Author Rita Akoto Coker Shares Romantic Escapades of Her Great Grandmother in Fiction

My guest author, Rita Akoto Coker started writing in 1980 in Toledo, Ohio where her husband was pursuing his Masters degree in Engineering. She had not started work after graduation from college was bored sitting at home and watching soap operas.

Since then, Rita Coker has written three romance books with a fourth, which is the last part of a trilogy still being reviewed by the publishers. She ascribes her inspiration to her great grandmother who was the Queen in their home town who regaled her family with romantic escapades of the royal court when they were growing up. It still brings back memories. Rita also desires to educate readers about African history and the way our ancestors used to live before European colonization.

Author Interview - Feyi Aina on Love's Indenture

Olufunmilola Olubunmi Adeniran, aka funpen on Naijastories, is the author of 'The Penguin Close Bully' one of the stories on 'Our Ram is Haram' from NS publishing. She now writes under the pen name Feyi Aina, and recently placed some romance titles on Okada books.

One of the books, Love's Indenture is about Jaiye, whose favorite pastime is antagonizing her father in ways that embarrass him. Fed up with her, her father forces Jaiye into an arranged marriage with a mechanic in order to teach her a lesson. Initially angry, in time, Jaiye begins to discover that her new husband is much more than just a mechanic, and their marriage more than just a sham.

Check out a preview version of the book on Okadabooks, which I thoroughly enjoyed btw, and read more about Feyi Aina and her books below...

Ms Unlikely By Remi Roy – Author Interview

Remi Roy is a writer and author who grew up in Lagos, Nigeria as the last of four children. She used to work as managing editor for a magazine and publishing firm, and has just finished her Master’s Degree in Emerging Media and Communications in a Texas university. Ms. Unlikely is her first book and I'm just as excited for her as she is.

I have known Remi for a few years now, first through Naijastories.com, and when I read the first chapters of her new book, it was amazing how much she's matured in her writing. Ms. Unlikely promises to be a lovely book and I can't wait to finish it. Till then, I asked Remi a few questions about it. Check out our exclusive chat below...

Chioma Iwunze-Ibiam - Finding Love Again [Author Interview]

Chioma Iwunze-Ibiam describes herself as a hopeless romantic. But not that she would want to change that. She lives in Enugu with her lawyerly husband and her pretty, hyperactive daughter.  Finding Love Again is her first novel with Ankara Press. She's also the blogger at creativewritingnews. Enjoy our author interview with Chioma on her journey to birthing this book...

- What inspired you to write this book?

The uncertainties of life. I am fascinated about how life throws us into the unexpected situations, how we find love in the most unlikely places and how we resist unconventional love.

Thread, This Wordweaver Must : A Collection of Poems By Ayokunle Falomo

Ayokunle Falomo is the author of Thread, This Wordweaver Must : A Collection of Poems. He started writing when he was about six. Ayokunle says it began with writing short stories, at times adapting stories of authors he enjoyed reading.

Later, starting from about age 9, he was writing and directing plays for the children department of the church he attended then. With the publication of his first book, a collection of poems, that word weaving has only begun to bear fruit. RML caught up with him for an exclusive interview which you can read below...

Still is a Book on Christianity, Suicide, Mental Illness and Alcoholism - Eniola Prentice [Guest Author]

Eniola Prentice was born in Lagos Nigeria where she began to pen her stories as early as nine years old, inspired by an eclectic group of writers. Her budding writing career was put in the back burner as she pursued her dream of becoming a medical doctor, completing her undergraduate degree in Chicago, Illinois and her medical degree in Washington, DC.

However in the third year of medical school inspired by the holy spirit or the voices in her head (she would prefer to blame God for this one) and the unique and inspiring stories of friends that became her family in medical school she began to write her debut novel and series, Still. She hopes that her writing compels challenges, inspires people and draws people to the Christian God’s redeeming love. Please read her exclusive interview with RML below...

