Adura Ojo reviews "Nothing Comes Close"

Hello everyone,

It's a few days after the book launch and I'm exhausted, but happy! I'm really grateful to all the folks that came out to support me on a freezing Saturday afternoon. The event went very well and I had a great time. I'll put up the photos and a full break-down of the programme in a few days.

For now, I'm pleased to say that Nothing Comes Close got a great review from the wonderful Adura Ojo! I'm glad she enjoyed reading the story and I hope to learn from the few weaknesses she pointed out:

"No woman likes nasty surprises in a relationship, particularly when it is her heart on the line. So it is plausible that the reader feels the jolt of every twist and turn in the journey of these two lovers as they learn to put their trust in no one else but each other." ~ Adura Ojo

Read the rest of the review HERE and leave a comment!

Thanks!

Book Launch for "Nothing Comes Close"

Hey friends, for those of you who live in London, you're invited to my book launch!

I would love to meet you :)

Book Launch Party

for

Nothing Comes Close, a novel by Tolulope Popoola

Date: 1st December 2012

Venue: Vortex Jazz Club, 11 Gillett Square, London N16 8AZ

Time: 2pm – 6pm (prompt)

Meet the author, win a goody bag, have drinks and nibbles, enter our giveaway competition, have your book copies signed, have fun!

For more information about the book, please visit http://www.accomplishpress.com/books

For information about the venue, please visit http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/

If you live in the UK and would like an invitation card in the post, please RSVP with your address to sarah@accomplishpress.com

PS: If you can’t make it to the event, you can still purchase the ebook or paperback online from many retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, WHSmith, Foyles, Book Depository and many more!

Find the event on 

Review of "Nothing Comes Close" by Africa Book Club

As a writer, it's great when your work gets reviewed and the reader got a good experience from reading it :)

Nothing Comes Close was recently reviewed by Dianah Ninsiima for Africa Book Club.

Read her comments here: Review: Nothing Comes Close (by Tolulope Popoola)

Flash Fiction: The Accident

Image credit: en.wikipedia.org

I remember leaving my body ten minutes after the impact. Before then, it was a blur of tyres screeching, horns blaring, a loud scream, a dog barking and an awful thud. I fell off the bonnet of the car, and landed on the stony tarmac. Then I heard voices, and footsteps of people running towards me.

“Call 999!” I heard someone shout.

For the few minutes I was suspended between life and death, I recalled my mother’s warnings. Always look carefully before crossing the road, she said. I thought about her then. How would she react to the news of my accident? I imagined her crying, and I felt sorry for causing her trouble.

An ambulance arrived with a wail of sirens. My head hurt. My back hurt. My left foot throbbed. A light was shone into my eyes.

“I’ll check for a pulse,” a man said.

Somebody touched me. I heard sounds that I couldn’t comprehend. Then I suddenly felt cold. Slowly, I started to rise above the scene of the crash.

“Will she make it?” A voice floated to me, as if from far away. 

I thought of my father and baby brother, Paul, barely two years old. He wouldn’t understand any of it. I hoped someone would tell him that I’d gone to heaven. 

I visited that spot later. People had left cards and flowers. I wished I could thank them. But what I wanted most was to say goodbye to my family.

(c) Tolulope Popoola

Book Review: The Officer's Bride by Lara Daniels

Review - The Officer’s Bride

I recently read Lara Daniel’s soon-to-be-published novella, “The Officer’s Bride”. Having read two of her previous books and many of her series and short stories, I knew what to expect: a heartfelt and moving story with characters I could empathise with. And I wasn’t disappointed. 

This time, Lara introduced me to the world of Nafisah and Eddy, a world of military oppression, coups and violence. I was reminded of a dark and scary time in recent history where it seemed there was no freedom, no hope and no good in the world anymore. But this was also a world where sacrifices had to be made for the sake of the greater good, and ultimately, goodness and love triumph over hate and evil. 

The story revolves around two characters who are brought together by an act of fate. Colonel Edward (Eddy) is a top aide to the ruling dictator in the country, a paranoid, evil army General whose callous acts have brought the country into turmoil and darkness. Nafisah is a victim, directly affected by the acts perpetuated by men who have the power to do as they please. Her world is turned upside down, and she could have easily been lost forever, had Eddy not stepped in to literally save her life.

Eddy’s character surprised me. He works for an evil boss, carrying out swift and sometimes bloody assignments. But deep down, he remains a man with a conscience. When he meets Nafisah, she noticed that he was the only man that still had kindness in his eyes, compared to all the soldiers around him. And for five years, he took care of her, feeding and educating her and Nafisah blossomed under his care.

But Eddy’s most important mission demands he stakes everything - his loyalty, his job, his love and his very life on accomplishing a dangerous task. At this point, Nafisah has come to regard him as more than a rescuer and protector and she fervently hopes that she doesn’t lose the only person that has stood by her and protected her.

There were many moments in the book where I had to pause to absorb the tension that Lara built into the book flawlessly. I desperately wanted Eddy to succeed in his mission and come back to fulfil his promises to Nafisah. And I also wanted him to rid the country of the evil dictator and restore some sense of peace and morality. I must commend Lara on her ability to write much more than just a love story. Her writing is simple, and uncluttered, vivid and beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Officer’s Bride, and even though it is short, the characters and imagery will resonate in my mind for a very long time.

