Monday, June 25, 2012

Watching Your Finances While Dating By Miss Know It All



Miss Know It All
A woman meets a man on an online dating site, and it is love at first sight. Before you know it, he is asking to borrow money. How many women lend or give money to men who are forever broke, unemployed, or behind in their child support payments.

This is not to say that men do not suffer from throwing your money after bad syndrome. However, this scenario seems to be more common among women who are willing to take over a grown man’s financial obligations. Suddenly, the man is gone with the cash; the woman is in a financial bind and has to chase him down like a bounty hunter or end up in small claims court to try to recoup her money.

Why so many women put themselves in this type of predicament is unknown. Maybe it is the need to be a nurturer or the fear of being alone. When you lend or give money to anyone, you are doing a disservice to yourself, by putting that individual first and you last.  

A man of integrity and good character will never ask you for money to help pay his debts or to buy him a big-ticket item. If he is financially sound and responsible, he will not need your money to make ends meet. On the other hand, if he is looking for a cash withdrawal machine, or is out to be a moocher, he will let you know right from the start. There will be no beating around the bush on his end.

When you meet a man and decide to date him, and within seconds, he is asking you for a loan to help purchase a car, because he has bad credit, it means, he does not pay his bills. In all likelihood, you will never see your money.

No one is saying you should never help the love of your life. If he were going through a financial crisis, you would be there for him, but only if he has given as much as you have. 

Monday, June 18, 2012

3 Reasons Falling in Love Feels So Good By Elizabeth Nelson

People love to be in love. But why? Well, it feels good, that’s why. But what makes love so addictive? Why does it feel so good? Here are three reasons behind our love of love.


1. Touch – Everyone needs to be touched. It is a part of how we are built. But society has very strict rules on who, how, and where you can touch. Those rules are broken, however, in a romantic relationship. When two people fall in love, touch norms go out the window. Touch is one of the strongest ways to form an attachment to a person. So, the more you touch, the more you love.

2. Endorphins – With touch comes endorphins. That feel-good buzz that comes along with love? Yeah, you can blame these guys. A natural ‘love high’ is formed when you receive and give affection, attention and care. These activate other hormones in your body that can strengthen these feeling and make it last, to a lesser degree, for the long term.

3. Attention – Everyone wants to feel special. And what can make you feel more special than someone’s undivided attention. When you are falling in love, you can think of nothing else but that person. Any time they are in the room, your eyes, thoughts, and probably hands are on them. When they are away, you immediately answer any texts, emails or phone calls. You give them all your attention, and that feels great.

~*~

Elizabeth’s Bio:

Liz’s hope that many more people can live out that dream through reading her articles and thoughts about the good AND the bad of the online dating scene through top dating sites. Get in touch with her at liznelson17@gmail.com.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Meet Liz Grace Davis, Young Adult and Romantic Women’s Fiction Author



Liz Grace Davis, Author

Liz Grace Davis is a Namibian author. She grew up in Angola, Namibia, South Africa and Germany. She now lives with her husband in Vienna, Austria. Growing up, Liz spent most of her days in school libraries, diving into the world of books. In her spare time, she loves to travel as well as creating jewelry and digital scrapbooks. She is in her element when she is doing anything that requires creativity. Liz is the author of a young adult fantasy novel, Tangi's Teardrops and a romantic women's fiction novel, Chocolate Aftertaste.

Following is a synopsis of Chocolate Aftertaste

At her pre-wedding dinner, Nora Darkin, the daughter of a wealthy entrepreneur, discovers her fiancé is not the man she thought he was. As her father hoists his glass to toast them, she makes an announcement: there will be no wedding to her father's right-hand man.

Due to the fresh rift driven between her and her father, Nora escapes to the quaint town of Dreara.

Determined to live her life her own way, she makes new friends and pursues her lifelong desire of becoming a chef. Ethan Danes, a neighbour with his own broken heart, helps soothe hers. 

Just as Nora discovers what it means to be happy, and she begins to fall in love with Ethan, a woman from his past re-enters his life…


Short Excerpt

Nora turned her attention back to the reality in front of her. She hated arguments; sometimes she wished she could hide somewhere, just wait them out. Unfortunately, life was not like that.

