Love Is Power or Something Like That by A. Igoni Barrett | Book Review

Love Is Power or Something Like That is a collection of nine riveting short stories filled with many spirited characters. The collection begins with The Worst Thing That Happened followed by Dream Chasers, The Shape of a Full Circle, Something Like That, My Smelling Mouth Problem, Trophy, The Little Girl with Budding Breasts and a Bubblegum Laugh, Godspeed and Perpetua, and finally A Nairobi Story of Comings and Goings. It's a varied collection of evocative short stories, lushly detailed and well narrated by A. Igoni Barrett as though he has lived all those lives.

I love the book cover art (pictured), I love the title of the collection, I love the author photograph on the inside of the back cover, and most importantly I love these nine stories. One of them made me somewhat uncomfortable because of the subject matter but I'll let you figure out which story that is. Two of my friends took one look at the book title and immediately mistook this to be some lovey-dovey book dripping with girly romance. It's not that kind of book. I'm really, really impressed by Love Is Power or Something Like That. You should read it.
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Here's my 2010 interview with A. Igoni Barrett: 13 Questions for A. Igoni Barrett

[Image via Amazon]

You're in the Darkest Place in the World

Inkitt's "Darkest Place" Horror Contest Starts TODAY!

What is Inkitt? 
Inkitt is a free platform for writers to cultivate ideas and watch their stories grow. Their site lets users collaborate with fellow writers and readers to give each other feedback and improve their work. Inkitt's vision is to help writers get the exposure they deserve and the publishing deals they covet without having to jump through the fiery hoops of traditional publishing, or wade in the shark-infested waters of self publishing.

What is the theme of the horror contest? 
"You are in the darkest place in the world." (This theme can be interpreted literally or figuratively.) We want writers who will submit their blood-curdlers, spine-tinglers, skin-crawlers, and hair-raisers: writers who will make it their duty to scare and shock their readers; writers who can really take us to the darkest place in the world.

What are the guidelines?
It's all about fiction: flashes and shorts up to 10,000 words, written from any point of view. Entries must be posted on the Inkitt contest page to be considered eligible.

The contest opens February 2nd and closes on February 28th. The contest is completely free to enter, and authors will retain all rights to any and all work submitted in the contest.

What are the prizes? 
All entrants will have the chance to show their work to a growing community of authors and readers hungry for high-quality fiction and win the following prizes:

1st Prize  $25 Amazon gift card, Inkitt custom mug, Inkitt custom notebook, custom cover design for the Inkitt story of their choice (created by Inkitt's designer).

2nd Prize  $20 Amazon gift card, Inkitt custom mug, Inkitt custom notebook.

3rd Prize   Inkitt custom mug, Inkitt custom notebook.

Contest URL - www.inkitt.com/darkestplace
Twitter Handle - @Inkitt
Hashtag - #DarkestPlace

[Images and post content provided by Inkitt]

Foreign Gods INC. by Okey Ndibe | Book Review

Ikechukwu Uzondu has been a New York City taxi driver for 13 years even though he graduated cum laude with a degree in Economics from Amherst College, Massachusetts. Initially, the major obstacle on his path to a financially rewarding career seemed to be his lack of a United States working permit. He gets married to Queen Bertha, an obnoxious, insatiable woman he meets in Baltimore, and he gets the coveted American green card, putting an end to all his immigration problems. His next obstacle to getting a "corporate job befitting his education" is his accent which all prospective employers deem a serious communication problem. Stumped and with no substantial source of income he becomes a taxi driver at the behest of his friend but Ikechukwu wants more and he truly deserves it. Along comes a feature story in New York magazine about the store Foreign Gods INC and its enterprising owner, Mark Gruels. Foreign Gods INC. sells foreign deities from all corners of the globe. Its patrons are the wealthy, and famous, willing to pay six figure sums, and sometimes millions of dollars for sculptures of exotic deities. At first Ikechukwu is irritated and repulsed by the idea of trading gods but as he gives it more thought his mind opens up to the possibilities. He's sure his village god Ngene back home in Enugu, Nigeria will command enough money to lift him out of penury, win him back respect, and help him support his mother and sister. Filled with ideas of grandeur Ikechukwu Uzondu steels himself and makes a trip back to his village in Nigeria.

