Helen Okore(Quiet Thoughts Author)

 

I first came in contact with her book Quiet Thoughts, through my sister who sent a copy to me in Lagos. The book was inspiring, and I wanted more of her books. When I travelled to Abuja and attended church service with my sister, a woman at the pastor’s corner of the church caught my attention.

What attracted me first was her smiles. They were genuinely beautiful. Then there was a gentleness to her movements and action. All these I noted and admired for over three months before I got to know she is the Helen Okore, the woman who had inspired me with her writings.

Helen Okore is a simple but amazing woman of God, very committed to her faith, to serving God and her Christian folds. She touches life not just with her books, Quiet Thoughts, but with her gentle and exemplary Christian life.

 My guest for this month author's hangout with Zizi, Helen Okore is a Christian writer, a pastor, a motivational/inspirational speaker and an Engineer.

With the senior pastor of her church at her book
launch in the church.

Tell us about yourself?

My name is Helen Okore. An encourager, a Christian inspirational author, and a preacher.

I write "Quiet Thoughts" - simple divinely inspired thoughts, drawn from everyday experiences and the Word - to encourage others.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I can't say exactly when, but I published my first works in 2017. Prior to that time, I had been writing my thoughts for a while and attempted to publish them in 2008, but it did not work out.

What inspired you to become a Christian writer?

The HOLY SPIRIT. He inspires the thoughts, and I put them down.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Six months to one year.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I try to put in 3 - 4 hours when I can.

How do you get information or ideas for your books?

From interacting with people, places, things and the Word.

What does your family think of your writing? How have they been of help to you?

They support my writing and are also blessed.

Usually, when I'm driving and my hands are not free, I dictate the thought to a child who is with me to help type into my phone. They also help through their comments and content-creating lifestyle.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in writing your books?

A book comes out just before 'someone has need'; and when the book is published, the relevant thought speaks "directly" to the person's need. It's amazing! Like a 'love letter' to the person from God to comfort them at that point of need. It's refreshing! And energizes me to deliver on a project as scheduled, even when I am facing challenges and would want to move the publishing date forward.

Is there any author or book that influenced you either growing up or as an adult?

Author: Joyce Meyer

Book(s): "Can I be real?" By Ekene Onu and "The diaries of the desperate naija woman" by Bola Essien.

Growing up, I read "everything read-able" - from Pacesetter series to African Writer series, to James Hadley Chase, to Mills and boons and other good reads.

What do you consider your best accomplishment as a writer?

Blessing lives.

How many books have you written? What are the challenges you faced in writing and publishing them?

Seven books.

Challenges: Sometimes disciplining myself to settle down, to write, amid other responsibilities begging for attention or being distracted.

For publishing, it's majorly cost: to get the quality you want at a cost that is accessible to a lot of people.


I noticed most of your books are on hardcovers. Why? Do you have an e-copy version of your book?

I have 4 in paperback, though I prefer hardcovers for durability and aesthetics.

Don't have an e-book presently.

How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?

I market majorly on my WhatsApp status, and sometimes on my Facebook platforms.

What works best from experience is recommendations coming from the mouth of those who have been blessed and impacted by the books to others. Their testimony does it.

How do you combine being an Engineer, a wife/mother, a pastor and then a writer? I mean, how do you coordinate all these different parts of your life?

I try to squeeze out time to write first thing in the morning and whenever I can during the day when I am tied to a '9 - 5'. Otherwise, I create a 'window of writing' within the day, when I have other work at hand.

What is your best work so far? Or is the best yet to come?

I wouldn't say best, but God put more pressure on me for my recent work.

What are the challenges of being a writer in Nigeria?

Basically, marketing and distribution.

We do not have publishers especially gospel-content publishers who have the network and scope to take the book 'from you' and run with it, while you "just write".

What measures are you taking to promote your books and are they yielding fruits?

Advertising content on social media.

During the launch of her seventh book.

Not enough fruits, yet.

I guess I need to give them wider coverage.

Do you get feedback from your readers?

Yes.

Where is the best channel to reach you and learn more about your books?

The best channel to reach me is via my email @: 

helencruiseinspiration@gmail.com.

For now, I share more on my books on my WhatsApp posts.

Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers, especially in your genre?

For aspiring writers in Christian inspirational writing, maintain a close relationship with the Holy Spirit. For He said His 'sheep hear his voice ... and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.’ Inspirational writing is basically responding to the 'good matter God is bubbling in your heart', and putting it down. (John 10:3 ‭-‬ 4 KJV, Psalm 45: 1)


What else are you great at that few people know about?

Designing clothes.

How do you relax?

Watching feel-good movies.

What’s your favourite music/film?

Favourite music now, "Na you dey Reign" by Mercy Chinwo.

Film: I like Hallmark movies.

Mendicant

My heart erupts 

Like a molten magma

My eyes jiggle

Tears drip like droopy jelly

I hear not like a man

But the tiniest of sounds

Hit the caves of my ear,

Voiceless voices,

Of mendicants, 

Beseeching

Sadaqah sadaqah,

For what to eat

They slide down defenselessly

With hands tied haplessly,

Agape, we watch helplessly.

