Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Lagos, Nigeria, to Nigerian parents. I have a bachelors degree in Crop Science of the University of Nigeria. I emigrated to Canada in 2013 and now live in the city of Regina, where I currently write and have enrolled to study business administration at the university of Regina.
My works consist of plays, novels, short stories, poetry, children’s stories and song lyrics. I have written more than twenty books. I love to watch movies, listen to songs, keep an eye on happenings in Hollywood, watch Super Models strut their stuff. And I love to relate with people and feel what they are feeling, what they are going through. I love learning what celebrities are up to. Hey, Justin Bieber! You are not left out!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled HONEY GONE THORNY, inspired partly by my experiences as a writer, as well as events in the lives of some people I know. Good times and sad times.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Sometimes inspiration to write comes to me while using the washroom. And in the absence of a pen and paper or a computer, I would dictate lines, dialogue, sentences and phrases to myself while trying to memorize them as much as I can, before I am able to get them down on paper or on a computer. Sometimes I can’t help storming out of the washroom, naked, and on my way to grabbing my computer.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
My influences have come from very many authors I have read and admired. Most especially J. k Rowling, Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Sandra Brown, Chimamanda Adichie, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Tennessee Williams, Steven King. The list is such a long one. ANIMAL FARM by Gorge Orwell is one book I read in my very early days as a writer. It had such a strong impact on me that on getting to the last word on the last page, I could not help but scream WOW…… The HARRY PORTER SERIES is a great line of books that will forever stand the test of time. I read and read and could not stop, totally engrossed in Harry’s world uniquely created. Books have shaped my life.
What are you working on now?
I am working on some song lyrics, developing the concept for my next novel and polishing some short stories and poems that have gathered mountain of dust in my computer hard drive. It has been more than a decade since I last set my eyes on some of them. LOL….. I’m not kidding!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love to use social media and any site I find useful. I think Awesomegang.com is a nice one. It is in my plans to engage the services of public Relations firms. This will commence as soon as I can afford their often exorbitant fees and author budgetary requirements. Those Guys love to charge thousands of dollars! Do they think writers pluck money from trees? LOL….. And this time, I am really kidding! They have to charge the right fees to remain in business and get the job done for their clients properly. I do understand….
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing, even through difficult times, because when the sun sets, it is only getting ready to rise. You will get to a point you will feel like quitting, especially when rejections start hitting you from Agents and publishers. They can only reject your work. But know that their NO, has no way of keeping you from attaining your goals. There are different ways to get to the top. Passage of time can change anything or any ugly situation you are immersed in, only if you find a way to remain focused, work hard and keep having conversations with God who left a bit of his immense creative ability with you. He did not deposit that gift in you for nothing. That gift is bound to ‘explode’ sometime in your lifetime, for the world to see and benefit, if only you don’t bury it and take it to your grave by giving up.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When people laugh at you or malign you when you look like you are down, out and defeated by circumstances that throws at you for daring to be great, know the same people will make quick U-Turns, eat their words, ad shower you with praises when you emerge on top of the world. Don’t be distracted!
What are you reading now?
I am currently reading THE ART OF WRITING GREAT LYRICS by Pamela Philips Oland. I came across it on Amazon.com quite recently. Ordered it at the speed of light.
I wonder why I did not get to know about it, as a lyricist, a long time ago. It’s such an inspiring title.
Simple to read and understand. It deepens my knowledge of lyrics writing with every word, sentence, page and chapter in it. Awesome!
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have to keep writing plays, novels, songs, short stories, poems. I love to write. I dream to have my stories translate to Hollywood movies, have my songs recorded by top artists. There are so much more I want to do with my stories and gifting.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Very difficult to choose as I have a lot of titles to pick from. This is like asking the question, the hen and the egg, which came first?
Well, I would take any three or four books in the Harry Porter series.
Author Websites and Profiles
KENECHUKWU OBI Amazon Profile
KENECHUKWU OBI’s Social Media Links