Sunday 23 December 2012

Interview with Tolulope Popoola

Tolulope Popoola the author of Nothing Comes Close was born in Lagos, Nigeria. She moved to England to study Account and Business Economics after which, she had a masters in Finance Investment. In 2008, she created an on-line series called "In My Dream It Was Simpler" co-written with other writers. "Nothing Comes Close" is her first novel and a spin-off from her on-line series.

Mary Okeke: Why the title "Nothing Comes Close"?
Tolulope Popoola: The title comes from something one of the main characters said. He was admitting that nothing comes close to having the love of the lady in his life. It is significant because he regretted letting love get away from him.

MO: What/Who inspire you to write the story?
TP: I wanted to write a story that most people can identify with. Relationships are one area of life that every adult has to deal with - we’re either searching for the right person to be with, or trying to make the best of our current status. Love is a universal language, finding love is not always easy and overcoming challenges always makes a good story, so I put those situations together to weave the story.

MO: Is there any similarities between your life and that of the characters?
TP: Not really. The setting is real, but the people and the circumstances surrounding them is fiction.

MO: How was your novel published?
TP: The book was published by Accomplish Press, an independent publishing company that I set up.

MO: Why did you decide to tell the story only through Wole and Lola?
TP: The story started out as an on line series, which ended on a cliffhanger leaving readers wondering what happened next. Lola and Wole were getting closer and their relationship was deepening, but we didn’t get to see if they overcame a new set of challenges that was thrown at them. I wanted to get Lola to a point where she was satisfied with the choices she had made for her future, and I wanted the reader to understand Wole’s character better. So I had the idea to take their story out of the series and focus on what happens to them.

MO: Who are your target audience?
TP: If I wanted to narrow it down, I would say the majority of my readers would be female, Nigerian and between the ages of 18 - 40. However, I write other things apart from this sort of romance, and want my writing to connect with as many people as possible, so I wouldn't hesitate to ask other people to read it.

MO: What did you enjoy most about writing this novel?
TP: I've enjoyed most of the process. I loved getting ideas for the characters, and coming up with different scenarios where unexpected things happened. What I didn't enjoy was the several rounds of rewriting and editing :)

MO: Is there a sequel to "Nothing Comes Close"?
TP: There are no plans for a sequel to "Nothing Comes Close" at the moment. I might continue the story with a different character, like one of Lola's friends.

MO: Reading any book at the moment?
TP: I'm re-reading "The Time Traveller's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger, published in 2003. It's an amazing book. I'm reading it again because once was not enough.

MO: Who are the African writers that inspired you?
TP: There are so many! I would mention Abidemi Sanusi, Chika Unigwe, Lola Shoneyin, Buchi Emecheta, Chimamanda Adichie, just to name a few.

MO: What do you love most about Mary Okeke Reviews?
TP: I like the reviews and how you promote literature, giving a voice and a chance to little-known writers.

MO: Where can your book be purchased?
TP: The book is available as both an ebook and paperback
To buy the ebook:  Amazon Kindle US, Amazon Kindle UK, Amazon Europe (Germany,  France, Italy, Spain), Kobo Store, Apple iStore.

MO: How can your readers contact you?
TP: Readers can interact with me via my blog @ www.onwritingandlife.com

8 comments:

  1. Great interview Mary and Tolulope. You said it correctly when you said love is the universal language. No matter what language our mouths speak, our hearts always understand love. "Nothing Comes Close" sounds like a great book. Congratulations.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nana, thanks for stopping by. I can assure you that Nothing Comes Close was an entertaining read. So true, no matter what language our mouths speak, our hearts always understand love. Looking forward to reading more of your comments.
      Thanks once more.

      Delete
  2. Wonderful interview, Mary. My TBR pile is getting to the ceiing now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, tell me about the TBR pile. I am already thinking about purchasing a book shelf soon.
      Thanks once more for stopping by.

      Delete
  3. Hve heard her name in more recent times. This book is also on my tbr list. Nice interview Mary. Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, she just published her first novel and it's being marketed. However, I have to admit it is very interesting, it is a perfect engaging chick-lit.

      Delete
  4. Keep up the great work! Many thanks for stopping by my blog

    ReplyDelete
  5. Keep up the great work! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. Very much appreciated...Boomie Bol

    ReplyDelete

Please click here to buy

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...