The Lost/Found BlogFest and 500 Followers Giveaway!

Just a reminder to start getting your posts ready. To those who have not signed up, or left a comment to enter for the giveaway, you can also do so now. All the best everyone!

So, having hit the 500 mark, I want to use this opportunity to thank you all, my friends, fans, blog readers, feedbackers, contributors and I'll be showing my gratitude through a giveaway. You guys are really amazing! You all have been very supportive in the year and half this blog has been up, supporting me through the publication of A Heart to Mend, and now a second book is in the works!

To celebrate with all you great people, I've launched the Lost and Found Blogfest and 500 Followers Giveaway!

There is something for everyone, pick as many as you want!

1. Leave a comment below and you'll be eligible for an autographed paperback copy of my forthcoming novel, A Love Rekindled - Hot off the Press!

2. When you sign up for the blogfest using the Linky Tool below, there is another autographed copy up for grabs.

Honing my Short Story skills - Twin Bonds

picture from Google search

Papa had hosted his age grade to a feast to celebrate his promotion at work and the new car he had purchased. It was almost over, but people still milled around. The house was all a bustle and Mama had warned us not to get underfoot. We were in the field playing when Odion, my twin collapsed on the ground crying in pain. A sharp stab almost stopped me in my tracks as I moved to him. He was lying like a baby clutching his middle. Another jab had me falling beside him with moan. Odion groaned and rolled on the wet earth not minding the mud, or the thorns hidden between the long blades of grass. I dragged myself up and limped inside to find our parents. This was worse than the pain I had experienced some months earlier, when my appendix was removed.

“Mama, Mama!” I screamed once I burst through the door.

The party scattered soon after as Papa ran out into the field and scooped Odion into his arms. My brother was unconscious by then, and Mama began to wail. Two of Papa’s friends and another woman were squeezed into the back of the car with me as Papa sped off for the clinic. Mama sat in front with Odion on her laps. She fanned him continuously, muttering a prayer intermittently. Odion recovered after some minutes and whispered my name. I whimpered and leaned over the seat. The woman with me dragged me back and pushed a small drink at me. She handed the other to Mama with the instruction to give some to Odion if possible.

Beware the Ides of March!

How would you like to know when you will die before the time? It sounds very morbid but for some people, they say it gives them the opportunity to plan and organize things, to spend more time with their loved ones, etc. Personally, I wouldn't mind knowing because it won't really change much, I try to live my life as if each day is the last. But maybe if they told me how, now that could be a different matter.

To the title of the post; the Ides refers usually to the middle of the month, the 15th (today) in March. Caesar in Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar, was warned by a seer to "Beware the Ides of March" but he scoffed. Basically, Ceasar did not take the seer's predictions seriously, he went for a senate meeting after their meeting and was stabbed to death (23 times) by several of over 60 conspirators. You know that saying, Et tu Brutus? That was Caesar giving up the fight against his killers when he saw that one of them was a man he took like a son. It is said that the murderers were in such a frenzy they even wounded each other in the melee. It seems it's not today that fightings and violence begun in senate chambers.

Anyways, drawing from this "foretold death" theme  Hart Johnson of the Watery Tart in the Delusional Doom blogfest, suggests that we predict our own death, predict someone else' death, write our own obituary, write someone else's obituary, or plot someone's murder.

Very gory eh? Since I couldn't stomach doing any of the other options, I decided to predict my own death.

I will die an old and fulfilled woman in my own bed.

Hahaha...

So would you like to know when you will die before the time?

Can a heart really break?

"Anyways, the basic idea is to write about a heart breaking or one that is already broken. Show us the wretched emotions, the anger, depression, fear, whatever happens after the happy honeymooon lovey-dove V-day stuff is over and all that is left is a broken heart." Says Dawn Embers of In the Book DE

So I'll be sharing with you all a snippet from A Love Rekindled, my forthcoming book. It is one of the most poignant for me while I was writing the book. Read on and tell me what you think...

“Listen, this is the last time I’ll say this.” Chief Mukoro said, and shook a be-ringed finger at her. “I told Kevwe why Itsekiri people cannot be trusted, and he has accepted another suitable girl I chose for him. He's changed his phone number and moved out of his house, how else can he show he doesn’t want you anymore? Leave him alone!”

