Picture Weekend - Bellevue Botanical Garden

I've missed having this feature on my blog for a while now. Blame the weather that made it not so appealing to be outdoors as much as one would like, and also means that pictures taken would not look good, due to poor lighting. When there's rain, I don't even want to bring out my camera! Anyway, these are taken with my Blackberry camera, so bear with the quality.

A lovely, welcoming garden in my city. We decided to go after seeing an article in the local paper about it. The weather still isn't that great, but hey, that's what jackets and hats are meant for, right?

It definitely does grow! Lots of different plants and flowers, thriving even in the cold weather. Kudos to the gardeners.

Myne Whitman Presents: Tears of my Heart

Today, I present to you another upcoming talent. I first read this entry on NaijaStories.com and was struck the theme of the piece. Many of us rail against injustice, but we often do not understand how this must hurt those who are directly involved. The narrator of this real life piece experienced it first hand and tries to show us a view of his heart.

Martin Chisom Ojukwu is 20 years of age and a Fourth-year student of Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri in Nigeria. He's your average young guy on the street but for the shock of premature grey hair and a pen always stuck in the right pocket of his pants! Martin loves to write, creating his own worlds, and hoping his works serve as respite for any wandering soul.

He has written a lot of articles mostly for CAMPUSLIFE pages in The Nation newspaper, and he's also done some poems, but his strength is with creative non-fiction. I'm sharing the piece with you today with permission from the author.

Enjoy...


TEARS OF MY HEART


Wednesday, December 15, 2010, I sat at home in a pair of boxer shorts watching a movie. The time was about 11am but I was on holiday and considered an occasional lazy morning my right. Then the bell buzzed. Since the time my father installed a commercial water bore-hole system at home, we have had two bells – one for the gate and another for the customers looking to buy water. The latter was the culprit on this occasion and unwilling to interrupt my lazy morning, I ignored it. The noise got too irritating however, and to make matters worse, whoever it was decided to press the second bell too. So in the cacophony of both buzzing bells, I pulled on jean shorts and a sleeveless top and walked out barefoot to go see who it was.

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.

Tuesday Talk - Dual Personality?

In his WebReads for 11th February, Dhjax linked to a site that could offer personality tests based on one's blog.

At first I thought, what a hoax, but I'm somehow addicted to personality tests, IQ tests and all that, so off I went. The site is Typealyser.com, and all you need is enter your blog URL and viola! It tells you who you are.

I tried my two websites, this blog, and my author page, MyneWhitman.com. It was interesting indeed to find that I showed different parts of my personality on both sites.

For the author page, I am The Mechanic, and on the blog, I am The Socializer



I actually think some of these personality tests try to hard to box people into narrow definitions. I have come to realize as a few others have too, that most of us fall into the middle cracks of these tests and have a combination of different personalities. For me, mine can change on an hourly basis even. In the long run though, and more generally, I think I'm closer to the ISTP of my author page, and I've heard that it shows up in my books. But I can be social when I want to be, and that is why I think I've managed this blog and my branding of my books quite well.

What do you think of personality tests? Which of my two do YOU think suits me better? Which are you? Go do the test HERE, and then comeback to share. I promise it will take only a minute.

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.

God, I want my baby! - Lily Olushola (Guest Author)

During my trip to Nigeria, I met this lovely lady who is also a writer and who just had her first book published. Her name is Lily Olushola and her book is an inspirational little book for those waiting on God for children and those who love and support them.

I finished the book in about an hour and half and it was really very informative. God, I want my baby! is a source of hope and encouragement for those who wait. It is written in a conversational manner and uses short stories, poetry and guest articles to pass its message. It will definitely encourage women who are waiting, especially those who are Christian, whether they're waiting by faith, or have given medical science a chance. Lily in the book goes on to adopt a daughter but the prayer is that all women experience that joy of having their own children.

1. Whats the book about? - its about my eight year journey waiting for a baby. I began writing it sometime in 2005 (while i was still waiting) just to share my thoughts and experiences with the hope of encourging others who were walking the same path as I discovered the strenght in shared experiences. Though i planned to publish back then as a book from a woman who was still trusting God for a baby, for some reason, I never closed on it and interesting things happened subsequently ( the adoption of our daughter and the subsequent birth of our son). I then decided to write about that in the books conclusion. There's more details on my website.

2. The Printing Journey - this was extremely tough. printing in Nigeria is an ordeal apparently. i have a thousand wasted copies in my backyard as the printing was so poorly done that i couldnt accept it and we had to start all over. reading is a visual experience and as much as one strives for content, i think its important that a book is presentable and friendly for the reader.

God I want my baby is also available at

AuthorHouse - Buy online

Laterna ventures, 13 oko awo str off adetokunbo ademola. Victoria island

Hub Media Store, The Palms Shopping Mall Lekki

Silverbird gallery. 133 ahmadu bello way , victoria island

Terra kulture, Tiamuyu savage street victoria island

The book can be self delivered by calling +234 807 924 4210

Some of the book reviews are as follows...

"Simply and beautifully written. What moved me the most about this book is its honesty. It made me cry and laugh at the same time and reminded me of my own struggles which interestingly, had nothing to do with childbirth" - Sope Williams - Elegbe, Lecturer in Law, University of Nottingham.

"A fantastive book emotive and very enjoyable read" - Busola Solanke, Consultant.

"This book does more than highlight the trials of waiting so long for something you so earnestly want; it is a tender depiction of the wisdom of God." - Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, Author, I do not come to you by chance.

“An incredibly well written book. The style is creative and engaging and the narrative is very alive. That the story ends so gloriously will help many through the near despair of waiting” - Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, S.A.N
Pastor and former Lagos state Attorney General and commissioner for Justice

“I love the interplay of "autobiography", poetry and verse. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the content is suitable for just about anyone in need of encouragement … I'm glad the experience produced this wonderful book.” - ‘Subomi Plumptre, Brand Consultant and Author, No Bullsh*t

Introducing - Myne Whitman Presents

So starting from March, I am adding this segment on my blog, "Myne Whitman Presents". It will be like a showcase for the upcoming writers who share short stories on their  blog, to introduce my awesome feedbackers to new talent. Most of the stories will come from NAIJA STORIES, and I'm also open to my readers who want to be showcased. I promise you that I'll only publish stories which I liked and which I'm sure you will too, from romantic fiction, to chicklit to suspense. Are you excited? Let's go then...

The short story for today is by Chizitere Ojiaka, who blogs at Courageous Fingers. She is a graduate of University of Nigeria Nsuka, and is working on her first novel. Chizitere is also a publicist and launches her online entertainment portal through Prodigy Magazine today.


Enjoy the Short Story below...

AN AWESOME DATE INDEED.

Friday the 16th day of January 2009 had to be the most awesome day of my life. Not sure if awesome is the exact right word to use, but a brief account of my experience that day will give you a opportunity to put a word to it yourself.

So my awesome day started with me waking up early, strong and ready to face the best work day of every week, Friday. The only day half of the people in the world thanked God for. The only day people like me got to work with a broad smile and counted down anxiously to 5pm, closing time.