She lifted her eyes to meet Liam’s. The ice in his eyes had not melted. She dropped her gaze.

Instead of flirting with her appetite, the large marinated tiger prawns made her stomach queasy, and the oriental noodles looked like neglected yarn left out in the rain. From the way he dissected his steak, Liam’s appetite was just fine. She gritted her teeth as his knife scraped the porcelain plate.

Unable to bear the silence between them, she leaned forward and whispered, “I hate it when you ignore me.”

“What do you want me to say?” He chewed the last of his food and waved for the waiter. “We’re done.”

The waiter nodded and scuttled over to remove their plates.

When the waiter was out of earshot, Nora hissed through clenched teeth, “I wasn’t done.”

Liam took a swig of water, probably wishing it was something stronger. “You didn’t look like you were hungry.”

“Stop treating me like a child,” she snapped.

“Stop acting like one.”

Nora’s cheeks heated. She contained her anger with difficulty. “That’s really insensitive.”

“What do you want from me, Nora?” A vein pulsed in his neck. “What exactly do you want me to say?”

“Say you want me to be happy.” Her eyes brimmed. “Don’t ask me to get rid of my best friend.”

He loosened his tie—and then slammed his fist on the table, knocking over Nora’s glass of water. The silver stream raced straight for her lap.

The waiter appeared as if from nowhere to replace the white tablecloth with a new one. Nora forced a smile and whispered an apology. The waiter nodded, and a minute later he left.

Ignoring the curious looks they got from the other diners, she dabbed at the moisture on her black jeans.
“You can’t always explode every time I refuse to do what you want.”

Liam ignored her. “Ask to pay. I want to leave.”

Nora flinched, but abided. Paying wasn’t so bad—so long as it was fair. On their first and second date, he paid. On their third and a few more after that, they went Dutch. After one year, he asked her to pay for an occasional meal until it became an unspoken arrangement between them. The only thing Liam had paid for himself in three years was her engagement ring.


Some Goodreads Reviews:

Debbie Brown rated it «««««

I loved how real everything in this book felt. The characters came to life and easily pulled me into their story. The writing of this talented author paints intense emotions in a way that you can’t help but experience it all along with Nora as she learns to stand on her own and eventually spread her wings.
There were times where I was so sure of the decisions Nora was to take, only to be surprised by the creative path the author chose for her instead.

Liz describes the settings so well that you can see, feel and smell everything around Nora. By the end of the novel you will have experienced every emotion possible and watched Nora grow through her trials all while visiting the wonderful places created by the author.

This is not a sappy romance novel, but a book of life...Nora's life, with real feelings and all.



Naynay rated it  «««««

Nora Darkin is the daughter of a wealthy entrepreneur, about to marry his right-hand man, Liam Connolly. Her father could not think of a better son-in-law. But at her wedding dinner she announces there will be no wedding, Liam is not the man she thought he was. This decision puts a strain between Nora and her father, as Nora always lived up to his controlling ways just can not do it anymore. So Nora leaves and goes to a small town called Dreara. Here she makes new friends, she starts living her dream to be a chef, she is now living her own life. She meets Ethan Danes, her neighbor who has his own problems, he is there to help Nora. While their relationship grows Nora thinks she finally knows what it is to be happy. But then a woman from Ethan's past comes back into his life.

This is a story that starts off with the main character dealing with forgotten dreams, secrets, and broken promises. As the story continues it is a woman who decides to find herself and stand on her own. A search for new beginnings, learning to forgive, and finding real love. Liz Grace Davis penned such emotion into this story and created characters you easily fell in love with. It is a emotional and an inspiring read, and I want to tell you to BUY THIS BOOK!

I recieved this book from the author for an honest review....Thank-you Liz Davis for a wonderful story.


Contact Information:


Buy Links:


For additional information, comments and reviews, click here.

Monday, June 04, 2012

Some Humorous Tactics Men Use to Get a Woman’s Attention - Part 2 by Vivienne Diane Neal


If there is any behavior that will turn off most women, it is the woofing howling syndrome. These gestures usually occur among groups of men trying to outdo each other, to see if women will respond. Their main objective is to draw a female audience and make idiots of themselves. If a man really wants to get your attention, he will do it when he is alone and not openly share his objective with other men. What would be the point?