His words hit her like stones, leaving burning nicks in their wake. It couldn't be true, Kevwe would not choose another girl over her. “But we promised…”

“Promised what?” he pushed his face closer to hers. “Kevwe doesn’t want you. You’re not good enough for him. He can’t see where you fit into his future, and that’s it.”

“Please sir, I don’t understand…I’m sorry, but can I see Kevwe, talk to him…”

The force of the door cut her off as it slammed in her face. Efe trekked all the way to campus like one in a daze, calling on Nneka, who then followed her to her room. By the time they got there, Nneka knew the whole story. Two days later, Efe still refused to leave the shroud of her sheets.

“Why? Why? How can it end this way? If Kevwe had to reject me, at least he could do it to my face.” She sobbed, tears trickling from her eyes.

A Lovely Blog Award

So I had a pleasant surprise yesterday when I got a comment yesterday informing me of this award. I actually thought the blog awards season for the beginning of the year was over, but Zan Marie of In the Shade of the Cherry Tree showed otherwise.

Now I have to think very hard so as not to repeat any of the things I might have previously shared about me. Here we go...

- I am nudging the upper limits of the BMI range that is supposed to be best for people of my smallie height.

- We did not have any pets growing up (well, except the odd goat or chicken meant for Christmas or Easter) so I'm not too comfortable living with animals.

- I sometimes joke that I'm so laid back I'm lying flat but I can be very driven too, especially when it comes to time-bound projects.

- I love blogville and the community it has provided.

- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte was one of the first romance novels I read and started my love affair with the genre.

- I love animated features, have I said this before?

- I think this one may be cheating for those who've read my About Myne tab up there. I love thrill rides and Atala still can't believe I did a reverse bungee.

Catch me if you can - Blogfest

This blog is thanks to Kristina of KayKays Corner who says "On Monday March 7, post the first 550 words (or less) of your WIP on your blog."

The purpose is to get some feedback on what you guys think so far. Please please please, leave comments. I need some bashing cos I'm currently still plotting this and this is like the first EVER draft of the chapter 1.

Enjoy...

*****


It was the light being switched on that did the job. Bolade stretched awake blinking blearily in the harsh fluorescence. The sound of music playing in the background did not help the small headache scrimping away at the back of her skull. She cracked one eye open and groaned. Her mother stood at the open door of her bedroom, wrapped in a colorful apron.

“Bolade, get up. We’re already in the kitchen and I need all the hands I can get. I sent Funmi to come and wake you up about an hour ago.”

Bolade turned over and tried to shut out her mother’s voice. However her mother must have opened the door wider because the music from the living room became louder. Jingle bells, Jingle bells, Jingle all the way…

“Bolade… Bolade… ” her mother was standing right over her head.

Peeping out of a half-shut eye, Bolade saw a ladle tapping against an apron-covered thigh. When she raised her head, the glower in her mother’s eyes made her shrug off her blanket.

“Alright, alright… I’m coming…” Bolade muttered, pushing her legs over the side of the bed.

Bernard Pivot Blogfest

This blogfest is from Nicole of One Significant Moment.

1. What is your favorite word? LOL...does 'hey!' count?

2. What is your least favorite word? 'bloody' as in the cuss word

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Good music just takes me away.

4. What turns you off? Limitations, unnecessary ones. I just love me my freedom.

5. What is your favorite curse word? "oh no!"

6. What sound or noise do you love? Thunderstorms

7. What sound or noise do you hate? Crying babies

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Astronaut

9. What profession would you not like to do? Medicine

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? I love you child, welcome.

Happy Valentine's Day

There are two parts to this post and they both fit into the spirit of Valentine and my February Love.

Thanks to Christina Lee of Write-Brianed, you can read this short excerpt where the two main characters kiss for the first time. This is Kevwe and Efe from A Love Rekindled, my upcoming book. After being college sweethearts, they were separated for seven years, and this is evening of the day they met again.

Kevwe gripped her wrist and stared into her eyes, covering her hand with his and intertwining their fingers right on her thighs. Efe trembled. She would have jumped to her feet if the feel of his fingers kneading hers on her laps was not so distracting. Her heart raced, muddling her thoughts.

“Let me show you how much I’ve missed you,” he murmured, desire in his gaze.

