Clear Your Shelf Giveaway - The Language of Trees

I have so many books sitting on my bookshelves that I've read but will probably never read again because I want to read more, newer books, etc. There's only so many hours in a day after all, and that's why I joined up with the "Clear Your Shelf" Giveaway Hop.

So join me from January 4th to 10th. This is my chance to clear out my overflowing bookshelf and pass on some books to other book lovers. I will be giving away a book I won from LibraryThing and which I really enjoyed reading, The Language of Trees by Ilie Ruby

WIP - Dunni Bonds with her Father

One of my action plans this year is to complete this WIP and if possible publish it this year. So again I bring what I've written so far for you guys to help me critique as we go. You can catch up by reading the previous instalments HERE. Thanks!

Dunni set the tray of Amala and Ewedu on the dining table and opened the ceramic dishes her mother had asked her to serve the food. The steam from the recently microwaved food filled the small room with the smell of the palm oil sauce and it wasn’t long before her father moved from the sitting room to the table.

“I hope your appetite is good this afternoon?” she asked.

He smiled at her as he sat and washed his hand in the basin of water she’d already set out.

“This ewedu is very fresh, I like that,” he said, smiling at her as he put his fingers into the sauce and after rooting around, pushed a piece of fish in his mouth.
Dunni pulled out an empty seat and sat the table, watching him roll the amala between his fingers before dipping it in the dark sauce.

“Are you not eating?” He asked.

“No, papa. I’m not hungry now.” Also, her father loved to eat Ewedu daily while Dunni could only stand the soup in small not-so-regular doses.

Some Inspirational Quotes for the New Year

Now that we are fully in the New Year, some people have made new year resolutions for an improved lifestyle. Others take it day by day on the things they would like to change and work on for 2013. These quotes are useful either way.

For me, I go with the purposeful living action plan. I want to lose some weight and continue to eat more healthy food. After all that happened in 2012, I put back about 15pounds that I lost with the Bouri program in February. But I know I can go back to that my 135lbs figure.

There's this blog, naijastories, and my newly set up company - BTW, I was shortlisted for the YOUWIN program this year, yay! - which I want to take higher. I also want to be more intentional in my relations with family and friends, and take more time to focus on God, and my inner person.

Happy New Year!

This is 2013! How time flies, right?

So we open up another new calendar, clean and with so much promise. I wish everyone a colorful and fantastic new year, filled with joy, success, peace, love, prosperity, you name it, and you'll receive it, LOL.

Seriously though, may this year be the one in which we achieve. Amen.

Happy New Year 2013 Giveaway Hop

Happy New Year! It is now 2013 for most people who are reading this. Timewise, I live somewhere close to the back of the world, so we have a few more hours to go. Still I'd like to wish everyone a happy, prosperous and productive 2013. I published a book in 2009 and in 2011, so the new year calls my name for a new book. I look forward to meeting that promise :)

In the meantime, you can enter my giveaway for my first two books, A Heart to Mend and A Love Rekindled. Two winners will get their choice of either book. Enter via the rafflecopter form below. Goodluck!

Alero Roberts on Marriage - Marry your Friend

Being a doctor, wife, mother, teacher, relationship expert and columnist with Genevieve magazine, Dr Alero proves that love, understanding, patience and wisdom are the basics for maintaining a good marriage.

Definition of Marriage: For me, marriage is exactly what the Manufacturer planned it to be: there’s the man and then the wife, who is designed to be a ‘help-mate’ for the man she marries. Think of the head and neck relationship; he’s the head and she’s the neck, separate yet inseparable, distinctly different and yet inextricably intertwined. He’s the leader but she gives him permission to lead and shows him where to lead.

How they Met: I met my husband Dr Seyi Roberts in ward A2 at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on the morning of Monday, 8th of November, 1982. It was a consultant’s ward round and it was my first day of Neurology posting. He was a senior registrar just returned from his year’s training in Harvard. It was sparks all the way! I thought he was an over-rated, arrogant, bumptious creep and he thought I was a little miss ‘know-it-all’, too big for my boots!

Movie Review - The Hobbit (An Unexpected Journey)

Far over
The misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep
And caverns old...

Atala - Thus begin the lyrics to the Song of the Misty Mountain, a song which recurs throughout "The Hobbit", the subject movie of this review. And I have to say that if I had to choose a song to fit the movie, I couldn't have chosen better than this. It's a deep, soulful and haunting tune which evokes scenes of epic adventure full of perils and drama.

And there are certainly perils and drama aplenty in this film, as Bilbo Baggins, the eponymous hobbit, Gandalf the wizard and a company of dwarves go on an adventure to reclaim the dwarves' lost kingdom.

I was somewhat apprehensive about going to watch this; a few months ago, I had watched a Lord of the Rings trilogy of films in a marathon session, and I came away with a headache.

A Blogger Wedding - Chizy Marries Playboy

Chizy is the blogger behind Chizy's Spyware, and on the 22nd of December 2012 at the Chapel Of Christ The Light, Alausa Ikeja, Lagos, she got married to musician and rapper, Playboy. According to her blog, "The ceremony was a combination of a historic church, a swanky reception and the most important element of all – a couple in love!"

I wish them more love and every blessing that comes with marriage. Some pictures from the wedding below.

Unrequited Love - Let's call it The Friend Zone

When I come across instances of unrequited love, I feel a small pinch in my emotions, or a mighty big pinch depending on who's telling the story. That's because even though true love has healed my heart I have felt that pinch in a personal way, mostly during my adolescent years of secret crushes.

You see a guy you like, you get to know them and they like you too. You begin to want to think yourself in love with them, but wait for it, they love someone already. You're like, shoot me now. Yeah, I know that's a bit dramatic, right?

Blame Les Miserables, the movie musical that came out Christmas day with Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway among others. There are several strands of stories in the movie, but this is not a review (which is coming soon btw), so I'm only going to talk about one of them - a love triangle with some characters.

A Blogger Proposal - Verastic Gets her Man

So next to Bellanaija, when she was still a blog, the next blogger I knew was Vera. Her veratic blog was shared on a Nigerian community message board, and her articles too. I liked her voice and followed her blog when she mentioned she was also an aspiring writer. When I started blogging, she was also among the first to follow and encourage me. Since then, I've got to know her, speak to her on the phone and hope to meet her one day.

Now, if you've read a few of her older blogs, you'll know Vera is a romantic. If she's not talking about relationships and how she wants everyone to get it right, she's writing about meeting the man of her dreams. So I am very happy for her that she has met the awesome guy who - as is obvious from her writings, and speaking to her too - makes her heart sing.

Igwe, as she calls him, has put a ring on it and Vera decided to share some of the pictures on her blog for us friends and blogggers to see. I wish them more joy and blessings in their union. Enjoy pictures and video below...