Dear Elona: Letters to My Friends, the Brides and Brides-to-Be

 

 

There are many things that people don’t have the heart to tell the bride, but I believe she should know these things.

If you agree, then you will enjoy reading Dear Elona: Letters to My Friends, the Brides and Brides-To-Be.

I believe this collection of 50 heartfelt letters to 50 unique women, married and single, is timely and essential; especially for young Christian women today who hope to become wives, or just did.

I address the priority of choosing the right man: Is there such a thing as marrying the wrong person? Do you have any concrete reason for holding on to this relationship apart from the time you’ve already spent which you don’t want to go down the drain? Is he in love with you, or with the idea of you? Are you ignoring red flags or assuming you can “manage”? Does he handle life well?

I discuss the importance of becoming the right woman: Are there bad habits you need to deal with before becoming a wife? Are you comfortable in your own sexuality and knowledgeable about sex? Are you open and honest about your expectations? Have you bought into any marriage myths that are simply not true? Should you take your ex back?

Also, I talk about doing what is necessary to make love last, and knowing when to leave: Why does love fade in marriage? What does it mean to be happily married? What can we do to reduce the risk of divorce? Why do women stay in abusive marriages? How can we avoid being torn apart by money, or the lack of it?

As I wrote in Dear Elona: Letters to My Friends, the Brides and Brides-To-Be, “There are no guarantees to this marriage thing. But there’s no denying that it is best entered into with eyes wide open.”

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This Is The First Step To A Successful Writing Career

Many things go into a successful writing career. However, none of them is as important as this one thing.

Billary: 7 Moving Excerpts from Carl Bernstein’s A Woman in Charge

“Their friends observed a remarkable chemistry. ‘She’s the one that gets up in the morning with a dark cloud over her head, and he gets up with the bright sun,’ said a photojournalist who followed the Clintons in Arkansas and in Washington. ‘As the day goes on, he’s the one who falls into a funk and she’s the one who will refocus him. It’s one of those things that if they had never met neither of them would have reached the heights that they did.’” Continue reading…

20 Fascinating Proverbs from Chinua Achebe’s Works

One of the most fascinating things about reading Prof. Chinua Achebe’s novels as a non-Igbo youngster was the way he peppered the book with proverbs – the palm oil with which words are eaten, according to him.

See just 20 of the many proverbs his books presented to the world here.

Pepper Soup

After years of insisting “I’m not a fiction writer, please”, I wrote a story. A love story.

I have always loved stories, and one of the things that keep me going is reading.

Starting and completing a series of novels with my reading partner is high on the list of things I am looking forward to this year.

I have written stories in my head since I was a teenager, and actually penned some down in notebooks, but it was nonfiction – articles – that I felt most comfortable writing.

Then one day, my friend Timendu Aghahowa contacted me about contributing to an anthology she was editing called Pepper Soup. I sent in a nonfiction piece.

When she got back to me and informed me that everyone had to write fiction, I knew the time had come. I couldn’t run from it anymore.

At first I was worried, because all the other writers ARE AMAZING! I didn’t want my story to end up looking like the raggedy help!

Eventually I sat down and wrote a story that has lived in my heart for years. I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you enjoy reading it.

Pepper Soup, a collection of 12 short stories, will be live on Okada Books next Friday, February 10. I’m thrilled to be part of it!

My story also happens to be titled Pepper Soup.

Pepper Soup will be released at the discounted price of N500 until March 1 when it goes back to the regular 1k.

On Friday I will wake up and squeal: I’m a published fiction writer! Yippee!

Hehe.

#PepperSoup #Romance #LoveStory #Fiction #NigerDelta #Warri #Lagos #Nigeria #ReadThis

 

 

 

 

If You’ve Ever Dreamed of Publishing a Book, Read This

 

Naija Single Girl, whose novel, 29, Single and Nigerian, I edited in 2015, wrote a detailed blog post about the entire writing process.

Although she mentioned me in it, I just found it today and I’m sharing because I love the way she frankly outlined her journey, from the first day she wrote down a word, to writing 500 words a day, then 1000, and so on. She also talked about her search for an editor who would preserve the Nigerian English that makes the book what it is, getting a good cover design, and finding an affordable publisher.

It’s a good read for anyone who intends to write and publish their book. Click HERE to read it, and remember to share!

Would You Attend a Silent Book Party?

The first time I ever heard of a silent book party was in a Twitter poll. The question was, “Would you attend a silent book party?” I didn’t vote yes because I wasn’t exactly sure what that was and why it would be pleasurable for me.

I made a note in my memo pad to remind me to find out more about it, and when I finally did, I had to admit it was a good idea. I had never thought of such a thing before! Read more…

20 Inspiring Quotes From Writers About Writing

Much has been said about the power and pleasure of reading, and not nearly enough about writing. Without writers there would be no books to read or rave about, but how much do we know about the writing process and what goes on in the minds of writers, be they novelists, journalists, or just people writing their memoirs? These quotes, some serious and some hilarious, give us a little insight into their world. Continue reading…

20 Interesting Quotes on the Power and Pleasure of Reading

Reading has the power to change lives. It is one medium by which we listen to people we’ve never met and may never meet, learn from them, gain insight into others’ experiences and travel the world without whipping out a passport. Here are 20 quotes from people who have experienced the power and pleasure of reading.

Read more…

5 Minutes With Tunde Leye, Author, Guardians Of The Seal

Sunday 25^th September 2016, writer and blogger Tunde Leye launched his novel, Guardians of the Seal, and social media has been abuzz since.

I interviewed him for Connect Nigeria’s “5 Minutes With…” and I think every aspiring writer can learn a thing or two. Continue reading…