His fingers stroked over her slender knuckles and along the length of her thigh. A rush of pleasure suffused her brain as he leaned towards her. His manly scent flooded her senses and her head swam. God, she wanted to melt into him. Her heart jumped as she remembered how it used to be between them.

They had been young, so much in love. When they split she missed him so much, and she had been filled with regrets. Maybe going all the way with him would release her from the prison of the past. Her body certainly wanted it.

She whispered his name like a plea and shifted forward. He fit between her thighs like they were made for him. The loneliness that lay like a piece of hard ice in her heart thawed in that moment. Their lips met and clung together. It started gently, but in an instant the kiss became hot, and then turned hungry and desperate. The hurts of the past disappeared; the only thing that mattered in that moment was the heat of arousal.

Young Love - that's YAmore

Young love can be so sweet and innocent, and that's what YAmore is all about...

From the Oasis of Young Adult fiction

We love blogfests. And we love good YA romance. So we decided to combine the two in our first annual That's YAmore Blogfest.

Starting the Friday before Valentine's Day (that's February 11th), we invite you to post 250 romantic, swoon-worthy words from your YA WIP.

This is actually from a short story that made it into a scene in A LOVE REKINDLED...

__________

On the way back to her dorm, she was surprised by Kurt drawing her into an alley. She peered into his shadowed face.

“It would be good to know how you feel about me,” he said, “do you think we can have something more?”

“What do we have now?” she asked. They’d been seeing each other almost daily now for the past few months and all their friends knew them together. Yet, nothing had been defined.

“Well...we’re more than simply friends, right?” he asked.

“Are we?” she whispered in reply and lowered her eyelids. Her heartbeat raced and she folded her fingers into her moist palms.

“I really like you Virgie, and I want you to be my valentine.”

Virgie raised her face and searched his. Her fists softened. “I also like you Kurt.”

“Look at me.” Kurt stared directly into her eyes, as if reading her thoughts. “Virgie, you can trust me and I mean it. I wouldn’t do anything you didn’t want me to do.”

He placed his hand, which had been stroking her hair at her nape, then used the other one to hold her cheek, raising her face.

“May I?” Kurt asked.

Virgie knew what was about to happen, and she wanted to know what it would feel like to really kiss a guy. Kurt would be her first in this. The way he looked at her melted her heart. She nodded and closed her eyes.

First Lines

Thanks to Brenda Drake, I'll be sharing the first line of A Love rekindled with you today. The book is mainstream contemporary romance and starts with a nightmare....

The air was smoky from the kerosene lamps and candles whose flames flickered into the darkness.

SO what do you think?

A Gang of Brothers - BlogFest

Thanks to Dominic De Mattos; I've just written my first Young Adult (I think) short story. The rules of the blogfest and the story below. Please excuse typos, I just wrote this now.

Post a passage in which your MC (or your favourite fictional character) shows their bravery. It might be in the face of physical danger, or peer pressure or personal sacrifice. It might be epic bravery or bravery that goes unnoticed by anyone but us, your devoted readers.

I cheerfully admit that the blogfest is mis-named! Bravery is not the absence of fear - that is recklessness. Bravery is overcoming fear, or doing what is right despite the fear.

"Zube, come on, it's break time."

"I don't want to go." Twelve years old Zube shrank in his seat and looked up through the corner of his eyes at the person standing above him and gesturing. Ike was turned sideways, one leg already turned to the direction of the door. Outside waited Paul, fourteen years old and the other members of their neighborhood gang of boys. It was exams next week and Zube wanted to study. He also did not want to hang out anymore with Ike and the other boys, especially Paul.

"You're wasting time," Ike said. He'd not heard Zube and was halfway across the classroom

"I don't..." Zube dragged to his feet as he spoke and shuffled behind Ike as they walked into the bright sunshine.

"Come on," Ike yelled, sprinting forward with a glance over his shoulder.

Zube shaded his eyes with his hand and saw Paul standing in the distance with about three other boys. Sweat break out on his upper lip and he wiped at it with a balled fist as he increased his pace. He had dreamed of the day he would join that close-knit group but now, he hated them. Paul had started the group in their  secondary school as a study group, but since they all lived in th University campus where the school was located, the boys ended up meeting after school too.

