Interview with Myne Whitman author of A Love Rekindled

About Myne- from her website
Myne Whitman is my pen name. I was born and raised in Enugu, Nigeria, where I spent most of my time, studying, reading and daydreaming or climbing trees and playing with the boys. I have a Master's degree in Public Health Research but have chosen my childhood dream of spinning stories. After a few years in Edinburgh, Scotland, I now live with my husband in Seattle, USA. I write and blog full-time, and also volunteer as an ESL tutor for a local charity. I critique with the Seattle Eastside Writers Meet-up and I'm also a member of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association.
The Pacific Northwest of America is a great place to live in summer but during the drizzling winter rains, I find myself dreaming of long, hot, Nigerian days and the red palm oil of Banga Soup. A self-confessed adrenaline junkie, I love theme park rides and my wildest ride yet would be the Simpsons at Universal studios, Hollywood. Or maybe it was that reverse bungee jump I did in Scotland, hmm...lol.

In addition to writing popular fiction to get people reading, I am passionate about using the internet and social media to promote the book industry and literacy levels in Nigeria. To this end, I facilitated a session, "Social Media and the Book Publishing Industry", for the Publisher's Forum at the 2010 Garden City Literary Festival, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. I'm also the founder and managing editor of Naija Stories, a critique website for aspiring Nigerian writers.

--The Twitter version: tell us about your book in 140 characters or less.

ALR is about college sweethearts who get engaged, and then are split by traumatic events. They meet again, sparks fly and rekindle love.

--How did you get the idea for the story?

I witnessed some ethnic conflict in Nigeria while I lived there, and had often wondered how this might affect a budding romantic relationship. I’ve wanted to explore heartbreak too. So this was an opportunity to combine both. The major arch over my stories though, is to follow the Her/heroine through a loving relationship through which they can discover themselves and become better people at the end.

--Which character would you most/least like to have dinner with?

I would most like to have dinner with Stanley, he is my type of guy. At a point in the book, Kevwe refers to him as Mr. Hugo Boss, lol. I wouldn’t like to meet Kevwe one on one though. He’s my main character but his mind reading powers will freak me out.

--What are some of your favorite books? Do you still have much time to read?

I do make out time to read, most times one book a week, though I could be reading two at the same time. One of my favorite books is Khalid Hosseni – A Thousand Splendid Suns, Barbara Kingslover – Poisonwood Bible, Buchi Emecheta – The Bride Price.

--Do you have any other works in progress? Any teasers or release dates?

No release date yet, but I’m working on another romantic fiction. Bo is a single thirty-something and her mother is in a matchmaking mood.

--If a fairy godmother told you your life could be like a favorite book for 24 hours, which book would you pick and why?

I think I’ve lived out a lot of my favorite fairy tales, and some of the books I like are not what I’d want to happen to me. I do admire Hilary Clinton and after reading her Biography, it was intriguing how she stayed throughout what happened then.

--Do you need anything to write (music, coffee, etc)? Are there any songs on your playlist- songs that inspired you or that were playing while you wrote?

Water is usually necessary to have close by as I may forget, or feel like not getting up once I get in the mood for writing. I usually have playlists on Pandora or Youtube. I’m your easy-listening girl and usually choose a love ballad list or new age/classical/alternative.

--If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

I’d like to be able to become invisible. Mind reading is awesome too; maybe that’s why I wrote it into the book. But to be able to disappear when you want to, now that would be the deal!

--Besides writing, what do you like to do in your free time?

Not that I have a lot of fee time, but I like playing indoor games, either on the computer or not. Like Lexulous (a bit like scrabble), Life, Monopoly, Risk, Ludo, etc.

--Is there anything else you want to add or say to your readers?

They’ve been amazing and I really appreciate them. I hope they like this new book just as much as the first.

Information about A Love Rekindled:

Ten years ago, Efe Sagay dreams of winning the United States Visa Lottery, until she meets Kevwe Mukoro in University. Kevwe is happy to remain in Nigeria; only he wants Efe by his side. Over time, Efe finds true love with Kevwe, and promises to marry him. Their dreams unravel when Efe wins an American Visa, and fresh violence erupts between their warring ethnic groups. Now, Efe is back in Nigeria, and she knows it’s a matter of time before Kevwe returns to her life. They finally meet again, but renewed desire is no match for bitter memories of heartbreak. Efe wants the traumatic events of the past resolved before she gives in to rekindled love.


READ AN EXCERPT

COMING SOON TO BOOKSTORES EVERYWHERE!

• Myne's google profile
• LinkedIn Profile
• A Heart to Mend Blog
• Follow Myne on Twitter
• Become a fan on Facebook
• A Heart to Mend: Chapter 1
• A Heart to Mend: Surprise Me!
• Buy paperback from AuthorHouse
• Buy from Amazon.com
• Buy from Barnes & Noble
• Send Myne Whitman an email