[Guest Author] Dupe Olorunjo - Inspirational Fiction Can Be Beautiful

Dupe Olorunjo is a Nigerian, a pastor’s wife and makes no apologies that the rich Nigerian cultural flavor shows up in her writings all the time. Dupe loves writing and is an author of two books. In addition to writing she presently works in an organization with focus on corporate relationship management. She was gracious to answer some questions for RML on her life as an author and self publisher.

Mercy Ngozi Alu - Guest Author (Halima)

Our author interview today is with Mercy Ngozi Alu, and her first book is Halima.

Tell us about yourself:  I come from Afikpo, in Ebonyi State of Nigeria.  My local Afikpo (Ehugbo) name, is Ogerigwogo, which can be translated Ogechukwu(God's time is the best).  The original word means lady of song or composition and dance.  I believe naturally, I am meant to be creative and full of ideas.  My father was, and still is a professor, and I must say, he instilled some discipline in me.

Stolen Valentine Kiss, A Flirty and Feisty Romance by Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku [Guest Author]

Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku is a fun loving mother of two, married to her very own gorgeous alpha male. She lives with her family in London after they relocated from Nigeria in 2007. In her leisure time, she goes swimming, reads romance novels, goes to Cinema, and watches TV. For her, writing romance novels is an exciting adventure that began in St Maria Gorretti Girls Grammar School, Benin City, Nigeria. She wrote play scripts that she acted out with my toys, then in 2010, she created Flirty & Feisty Romance Novels.

A Week of Tortoise Tales by Kate Iffy - Author Interview

Kate Iffy Chukwu is the author of A Week of Tortoise Tales. She attended Federal Government Girls’ College Onitsha, before moving to England where she still lives with her family. Kate has a degree in Business Economics and a master’s degree in Creative Writing. Along the way, she's done some TV presenting - reviewing African movies - and she has also featured in a couple of Nollywood movies. Since Kate became and author, she volunteers by reading and telling stories in local schools. In this interview, she shares her writing an life with us...
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Thread of Gold Beads by Nike Campbell-Fatoki [Guest Author]

Nike Campbell-Fatoki is a wife, mother of three, and author of Thread of Gold Beads. She works full-time as a budget and finance manager and is also the Founder and Creative Director of Eclectic Goodies, a home décor, party favors and gifts company. She was born in Lvov, Ukraine, and raised in Lagos, Nigeria and now lives in the Washington DC area. I enjoyed her book, which amazingly was her first, and it was great finding out the story behind it. Read on...

Beyond The Distant Clouds By Ngozi Omolaiye [Guest Author]

I have previously interviewed Ngozi Omolaiye about her personal life and marriage, here. Today, she talks to us about her writing, and her new book, Beyond The Distant Clouds. Ngozi has over ten years’ experience in corporate communications in the local authority, insurance, telecom, and aviation sectors. She has edited company magazines and newsletters for the greater part of her career so writing a book came naturally to her. Enjoy the rest of her interview...

New Book - An Unexpected Blessing by Unoma Nwankwor [Author Interview]

Unoma Nwankwor (nee Osiegbu) has a Bachelor’s degree in Banking & Finance from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria and an MBA in Global Management from the University of Phoenix, but her proudest titles are wife to a wonderful man and mom to two beautiful kids. Unoma's book, An Unexpected Blessing, is now available, and she tells us more about herself and the book below.

Physically Yours by Nnenna Marcia - Guest Author

Nnenna Marcia writes under a pseudonym and is anonymous also. This may be credited to the fact that her first love in writing is erotica, and she is a proper Nigerian woman. Or it could just be that Nnenna wants to keep her personal life private for now. Her first book, Physically, Yours, was recently published, and she shared some tidbits about herself in the interview below. BTW, one lucky commenter will get a PDF copy of the book.