Zube had asked his classmate Ike, who lived in the same building with Paul, to get him in. Last week, Paul invited him and gave him the rules. They were a gang of brothers who did everything together and never questioned orders. They studied together, helped each other in their housechores and came together if an older boy tried to harass any of them. It had seemed easy till they invited him for an outing the next day, which involved going one of the boy's house, whose mother was their English teacher. There, they had broken into her desk and took notes from the already prepared test papers.

After doing everything required of him, Zube had gone home and cried. He loved studying and felt deceived; this was not want he wanted. he almost confessed to his father, a lectuer in the university but in the end, could not go through with it. And now here was Paul again, standing with hands across his chest and glaring at him through slitted eyes. Zube stopped walking.

My HOT Hot Mug

Erica and Christy want us to share a mug of our favorite MUG...lol.. hear them..

Simply post a picture of your very favoritest mug. The one you'd choose to drink from every time if it never needed to spend any time in the dishwasher. The one you secretly eye whenever your significant other, mother, brother, best friend, [insert other] grabs it from the cupboard and you hold yourself back from snatching it out of their hand and shouting, "Give it back! It's mine. All mine!"

So do I have a favorite mug? Yes I do.

In fact, I love that mug so much that I've hard used it. Yeah, I use it almost all the time and it's showing wear and tear. I don't actually know what happened, but one day I noticed a chip along the rim of the mug. Soon a crack followed, and has been extending downwards since. Our guess is the mug fell from the hands of someone washing it (Neither Atala nor I is guilty, maybe there are ghosts in the house?) Or it cracked when it was put in the microwave (I'm the only one that does that but I still plead innocent). Anyway, I still use that mug, crack and all, for my tea, coffee, and all...

Below is my hardy mug and its battle scars. Underneath, SO's scarfree mug and the two side by side. Isn't that a beautiful sight?

Love is All - Top Ten Music BlogFest

This Blogfest is thanks to Alex Cavanaugh who says,

Music moves us. It inspires us! Now, tell the world YOUR ten favorite songs of all time. The Song, the band – why does it move you?"

My name is Myne Whitman and I am a music buff. I love love music. After food and air, books and music are in top contention of what I could not do without in my life. Almost no day goes by that I do not listen to music. I was brought up in a house where both parents loved music, and there was always music playing, either from records or the radio. My Dad had a book on song lyrics from back in the 60s and 70s and continues to buy music to this day.

I moved from my parents eclectic taste during my teenage years to my own favorites. I found that I preferred ballads and easy listening music. Soft rock, pop, R&B, new age and classical were the type of music I gravitated to. But most of all, I loved when I could hear clearly the lyrics of a song, and when it seemed the music had a special message, just for me. This ruled out a lot of songs which I sometimes listened to, mostly on the radio, but did not warm to, including Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, or Electro Funk. I also think that individual singers do better than bands, but that's just me. It could just be that most of my favorite songs are by single artistes than bands.

There are some musicians that did not make it to my list but that doesn't mean I like them less than the ones featured. Musicians like Elvis Presley, Yanni, Enya, Linkin' Park, Eminem, Sting, Michael Bolton, and Banky W. Elvis Presley has one of the best voices and killer eyes ever, Eminem made me love rap, Michael B sang me into my first love, Yanni can take me to a higher plans anyday, and Banky W, let's just say, "He dey do me Strong Thing".

Without further ado, my top ten tunes - in no particular order - are below. These songs have made me laugh, they have more often made me cry, some are original soundtrack of movies, they have accompanied me as I fell in love, and healed me as I got over heartbreak. Best of all is that they all talk about love. For me, LOVE IS ALL...

1. Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers

2. My Heart will go on - Celine Dion

3. Man in the Mirror - Micheal Jackson

4. Have you ever really loved a woman - Bryan Adams

5. I'll always love you - Whitney Houston

6. Don't want to miss a thing - Aerosmith

7. Un-break my Heart - Toni Braxton

8. Sleeping Child - Micheal Learns to Rock

9. Obimuo (My Heart, My Love) - Obiwon

10. And I'm telling you - Jennifer Hudson

A Note From Atala - The Significant Other BlogFest

Thanks to DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude

We’ve all heard the saying…behind every successful man or woman…there’s a person who supports them unconditionally. Nowhere is that more true than with us writers. Who else would put up with our 2 AM wake up calls to solicit opinions of a shiny new idea? Our whiplash inducing confidence swings? The hours upon hours in front of the computer monitor, with nary a grunt or nod when they attempt to disrupt our creative flow? The compulsive need to check email on our Smartphone’s for that reply we’ve been waiting so anxiously for? Or reading the fifty-seventh revision of our first chapter?

