Q is for Queen Ovie

No she isn't a real queen, but that was what she would be if she had anything to do with it. Ovie is another of the old friends that support Efe in A Love Rekindled. Hear her;

Movie Director/Producer/Actor - Emem Isong

- How would you describe yourself?
I am street-smart, I tell it like it is, and I am unapologetically ambitious.

- How do you manage to live such an active life?
 That's part of my street smarts. I was brought up in the inland towns of Benin city, and dem no dey teach dat ting o. As someone who hopes to be very successful, I have to know how to work hard and play hard - I'm hoping to become a branch manager in my bank.

- Some people have said that you are too brash and talkative. What do you say to this? 
Well, na dem sabi. That's me, and who no like am dem fit go hug transformer!

- How do you tell whether a club is a good place to hang out? 
Oh man, it depends on the music. If they are laying down solid dance tracks, that's where the party is going to happen. Then I look at the atmosphere - is the place bubbling, with people having fun? Then of course, they have to have a good variety of drinks - me, I like Bailey's Irish Cream.

________________

Verdict? Do you have friends like Ovie, who even when they seem flighty, always got your back?

P is for Public Display of Affection

PDA - What do you feel about them?

O is for Ofure Mukoro

Ofure is the twin of the main character in A Love Rekindled, and the one that first appears at the beginning of the book.

Actor - Desmond Elliot (no he is not a twin...)

- How would you describe yourself?
Cool, calm and collected - very cliched, right?

- Can you tell us what Kevwe is thinking about right now?
Ha! Do you think I'm going to tell you? That guy hardly ever lets anyone into his head. And even if I did know, I wouldn't tell you... OK, OK, let me tell you. I think he's in love - again.

- What was it to live apart from your twin for such a long time? 
Well, we grew up together, but we'd been in boarding school for a while, so living away from home wasn't such a big deal. Besides, we're not so 'twinny' as to feel we need to be everywhere together. And we didn't really feel so far apart anyway, because we had enough opportunities to chat over the phone.

- We hear that you're something of a ladies' man. What's the secret? 
Well, the ladies like me; I like them too, and there's no crime in that, is there? As to the secret, it's not a big deal, really. You just have to know how to show the right mixture of charm and aloofness.

____________________

Lady charmer he is indeed. I have news for him. He's definitely getting a lady to cut him down to size. LOL...What about you, can you fall for a player?

N is for Nneka Dozie

Continuing in the dream cast series, Nneka is the best and longest friend Efe has ever had. First meeting in their first year at the University of Benin, they friendship is over 11 years now.

Nigerian Actress - Monalisa Chinda

- How would you describe yourself in three ways? 
Bubbly, friendly, loyal.

- What do you love about your baby, Anuli? 
She's the sweetest thing, the best thing that has ever happened to me. She brings me so much joy! When she smiles, I just feel my heart melt. She's my biggest responsibility, but she's also the greatest achievement of my life.

- Can you tell us how you met your husband, Dozie? 
That is a long story, and I hear that Myne may be writing the full book. Anyway, I first spoke to him on the phone when I travelled abroad for my holidays in the US. Next thing I knew, he wanted to marry me! Of course, I couldn't accept that when I hadn't even met him - all this happened in the nineties when there was no Facebook, no mobile phone, no nothing - so I told him to forget it. But he was persistent; he returned when I was much older and ready for love, and continued with his pursuit. He wowed me, took me travelling, and when he finally proposed again, I said 'yes'.

- Someone told us that you have a talent as a wrestling commentator. Could you tell us more? 
Hahaha! Oh, I know what you're referring to, when Efe managed to get herself into a fight, but that was just a joke. But I did watch some WWE matches with my brothers when I was much younger, so I may have picked up the language from there.

______________________

Doing these interviews with Atala, he mentioned that Nneka was very traditional in terms of her answer about her baby. And that was what I was going for. For a lot of women, marriage and motherhood are the pinnacle of achievement. Do you know any such women?

M is for Model

My name is Myne Whitman and I am a model. A role model I mean, lol...not that you could think otherwise. Atala doesn't really like the picture below, he thinks I look too 'serious' and calls it my Maya Angelou picture. Of course Maya A is a truly inspirational role model, and I tell him it's an honor to be compared to her.

I hope you don't think I'm trying to be big-headed by saying I'm a role model? The truth is that most of us are role models whether we realize it or not, even if only to one or two people, friends, family etc. And that is not a bad thing, and should not be regarded as a burden like some people do. I believe that thinking yourself a role model gives one the inspiration sometimes to keep going.

Also, the importance of role models cannot be overestimated. It is crucial for a lot of us, myself included, to be able to have people we look up to, people we can identify with, and people who inspire us. When we can do this, we are energized because we can see our paths more clearly, and our goals are focused.

As a female writer, I'm never tired of mentioning those whom I've read and enjoyed, and those whose books have shaped me. By acknowledging them, I am acknowledged. As the Igbos say, "He who respects the king will one day be king." Some of them are already recognized but it never hurts to add your voice. So reach out today to your role model and say, "you motivated me".

And before I sign off, I have to say this you reading. Yeah you, you motivate me. :)

Have a great weekend!

For those in Nigeria, hope you're planning to vote?

Love - The one that got away.

