NOTHING COMES CLOSE

“Don’t wait, if you have a passion for something, you should go for it!” So said the compère at Tolu Popoola’s book launch, exactly one week today. Instructive because Tolu left a paid nine to five (she’s an accountant) to pursue a career that’s kicked off with the launch of her book, ‘Nothing Comes Close’.

The book is about a young lady, and a young man (sorry if you thought it was about aliens), there’s love in the air (sometimes), trouble ina the atmosphere (sometimes), in fact, why don’t I let you watch the trailer for the book for yourself?

To the launch proper.

It started about 2pm, yours truly got there past 3pm (thanks to trying out a new route and my hopelessness with maps and general geography). I got in to meet a small, intimate crowd of about 50;  on the projector screen was the trailer you just watched, ambience was nice, low lighting, I really liked it.

There was the compère who called the characters in the book ‘actors’ (don’t worry, we forgive you), and after an interview session, the audience was free to ask Tolu anything. A few questions then her dad put up his hand. Less than two sentences and he had us rolling with laughter!

He’d flown in from Nigeria to be at the launch (bless him) and started by saying, ‘I’ve known Tolulope for many years, matter of fact from day one; her day one’. Lol

I was excited when he appreciated Tolu’s husband for providing the cushion for her to take the ‘leap of faith’; I remember him saying something like we shouldn’t think she just upped and left her job without anything to fall back on. Was nice to see him appreciate his son in-law like that. He also said if men just took care of the women God had blessed them with (moms, wives, daughters), this world would be a much better/peaceful place. Men are you listening?

Still on her dad, he advised her to reduce the turnaround time for the books (this one took eighteen months to finish), and then ended by saying that a graduate of English himself, she got her writing skills from him! My dad and her dad could easily be brothers, hilarity for days!

Then it was time for book signing, and I got my copy autographed! Whoop!

There was a raffle draw, and I won something!! Whoop! Whoop! I won a beautiful set of fragrance soaps by Gok Wan, always wonderful to win stuff!

I had a lovely time, was worth the trip from Dartford, and even though I haven’t read the book yet, I can tell it’ll be all that and more! How do I know? I read the last two pages, bad habit I know!

Nothing Comes Close is available to purchase on Amazon or off the publishers. Did I mention I’d never met her before, and only found out about the launch on Facebook? Social Media y’all!

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