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@naijabooks interview
Amaka Azie, is a part time family doctor
and author of two novels “Melodies of Love’ and ‘Thorns and Roses’. One of five
children, Azie, who enjoys reading, writing and watching crime TV shows, is self-published
under Accomplish Press, a publishing consultant firm.
The author, who lives in
England with her husband and two daughters, discussed her work and motivation with
@naijabooks. Enjoy.
When did you discover your love for writing?
It was in secondary school. I was only about twelve
years old when I joined the press club. I was responsible for putting together
interesting articles to read on assembly every Friday, and enjoyed the process
tremendously. An avid reader, I found it exciting to be a part of the press
club and was made press club president at some point in secondary school.
I also loved reading African literature. I remember
being a huge fan of the “Pacesetters” books that were popular in the 90s. I
think a major turning point in my desire to write was after reading “The
concubine” by Elechi Amadi. It was such an exciting story that inspired my
desire to create lovely romance stories with an African setting. I started to
write stories thereafter. They were handwritten short stories, which I passed
around my classmates, and I remember vividly, people queuing up to read my
stories.
On one occasion, a classmate of mine was reading it
during English lectures and my class teacher seized it. I remember being
terrified when she called me to the staff room, thinking I was in trouble. She
simply told me she read the book and that I should consider writing as a career
option.
What motivated
you to fulfill or realise your writing dreams?
I love literature written about Africans by Africans.
Most of the time growing up, I read a lot of non-African books and I always
longed to find more African contemporary romance fiction. I found that
literature about Africa was often surrounded with negativity, and I abhorred
that. So, anytime I came across a lovely fictional story about Nigeria or
Africa, I was inspired to be a part of that.
Yes, I know there are challenges in Nigeria and Africa
as a whole. There are challenges in every other country in the world. The
difference is we see the other sides of those countries and not just the
challenging aspects. I wanted to create a story where Nigeria was celebrated
with the various rich and exciting aspects of our culture. The Nigeria that I
experienced, where education, wealth, love, family and music are celebrated. After
years of rumination, I met an Indie author who encouraged me to follow my dreams.
I have not looked back since then.
How do you
combine writing with your demanding job?
First of all, I would like to say, it is not easy. I
am really committed to doing this, so I make time to write. I work part-time as
a family Doctor so I do most of my writing on my days off or when the children
are sleeping at night. Because I enjoy writing, I don’t see it as stressful. I
believe if you enjoy doing what you do, you can easily fit it into your
schedule.
Tell us about
your books?
They are both contemporary romance fiction set in
Lagos Nigeria.
The first, Melodies of Love, is about Adaora, the last
of three children and only girl child from a wealthy home. Abandoned by her
first love, Ikenna, she is heart broken, and finds it difficult to trust.
Twelve years later, she has been employed by him to help organize his finances.
He is now a popular musician with fame and money, and is trying to win her
back. It is a sweet romantic story about obstacles he faced battling with his
fame and struggling to gain her trust, and the involvement from her protective
family. It also celebrates music from Nigeria and Africa.
The
second is titled Thorns and Roses. It is about Adaora’s older brother Chuma, a
twin, and his relationship with Ifeoma, a chef. Ifeoma escaped an emotionally
abusive father with her sisters and moved to Lagos to start a new life. She is
scarred by the abuse she endured from her father. Chuma on the other hand, is
obsessive, and a cutthroat businessman. They are from completely different
backgrounds but they find themselves drawn to each other.
As the title
suggests, it is a bittersweet love story, which follows these two characters
from different backgrounds as they navigate through a turbulent relationship.
How has the
reception being like?
So far, I have gotten very encouraging reception from
fans and I’m getting new readers daily. I am glad I decided to embark on this
journey and followed my dreams.
Are you
working on a new project?
Yes, I am currently working on Nnamdi¾Chuma’s twin brother’s¾ story. He is a single father who navigates a
relationship with a single mother. It explores the cultural barriers single
parents face attempting to build new relationships, and cultural ideas about
divorce as well as re-marriage after divorce. I wanted to write about that
because it is a common situation many single parents find themselves in, where
they feel judged by others because of their past.
Where can your
books be found?
They are available on Okadabooks
(eBook), Amazon (eBook and Paperback), iBook (eBook), Kobo (eBook), Smashwords
(eBook)
Below are the links:
Melodies
of Love
Amazon
Kindle (US): http://bit.ly/MelodiesofLoveUSKindleLink
Barnes
and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/melodies-of-love-amaka-azie/1124666559?ean=2940153742120
Thorns and Roses