Foreign Gods INC. is the BEST book I've read since I reviewed Taiye Selasi's Ghana Must Go in June of 2014. You won't forget this book. When I finished reading it I put my hands on my head thinking "Okey Ndibe has killed me...". I love the character Ikechukwu Uzondu and I kept rooting for him inspite of everything. I think being Igbo like Ikechukwu helped me understand and fully appreciate every little thing going on in Foreign Gods INC. but it's a universal tale that everyone will find relatable. I really, really, really love this story. Foreign Gods INC. should win awards. Foreign Gods INC. should be made into a movie. I saw Okey Ndibe when he came for the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) celebration of 50 years of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka almost 7 years ago. My good friends Eromo Egbejule and Onyeka Nwelue took photos with him but I hadn't read any of his works back then so I did not introduce myself. Now I'm a huge fan of Okey Ndibe. Foreign Gods INC. is moving, refreshing, and couldn't have been narrated any better. BUY Foreign Gods INC. Read it. Share it.

[Image via Goodreads]

African Roar 2014 | Book Review

African Roar 2014 is the fifth book in the African Roar anthology series edited by Ivor Hartmann and Emmanuel Siguake. It's an annual collection of fictional short stories authored by African writers, and published by StoryTime Publishing. African Roar 2014 is a collection of nine short stories authored by relative unknowns. Flight by Jayne Bauling; My Wedding by Obinna Ozoigbo; The Side Dish by Edwin P. Magezi; Beth's Aid by Tabitha Wanja Mwangi; Talking to a Lizard by Obinna Udenwe; Coming Home in a Box by Olorunfunmi Demilade Temitope; The Bell Not Touched by Nonso Uzozie; Spinoza's Monad by Ezeiyoke Chukwunonso; and A Salute to Safety Sam by Tendai Machingaidze. This is the first collection I have read from the series, and it begins with one of the best, and most inspiring introductions I have ever read, written by the amazing Ivor Hartmann.

African Roar 2014 begins with the interesting tale, Flight by Jayne Bauling (South Africa). In Flight, Phindile has been forced by her mother to shelve her dreams and ambitions so her spoilt little brother can have a better future. It's a simple tale about a caged girl that's pretty good. It's the best of the bunch.

Obinna Ozoigbo (Nigeria) follows Jayne with his tale, My Wedding. It's about a child bride in the Nigerian city of Kano. It's a story with the potential to crush but it misses because Obinna muddles it with crap. It should have been simpler and less cluttered so that this twelve year old's horror doesn't leave you after you're done with the tale.

Edwin P. Magezi (Uganda) livens things back up with his tale, The Side Dish.  I like it. I found it humorous and interesting, and then I got to the end. Magezi wraps up his tale in a manner that I found reminiscent of some of the African tales I grew up reading and listening to. The ones with those "teaching" moments where a devious character is punished or experiences a drastic turn around that drills into its reader the idea that there are consequences to being bad. Tales such as the one where no one helps move the giant rock obstructing traffic in the middle of the road until one "good" person finally does and finds a reward underneath it that has been placed by a wealthy man to reward society for doing good. Or the stories about an old weary beggar on the side of the road who's an angel in disguise, testing people's kindness and generosity. That kind of thing.

Tabitha Wanja Mwangi (Kenya) follows with Beth's Aid. Wamboi is a young girl from a poor background who really, really wants more that what her hardworking parents can provide. It's another good one in this collection.

Obinna Udenwe (Nigeria) penned Talking to a Lizard and he's the first to drop the baton in this collection. In Talking to a Lizard, Edeh and his cousin follow their grandfather Ngele to another town for his annual trip to visit his friend. It's a "meh" tale that bored me.

Olorunfunmi Demilade Temitope (Nigeria) follows Udenwe's poisoned lead with her tale, Coming Home in a Box. In Coming Home in a Box, word spreads that the great chief is dead and arrangements are made for his burial. Family and foes gather to decide how his immense wealth should be split up. It's a familiar African tale, the stuff Nollywood dramas are sometimes made of. Coming Home in a Box is boring and doesn't at all fit in with the caliber of prose I expected to find in this collection. Will there be another tale to prop this collection back on its feet?