This next approach makes about as much sense as a mosquito traveling to Mars. If a man is in his vehicle and sees a woman crossing, sometimes, he will start pumping the gas peddle to get her attention.  This ploy alone is enough to make any woman become horror-struck and take flight. She might think your aim is to run her over.

Lately, the method used to get a woman’s consideration seems to be evolving.  In many cases, when a man sees a woman coming down the street, he will start to hum or sing a song. Do not get egotistical and assume he is singing to get your attention. He may be gearing himself for a record deal or thinking about auditioning for a spot on American Idol. However, the last thing a woman wants to hear is some man making a complete fool of him, especially if that individual cannot carry a tune, or the melody is unfamiliar. Yet, nothing can be more humorous than a man who approaches a woman at a bus stop and then ask, “Are you lost.” Is this anyway to get a woman’s attention?

What ever happened to a plain old “Hello,” “Good Morning," "Good Afternoon," or "Good Evening," with a smile and serious eye contact? This is not to say the woman would be in awed of, attracted to or responsive to a man, but these words and a sincere glance will certainly leave a lasting impression and may even be a great lead in to a possible dialogue, but only if the woman reciprocates.

About the Author:

Born in 1946, Vivienne Diane Neal is a storyteller with a wicked sense of humor. Vivienne has been writing articles for over twenty years and started writing fictional short stories in 2007. She gets her dark romance story ideas from observing people, places and things and watching true TV court cases.

Vivienne is the author of Making Dollar$ And Cent$ Out Of Online Dating, Shades of Deception, Malicious Acts and Wicked Intent. Her fourth book, Retribution Unleashed will go to press in the winter of 2012.

Links to Author’s Sites:

Monday, May 28, 2012

Some Humorous Tactics Men Use to Get a Woman’s Attention - Part 1 by Vivienne Diane Neal


Some men do and say the oddest things to get a woman’s attention or to strike up a conversation. Whether the man’s interest is sex, dating, romance, love, friendship, a casual relationship or marriage, some of the strategies used by individuals may be appealing to some women, humorous to others and downright weird to most.

Depending on your age and intentions, I would like to meet you or the mating call techniques may vary. Your main objective is to get the woman interested in you first, and then let nature take its course. Whatever methods you use, you may blow your chances of ever getting to meet that woman who stands out from the crowd.

Years ago and maybe still today, whistling at a woman, to get her attention or to scare her away, was the manly or unmanly thing to do. However, one might continue to ask, “What does whistling accomplish, and does one think this type of communicating is appealing to women?” If you are a member of the bird species, perhaps this type of behavior might work. On the other hand, if you are into birds, and she happens to be a bird enthusiast, then maybe a connection will develop. However, you would have to be a mind reader to know if she is a bird lover.

Then there is the “Hi baby, what is your name?”  This may not work, unless the female is an infant. Subsequently, there is the man who will wait until he passes a woman, and without warning will mutter, “Hello.” What is that all about, and what is a woman to do: turn around and respond to the man who is halfway up the block or run after him and ask, “Sir, were you trying to get my attention?” If you are attracted to a woman walking towards you, make eye-to-eye contact and then say, “Hello.”  Better yet, do not say a word. Just keep walking.

~*~

Part of 2 of Some Humorous Tactics Men Use to Get a Woman’s Attention will conclude on June 4, 2012.

About the Author:

Born in 1946, Vivienne Diane Neal is a storyteller with a wicked sense of humor. Vivienne has been writing articles for over twenty years and started writing fictional short stories in 2007. She gets her dark romance story ideas from observing people, places and things and watching true TV court cases.

Vivienne is the author of Making Dollar$ And Cent$ Out Of Online Dating, Shades of Deception, Malicious Acts and Wicked Intent. Her fourth book, Retribution Unleashed will go to press in the winter of 2012.