It takes a special person to put up with writers idiosyncrasies…and we believe its time they had their say! Although our first choice would be to have your significant other post their own material, it is acceptable to interview them and post those responses. The only catch is that you must [start with] these three questions.

1. What food or drink is guaranteed to return your loved one to a good mood, even after a bad day writing?
2. What one thing would you change about your others writing habits?
3. How hard is it to sit by and watch someone you care for struggle to attain a dream...knowing there's very little you can do to help?

Hear it from my one and ONLY! :) I love you too darling...

1 - My SO's moods aren't really driven by food or drink - usually, it's enough for her to step away from writing for a while to regain her good humour. However, a good dollop of ice cream (especially if it's coffee-flavoured) wouldn't go amiss in helping the restoration of that good humour.

2 - I'd like her to accept that there comes a time in a story's life when it is good enough, and further edits (especially ones which could accidentally introduce typos) are really just gilding the lily. I do understand that perspective keeps on changing, and what seemed great a few months back may not be so good now - but writers should also remember that they don't just write for themsleves, but also for others (e.g. impatient editors, expectant readers, etc.)

3 - I'm actually very active in supporting my SO's aspirations, so I'm not sure how to answer this question. However, if I was in this position, I'd try to be creative in figuring out ways I could help, even though the help might not be directly related to her dreams. I might also play the role of the 'mirror' - getting her to evaluate where she was in her struggle, so that she might consider other options.

4 - In any event, I find it very easy to be supportive of my wife, because it's clear to me that she gets a great deal of enjoyment and fulfilment from her writing. So loving her as I do, I want to do as much as I can to in helping her making the experience as fulfilling for her as it possibly can be.

5 - And it also helps that like her, I'm an avid reader, and so I'm very keen to know what she's written, and I can cast a critical eye with suggestions and comments. Sometimes, it can be a bit of a pain, especially when she feels that her work is not yet ready for viewing - there are times I've contemplated sneaking out of bed to steal a sneak preview!

A Birthday Surprise - Tessa's Birthday BlogFest

                                                                      

Tessa Conte is the blogger at Tessa's blurb and today is her birthday. To make her happy, she wants her friends to "Write a 500-1000 word story/scene that mentions birthday(s), candles, cakes or presents."

Happy Birthday Tessa, enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Where are we going?” Gladys asked Edward as she stepped out of the office bathroom. He’d just come back after three weeks in China and though they’d spent most of the past few days together, he never mentioned they’d go out tonight. He only called this morning to ask her to take a change of clothes for an evening on the town with some friends.

“You’ll know when we get there. It’s a surprise.” He turned to smile at her before tidying up his papers and ushering her out of the office. “And you look good in that top.”

“Thanks, glad you like it. But don’t dodge the question. Why won’t you tell me now?”

“Not yet, wait till we get there. Or you can try guessing.”

“Oh Edward, you know I don’t like surprises.”

They took the elevator to the underground car park and were soon on their way. Unlike most of their dates, this wasn’t set in advance. He usually picked her up after work, either alone or with friends, to take her home or out for drinks.

Sometimes, they went to her book club or similar literary events. Other times he introduced her to new places; some he’d discovered as a university student during his first years in the city.

They were caught in the perennial hold-up on Awolowo Road when she turned under the seatbelt. “OK, do you know what?”

“What is that?” Edward adjusted his side mirror as an okada bike sneaked in between the stationary cars.

“I got a query yesterday. My boss says I nod off at my desk.”

“So you are one of those people who sleep at work, eh? I have some of those in my office too.”

“I got you,” Gladys chuckled. “I actually enjoy my duties.”

“You’re sure you do not sleep on the job?”

“No I don’t.” Did he think she was serious?

“Is that your final answer or do you want to phone a friend?” Edward deadpanned as the traffic began to inch forward.

Caught unawares, Gladys laughed easily. It was clear she would have fun tonight. “Really, I was only trying to pull your leg. I’ve never received a query.”

“Well my legs are quite busy now, so please don’t pull any of them.” Their laughter blended into each other.