Definitely not a tale from Nonso Uzozie (Nigeria) who wrote The Bell Not Touched. A dim, eye-roll worthy story about the mysteries of a giant bell in a village school. I'm just going to stop there. After Nonso's prose I became worried that the best of African Roar 2014 ended with Tabitha Wanja Mwangi's Beth's Aid.

Spinoza's Monad is a badly written tale of two Nigerian lesbians trying to raise a child together in their local community. It was penned by Ezeiyoke Chukwunonso (Nigeria). It's a bland, overly dramatic tale that did not hit any of the chords that it rightly should. I mean this is a tale of Nigerian lesbians who get artificially inseminated and try to raise that kid in a traditional Nigerian community. That's a goldmine of material to work with but Chukwunonso makes it an emotionless mess, that lacks depth and is unworthy of being in this lineup.

Finally, African Roar 2014 closes out with A Salute to Safety Sam by Tendai Machingaidze (Zimbabwe). A Salute to Safety Sam is a mushy travelogue that was a waste of my time. I wish African Roar 2014 had picked a more deserving short story to bid us goodbye until next year.

Overall, it was a great idea to start with Jayne Bauling's Flight. The quality of stories take a dip with Udenwe's tale, and continue that way with all other subsequent authors. I applaud the creator(s) of African Roar for this producing this series. Please do not stop. Inasmuch as I wish I had a better reading experience, I love the concept of this series, and its potential to introduce us all to new talent from all over the African continent. To support the African Roar series, I'll endeavor to review every new African Roar series on this blog every December. Kudos to everyone who had a part in this series. Much kudos to Ivor Hartmann.

[Image via StoryTime]

Waiting for an Angel by Helon Habila | Book Review

Waiting for an Angel is Helon Habila's debut novel, and it won the 2003 Commonwealth Writer's Prize. After reading the first few pages I realized I had read this story before so I flipped back to the publisher's note I had skipped in my hurry to get to the story. It confirmed that the first part Lomba had been published in the year 2000 in the collection, Prison Stories, and Lomba had previously been titled Love Poems. Lomba also won the 2001 Caine Prize for African Writing. Waiting for an Angel is partitioned into parts that often focus on a character and his or her connection to Lomba, so in the end Waiting for an Angel is one story chopped into different parts. Lomba is followed by The Angel, Bola, Alice, Lomba (again), Kela, and James.  Lomba is a good read but it really wasn't anything special. The rest of Waiting for an Angel is really good with Bola and The Angel being some of my favorites.

Waiting for an Angel is set during the period of Nigerian military regimes in the 80's and 90's. It is historical fiction, and in a way that makes it a more important read. It gives us an idea of what life was like during that period of turmoil especially for those who tried to stand up for what's right. I've been a fan of Habila since I read Measuring Time in 2009. Helon Habila has done a great job with Waiting for an Angel. You should read it.

[Image via Amazon]

All Our Names by Dinaw Mengestu | Book Review

"Isaac" leaves his home in Addis Ababa because he wants a better life than what his family can give him. He arrives Uganda and becomes friends with Isaac, a brazen young man from the slum, who's just as eager as "Isaac" to make something of himself. The chaos in Uganda and a curious combination of circumstances result in "Isaac" fleeing to America. He gets to America and is assigned to Helen, a social worker in Laurel, a tiny town in Midwest America. He's supposed to be just another one of her cases but they get pretty close. 

There is nothing impressive about All Our Names. I expected way, way more than I got. It's just another novel on the shelf. Just another novel added to the long list of novels I've read in my lifetime. The only thing stuck in my head after reading this book is the author's first name "Dinaw", which I find very interesting for some reason. I hurried to buy this book because I had seen Dinaw Mengestu often listed in the same sentence with names like Chimamanda Adichie, Ishmael Beal, and other internationally celebrated authors of African descent, and that got me excited. I'll buy and review Dinaw's first and second novels: "The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears" and "How to Read the Air". One or both of them had to have been mightily impressive enough to get him noticed and I really want to see him at his best. All Our Names is not Dinaw Mengestu at his best. It can't be.