Their blurry vision 

And drying vital vitality,

Dying in a blaze of agony out in the open

Asking again and again

Sadaqah.

A Poem by Muhammad Muddathir Salihu

Arise Nigeria Children

 

Arise Nigeria children

We own tomorrow

Our parents own today

Let no today

Spoil our tomorrow

We're young

We're dynamic

We are strong

We are creative

We're land 

Ask yourself

What're your plans

What're your plantations

What's fruit

What's future 

What's your vision

For our mission, 

Remember, you own today 

We own tomorrow

Don't destroy our tomorrow

Today

Poem by Taiwo Soyebo:

The diagnosis

Emptiness clouds my mind

The world disappears before my eyes

My soul and body disintegrates

The worst version of me appears

Even as life darkens before my eyes,

The pain in my sight

Incomparable to the agony.

Pain,

intense and powerful

Send shivers down my spine.

Shaken, broken, my thoughts drift

Scattered pieces of shattered vessels

Ruins of a lost city.

A myriad of options

Run through my head.

Even as I seek asylum

From reality.

I grasp on to whatever sense

Or sanity left of my thoughts.

Bargaining with emotions

A fire beams inside me

igniting temper with passion

Wistful and invading.

The yearning zeal

To rise,

Seek help.

But my soul is trapped.

My mind overwhelmed.

I’m diagnosed with schizophrenia. 

CHUKWUJEKWU CHINENYE JUDITH (guest writer)

Be Intentional

 

A man, by nature, does not have good intentions towards others. Every good act by a man is thought out and not instinctive. A man might condition himself over the years to act good instinctively.

But the best of our intentions are intentional. Make an intentional decision to be intentionally good to others.

A FUGITIVE UNVEILS THE SECRET OF SECURITY

How does one survive when a country unleashes its whole military might on him? The fugitive was on the run!

The ministry of defence went into code red, and the army marched into battle. Tanks rolled out and surveillance planes filled the skies like swarms of insects. The pilots kept their eyes peeled for the slightest reason to call in jet fighters that will blast the targeted upstart to kingdom come.

From one end of the nation to another, the search was intense and carried out methodically with a fine toothcomb. There was no escaping the threat. The wannabe must die!

The story of the man on the run was an ironic one. He had appeared out of nowhere and used outlandish methods to dismantle a gigantic challenge plaguing the leadership of the country. The feat had catapulted him into the limelight and also triggered an avalanche of the king's wrath.

Not to be outdone by rival brands, the media houses outdid themselves to increase their ratings and sell their wares. They filled the airwaves with exaggerated exploits of the young man. This infuriated the president, who was suffering from myriad issues inclusive of split personality and depression.

The incumbent's self-esteem would not fill a thimble. Hence, he surmised that all the media attention was a sign that the hunted man (now state enemy number 1) was conniving to unseat him in the coming elections.

"Not on his nelly," thought the president. Being a retired general, he was in the vanguard of the leading patrols that hunted the man down. One of such days, holding an AK 47 loosely, he puffed a cigar that left concentric rings in the air as he scanned the surrounding hillsides with binoculars.

"He is nowhere to be found,'" he told his aid. The President's voice was laden with frustration as he gave the younger man the binoculars. The aid swept through the countryside with the glasses, came up short and shook his head.

Unbeknown to them, the man on the run was a few meters away. He was wearing camouflage that blended wholesomely with the foliage.

The president and his troops moved on. That day, the savagery of the Mediterranean sun was more than usual, so they took shade under a large umbrella tree. Bringing out a flask of whiskey, he quaffed to his heart's content as some of the drink ran down his chin. He was soon snoring under his presidential tent.

The fugitive, silent as a shadow, disappeared deeper into the forest. His existence was like a partridge's with a pack of pointer dogs doggedly pursuing it. His life became a chain of narrow escapes from unrelenting traps. He knew the slightest slip meant death, therefore; he devised uncommon methods of slipping through nets and sought safety in unfamiliar deserts and caves among a legion of other fortresses.

From the wilderness of Ziph, the strongholds of Engedi to the Cave of Adullam (here, he trained his elite security detail), David escaped against impossible odds. Of course, when one becomes an expert at skipping through such a sophisticated network of death snares, we should listen to him when he talks about security.

Surprisingly, when he detailed his safety options, he didn't mention a nuclear bunker, the scraggy hills of Judea or the impregnable cave of Adullam. I would have expected him to talk about unnavigable terrains and thorny forests that made chasing him difficult.

Instead, David wrote that the greatest secret of his survival was: Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. Psalm 32:7.

© Ekpo Ezechinyere 2021

Dr Ekpo Ezechinyere: Medical doctor/Writer

 

I stumbled on his story on his Facebook page and became a captivated fan. His stories were thrilling. At that time I was toying with the idea of writing a Bible-based Christain story and reading his writing on Bible-based characters really pushed me to take the step that gave birth to my first Christain romance story, Decoration of Faith.

