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.

5 Minutes with Anthony Livingstone, Author, Enemy of Darkness

Anthony Livingstone’s professional background is completely rooted in music. Not satisfied with the normal performance of music in a concert setting or a band setting, he began to experiment with merging other art forms together with music which gave rise to a new concept of the Christian Opera he developed and saw performed in several churches in Nigeria. As early as the late 90s, he became aware the potential of musically dramatized plays and the enormous emotional response it could bring forth.

Little did he know that writing, a hobby which he engaged in solely for pleasure, would become more precious to him than his first love – music.

He talked to me about the writing process, the Christian Fantasy Genre, and his latest novel which was recently published online as an e-book, Enemy of Darkness. Read the interview HERE.

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!

10 Lessons I Learnt From The Greatest Salesman in the World

My review of The Greatest Salesman in the World was published here in July, and I remember noting that it is not the kind of book you read only once.

I’ve had reason to go over it again and again, distilling the rich goodness from each scroll. See just 10 little thoughts I’m rolling over in my mind from each scroll HERE.

What’s Keeping You from Writing Your Book?

As an editor, writer and ghostwriter, I tend to attract people who dream of authoring books on a daily basis. When we get to discussing the reasons why their dream is not yet reality, there are certain explanations that keep recurring.

If you’re someone who wants to write a book but has never gotten round to it, decide here and now that 2017 will be the year you produce your manuscript. The time to start preparing is now, and here are a few things you should keep in mind. Continue reading…

Do You Listen To God’s Voice?

Prayer is not a monologue; it’s a dialogue. You speak to God, and He speaks back to you. When last did you listen? What’s your attitude to what He says?

When Mary the mother of our Lord received God’s message from the angel, what was her response? It was one of faith, obedience and submission.

“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.”

Continue reading…

10 Questions For Arit Okpo, ELTV Presenter And Producer

Arit Okpo is one of the most recognisable and most beloved faces on Ebony Life TV, where she has worked as a producer and presenter on a variety of shows including EL Reports, The Crunch, and Destination Africa. This self-described multi-contextual writer and avid reader recently unveiled a side of her viewers would never have guessed existed: she loves cooking, as foodies all over Africa discovered on Chefrican, ELTV’s food show that features the preparation of traditional dishes from all over Africa, with a modern twist.

I had 10 questions for Arit, who is also ELTV’s Senior State House Correspondent. Continue reading…