[Image via Amazon]

A Life Elsewhere by Segun Afolabi | Book Review

A Life Elsewhere is a collection of seventeen short stories. Afolabi begins with his 2005 Caine Prize for African Writing Award winning short story, Monday Morning. Monday Morning is followed by: People You Don't Know, The Wine Guitar, Arithmetic, The Visitor, Two Sisters, The Husband of Your Wife's Best Friend, Moses, Now that I'm Back, The Long Way Home, Something in the Water, Mrs Minter, Another Woman, Mrs Mahmood, Gifted, In the Garden, and finally, Jumbo and Jacinta. Of the lot I am most fond of Monday Morning, The Wine Guitar, The Visitor, Two Sisters, The Long Way Home, Something in the Water, Gifted, and Jumbo and Jacinta. That's a lot to like in a short story collection.

There's something Afolabi does with loneliness as a subject matter that I find very, very appealing and laudable. Whether it's random pockets of loneliness in a character's everyday life or a life lived in perpetual loneliness (like the old man in The Wine Guitar), Afolabi makes it fresh and poignant every single time. I really love it when Afolabi's characters congregate in a scene like at dinner time or at an outing. Their interactions are delightful. Everyone with their own private issues coming together to create a memorable scene. I loved it in his first book that I read, Goodbye Lucille, and I love it in this novel too. A Life Elsewhere is not a cluster of tales with happily ever afters. This is real life with all of its fears, tears, worries, and regrets. It's a collection of compelling characters whose stories end in ellipsis, unfinished as Afolabi moves on to the next tale. A Life Elsewhere is a guided tour of humanity lead by the gifted Segun Afolabi who pulls us along even though we want to linger at the windows.
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READ Goodbye Lucille by Segun Afolabi - My Thoughts
[Image via Goodreads]

Every Day Is for the Thief by Teju Cole | Book Review

I finally got to read Teju Cole's curiously titled debut novel Every Day Is for the Thief. I hadn't gotten
very far in my reading when I rechecked the words on the book jacket to confirm that this was a fictional novel. I double-checked because at first Every Day Is for the Thief reads like Teju's personal account of a visit to Nigeria, complete with factual national tragedies. The first six chapters read like the travelogue of a "has-been" Nigerian recounting unfiltered observations of his home country after prolonged exposure to the near faultless system of a first-world country. It is a vivid telling of events that could be suitably titled "Diary of a Returned Nigerian" and used as ready source material for a TV documentary on the state of affairs in Nigeria.

Every Day Is for the Thief has a main character but it's also a lot about the country Nigeria. Nigeria is a notably embarrassing enigma. We know all the problems with Nigeria. We know the frustration experienced by Nigerians at the consulates, the rampant corruption all over the country, the energy problem we still have, the transportation problems, etcetera. Part of Teju's skill lies in the fact that all of this very familiar knowledge he deals with does not get boring. All our common Nigerian experiences, especially from living in the city of  Lagos, still remain the character's story without seeming overly rehashed. From the rousing sounds of a nearby mosque very early in the morning to the street smarts needed to survive the streets of Lagos, Teju captures it all very, very accurately. Lagosians get to relive their daily lives while outsiders get a graphic description of life in Lagos. Every Day Is for the Thief is evocative in all of its one hundred and sixty two pages. You should read it.

[Image via Amazon]

A Heart to Mend by Myne Whitman | Book Review

Gladys Eborah has relocated from Enugu to Lagos so she can be closer to better job opportunities as she begins her post-NYSC job hunt. The move isn't without some anxiety due to past family drama with her aunty Isioma whom she has to stay with in Lagos. On her confusing first day in Lagos she crosses paths with Edward Bestman, a young, wealthy, businessman. Thus begins the romantic tale that is A Heart to Mend. 