He is so full of talents; I have followed the trail of his writing and have often wondered how he coordinated the many parts that makeup who he is?

Who is Dr Ekpo Ezechinyere?

I am a medical doctor and a passionate writer (different genres of writing), but my focus is majorly faith-based. I am also one of the writers of Strain, a Nigerian movie that won the Best International Movie award at the Urban Film Festival, Miami in 2020.
I founded the Facebook groups, Christian Writers and Authors Network (CWAN) and Heaven’z Muzik with some friends. CWAN is a nest for Christian writers who want to sharpen the swords of their crafts. We employ Solomon’s iron sharpens iron concept. HM is for lovers of gospel music.

I am also a consultant, counsellor, and coach.

I blog at https://drekpo.com/.


How did you become a writer?

I had always dabbled in writing. Starting with romantic poems in secondary school, I graduated into writing for the press of my medical school. Ultimately, I became the Editor of the NCCMDS (Nigerian Christian Conference of Medical and Dental Students) Press of my university. However, it was after I became a doctor that I got the call to go the whole nine yards and write for God.

What lured you into becoming a Christian writer?

I had an epiphany. Dr Luke was also a huge inspiration. He wrote two of the biggest books in the Bible, and the artistry of his documentation was stratospheric!

Furthermore, one of the best ways of preserving generations is through storytelling, and I realized if we don’t bring our Christian stories to life, they might become fossilized for our children.

The Bible is the greatest story resource ever and unfortunately, in my book, A Guide to Christian Writing, I mentioned that with the holy writ, many Christians are like a Jedi Knight who doesn’t know what to do with a light-sabre. Woe is us (in Paul speak) if we don’t tell our stories. Stories not told are at the risk of being hijacked. Last, I wanted to tell biblical stories in ways that will resonate with the next generation. Same content, but contemporary methods of delivery.

Any interesting fact about your book/script you want to share with us?

My book, A Guide to Christian Writing, is a cocktail of many things, but the message is about why, and how to become a Christian writer/author. Strain is a movie on sickle cell disease, but the entire essence of it is hope.

How do you get information or ideas for your stories?

Praying, reading voraciously (the Bible especially), meditations, observation, mostly.

 What does your family think of your writing?

Lol…It’s an accepted way of life now.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in writing your books/scripts?

I knew nothing, absolutely nothing. Writing is a universe of its own.

Is there any author or book that influenced you either growing up or as an adult?

Plenty. Wilbur Smith, Dean Koontz; however, the most influential ones were Charles Swindoll and Max Lucado.

What do you consider your best accomplishment as a writer?

Stepping out to be used despite all my fears and inadequacies.

How many books have you written? What are the challenges you faced in writing and publishing them?

 

I have written two, but only published one: A Guide to Christian Writing. Traditional publishing is like reaching for the stars. Navigating the bends of the digital world can frustrate sometimes. All in all, it has been a significant learning experience.

How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?

Social Media and Amazon mostly.

How do you combine being a doctor, a storyteller and a scriptwriter?

I learnt to multitask like a juggler. I recently took a break from medicine, though. But presently gearing to wade back into its pools.


What is your best script so far?

I am working on one which I want to produce.


What are the challenges of being a writer in Nigeria?

Unlike in more developed worlds, making a career of writing in Nigeria is still like climbing a branchless, smooth tree with greased palms.


What measures are you taking to promote your books and are they yielding fruits?

Social Media and Amazon. It has been slow so far (drip, drip), but every day, I am learning and applying the skills that will stoke the flames of momentum.

What are the feedbacks from your readers like?

Encouraging, mostly. They fuel my passion.

Where is the best channel to reach you and learn more about your books?

My website https://drekpo.com/

Christian Writers’ and Authors’ Network (CWAN)

Heaven’z Muzik

Facebook: Ekpo Ezechinyere

Facebook Page: Christian Writing with Dr Ekpo

Instagram: @docekpo

Twitter: @docekpo

Amazon

Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers, especially in your genre?

I would advise them to develop grits and tenacity more than anything else. It’s a marathon and not a sprint. It is he who endures to the end that will be saved.
For the Christian Writer, inspiration trumps all. If not, all that we will give our world will be enticing words of men’s wisdom that lack the power to inspire and transform. We would be chefs cooking insipid meals. The letter kills, but the spirit gives life.

What else are you great at that few people know about?

Lol… speaking, leadership, people skills, teaching, coaching, etc.

 How do you relax?

Movies, Music, reading, watching football and wrestling, playing video games, taking walks…

What’s your favourite music/film?

Difficult choice o. Very. But for movies, I’ll choose anything from the Star Wars and James Bond franchises.

I will go with Anchor by Hillsong for music.



Book link for those in Nigeria:

https://drekpo.com/christianwriting/

Amazon link: http://mybook.to/Guide2ChristianWriting