#FridayFeature: Meet The Author - Emem Bassey

Hello all,

So it's another Friday and a good day to meet a new author. Today's #FridayFeature author is the talented Emem Bassey.

It's not every time we get to meet two Emems in a row, so we must be lucky.

Let's get to know Emem in 10 questions below.

1/ What’s your name (Pen name if different), and what does it mean?

My name is Emem Bassey...meaning Peace, well Bassey is a supposedly royal name in the Ibibio tribe, some people allude to it meaning God, but I'm not sure.


2/ What books have you written (title/genre/year of publication)?

Well, I've written more than fourteen books, published fourteen of them, all romance but not entirely and most were done in 2017. I already had these books written, Okadabooks provided the opportunity for publishing them.
-Baby's Angels
-Trauma
-Lethal Affair
-Duct Series 1-4
--Duct
--Chance Happened
--Deep, Dark and Dangerous
--Moms
-Unromantic Series 1-4
--Random
--Hurricane
--Prude
--Chaos
-00:00AM: (Dawn of Hope)
-Upside Down
-Inside Out
I still have more waiting to be transcribed to soft copies.

3/ What inspires your writing?

Love, romance, the difference in people and their reactions to the same situation. Mostly, I enjoy creating extraordinary since my life is quite ordinary. I live vicariously through my characters.

4/ What has been your most challenging work, and why?

My most challenging work hasn't been published yet. And they are two, one is completed, waiting for editing and the other is halfway there. The first one, the first part of a series, was challenging because I had to write beyond Nigeria's environment, it included Canada and Finland, places I've never been before but had to get a feel of through the web. It also included the world of football leagues, international passports, citizenship, hard drugs and drug laws, and a host of other things.

The second one is a sequel to Inside Out, it is based in the era of the recently abolished slave trade. We come in contact with Samuel Ajayi Crowther, white men in the south, and cannibalism in Northern Cross River, then it merges with the present through a ring. This of course tells you it's a magical book. All my books must have romance and of course a plus-size heroine.

5/ What are you currently working on?

Ideas are having a carnival in my mind presently but I've decided to calm them down and complete the magical book, which I must say, I've abandoned to write the Unromantic series and Moms-duct 4. I don't want to rush it though since it's based on true life situations of the past, there's still more research to go through.

6/ What are your favourite types of books and who are your favourite authors?

Romance! Then there's adventure, crime, magic, all having a tint of romance of course. Linda Kage is a favourite of recent, but I grew up loving Sidney Sheldon, Nora Robert, Heather Graham, they really influenced my writing. I enjoy Ken Follet, Stephen King; Wole Soyinka; I could have enjoyed Chimamanda Adichie but her books don't excite me.

7/ What have you had to give up for your writing?

Friends. Fun. But some friends still stick around though. In my neighbourhood, I'm like a ghost, I'm there but never seen. My relationship almost had an issue but then I had to put everything in perspective, I explained about passions which he also had, it's just that mine was taking a whole lot of my time. But we are cool now, he's a cache of inspiration for me; a funny story he told me once inspired Duct 1.

8/ What is unique about you?

My ability to seek and find solutions in problematic situations. I see problems and I've discovered my basic instinct isn't to blame or accuse for long but to seek solutions immediately. I like putting things in perspective, it's always easier to find the origin of the problem than and invariably the solution.

9/ Where can readers get your book, and in what formats?

My books can be gotten at okadabooks.com and they are all ebooks. This link will take you there- https://Okadabooks.com/user/Ememjamesbassey

10/ How can readers get in touch with you?

I'm active on Instagram @flare2blaze and on Facebook as Emem Bassey. DM me on both platforms to get in touch.

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I hope you enjoyed reading about our talented Emem Bassey, and hope you get to read her books as well.

Until next #FridayFeature.

Literarily Yours,
CMO.