Gladys comes off as a simple girl who moves to Lagos, and for whom a lot of good happens too quickly, and too easily. Yes, yes, yes... I know not everyone has to arrive Lagos and hustle for many years before succeeding, so yeah, the story still works. As I progressed, part of me wanted the author to strip something away from Gladys because things in life don't always just fall into place, and so I kept flipping pages, waiting half-expectantly for some calamity to happen. I don't like the narration and it's point of view, it could have been much better. The dialogue of the characters did not always read like a normal conversation, it's stilted at times. I'm not always able to follow professional jargon in novels because they tend to be dense but I was able to with this novel because Myne makes it easy. Edward's business dealings while important to the plot line, become a chunky diversion from what should be the main story.  I've reviewed a Nigerian love story before now, it's called In Dependence and it's by Sarah Ladipo Manyika. In Dependence is on a much higher level than A Heart to Mend in narration, plot, and pretty much everything. I can't say A Heart to Mend is a good read, and oddly I can't say it's a bad read. I recognize that there's an appreciative audience out there for A Heart to Mend that doesn't include me.

[Image via Public Book Shelf]

11 Questions for Ben Hinson | Author Interview

Ben Hinson is a relatively new author about to burst onto the literary scene with his ambitious novel, Eteka: Rise Of The Imamba. Here he is in an exclusive interview with Incessant Scribble. Enjoy!

1. Tell us about yourself. Your background. Your education. Who is Ben Hinson?
BH: I am a hybrid of many cultures. I was born in Nigeria, and have lived in Nigeria, Ghana, England and numerous locations in the United States. My academic background involves training at the Carson Long Military Institute, and earning my bachelor's degree from Montclair State in business administration. I am a student of life, and many of my experiences have played integral roles in my projects.

2. Your first novel Three Months  was released in 2008. Could you tell us about it? What were the challenges you experienced then as a first time author?
BH: Three Months was a novel I wrote and published back in 2008. The novel revolved around the subject of HIV/AIDS, and was based on the experiences of a man and woman who come into contact with the virus through various characters and situations I created. The novel was written from a male and female perspective, and within the novel I touched on many themes around HIV/AIDS including stigma, drug abuse, sex, medication and so on. Back then I collaborated with many academic institutions, advocacy groups and scholars for research, including the Guttmacher Institute and AVERT. My experience writing and selling that project was painful and priceless, and a feat I am especially proud of. It was an eye opening experience for me in many ways. For instance I learned a lot about the power of negative stigma first hand, which was unique considering the fact that I personally do not live with HIV. Yet the mere fact that I chose to write a novel on what many would consider a taboo subject earned me a lot of backlash from places I did not expect. Outside of the social aspect, the project in its entirety was a business failure from an investment standpoint. I was not as experienced as I am now, and there were a lot of things I did not understand about being an Indie author in the publishing industry. I invested a lot of time and money in the Three Months project, and at the end of the day all I got in return was a $20 royalty check! Doing anything independently or as a start-up, no matter the business model or industry, will always be tougher than going the corporate route. I had to learn many hard lessons with that project, and I'm grateful as the challenges I encountered made me a better businessman and author. Three Months is no longer in print, but I have plans to rewrite and re-release that novel from a fresh perspective based on who I am now. I don't think I gave that project the best of myself, so there is definitely unfinished business there.

3. Your soon to be released novel Eteka: Rise Of The Imamba sounds ambitious. On your blog you wrote: "The core story begins in colonized Nigeria...and takes its diverse set of characters on a journey spanning three continents and two generations." Your locations include the USA, Africa, England and Asia. The time period of the novel spans the 50's and the 90's. I can't wait to see how you weave this story. What is the inspiration behind this book? What do you hope to accomplish?
BH: Thanks for the compliment and your enthusiasm. I cannot tie the inspiration for this current project to one particular thing. The inspiration was driven by a number of factors: my love of history; my attraction to gritty, original literary plotlines; my background with martial arts; my heritage and my experience with different cultures around the world. The first goal I had with this project was to successfully tell an original, exciting, action packed story with tons of historical relevance from a 'non-western' perspective. I wanted to expose my audience to the world from a lens not commonly used, and also introduce them to the many complex characters I created that I believe can survive and thrive in mainstream media.