Links to Author’s Sites:


Monday, May 21, 2012

A Chat with Mr. Locario, Renowned Dating and Relationship Coach



Mr. Locario, Dating and Relationship Coach

If you are not familiar with Mr. Locario, he is a nationally known dating/relationship coach. He is also the author of several books, including “The Magnificent 10: Crucial Dating Tips for Men,”  “It’s Your Fault You’re Single: Tips on Finding Mr. Right.” and his critically acclaimed book “How to have Sex with 2 Women a Day,” which describes his true-to-life approach in dating many women. Moreover, the book has been adapted into a short film.

Mr. Locario has been featured on Vh1, FUSE, The Dish Network, TLC, ABC Family, The Tyra Banks Show and Anderson Cooper.  He has appeared in Magazines, such as Rolling Stone, Blender, Source, and Vibe, and has written for FlaglerHill and the Fort Green New York Times Blog.

What separates Mr. Locario from other relationship gurus is his no nonsense realistic approach to the dating game and the game of life. The idea is to give men and women the knowledge, truth, and confidence to understand what they want, thus, helping create the best options for themselves in Love and in Life.

His dating advice is accessible through online videos, blogs, and his website www.mrlocario.com. He is also available for individual support and counseling. In addition to his relationship analysis work, Mr. Locario is a rap artist and actor. In 1996, he founded the entertainment company ITAKKS Inc. For the last 14+ years, he has and still performs under the name of “Trends” in New York, California, Florida, and New Mexico.

~*~

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with One World Singles Magazine Blog.

Who or what inspired you to become a dating/relationship coach. I was inspired to become a dating coach because I was a serial dater. I would date so many different women and then I realized that I was really good at talking to women. Also, I’m really passionate about helping other people in their dating lives. I went through so many mistakes and I didn’t want people to go through the same things I went through.

You have written several books on dating/relationships, which came first, the writing or the coaching. The coaching came first. I actually used to coach some of my close friends before I even really considered taking this seriously. Then I started to make videos and write articles and post them up online. I got such a great response from people from all around the world. I would get emails from London and Australia. After that I decided to put out my first book called “The Magnificent 10 Crucial Dating Tips for Men” then I wrote my second book which was for women called “It’s Your Fault You’re Single: Tips on finding Mr. Right” and finally my third book “How to Have Sex with 2 Women a Day”

You are also a rap artist and an actor. In fact, one of your books, “How to have Sex with 2 Women a Day,” became a short film. What type of feedback have you received about the book and the film? How to Have Sex with 2 Women a Day the book is basically a “How to” step by step book that teaches men how to step up their game and have more options to have more sex and dates in their dating lives. The feedback has been awesome. The funny thing is I had a lot of women who were mad at me for writing that book. What women don’t realize is that book also helps them out in the long run because when men learn how to talk to women and have more options to be with the type of women they like to be with then they will make better choices if they choose to stick with one girl at the end of the day. Most guys just take what they can get because they have no game. So I always ask women do you want to be with a guy who just settles down with you because he feels like you are the only woman he can get, or do you want a man who knows he can get any woman he wants but decides to stick with you because he knows you’re the right woman for him.

I made the film as a way to promote the book. It has been getting a great response. I had no idea it was going to come out that good. There is actually no written script; it was all improv. I actually had a few celebs hit me up telling me how much they enjoyed the film. I want to make it a full-length feature film soon.

As a dating and relationship coach, what are some of the most valuable lessons you have learned? I learned that you have to be a good listener and you have to be honest. 

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about becoming a dating and relationship coach? I would say that if you are going to be a dating and relationship coach that you do your research and you should have a dating life. You should also be honest with the public and not do it just for money.

Are you planning to write any more books in the near future? I have another book coming out for women called “The Magnificent 10 Crucial Dating Tips for Women, and I’m also writing books for teaching men and women how to be successful with online dating.

How can our readers get in touch with you? You can contact me at www.Mrlocario.com or my blog site http://www.ilooksexynaked.com. You can also follow me on twitter at @realmrlocario. If anyone wants private coaching they can contact me at mrlocario@gmail.com

Thank you for allowing us to dialogue with you. Do you have any words of wisdom for singles that are forever searching for true love? I would tell anyone who is single and who is looking for someone special is to make sure you love yourself first and you know what you want out of a relationship. If you love yourself and know what you want, you will attract people who want the same things that you want.


