Celebrating Independence - 419 Reasons to like Nigeria

October 1st is the independence day of Nigeria, and it's been 51 years since the country got independence from Britain. While we have nothing much to celebrate, today, I'm joining hundreds of other bloggers and social media users on a positive campaign for Nigeria, facilitated by ‘The 419Positive Project’.. 

For too long, Nigeria and Nigerians have been readily associated with the online scams, financial crime and impersonation - termed ‘419’. However, beyond the unfortunate stereotyping, there are several positive characteristics and cogent intriguing traits of the country Nigeria, and its people. Some of these are highlighted below as part of the ‘419 Reasons to Like Nigeria’ campaign which enlisted 100 volunteers and bloggers to share reasons why they like Nigeria. These reasons echo the voices of Nigerians, with resonating similar themes.

The full list of ‘419 Reasons to Like Nigeria’ is available www.419positive.org  

The list of contributors to ‘419 Reasons to Like Nigeria’ is available here

If you would like to say something positive about Nigerians and Nigeria, please do so here.

Blog awards still make my heart smile

Yes, they do. In 2 years of blogging, I've gotten my fair share of awards. Still, each time someone thinks me worthy, it's new all over again. Melanie of Feather Pens, Tartan Dreams said; "this is my first visit to Myne’s blog. And I was impressed. A beautiful lady with lots to say. I subscribed immediately."
Thank you Melanie for joining my site and for the Versatile Blogger Award. I hope I have the chance to keep sharing my different facets with my readers.

Rules:
- Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
- Share 7 things about yourself.
- Pass this Award along to 15 recently discovered blogs and let them know about it!

Stand a chance to win A Heart to Mend from RWOWA

Romance Writers of West Africa (RWOWA) is a group dedicated to the growth of African romantic fiction worldwide and I am one of the founding members, YAY! We have set up our website, and will be rewarding our subscribers each month with a book from the published members. For October, the group will be giving away a free copy of my bestselling debut novel, “A Heart to Mend.*

How to enter:
- Subscribe to RWOWA. The email form is on the right lower corner of the website.**

- Follow @RWOWA on twitter

- Like the RWOWA page on Facebook.

How to Express Love to your Wife

Sometime ago on Facebook, someone shared on how express love to your husband. This was shared in the Just Us Girls group by a man so I understand he's talking to his audience. So, I'm closing my eyes to the sexism in the list, that's a post for another day. But I feel there's a lacuna in that hardly any relationship expert advises the men, so this is my own version of how to express love to your wife. Enjoy the rest of the list after the break. More love to us all...

1. Say “I love you” often to him her.
2. Tell him her often that you are happy to marry him her.
3. Cook his her food promptly.
4. Listen to him her when he she talks.
5. Pray Talk with him her often.
6. Sit on his her lap when you are alone, and also in public.
7. Tell him her he she is handsome, brilliant and wealthy everything to you.
8. Occasionally, take his her food to him her in the bedroom before he she gets up especially on weekends.
9. Sit down with him her as he she watches football her favorite show or any other programme on TV.
10. Learn some things about his her job and discuss these with him her.

Campaign Challenge II : Imago

One hand holding his nose, Paul fought to keep his balance as he took wide steps, avoiding the lacuna between the slabs he was walking on. Beside him rose a concrete wall, topped by nails jutting into the night sky. He should be home, but the restaurant where he washed dishes had closed late, and one of the chefs had suggested this strange shortcut to the bus stop.
Tiredness washed over him but he tried not to oscitate, keeping in mind the miasma from the gutter beneath. His stomach growled as Paul recalled the kitchen during dinner hour. A deeper growl echoed some feet away in synchronicity and Paul peered into the darkness, his heart beginning to race.
Two glowing eyes emerged from the shadows followed by the rest of a massive dog. A security light suddenly came on, glinting off the shiny coat of the dog as it began to bark. Snapped into action, Paul took a step backward, and then another. The dog stood before a gatehouse, and in the mirror of the glass doors, appeared as two.
“Get him!” Someone shouted.
The dog and its image leaped forward as one, saliva dribbling down their jowls.
Paul ran.
___________

Picture Weekend - Revenge, my tiny Afro

I learned a new phrase last night, double infinity.

It's from the new ABC show, Revenge, which I watched on the Friday showing. We missed the premiere on Wednesday cos we went out but now the show has definitely found its place on my must-watch list. Growing up, I struggled with the revenge side of my scorpio, and it's a theme that still holds a fascination for me (see A Heart to Mend). Anyway, I went on wiki and found that the TV show is an adaptation of "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alex Dumas, and I'm a huge fan of that book. There's been a lot of changes obviously, but I'm already liking that the two main characters are strong females, terrifically acted by Emily VanCamp, and Madeleine Stowe, and I look forward to how the writers will pull it off.

On to my hair, I cut my it in late March and the second picture was taken in the second week of April. The first was taken just this Wednesday, and if I do say so myself, I think the hair is growing. As you can see, the front grows faster than the back, giving me a punk look, lol...

Abia gang rape suspect identified – Nigerian Minister

This is the best news I've read on this matter since it broke.

"The minister said, “More than 70 per cent of the information we have on the rape will not be said here for obvious security reasons. But I can tell you we have information on it.
“The girl is not a student of Abia State University. She was raped in an off-campus residential area of students.
“One of them (suspects) has been identified conclusively.”
Although the faces of the rapists are not seen in the video, the minister said the National Human Rights Commission was on top of the situation.
He said, “Some legal experts have told us that it may be difficult to convict the rapists because the video does not reveal the face of the victims.
“The National Human Rights Commission is working with the Ministry of Youth Development. The commission, which is headed by a competent lawyer, is on top of this case.
“This is law, if we can not press for rape, there are other charges that we can press. I can assure you that justice will be done.”"

Read the full report: The Punch:: Gang rape suspect identified – Minister

Speak up and stop the predators

UPDATE: Like Ginger pointed out in the comments, the onus should not just be on the girl and I totally agree. It is on us all. Some people are putting their money where their mouth is. #eienigeria

I read Seun Odukoya's blog and discovered that Abike Dabiri is calling on the rape victim in this video to step forward. Seun says it's not that easy to speak up, and I agree.

In my final year in University, I was harassed for sexual favors by one of my lecturers. It was not in exchange for grades and he did not threaten to fail me. Maybe he did hope to scare me, after all I was young and under his power. He was in his forties, and one of the top lecturers in the department. Of course I had heard stories about his womanizing ways, but when he showed an interest in me, I thought it was only because I was billed to be the best of my class.  

Blogger Ball #7

This is an intro for those coming from the Blogger's Ball 7. You're welcome to my blog.

Myne Whitman is my pen name. I live in Seattle with my husband from where I write and blog full time. I am also the publisher and managing editor for a critique and social networking website for aspiring Nigerian writers at Naijastories.com.

My two books, A Heart to Mend and A Love Rekindled are self-published, and I'm working on my third. The first, AHTM, recently got to no 1 on the Amazon UK Kindle bestsellers list for Inspirational Romance and also Romantic Suspense. The links to read the reviews are to the left, and below that are links to my blog topics.

Thanks for coming over, and I hope you'll join my site. See you over at yours soon.

Picture weekend - Mountain Climbing

Hi people, hope your weekend has started well? Mine will be fairly laid back, we're going to see Contagion later today, and I'll probably try to do some writing. On the latter, my work in progress (A Fiery Love) has some mountain climbing scenes in it and I've been doing some research online to get the setting in order. But I also have to describe how the characters feel, you know, how they're out of breath, the feeling of satisfaction when they get to the top, that sort of thing.