4. In your online synopsis of Eteka: Rise Of The Imamba, Eteka comes off as a badass. Is this a thriller novel? What can we expect?
BH: Ha, Eteka is a badass! But he is not the only one! I created a whole universe filled with some very interesting characters, and you can view a few of them at this link. In my story you're going to meet arms dealers, assassins, pimps, witches, warriors, mercenaries, philosophers, teachers, prostitutes, cult leaders, dictators and so much more! I took my time to create an exciting thriller that falls in the historical fiction genre, and you can expect one hell of a ride! You're going to learn about different cultures and key events in Asian, African, American and European history while experiencing an adventure unlike any other!

5. I've seen your blog, your website and all the promotional material you have online and I'm impressed. It's a lot that you've done and it's all very well done. Did you do all of this yourself or did you contract it out?
BH: Thanks for the kind words. I believe in teamwork, process and structure. No worthwhile endeavor can thrive without a collaborative, respectful environment. I hired great talent who made enormous contributions across different parts of my project. These are resources I found across the United States, Canada, and Germany. I have learned so much from working with these awesome individuals, and I appreciate them all. My vision could not have reached the stage it is in now without them.

6. You have a company called Musings Press. Tell us what you do.
BH: Musings Press LLC is a publishing company I own. I set it up as a way to breathe life into my visions on my own terms. My first collection of poetry was published through Musings Press. For now we're focused on literary projects.

7. You recently released a poetry collection, Chapters Of Me: Deep Thoughts Vol. 1. I love the videos you made for them. They are well directed and edited. Do you feel you've been able to reach your audience better with these visual aids to your poetry?
BH: Absolutely! I've received a lot of positive feedback regarding my work in the visual realm. Shooting and editing videos is something I really enjoy. Visual media is known to register high engagement rates with properly researched target markets, so it is vital from a marketing perspective to hit such channels.

8. What advice do you have for aspiring authors? Advice on writing the manuscript, getting it published, and promoting their work.
BH: Everything starts from an idea. So dare to dream. Be original and don't follow the crowd. Having an idea is not enough, you have to plan and execute. You also have to be consistent with your efforts over extended periods, and take rejection and criticism well. Editing is everything across any medium, so devote the time and resources needed to make sure you have a professional product. Decide well in advance which route you want to pursue, whether traditional or independent. Both have pros and cons, not any different from other industries. If you go traditional learn about literary agents and publishers that fit your genre. Learn how to write a good query letter. Try and attend as many publishing conventions as possible. If you go the Indie route you may have to wear more business hats than a traditional author. Understand how bookstores manage inventory. Understand how book clubs and other target markets react to Indie versus traditionally published projects. Develop a solid marketing plan across relevant channels. Depending on the goals you set for your project, be prepared to pitch your work to as many bookstores and review outlets as possible. Understand that to see any kind of success, whether Indie or traditional requires some out of the box thinking and a tremendous amount of hard work, so set realistic expectations for yourself. Most importantly, exercise patience and put out a good, professional product. Marketing beings and ends with your product.

9. What are your thoughts on life, love & music?
BH: Interesting question. My thoughts on these three themes are subject to change as I mature, and there are many ways we can dissect each area, but for now...Life? Life is full of ups and downs, and no one knows what tomorrow will bring. I do my best each day to have the right perspective, so come rain or shine, I am at peace. Love? Love is selfless, love is kind, love is pure with no agenda. Music? I love music. I love the art of creating music, and have some experience with music production and technology. I write to music, walk to music, cook to music, edit to music...music is a currency of praise between us and God.

10. Name some books you've read more than once
BH: Outside of research journals I don't think I've read any book more than once. If you want to know what books/novels I have high respect for...Stieg Larrson's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is a great novel that got adapted into a great movie. I enjoyed reading Paulo Coelho's "The Fifth Mountain" many years ago. "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a classic. The "Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis is another very interesting novel. From a Non-Fiction perspective I enjoyed reading Richard Wright's "The Color Curtain", Odd Arne Westad's "The Global Cold War" and Patrick Chabal's "The Revolutionary Leadership and the People's War."

11. What do you do to relax?
BH: I haven't yet learned how to relax, I'm always working!

Click the image to learn more about Eteka: Rise Of The Imamba. Visit Ben's website, his blog, and "like" his official Facebook page for continuous updates.