Monday, May 14, 2012

How to Recognize When Your Lover is Playing You by Miss Know It All


Miss Know It All

The signs are always there. For some reason, many women choose to ignore them when someone is playing them for a fool.

When a man becomes unemployed and has no money to fall back on, and is not contributing to the household, this is a revealing sign that you have become his financier. Therefore, your antenna should be working in full gear. The message should be loud and clear. You need to kick this one to the curb.    

However, when he has the nerve to ask you to buy him a gym membership so that he can keep himself in shape in order to find a job, and because you love him, you oblige him. It has now been a year and you have not received any payments from this man, and he is still unemployed. By now, you should realize that this person is playing you for an absolute fool.

Now, if you opt to continue supporting this individual, then that is your business. When he depletes your funds and ruins your credit, and leaves you high and dry, he will move on to next person. Your course of action is to take him to civil court and sue for monetary damages, which you may or may not receive.

So, when it comes to romance and money, heed to the warning signs right from the start. Sooner than later, a player will always show his true colors.

Monday, May 07, 2012

Philly Urban Book Festival


Start: Jun 23, '12 at
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Saturday, June 23, 2012.

This years annual festival promotes the joys of reading, honors the
importance of the printed word and showcases local and regional authors, booksellers and publishers. It’s the place where readers and authors
connect!

The festival will feature:
  • Author appearances and book signings
  • Exhibitors
  • Booksellers
  • Non-stop readings/book signings on five areas,
  • Cooking and demonstrations by celebrity chefs, poetry
  • Reading workshops
  • Panel discussions
  • Storytellers and hands-on projects for children
  • Live music
  • Variety of delicious foods
For more information, please email: Literacy Moments Magazine at

Premier Author, Feature Author, Guest Authors and Non-Attending Author.

Spaces are still available!

Vendors and Volunteers Needed!

Monday, April 30, 2012

Make a Difference to Others



New York Times Bestselling Author Brenda Novak's Annual Online Auction for Diabetes Research beginning May 1st at Auction For Diabetes.

You could win an advanced reading copy of your favorite author's next book, gift baskets, trips & stays, jewelry, lunch with a big name author, hand-crafted items and much more!

If you are an aspiring or published author, you could take advantage of fabulous opportunities to advance your career--while making a difference to others.

Register now!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Introducing Guest Blogger, Debie Esmeralda, Author of The Angel Series: Fallen




I'm Debie Esmeralda. I'm 18 years of age. I started to discover my love for writing at the age of 13. I started by writing music lyrics and at the age 15 started the idea of my book. I was currently a nursing student and on my third year now. I love animals so much. I also love singing and my favorite genre is country, pop and theatrical. I'm a bookworm. I love to read. I also love the TV. I love watching series, especially those young-adult TV series like Vampire Diaries and The Secret Circle.

The Angel Series: Fallen is about an angel who was punished for breaking the rules of the Heaven. She has to live with the humans but there she learns all the things humans do. She is known as Penelope Reef, an average girl with dreams of being on Broadway. Then she met the rich, wealthy Swaiz brothers, Drew and Xander. She falls for both but was really in love with Drew. But Xander made her situation confusing. Which makes it more complicated was the return of her ex-boyfriend, Jeremy. Aside from the love life, she has. She’s also being haunted by dreams. This came to a decision that she had better find the answers in her hometown. In the end, she has to make a decision that will change one of her lives.

The inspiration I have for this book is a song of 98° entitled Heaven’s Missing Angel. My original inspiration for the Drew was Zac Efron because I had a crush on him during the HSM days. And Xander is after Damon Salvatore of the TV Series.

* * * *

Thank you for allowing One World Singles Magazine Blog to host your virtual book tour and for taking the time out of your busy schedule to share your writing success with our readers. You are certainly a creative and prolific writer at such at young age. Moreover, the fact that you are studying nursing, while pursuing your writing career is a great inspiration to others who wish to follow their dreams.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer? I never really dream of being a writer. I wanted to be a singer or actor. I write lyrics that I had created out of nowhere every night before I hit the bed. But, I was able to construct short stories from my mind, even I was young. Music also was part of my stories, every music I listen to I can make a story out of it. There came my novel. When I had started, the main idea of my story out of song I had been listening one night I decided why not make a novel out of it. This was my very first novel and I was happy that I had it published.

