by Doyin Jaiyesimi

When ex-Big Brother housemate Geraldine Iheme, launched her first book many wondered. But it was good.

‘Disfigured Emotions’ where she creatively tells of a young man troubled by a life of sorrow, betrayal and abandonment. The novel is succinct, captivating and the story will touch your heart.

Geraldine is set to release another novel and she tells us about it.

You’ve kept a low profile since you left the Big Brother house. Tell us what you’ve been up to.

After I left the Big brother house it was back to Law, NYSC, writing and spending quality time with family and friends. There were a lot of things I had set my mind to achieve. I released and launched my first book, Disfigured Emotions, and then started work immediately on my second book. There’s so much more I plan to do but I’m taking one day at a time with God by my side.

Why did you decide to go into writing?

Writing is something I love to do. English and Literature were my favourite subjects in school. I enjoyed writing essays because it gave me an opportunity to explore and enhance my writing skills. I started writing at the age of seven. I would take empty note books and write short stories with hilarious drawings and happy endings. Then I would make my parents, siblings and anyone who came to visit, read my stories. I loved to read as well, (still do) and that stirred up my appetite to write.

Which author/ authors inspire you and why?

Enid Blyton, R.L Stine, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Danielle Steel, John Grisham and Chimamanda Adichie. These authors have had a great influence on my writing. I love and admire their unique styles of writing. They also inspire me, especially Wole Soyinka and Chimamande Adichie.

How many books have you written so far? 

Two books. Disfigured Emotions and Buried In Bleeding Tears

How did you come up with the idea for your first novel, ‘Disfigured Emotions’ ?

I started writing “Disfigured Emotions” in 2008. I wanted to write a book about the problems youths face in our society and the negative effects parental neglect and abandonment have on children. It was not an easy task. It was my first book so I had a lot of doubts. Questions like, “am I really a writer?”, “can I pull this off?” circled my head a lot. I was determined to do an amazing job so I pushed myself and worked day and night. I did a lot of research in order to make my story as authentic as possible. Since the story was not about my own personal experience, I had to talk to people who had experienced similar issues to the characters I had created. When I finished my book, I felt like a woman in labour who had finally given birth. Holding my ‘baby’ in my arms was a dream come true.

So tell us about your new novel; what is it about?

The name of my second novel is BURIED IN BLEEDING TEARS. The book is about Anameli,a young lady who is trapped in a dark world, drowning in a deep sea of misery where she is entangled in a web of sorrow, depression and addiction. I chose the title because it depicts what the main character in my book goes through. There’s a popular Nigerian saying, “to cry blood” which means “crying in pain”. Readers should expect to be thrown into a mind blowing journey that will wrap them in a thrilling suspense. But of course, there are lessons to be learned from the story.

 

When will it be released?

It is expected to hit stores in October. I will be keeping everyone posted.

Plus, if you haven’t picked up a copy of my first novel Disfigured Emotions, make sure you do. It’s available at the Palms, Debonair book store, Fonte House, Port Harcourt, 911mall, Abuja and also available in Ghana.  You can also order online on www.walahi.com or www.debonairbookstore.com .

Do you plan on releasing more books in the future?

Yes definitely! I want to keep writing books for as long as possible, hopefully till I’m 90, by God’s grace 🙂