Amazon Book Launch of 'In My Dreams It Was Simpler'

The book: "In My Dreams It Was Simpler" is now available to buy on Amazon!

Synopsis: Sometimes Life Doesn't Happen The Way We Dream

Lola, Funmi, Titi, Dolapo, Temmy and Maureen are a tight group of friends. They have been through many ups and downs together, from their pre-university days to the present time as young career women. They constantly have to deal with the measures of success - striking the perfect balance in all aspects of their lives – careers, relationships, cultural expectations, moral dilemmas and the demands of 'having it all'.

Then there are the men: Tade - a guy from Temmy’s recent past who is now stalking her, Dayo - who Titi is initially reluctant to introduce to her friends, and Wole who appears to tick all the boxes that Lola is looking for but has a shady past she wants to uncover by all means. They are thrown together in a series of intriguing events and twists, their dreams are shattered, and loyalties are tested to breaking point. Against all odds, the six friends have tried to stay afloat, but they don’t know what the future holds…

They are thrown together in a series of events and twists that will leave you hanging off the edge of your seat! How will they deal with the situations they face? Will they pull through and become stronger? Or will they become victims of circumstances they cannot control?

Find out!

The book includes interviews with the writers, and lots more sweeteners, you'll need to get your hands on a copy to find out!

Amazon UK - here  US - here France here Germany here Lulu here Kindle (Ebook edition) here

For more details about the series, and the writers, please visit the blog here

100 Followers on The Bookaholic Blog

Soryy guys, but we have to blow our trumpet - 100 followers on The Bookaholic Blog woooohooo!!!

7 BLOGtastic Tips

1. The header: This is the most definitive area of your blog/website… paying significant attention to this area and creatively creating a header area that effectively introduces the essence of your blog more often than not leads to a generally beautiful blog/website. Simplicity is recommended.
2. Uniform sized images: The blog pages are characterized with lists of articles with accompanying images. Having uniformly sized images goes a long way in enhancing the general look and feel of the interface.
3. Clutter: Use a well spaced layout. Less Clutter = More Appeal. Nobody likes having to filter through tones of info to figure out what your blog/website is about.
4. Background image: Using a background image can destroy or breathe life to your blog/website. If you opt to use a background image, make sure it complements the color scheme of your website. There should also be a solid color area where your blog/website content can be placed without the background interfering. If you are unsure how to effectively create this, stick to a solid background color.
5. Color Scheme: The last thing you want to do is make your blog look like a rainbow. A palette of 2 – 4 colors usually does the trick; with 4 being an extreme. Let the images/pictures related to the articles do the remaining coloring.
6. Typeface: Choose fonts that area easy on the eye. Blogs are all about the content and using fancy fonts for the articles is a No-No! It puts a lot of strain on the reader and generally puts your blog on the “No-Read” list right next to bin laden. The fancy text can be used for Headers though.
7. Hire a professional: This is the most important tip of all. Blog owners are usually people with a flair for writing and are not usually the best graphics designers in the world. Engage a professional and share your ideas with him/her as a guide so the blog would truly reflect your conception.

 

Otoide Ayemere

A young man with an imposing figure, Otoide Ayemere is the founder of 2Digits Solutions Company (www.2digitsweb.com). He holds a Bsc. in Applied information technology from Sikkim Manipal University (India), Aptech Certified Computer Professional amongst other qualifications. With over 5 years experience in the art of website development he has carved a niche for himself as one of Nigeria’s finest.

Introducing Naija Stories....

Now the internet gets more exciting everyday. There are new opportunities for writers daily. Naija Stories is the newest kid on the block.

"Naija Stories is the online community for Nigerian writers and readers of all interests and skill levels. Naija Stories is a way for readers to discover new voices and for writers to share their work, gain recognition, and connect with their audience and each other. There is a special workshop section for feedback and critique from other writers. Whether you're an enthusiastic, creative writer looking for the perfect place to store and display your writing online or a casual reader searching for a good story, Naija Stories is your website. As a writer, this is a place to showcase your creativity and for a reader, here you can feast to your heart's content." 

There's a website launch contest that you can participate in. There are prizes to be won :-) First join their FB page...and be part of the contest. Submission guidelines are here. Deadline for submission: March 31, 2010. 

What are you waiting for? All the best!

Five Ways to Find Motivation to Write....

It's called internet strolling...okay, on my last stroll, I came across Always a Writer. I loved this post so much and couldn't help but ask to cross-post this here. Enjoy!

We all have times when we just don’t want to. One of the really big science fiction writer places had a list of fifty different ways he motivates himself to write. Obviously, this isn’t fifty and in all honesty, I probably should have just stolen them from him, but I’m going to go for this. These are mostly just observations about my writing style.

1. Figure out what you want to do instead, then do it AFTER you write. This works well if say, you want to play stupid games on facebook. Tell yourself you can play said stupid game after you write two pages or some other goal.

2. Imagine the scene. Sometimes merely imagine  what I am going to write encourages me to write it, both before I forget it and because I’m suddenly excited to write it.

3. Keep your eyes on the goal. Since I write in very much of a beginning to end fashion,  I have found that writing when I’m not looking forward to writing a particularly scene makes writing a real challenge.

4. Just do it. Sometimes when I get totally demotivated to write, I find out that it is a particular scene or section that I don’t want to do. Once I get over that section, everything is all right.

5. Get plenty of sleep. Okay, maybe I’m grasping at straws here, but if I don’t get enough sleep (and I don’t often enough thanks to a 7AM clinical time), I lack the energy to do much of anything, including write. Writing takes a lot of mental power and strength, so fatigue means you’ll do something else brainless and bother with it later.

6. Bonus! Figure out why you don’t want to write. This is perhaps just in case I forgot something but in all honesty, this is just as important. We all have different reasons why we lack motivation to write and my reasons might not be your reasons. So figuring out why you don’t want to write whatever might be your first step towards actually writing again.

Do you have any other writing motivation tips? Pray tell...

The BookJam @ Silverbird 2

Farafina proudly supports BookJam @ Silverbird.  This is the second edition of the once-monthly event happening at Silverbird Galleria, Victoria Island.

This edition will feature acclaimed author Uwem Akpan whose book “Say Your One of Them” was picked as an Oprah Book Club Selction, Joy Isi Bewaji author of Eko Dialogue, and Andrew Maja-Pearce, author of Remembering Ken Saro-Wiwa and Other Poems.

At BookJam you have the opportunity to hear each author read their favorite passages from their work, participate in literary discussions, and also the chance to get your copy autographed.  The last edition was loads of fun and this one promises to be more so, so see you there!

UN Journalism Fellowship...

The Dag Hammarskjöld Scholarship Fund for Journalists is now accepting applications from professional journalists from developing countries for its 2010 fellowship Program. The application deadline is April 9, 2010. 

The fellowships are available to radio, television, print and web journalists, age 25 to 35, from developing countries who are interested in coming to New York to report on international affairs during the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The fellowships will begin in mid-September and extend to late November and will include the cost of travel and accommodations in New York, as well as a per diem allowance

The fellowship program is open to journalists who are native to one of the developing countries in Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean, and are currently working full-time for a bona fide media organization in a developing nation. Applicants must demonstrate an interest in and commitment to international affairs and to conveying a better understanding of the United Nations to their readers and audiences. They must also have approval from their media organizations to spend up to two months in New York to report from the United Nations. 

More info here and here...