What genre do you write and why? I write fictional fantasy romance; actually, it’s a love story not romance because it has a milder storyline than romance novels out in the market.

Why fictional fantasy romance? Fiction because my imagination was very wide and unpredictable, thoughts came popping out of my head. Fantasy, because I love characters out of fairytales and superstitious beliefs. I think their unique. Romance, I love a happy ending and I believe no one can live without love. Even it’s love for oneself, love for others or love for the common good. I also wanted to write adult fiction someday.

What formats is the book available in? It is only available in Paperback.

What do you like to do when you're not writing? Reading novels. I am really fond of reading; actually, I can finish a book more than a hundred pages in one day. I have read all the twilight books in two weeks. I also do my Hunger Games trilogy reading for a week. It’s like my comfort zone. I never really feel happier than finishing a good book to read.

Who are your favorite authors? I adore Nicholas Sparks; he is a great romance novelist. He makes tragedy and love story a better pair than anybody else. He makes Romeo and Juliet’s tragic love story relive over and over again. I also love L. J. Smith, and his supernatural novels like The Vampire Diaries and The Secret Circle.

What advice do you have for other writers? Each idea is unique after the others. So if you have a great story to tell, why not share it to others? And never stop doing what you want, even if others said that you can’t. Write, write and write.

What's your favorite quote about writing/for writers? The novel is an event in consciousness. Our aim isn't to copy actuality, but to modify and recreate our sense of it. The novelist is inviting the reader to watch a performance in his own brain. George Buchanan

Writing is a cop-out. An excuse to live perpetually in fantasy land, where you can create, direct and watch the products of your own head. Very selfish. Monica Dickens

What's the best thing about being a writer? Making my own world revolve. I can make up characters after the personality and traits I want them to be. I can tell what will happen and whom they’ll be with. I can put up my own world out of imagination, which I enjoy most.

Where can people find out more about you and your writing? My book has a fan page. The Angel Series: Fallen. I also have a twitter account where you can follow me. I’m also deciding about putting up a website or blog but I never even started one yet.

Anything else you'd like to add? My novel is out in Amazon.com now, you can get your copies there and if you had one tell me, I love to hear it. And I want to say, Thank you.

* * * *

For more information, and to order her book, please visit the author’s sites

Monday, April 16, 2012

An Erotica Author Who Never Goes Midway


Guess what? Bridget Midway’s contemporary interracial BDSM (can you hear the whip crack?) erotic romance novella "Carried Away" through Whispers Publishing is now on sale through All Romance eBooks! Her story is the third story that completes the series along with authors Yvette Hines ("Stealing the Bride") and Aliyah Burke ("If You Dare"). If you haven't already gotten their stories, don't wait! Be sure to get all 3! And yes, all 3 stories will be in 1 anthology called Taken, and it will be available in ebook and print in late April or May.


Synopsis of Carried Away

What happens when you can’t face your perfect man?

Summer Carter faces that dilemma as her two best friends, Kathryn Maynard and Leya Greenwood, convince her to honor their pact and take her adventure. She flees to a tropical Hawaiian paradise when she can’t face her online Dom, Xander. The reality of the relationship and what she really wants in a man is too much for her to face.

Xander Houston never saw himself as a Dom who would need to look for a submissive on a personals site. But when he encounters a witty and intriguing profile for a submissive named End of Summer, he strikes up a fast friendship with her. Months later, she still refuses to meet him face to face, and he tells her he’s going to take a break.

Coincidentally, both end up in Hawaii on separate vacations. When Xander finds her and figures out who she is, he cooks up a plan to sweep her off her feet, not as a Dom, but just as Xander.

When Summer discovers the truth, will she run away from her secret Dom or will she allowed herself to get carried away?

