more interesting ones.