Florence Ọlájídé has revealed 7 pieces of trivia about herself that in equal parts will amuse you and at the same time fascinate you.
Author Florence
1 I love travelling. My travels have covered, six of the world’s seven continents, thirty-four countries (17% of the world’s nations) and nineteen states (over a third) in the USA.
2. The names of the countries I have visited cover eighteen of the twenty-six letters of the alphabet.
3. When I write, I’m so focused on what I’m doing I forget to eat or drink.
4. I often wake up in the middle of the night with writing ideas and I have to get up and type them out, otherwise I can’t get back to sleep.
5. I love Asian flavours but my intolerance to dairy and eggs limits my ability to eat out. So, I’ve learnt to cook the meals I love, and I make a mean salt and pepper spareribs.
6. I have a sweet tooth and absolutely love chocolate, especially when it’s laced with alcohol. Yum!
7. I never answer my phone when I’m eating unless it’s a close family member and they ring repeatedly. I believe I’m entitled to at least one hour in the day when I can shut the world out. I can hear you thinking, What if it’s an emergency? My answer is usually, what difference would twenty minutes make?
Author Bio:
Florence is an educator and her passion is improving children’s lives. She caught the teaching bug at thirteen when she organised the neighbourhood kids into evening classes so they could support each other with homework. Three years later, just shy of her sixteenth birthday, she entered the University of Lagos, Nigeria to begin her teacher training. In 1981, she graduated from the University of Lagos, Nigeria with a Nigerian Certificate in Education.
She was a headteacher of a London inner city primary school. She is the co-founder of Inspired Futures and has a passion for seeing children achieve the best they can and ensuring that schools provide them with a first-class education. Florence was shortlisted to attend Penguin Random House’s WriteNow London workshop in 2018. She is the author of the memoir Coconut.
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The Book
My heart races as gunfire startles me from my sleep, and my lungs fill with smoke as I realise my village is being burnt to the ground. I tremble as I realise my family is missing, but before I can find them, I am taken. With tears streaming down my face, I wonder if I’ll ever see my parents and little brother again…
Western Africa, 1848. In a small Yorùbá village, fourteen-year-old Ṣìkẹ́mi refuses to live by the elders’ rules. All she wants is to learn how to hunt and defend herself, like the boys. But her father is quick to remind her that soon she’ll be expected to grow up and marry.
But Ṣìkẹ́mi’s world shatters when her village is ambushed by slave raiders. She watches in horror as she’s separated from her family before she is sold to Madam Tinúbú, a rich and powerful slave trader. With her heart in pieces, Ṣìkẹ́mi’s days are filled with back-breaking labour and constant fear of brutal punishment.
Desperate, Ṣìkẹ́mi looks for a way to escape her nightmare and find her family. When someone tries to poison Madam, she sees a chance to save her mistress’s life. As a reward, Madam grants Ṣìkẹ́mi’s request to train as a warrior and join her guard. Madam sees something in Ṣìkẹ́mi that she could use, and something she desperately needs to keep her power…
But Ṣìkẹ́mi has a plan of her own. Even if everything is taken away from her, her spirit will never be broken. And nothing will stop her from being reunited with her family. Not even Madam.
Inspired by true events, The Stolen Daughter is a gripping and unputdownable story about facing your fears, overcoming unimaginable hardship, and the courage and strength of women in a world ruled by men. Fans of Marie Benedict, Sadeqa Johnson and Suzette D. Harrison will be swept away.
Florence's latest book: The Stolen Daughter is published on the 31st May 2024.
Buy Link: https://ow.ly/nTy250QZHRL