Author’s Sites:

Monday, April 09, 2012

Featuring Akinyi Princess K'Orinda-Yimbo, Author of Bound To Tradition



Akinyi Princess K'Orinda-Yimbo, Author

One World Singles Magazine Blog would like to welcome Akinyi Princess K'Orinda-Yimbo, Author of Bound To Tradition. She was gracious enough to take time out of her busy schedule to allow us to dialogue with her; she will discuss her latest short story, The Proposal, and talk about how she sees the world when it comes to her writings.


What inspired you to write your first book? Thanks for asking and for the interview. This was a personal and private experience that affected the relationship between me and my husband, so in a way Bound To Tradition is largely autobiographical. My short story, The Proposal, which I culled out of Bound To Tradition has been nominated for the 2012 Cain Prize which will be announced in April 2012.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? That we may look at others outside our culture with cultural spectacles but we should never judge their culture with the same cultural specs. And that cultural bias need not be relegated to one cultural group or one corner of the world – it’s universal.

Do you have any words of wisdom for future authors? Keep on writing because that’s what you live for, cry for and pull out from that place inside you that only you can comprehend. And write what you’re most passionate about, not what is in publishing vogue or just sold for a six figure sum – unless this falls in line with what you’re passionate about.

Why should we buy your book? This is a book that’s unique in itself for the reasons I state above. But even more important, readers have not many authentic writers of continental African books, so that the books normally slip off their radar before they even sense it.

Is there a special place that you prefer when you write? Well, we’ve turned two rooms in the house into offices and mine has a huge French window through which I stare for miles into the dark Black Forest. It both calms me and gives me ideas. The very best is of course going for a long walk in the forest – alone.

How or when did you become a writer? I don’t remember the exact point in time when I decided to be a writer. From Mum’s belly or so. But I remember the subsequent when and why. I was in my preparatory school in Yorkshire and my English teacher asked the class to write a detective story about a towel missing from one of the dorms. So I said to myself (age 10 or thereabouts), “All right, Watson, let’s get down to work.” I named my detective Skylark Homes. And ended up with red marks and crossings all over my story – for the simple fact that I kept on writing: And the dick asked… The witness told the dick… The thief, after the dick had caught her red-handed… Finally the dick… I thought I was being really creative and so cool, with that diminutive. Not so my English teacher! I soon found out what other meanings are attached to that four-letter word.

What genres do you enjoy writing in? In fiction I’m really fond of the contemporary literary women’s with psychological insights. I’ve just written my first crime / suspense work which is being “handled” at the moment. The African element is always present in all my stories. No, no, I don’t have blonde heroines being bitten by poisonous snakes or catching malaria while trying to teach the Khoi-San of the Kalahari Desert how to utilise the post office. But a lot of my own makeup which is African-European or Western (you can’t escape that sort of nature when you’re placed in an English boarding school at age nine, being groomed into a hybrid English African aristocrat) are endemic in my writing. I’m a child of both cultures, so I’m more into relationships standing the test of cultural clashes. How the couple and their children (who tend to be affected by their being “neither nor” from the earliest stages of their development, especially following contact with the world outside their home) do or don’t overcome their unique problems. Recently, I had such a positive rejection from an editor at Penguin who was kind enough to read four of my works. I thanked the editor for spending all that time reading my stuff, and actually posted this killer rejection on the ’Net and earned a lot of support from some forum members, urging me to keep on reaching for the stars. I’ve thought about the romance genre and actually sent excerpts to Harlequin M&B. They told me to concentrate on the emotional conflict and the steamy bits rather than cultural aspects and their psychological nuances. I suppose I’ll give it a try. Some day soon, hopefully. My non-fiction writing, such as the book Darkest Europe and Africa’s Nightmare: A Critical Observation of Neighbouring Continents, is also inundated with “Africa and the rest of the world” in terms of history, cultures, modern politics, the women of Africa and socio-economic issues.

Can you tell us how much of the marketing you do for your published works or indeed for yourself as a ‘brand’? This is where I’m most frustrated. I do my best in my website and monthly newsletter, I organise local readings and book-signings. But I’m a techno-ignoramus when it comes to the so-called social media networks. Copy and Paste, that’s me. When I accidentally hit the wrong button and the page suddenly looks alien, I’m out of it. I do have some presence there and my fair share of followers and fans, but one needs to invest so much time in these networks daily because whatever you post has such a short lifespan. Shorter than short. So one has to be a techno geek or hire one – which is an expensive route to take unless your name is Brown, Cornwell, Grisham or McDermid. I also started a couple of blogs but found that I had very little time to take care of them, and that, for a blog, is worse than having none at all. I cringe when I think of how many readers have called me names when they check for new postings for weeks and months and find only the same old same old. My sincere apologies!