He looked at her when she stopped. “What did you receive?”

“That’s the deal. I’ll tell if you say where we’re headed.”

He guffawed. She put a hand on his thigh, “Edward please...”

“So you thought to make a stand? I didn’t think so.”

She pouted and looked away. They soon arrived at Reed’s Restaurant, which served Thai food. They had been here before, but Gladys was surprised to see her friend Ola walking up to the car. She opened the door and stepped out.

“What a coincidence!” She said as Ola came closer to them.

“I don’t think it is.” Ola pointed to the group of people near the doors of the building.

Gladys looked up and gasped; she looked over to Edward who had just finished locking up.

“Happy birthday to you darling.” He smiled innocently at her and turned to Ola. “Allow me to use this opportunity to congratulate you on your confirmation too.”

“Don’t look at me, I didn’t tell him.” Gladys protested when Ola turned to her with an accusatory look.

Ola was a colleague whose cubicle was just down the hall from hers at the office. She had started out in the industry ten years ago as a lowly clerk but had risen to become a chartered accountant. They’d taken to each other, maybe because she was a fairly new employee herself when Gladys joined the firm. Ola was Gladys’s best friend even though she was older by some years. They shared more interests than she did with Jennifer or Ayo. Also, Ola was a Lagos girl and from her and Edward, Gladys had learnt all about living in and enjoying the hectic city.

“How did you find out then?” Ola turned back to Edward.

“Let’s just say I have an ear to the ground.” He replied striding around the car. Her eyes settled on him but she was speechless. Her birthday was last week but she wasn’t even a stickler for celebrations. Her family and a few friends had called with greetings and she was even happier when he’d made time from his busy schedule in China to do the same.

He took her arms and gave her a brief kiss on the lips.

“So this is your surprise?”

“Yes, a birthday party. Do you still not like surprises?”

“I love this one.” She gave him a big hug.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt from my first novel, A HEART TO MEND

Stylish and Versatile bloggers - Count me in

I received these awards, for being a versatile and stylish Blogger, from two people - Mena Ukodoisready and Dee! - realbonnywoman. There is nothing as cheering as coming back after being away for almost two months and finding that people still remember who you are. Thanks so much for such a warm welcome and this has given me the additional push to come visit you all ASAP.

Yes o, I'm back in the US of A, to the cold and wet of Seattle, lol. Thank God for the warm cocoon of my home and friends, both on blogville and off.

So back to the awards, the rules are as follows:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
2. Tell us 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 15 other bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers and let them know that they have won.

Once again, thank you Mena and Dee!

Seven things about me...

- I can be shy about talking or writing about myself, but when it comes to issues, topics, etc, I don't mind taking center stage.

- I love daydreaming, yeah and that's why I love writing or reading others creativity.

- Richard Branson has nothing on me when it comes to travelling or seeking adventure, I only wish I had as much money as he did, hehehe...

- I have a sweet tooth and if i gave in to it, I'll probably add 10pounds in a week.

- I'm a smallie and have gotten used to it but when I see people above 6"5, I often imagine that there's a way to get some of that.

- I've not really experienced Nigeria like I did at my last trip and I found out something too, I remain a real shon of the shoil, no shaking.

- Final confession, I don't think I deserve the award for stylish blogger o, my sense of fashion and style is abysmal. As some of you know, I was asking for a stylist the other time. Well, we go dey patch dey go...

Random Meme and Tags

I'm still enjoying Lagos, while thinking of the events this weekend, pheww! BTW, let me get this off my chest, the traffic is just terrible in this city. I wasted at least 5 hours today, well not really, I made a decent headway into my latest book purchase, but still... And who else was stuck in a queue at the filling station? On to other things jare....

Remember I won the Group B blog awards and Madam Meme? Here I am again. This is a very random meme I saw on one of the blogs I follow and I decided to do it here and also tag some people. So it's very straightforward, all you get to do is fill in the blanks and then tag 5 people to continue and spread the love.