Rating: 4 out of 5

To find out more, visit http://laradaniels.org/the-officers-bride/
Website: http://www.laradanielswrites.com
Follow Lara Daniels on Twitter - https://twitter.com/LDparables


(c) Tolulope Popoola

Punch Newspaper Feature

I was featured in the Literary section of the Punch Newspaper recently!

Click here to read the article on the Punch Newspaper website.

"Nothing Comes Close" E-Book and Trailer

Hi friends!

At last, we're almost there :)

I've been working on finalising all the details for the release of "Nothing Comes Close". Honestly, it has been an amazing journey, and a huge learning experience. It's also taught me something about patience, cos I was thinking the book was good to go in July. But then I had to wait for more and more rounds of editing, typesetting, and all sorts of other things :)

Well, at least now the ebook is ready to download! To buy the ebook, you can visit any of the following links:
Amazon Kindle US
Amazon Kindle UK
Amazon Europe (Germany,  France, Italy, Spain)
Kobo
Apple iStore
Sony Reader store
WH Smith
Nook (Coming Soon)
Smashwords (Other formats)

Many thanks to those who pre-ordered the ebook! You're now entitled to a 30% discount on the ebook from Smashwords! Your discount coupon will be emailed to you shortly.

I'm hoping the paperback will be ready in a few weeks, so stay tuned for more updates here and on Facebook. Thanks so much for all your support, I couldn't have done it without you guys!

In the meantime, enjoy the book trailer:

Book Trailer

My Interview with Under35CEO

I was interviewed by Yinka Brand, the Editor of Under35 CEO.

Click on the link below to read:

http://www.under35ceo.com/2012/08/how-tolulope-popoola-discovered-her.html

Ebook Review: Boosting Your Confidence by Aloted Omoba

Boosting Your Confidence by Aloted Omoba

I was delighted to receive a copy of Aloted’s new ebook on “Boosting Your Confidence”. It’s a short ebook of only twenty pages, but it is packed with great tips and techniques for women who want to give their confidence a boost.

Whether you’re a mum who works from home or outside, these tips will help you claim your inner confident self, and put your best foot forward. 

Some of these tips are ideas that I’ve come across before, but Aloted managed to put them together in such a way that makes sense and it finally ‘clicks’ in my head. The fifteen steps flow logically, and they are easy to follow and adapt into everyday life.

Reading the book, it was very clear to me that the topic is something the author is very passionate about, and she  made it interesting by giving an example of her own personal experience and her journey to regain her confidence after taking time off work to care for her new baby.

I’ve read the book twice, and I will certainly be reading it again and again, and putting the tips into practice. I believe there’s always room for improvement and change, and I recommend this book to everyone who wants to improve some aspect of their life.

You can get a copy of the ebook from here:  http://www.superworkingmum.com/boosting-your-confidence.html

Aloted Omoba, a pseudonym, lives in Essex, United Kingdom with her husband and daughter. She is a freelance writer and the initiator of the Super Working Mum website where she writes practical tips for the working mum who desires to succeed both at home and at work.

Feature - Finding My Right Path

Recently I was asked by the editor of African Daydreams to do a feature article on my journey to becoming a writer.

I enjoyed doing this feature because it helped me to reflect on the past few years and how far I've come with my decision to change careers and become a writer.

You can read the whole feature here: Inspire: Beyond Daydreams

I really hope that I can inspire even one person to go out there and follow their dreams.

Have a great week!

Pre-order my novel "Nothing Comes Close"!

Hey folks!

A lot of work has been going on behind the scenes (like several rounds of editing and rewriting) and now my novel "Nothing Comes Close" will soon be published!

If you're interested in getting the book, my publisher is offering a pre-order incentive, so register your interest today. Here's the link: http://www.accomplishpress.com/pre-orders/

Hurry, so you don't miss out! I appreciate everyone who has been so supportive of my journey thus far, and I really hope you enjoy reading the novel when it's released!

Thank you!

FLASH FICTION: Best Laid Plans - By: Tolulope Popoola

Another flash fiction piece on Radical Chic:

FLASH FICTION: Best Laid Plans - By: Tolulope Popoola

Read and comment!

FLASH FICTION: Covering Up - By: Tolulope Popoola

New flash fiction piece published on Radical Chic:

FLASH FICTION: Covering Up - By: Tolulope Popoola

Enjoy, and leave a comment!

Thanks!

Flash Fiction Series

I'm doing a series of Flash Fiction stories for Radical Chic Magazine.

Click on the links below to read them:

FLASH FICTION - Domestic Status

FLASH FICTION - One-Way Street

FLASH FICTION - Fix My Shell

FLASH FICTION - Fertile Imagination

 FLASH FICTION - Dutiful Husband

FLASH FICTION - Twin Twist

FLASH FICTION - Loneliness

FLASH FICTION - Wrong Date

FLASH FICTION - A Christmas Miracle

FLASH FICTION - The Salon

FLASH FICTION - Chasing an Illusion

FLASH FICTION - Wanting

FLASH FICTION - Platonic Friends

FLASH FICTION - Covering Up


I'll be updating the list as we add to them. Please feel free to share all the stories, and leave your comments!

Thanks!

Article - Working From Home

My recent article published in ReConnect Africa Magazine:


For many people the thought of working from home is a very attractive one. Especially if you have no choice but an over-priced, horrible ride on your commute to work in overcrowded trains, or if you have to leave home three hours early to beat the traffic just to be at work on time, or brave treacherous weather conditions daily or an unreliable bus network that gets you home late almost every day.
You might just be tempted to quit the journey and work from your living room.

Click here to continue reading...