As a writer, what has been your biggest challenge, trials or tribulations that you have overcome? I have received negative comments from two of my German readers of Bound To Tradition – KHIRAS TRAUM – which I could well understand. They had chosen the right book but were expecting the wrong literature; they were expecting that wrung dry clichĂ©d Africa of diseases and misery and FMGs and child soldiers, etc. I don’t cater to that. Besides, the German version of my book doesn’t have the last chapter, making the readers miss the “happy end” bit. That’s something readers can’t forgive their author for.

Could you please give us a blur about your present or upcoming book? Golden Helena, twenty-two years old, is a Greek Cypriot endowed with the beauty to launch a thousand punches. A successful marketing executive at the Limassol Palace Hotel, her career is on the rise. Until she meets two cousins, Enrique and RamĂłn, thirty-three and twenty-nine respectively, from an old Catalonian family. It seems to be love at first sight. But in a triangle. However, Helena has a secret buried deep inside her that she wants to keep away even from herself: When she was five years old, she discovered that her parents, an aristocratic British mother and Greek architectural engineer father, are actually her adoptive parents. They have no idea who her biological parents are because they adopted her from a convent in Nairobi in 1982 when she was only three days old...

Please feel free to add a question that a reader might ask you, and answer that question. Well, I remember over Christmas 2011, I was invited to read at a Seniorenresidenz (a residence for seniors) as we prefer to call them here in Germany. And there I had up to multi generations of nearly each family present from 7 to 70, all packed in a dance hall to listen to my views. Then a lady stepped up to the mike and asked me if we also have Christmas in Africa (the western world tends to think of Africa as one land, not a continent). I told the gathering that Africa celebrated Christmas since the Copts in Ethiopia and Egypt in the 1st century. Christianity is Afro-Orient, not “European”. We had a lovely long discussion ranging from Europe never having ever had a religion that became a world religion to the Lalibela Cross and monolithic churches in Ethiopia. Lots of Aaaahs and Ooooohs. That’s what I meant at the beginning of this interview – the cultural specs we keep on our noses can be hindrances so that we refuse to see what’s right there on that very nose.

Please tell our readers something about yourself. Born on the shores of Lake Victoria in Kisumu, the capital city of Luoland, Kenya, to the Luo royal houses of K’Orinda and Yimbo; then I was sent to a public school in Yorkshire, England, when I was nine. I’m a graduate journalist  and economist from the London Schools of Journalism and Economics with firsts. I moved to Bavaria, Germany, where I studied Germanistics and German specific economics. I’ve been writing as a freelance journalist since 1980, columnist with various dailies and monthly magazines in Africa and Europe. I give lectures and seminars in various German universities, colleges and high schools on topics ranging from socio-economy in Africa, Business English, African literature and the socio-ethnological conflicts in the traditions of Africans and Europeans in particular, and the West in general. I’ve written and published articles, papers, books and a novel in German: Khiras Traum. Then came my two novels Bound To Tradition and its sequel The Separation. My non-fiction book “Darkest Europe and Africa’s Nightmare: A critical Observation of the Neighbour Continents” published in 2008 by a New York publisher. Bound To Tradition came out in Nov 2010 in the USA. The AuthorMe.com Group judges have just nominated my work, THE PROPOSAL, and submitted it for the 2012 Caine Prize which will be announced in April 2012 in London.  Full CV -  www.akinyi-princess.de. More works as yet unpublished and a children’s fantasy/thriller, crime and romance are in my website at this link http://akinyi-princess.de/326/Home/Book_Order.html I speak seven languages and live in Bavaria with husband, son and grandson.

How can our readers get in touch with you? They can join me on my website, register for free to receive my monthly newsletter on writing and my personal observations, they can join me on my Facebook to like me, read free chapters, like me and comment or follow me on Twitter.




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