5 Famous people you want to meet: My number one used to be Micheal Jackson but he's gone now. There are several of them sha, but these are a few that I feel we'll have things to talk about, you know have things in common, like passion for affecting society, etc. Toni B is there because I just love her music. You will notice that I did not put in the actors and musicians I do googly eyes for, I'd just be too tongue-tied, lol...
- Toni Braxton
- Nelson Mandela
- Bill Gates
- Oprah
- Fela Durotoye

5 Books that affected you: This is not an easy one, I have read like hundreds and thousands of them, but let's see. These have to be books I read when I was much younger and which shaped who I am today.
- The Bible
- Roots - Alex Haley
- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
- The Bride Price by Buchi Emecheta
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle

5 favorite movies: Another hard one.
- Titanic
- Avatar
- Watchmen
- Toy Story Franchise
- Violated

5 things you can't do without: Easy peasy. Atala wants me to list internet for all five. Yeah I know I'm addicted, rub it in, lol..
- Internet
- Food
- Music
- Books
- Movies

5 turn ons
- Intelligent conversations
- A nice smelling man
- Chocolate and ice cream
- Honesty
- Independence

5 turn offs
- Narrow minds
- Dulling conversations
- Societal restrictions
- Lies
- Disorderliness

So now I tag the following people
- Omotee
- Naijamum
- Shorty
- Gretel
- NaijaLines

If you want to do this and I did not tag you, please just go ahead. Cheers!

Radio Interview and Word Verification

Listen to internet radio with Anjuelle--Author/MFT on Blog Talk Radio

I am very much looking forward to appearing on a radio show today, Monday, May 17, 2010. It is called Book Talk, Creativity and Family Matters and is hosted by Anjuelle Floyd.

Call in time is 1 pm PT, 2pm MT, 3pm CT, and 4pm ET.

The call-in number is: (347) 215-7740.

The link to the show page is HERE

The format is fairly laid back. I will be asked questions aimed at encouraging listeners to purchase my book rather than giving spoilers.I will also be given time to discuss my process for writing, how I came into writing and any other pertinent information I want listeners to know. Tune in if you want to catch up with me.



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In other news, so what did you guys do last weekend? We went to see Just Wright, I'll give a review in the next post. In the mean time, have a great week people and enjoy!


So most of you now know about the Balderdash word verification meme which I started last week. Like I said, I intend to host the meme every Monday for the rest of the month. I am still hoping that some of you will send in entries to be GUEST BLOGGERS! I hear some of you ask; What does that mean? How do you play? The answer is very simple indeed.

1. Write down all the word verifications you get while posting comments on other peoples blogs.
2. Pick your best five (or so) of them and come up with an authentic sounding definitions for them.

Like last week, I want everyone to be involved. So I have turned on my word verification again. When you leave a comment, include the word Google throws at you and make up a definition for it. If you are given a real word, make up a more interesting definition than the usual one, lol.

Here goes nothing.

1. Ningsty: (n)
i...social networking for pigs.
ii...a dirty ning page

2. Undsot: (V. tr) To sleep under the table while drunk.

3. Comoti: (easy peasy) get out of here! :):)

4. Eiklickr: (n) A professional job. A window washer by licking

5. Haaedlun: (Adv) Origins obsure (lol) big headed.

Balderdash! Word Verification Meme

Some of you may have heard or played the word game Balderdash, well there's a blogger version. I first saw the Balderdash Word Verification meme played on this blog by the Petty Witter. It piqued my interest and after a few clicks I got to the originator, Sheila at Book Journey. When I read this on her blog, I thought someone had opened my head and written what they saw there, lol.

Ok… I admit it. I am a comment junkie. I love – love ♥ LOVE ♥ to read blogs, the discussions on books, author interviews, bookshelves, great bookish stories and adventures….

but along with loving to comment comes the ever dreaded endless… (dun dun dun dun…scary music) word verification.

I know it is a necessity… I get that. You leave a comment, chances are you going to be word verified. Yet being a comment junkie… it slows me down. So to make this a bit more enjoyable… I came up with a plan.

And her plan was the Balderdash word verification meme which has become quite popular that some bloggers do it weekly. For the month of May, I intend to host the meme every Monday. I am hoping you will play along with me so I will be accepting GUEST BLOGGERS! I hear some of you ask; What does that mean? How do you play? The answer is very simple indeed.

1. Write down all the word verifications you get while posting comments on other peoples blogs.
2. Pick your best five (or so) of them and come up with an authentic sounding definitions for them.

But to make this more exciting, I want you and everyone to get involved. So I have turned on my word verification. When you leave a comment, include the word Google throws at you and make up a definition for it. If you are given a real word, make up a more interesting definition, lol.