You know how they say there's always that one person that you should've/ could've spent the rest of your life with? In A Love Rekindled, that could have been the case until fate brought Kevwe and Efe back together. This is a topic that engulfed me while I wrote the book, and I have agreed to discuss it with radio host and presenter, Vera Ezimora. We'll both be dishing on the main characters of A Love Rekindled, and will also take calls and questions from listeners!

You can E-mail all your questions/comments/stories about this show to radio@verastic.com or text 1.443.934.9039. You can also join the conversation by calling 1.646.929.1905 during the LIVE show. Time and Date is Saturday, April 16 by 10am EST, and 3pm GMT. For more information, visit the Verastic Channel on BlogTalk Radio.

To start the discussion, and to have the opportunity to get quoted during the radio show, leave a comment below. Do you have "The One" that got away? Ever heard of it, and what do you think?

L is for Love

Of course, LOL...

Wait a minute though, what is love? How will you describe love?

Is it a feeling or an action?
Is it to love or to be in love?
Can one do without love?
A cool love or a fast love?
Which is the better love?
Why do we even love?
When does love start?
Where does love end?
Have you ever loved?


Over to you...

K is for Kevwe Mukoro

Nigerian Actor - Desmond Elliot

Kevwe is one of the main characters in my new book, A Love Rekindled, and below he answers some questions.

- How would you describe yourself?
Confident, a go-getter, caring

- Is it true that you enjoy spending hours and hours in your engineering design studio?
Yes, I do. After all, my job is my passion. I've been dreaming of having my own company for two decades, and I'm proud of how far I've come in setting it up and growing it to this extent, in spite of all the challenges I've had to face. My vision is to make this the number one engineering design company in Nigeria, so I have to put in a lot of work in pioneering new products to achieve this dream.

- A little bird tells us that you're technophobic. Is that true? Well, I'm not the kind of person to go crazy over the latest gadgets. After all, what is technology for but to enable us to be more productive in our work and lives? I use AutoCAD on my computer at work, but I don't see why I should spend hours on Facebook and Twitter when I shoudl be working on a design project.

- What's your idea of a romantic evening with a loved one?
I'd take my loved one out to a quiet place for dinner and drinks. Then we'd move on from there to a nightclub where we could end the evening dancing the night away.

- Who is more impulsive - you or your twin brother?
I have to say that I am - he's the level headed one, whereas I sometimes fly off the handle. But we're not that different - I can also be composed when I want to be.

_________________

What do you think of him?

J is for JOY!

This is going to be a mostly wordless post. It is getting to that time of the year when the drizzling Seattle rain moves from calming to boring, and I begin to fret for warmer weather. So I was going through some summer pictures on my files and these reminded me to look forward to better days ahead. While I'm thankful for spring, and the beginning of all things new, I can't wait for summer, and hopefully some travel time. Yay! Joy!

*pictures taken in Chicago last year.

I is for Interview - Paschal Obinna Ozoigbo

And today, my guest is Paschal Obinna Ozoigbo, Author of The Dust Must Settle. Enjoy...

1. Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.
There is no gainsaying the fact that Africans are where they are today, especially intellectually, as a result of the collective effort of the colonial administrators.

2. Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?
Yes, I have one. Glittering Sword is the title. I have quite a lot of projects lined up. And I don't write just to win awards. I write to affect lives, and also to give a message from my satire. My banking job, which kept me extremely busy and therefore out of writing for close to 15 years, squeezed out all the youthfulness in me and made me sort of redundant as a writer. Nevertheless, at 39, I think I have practically nothing to lose. The late Sidney Sheldon, after all, started his writing career in his 50's, and today he is a celebrated writer, the most translated author in the whole world, according to The Guinness Book of World Records.

3. What inspired you to want to become a writer?
Naturally, I am a chronicler. It is a gift from God. Unfortunately, however, I cannot tell it. I can only pass it across in black-and-white. Whenever I read a novel, I always tell myself: but, boy, I can do better.

4. Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
Seeing my brainchild finally in print form, well-bound, ready to be launched to the world through Amazon, the biggest online bookstore in the whole world, and Barnes &Noble. I have attended speaking engagements in Lagos and Abuja as a result, and offers have come from Hollywood, through my publishers, to get The Dust Must Settle from book to screen. I have had a good time speaking with the Africa Regional Chairperson for the The Commonwealth Prize, Ms. Ayeboah-Afari, and also with the Commonwealth Foundation in London. The Dust Must Settle got to them late as an entry for the 2011 Commonwealth Writers Prize. Ayeboah-Afari took her time to placate me, because I was really mad with the publishers in the US for submitting my entry so late, long after the deadline given. You see, in life, on must count it all joy, even when things seem to be going haywire. These therefore constitute my most rewarding experience since being published.

5. If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world.. which would it be?
Barbara Taylor-Bradford's Voice of the Heart.

6. What was your favorite book when you were a child/teen?
Cyprian Ekwensi's Jagua Nana's Daughter, which was made into a TV miniseries in the 80's or thereabouts by some Nigerian soap producer/director.

7. What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?
Don't write with winning an award at the back of your mind, otherwise when the awards seem not to be forthcoming, you may get frustrated and may stop writing as a result. It has thought me a bitter lesson. Write, just because you want to write. And I tell you, someone out there would see your work(s), fall in love with it(them), and find you--wherever you may be.