Chioma Nnani - Forever There For You [Author Interview]

Chioma Nnani is the author of Forever There For You, a Christian Fiction novel. She describes herself as a blood-washed, feisty, passionate God-chaser, born to tell stories, and very creatively too. She says she often shoots from the hip – mainly because she's still trying to pass classes in ‘tact and diplomacy’.

She holds a Law (LLB) degree from the University of Kent, Canterbury (in England). Of her stories, Chioma confesses they are character-driven, and she will obsessively look up, build, mix and match psychological profiles to get exactly the personality that will best deliver her message and touch her characters. She is a people-watcher, and draws writing inspiration from those around her, and their reactions to events. Enjoy our interview...

What inspires you to write?
This is going to sound really clichéd but I’m inspired by God, events, and people. Sometimes, I’ll get up really early because I have to write, so I can’t sleep. This would normally be between 1 and 3am – that time when you’re sleeping, but you’re not really sleeping. When I look back at some stuff that readers claim constitute some of my best work, I find that they tend to be the ones I’ve written during such periods.

Again, sometimes I’ll be reading the Bible, or listening to a pastor, or even praying, and I’ll get an idea that could range from really simple to pretty outrageous. I’ll jot it down, knowing fully well I’ll return to it later.
Also, sometimes I’ll be in the middle of a conversation with someone, or even hear something in passing that strikes me. I’ll park it in my mind, to be revisited at night, or even days, weeks, or months later. With some statements I hear, I just know that they will form the basis of future material.

Nkem Ivara - Closer Than A Brother [Author Interview]

I have featured Nkem Ivara,  previously on this blog, where she shared her own love story. She is the blogger behind The Wordsmythe, and back then I described her as also a writer, and aspiring author. Today, her first book, Closer than a Brother, has just been published by Whispers Press. Talking about the road to publishing this book, Nkem says;

"I'm a hopeless romantic, I love happy endings. I grew up reading lots of romance novels whose heroes and heroines were predominantly white. I wanted to read stories about black characters falling in love but there were none. This has changed considerably since my youth, there's now a representation of the black community in the romance genre. I wanted to write a story that explored the transition of best friends from friendship to falling in love."

She adds that the Internet has been a powerful tool in helping her not only to write but to network, collaborate and share with and among fellow writers. Just like in my own experience, the internet and social media made it easy for Nkem to reach a wide audience and get instant feedback. We are both members of the Romance Writers of West Africa, and it was a pleasure to engage Nkem in this informative interview.

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."

Yejide Kilanko's Daughters Who Walk This Path - Author Interview

Yejide Kilanko was born October 1975 in Ibadan and says one of her fondest childhood memories was staring at the projector screen as her father showed slides from his travels across Australia and New Zealand. She desperately wanted to travel the world, and then discovered faraway places by immersing herself in books. Her love for reading just about anything she could lay her hands on, led to writing her first poetry when she was twelve. Enjoy our chat below, and my review of her first novel, Daughters who Walk this Path.

Antomyms of a Mirage - Atilola Moronfolu (Guest Author)

Atilola Moronfolu is a fellow blogger, and a writer and editor. She is a Nigerian, born, bred and buttered in Lagos. She studied Computer Engineering at the University of Lagos and just resigned her job as a Consultant in order to grow a career in writing and editing. I had a small interview with her about her first book, Antonyms of a Mirage, and what is the story behind. Enjoy...

Blunted on Reality - Chinedu Achebe (Guest Author)

Chinedu W. Achebe is a Nigerian of Igbo descent who was born in Richmond, Virginia. He received his bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Houston and currently resides in Houston, Texas. He is the oldest of three siblings and though he works in the finance sector, he recently decided to start sharing the stories he has in him.

Chinedu Achebe's first book, Blunted on Reality, follows the life of Obi Ifeanyi, a Nigerian born American who is coming of age after the historic election of Barack Obama. As Obi confronts challenges that impact his family, career, and romantic interests, he is forced to examine his past and present choices to define his future. Sound interesting?

Enjoy my interview with him on the journey so far.