These are my own top 10 captchas and their funky definitions.

1. Jocontac: (n) A joke on a tack
(v)When you make a joke from a tack pin.

2. Garbio: A garbage bio. Look at it from three ways;
a) the biography of garbage
b) a biography that is garbage
c) biography of a garbage man.

3. Cavable: From the french word Ca'va. The reply is usually bien.
(n) one who can reply positively to the referenced question.

4. Fowlsway: Is this the sway of a fowl or it's way? I go with the first since we have catwalk right?
(n) A way in which a person's movement imitates that of a fowl.

5. Fingster: This gives me naughty ideas of what one can do with their fingers but I'll desist.
(v) To give someone the open palm with five fingers outstretched. You know like "waka"?

6. Jauntru: From the word Jaunt.
(n) A true life account of a person's jaunts in life.

7. Undenses: From the word dense - to make more stupid (yeah I said that, lol)
(v.tr) To make someone less stupid.

8. Dercobbl:
i - (v) To remove the cobbles on a street.
ii - (n) A handmade shoe

9. Zintux: A tuxedo of the highest order.

10. Ringbeau: This one is very obvious right? No?
(n) A beau who comes bearing a ring.

If none of the above words or meanings made any sense to you, then welcome to Balderdash! LOL.

I hope you all enjoyed the weekend and mother's day for those in the US. Have a great week everyone.

Ten Things I love + Blog Rolling

So I have been tagged by F and M of Half and Half to take part in this 101 award. These are the 10 things I love;

Music - I just love listening to music, sometimes it doesn't even matter the genre or language. I prefer ballads and soulful melodies, if the singer has an amazing voice, even better. I have to say that some Naija artistes have broken my mould for only slow songs, like Dbanj and his crew, I even danced to Fall in Love at my reception, lol. But you can guess the person wey dey do me Strong thing.

Writing - This is no surprise is it? And it should be obvious I'm not talking term papers here, I only do that when I have to. I love writing out all the people who populate my day dreams and imaginations. Writing is like magic to me, you put down these thoughts and it becomes a story that people want to read and enjoy too.

Atala Wala - 'Nuff said.

Movies - I love watching TV and the moving pictures on them but the best of the experience is sitting in a darkened cinema with over 50 feet tall images flitting before your eyes. I really love animated features but the movies that will get me any time are big block busters, lots of CGI, plenty of action, and the longer the better. You can imagine that I was in movie-watchers heaven when I saw Avatar in IMAX 3D. It even still shivers me timbers when I think about it.

Ice cream/ Chocolate - What can I say, I'm a sweet tooth. I'm working on my self control bit it's best if I don't have any of these two permanently around or someone would have to pay. Probably my tummy bursting my buttons, lol.

New experiences - I sometimes say in this regard that it's like being an adrenaline junkie. I love trying out new things, going to new places, meeting new people, experiencing diverse cultures. Even sometimes just reading about it or seeing pictures can do the same thing. When that is not enough, I do it myself - kayaking, bungie-jumping, roller-coasters, doing Europe on a students budget, and lots more.

Intelligent people/conversation - Does someone feel me?

Reading - This is related to some of the others like intelligent conversation, new things and writing. And that is why you will see me at your blog, absorbing everything. I don't do as much book reading as I used to but I'm getting back there small small.

Dancing - This is a new one, I mean me doing it. Or maybe not. I danced on my secondary school's traditional dance troupe way back when. Now I'm a fan of ballroom dancing from watching too many Dancing with the Stars. Recently, I put my money where my mouth was and we're taking lessons. I enjoy it, but I have to confess that even Kate Gosselin is still better than me.

Charity - Last but not least, I love giving to charity. It doesn't have to be masses of money cos I don't have much but even an hour of my time to make someone else happy, that will always make my day. I believe that is the best way of showing our thankfulness for what God is doing in our lives and I take advantage of every opportunity I can to give back.

So now I tag, Fabulo-la, Suru, Funkola, GidiasianBabe, Tina, NaijaWebGeek, Blessings Outlet, Diamond Hawk, Mamuje, and All the Right Words.

So these are also the places for today's blog rolling, so please roll over to theirs and say Hi. I assure you, they're all wonderful blogs. Have a nice week all, take care...