Book Twitter Party.

To celebrate the release of my second novel, A Love Rekindled, there'll be a virtual party on Twitter on Saturday, April 2, 2011 at 10am Pacific Time, 1pm Eastern Time, and 6pm UK and Nigeria Time. Hostesses are Michelle @BombChellATL, Eva @ EvaAlordia, and @Verastic.

What is a Twitter Party, and how does one take part?

A Twitter Party is a great way to have fun, make new followers, and this time you can win prizes too.
During the A Love Rekindled Twitter Party we will be discussing ways to rekindled love, creative ways to apologise, and how to set your love on fire!
Join the party by searching for the hashtag #torekindlelove and #ALRbook and adding both to your tweets that fit the discussion.
You can also retweet other people's tweets if they are part of the party.

To win prizes, all you have to do is participate! It’s that simple. The party will last for two hours, and my winners will be selected every thirty minutes. I say my winners cos there are others taking part in the party, with their own prices to give away. From me, you could win…

1. An Amazon gift card of $10 from Amazon.com (must live in the US)
2. A discount coupon for 30% to buy ALR from the Createspace eStore.
3. A discount coupon for 20% to buy ALR from the Createspace eStore.
4. A discount coupon for 10% to buy ALR from the Createspace eStore.

Finally ...

The Party will be featuring guest appearances by Nollywood stars under the management of E4PR, so before the A Love Rekindled Twitter Party starts, make sure you are following at least two of the peeps below. They'll be selecting the winners and by following, you ensure you can get a DM notifying you if you win any of the prizes.

Myne @Myne_Whitman

Egor Efiok @E4PR

Chioma Chukwuka @omakpotha

Monalisa Chinda @monalisacode

Susan Peters @realsusanpeters

Desmond Elliot @deselliot

Igoni Archibong @IgoniArchibong



Extra Entries

Tweet about the A Love Rekindled Twitter Party using "Join @Myne_Whitman for the A Love Rekindled Twitter Party April 2 at 1pm EST  #ALRbook

Tweet about the prize you want to win at the A Love Rekindled Twitter Party using "I’m going to win free copies of A Love Rekindled at the Twitter party #ALRbook

Lost and Found BlogFest - Update

A reminder for those taking part in the BlogFest...


"From March 25 - 31, post a blog telling me about anything you've ever lost and found, an object, a person, an idea, anything! The same week, visit two other blogs in the list, read their entries, and leave comments. I will be visiting everybody."

The theme of Lost and Found for the blogfest ties in to the launch of my second book, A Love Rekindled. ALR is a love story of college sweethearts, who lost each other due to circumstances out of their control. When they found each other again after a decade, love is rekindled.

So have you posted your story? Leave a comment here with the link and I'll get to it as soon as I can. I have read some lovely stories, and look forward to more

On April 3, I'll announce all the winners of the blogfest and giveaway!

You can read the stories, and find some great bloggers by checking out some links below. Thanks!

Binyerem Ukonu - The Water was Hot (Guest Author)

Binyerem Ukonu of Ink Upon my Paper is my guest author for today, and he'll be telling us about his debut short story collection, The Water was Hot, in the interview that follows. You have to pick up his book, I provided part of the blurb and it is truly an engaging read.

Tell us about yourself, a brief autobiography.

My name is Binyerem Ukonu. I first became a writer before I was called to learn how to design houses for both family living and office purposes. That is to say that I’m an architect. I am the only son of my parents, although my mum is late. I have five sisters, and all of them are older than I am. So, I have always had anything I’ve always wanted, and also people to fight for me out there, both in prayers and combat (laughs). Now, I am an author of two books – a collection of poems titled Ekwurekwu (a meal of verse), and The Water was Hot, which is a collection of short stories published in Delhi by Serene Woods. I was born in 1982.

When and why did you begin writing?

I’ve always loved poems and the art of writing poetry. I always felt poets drew strength from a deity somewhere. How else could they have written those beautiful lines? I became a poet in 2002, when I lost my mother – Lady Georgy Ukonu. It was when we went into her bedroom to gather her belongings together that I found her chapbook of poetry. This is where she wrote either her poems or poems of other poets. I read from one line to the other, and felt the words taking over my head. That was how I became a poet. Then, I wrote for myself, and never wanted anyone to read my works, for the fear of criticism. A friend of mine, one day, stumbled upon a poem of mine that was carelessly kept. He read it, stole a few lines, and went to win himself a girlfriend with it. I had confidence in my works when I heard that from him. I’ve written a lot of poems, and many of them are online presently. My short stories, too, are gaining audience.

What inspires you to write?

(Laughs). This is one question I’ve always prayed not to encounter, because I’ve always heard or read other authors answer this same question. It’s scary. But I must say this. I’m inspired by chaos. And someone I told this, recently, told me to relocate to Sudan, where chaos is like street lights. But sadness inspires me most times. I am also inspired by the environment and the happy people in it. Most of my friends are becoming careful with me these days. They do not want to play a role in my stories. This makes me laugh. So, you can say that I’m a bit complex.

Discuss one of the stories in your book.

The Water was Hot, the theme story, is about a woman who fights through life with cancer, and gains strength from the love and unity that envelopes her family. A few times, people rumored she was dead, because no one saw her for a long period of time. One thing I most enjoyed while writing this story was how fast I was with it. It felt like I was writing a story that someone had already written before. I felt I was doing the right thing. And I cried most of the time. I felt fulfilled, knowing I had gotten to the end. Today, I read those lines, and they are like reading a story written by someone else. The main character became a person. A voice.

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Reviews

So these were the reviews I got from the Amazon experts. I was a little demoralized when I checked the Quaterfinals List and my name was missing, you know how your heart is beating so fast and then it sinks to the bottom of your tummy? Anyway, I logged in to the back end, and the reviews made me feel somewhat better. The reviewers read the first 5000 words, which in the MS was the first 2 chapters, and it's heartening to read that they liked it, and saw potential.

1. ABNA Expert Reviewer

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?

The setting in Nigeria is the strongest aspect of this setting. Though several of the characters have spent time or are connected somehow to other regions, they all seem to be drawn back to Nigeria. I have heard of few books that are set in this country, and I'm willing to bet not many of those are romances. I feel that if this story explores Nigerian culture and history, the setting will prove a great asset.

What aspect needs the most work?

I don't read many romances in general, so I found the main romantic relationship hard to follow, especially because it was in the past. I could tell that there was a strong relationship at some point, especially since the couple had been engaged, but not many details are provided otherwise. Though these may be revealed later on, I would have liked to know them somewhat earlier on to get a better grasp of where the story is going.

What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?

I think this excerpt is as a whole pretty well done, even if the only large aspect that stands out to me is merely the setting. So far the characters are interesting and unique, and although I found it difficult to follow the history of the main romantic relationship, I did find myself wanting to know more about it and where it could possibly go. This story seems to have a lot of potential to confront some important issues; of course, this early on, I am unable to judge how well this is done, if at all.

Paint it Purple - Obudu Cattle Ranch

The earth soared up on both sides of the narrow, winding road and the car slowed down so that we could take in the impressive view. The trees were tall and majestic, covering the mountains for as far as the eyes could see. We soon got to the sharpest bend in the track which was signposted as the Devil’s Elbow and slowed even further. As the summit approached, the terrain became more of rolling hills with swaying shrubs and grass waving in the wind. By the time we got almost to the top, we had sighted a couple of small animals and several different kinds of birds.

That evening as we dined on the balcony of the restaurant, I witnessed one of the most impressive spectacles of my outdoor experience. The sun went down and the horizon became obscured by a stately and continuous movement of the sky. The clouds descended in a swirling mass of vapor that heralded the beginning of a curious twilight. The valley became filled with this splendid mass and to us watching, it was as if the heavens touched the earth.

Book Launch! March 31 - April 3!

Hello everyone, I need your help and support.

My new book, A Love Rekindled is launching from Thursday March 31st to Sunday April the 3rd. I'll be grateful if you can sign up below to take part in the month-long book premiere. There will be the official release of the book trailer video, a real-time online chat on my blog, where you can ask me anything, a Twitter Party, a Facebook discussion, casting call for the main characters, and many more. I can only do all these if you can offer me the use of your blogs, Facebook or Twitter. The blog tour continues afterwards too. Please help me spread the word.

Advance review from Lara Daniels, author of Love at Dawn - A recommended "Spring" Read

It was a novel that I enjoyed tremendously. As a sucker for poignant romances with premises of new beginnings, I found A Love Rekindled right up my alley. The theme of a love, once lost, then found again, touched a deep chord within me, such that I found myself emotionally revved up at the finale when the main characters declared their love to each other. Another reason why this book touched me is that it exposed the insidious prejudices that different cultures may have towards another – a bias that has unfortunately damaged relationships – often times permanently.

Book Review and Release: A Love Rekindled

So, A Love Rekindled will be launching in about a week from now, and the first book review has been published by a sweet friend. Folake gives A Love Rekindled 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommends it to anyblody, especially those that enjoyed A Heart to Mend. Head on over to read the full review...

Empowering You...: Book Review and Release: A Love Rekindled by Myne ...: "Pre-Publication Review of A Love Rekindled by Myne Whitman If you liked A Heart to Mend, you’ll love A Love Rekindled. Myne Whitman is on ..."

Folake Taylor is also an author, her book The Only Way is up is an inspiring read.

Sweet City of Mine

So, I'll be sharing a video I made about the city I currently live in - Seattle. We live in the suburbs and I don't often go into the city, but it's always fun when we do. Well, except for the parking, and the one-way streets that just jump out at you. However, I love walking and can safely say that most places in downtown are within walking distance of each other.

This is for the Sweet City of Mine Blogfest by Holly of Girl About Town"...post an entry on your blog about your favourite city. Whether it is the city you live in, the place you wished you lived in, somewhere you travel to often or have only been once. Or it could be a city that only you know of, a city that you have created in your own writing. You can post it as a descriptive piece of writing, a poem, a collection of photos, drawings, a video, a scrapbook page, greeting card...It's your city, you choose."

Enjoy the video. If you cannot view it, please check the Bellevue Botanical Garden post HERE.

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.

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.