An Interview with Sinmisola Ogunyinka, author of I Loved a Slave

Award-winning author Sinmisola ‘Sinmi’ Ogúnyinka enjoys creating stories across cultures. A wife, mother, movie producer, and talk-show host, she is also a Craftsman of the Jerry B. Jenkins former Christian Writers’ Guild, Colorado, USA, and founder of Pleasant Writers’ Guild.

Sinmi holds a bachelor’s in Economics from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, an MFA in Creative Writing from Full Sail University, Florida and an MLA from the prestigious University of Pennsylvania. She is the published author of Under a Red Delta Sun, an Amazon bestseller, and Blue Dawn. She blogs, teaches writing, and lives with her family in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia.

Website: sinmisolaogunyinka.com

Blog: sinmisolao.wordpress.com

Facebook/Instagram: Sinmisola Ogunyinka

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I started writing when I was ten years old and I was mainly encouraged by my literature teacher.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I have worked many jobs in human resource management, office administration, customer service, and substitute teaching, and currently, I teach college writing.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The title I Loved a Slave came to me very strongly, and easily. I had been thinking about writing a story about star-crossed lovers set in an impossible time period and writing this story was very enjoyable for me. I researched for a long time on the period and learned a lot about my characters even before they came to life.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

I was elated. Though I wanted a different cover, Amazon flagged it as too X-rated for some reason. This cover, however, did it for me.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

I think Celine Dion would be the musician for me. Near, far, wherever you are… Another song would be Lionel Richie’s “Hello”!

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

One thing I hope readers take away is the power of love. Love will always find a way.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

The most rewarding part for me would be the first time my book became available for sale. I had worked long and hard with many people such as the editors, beta readers, and cover designers, and at some point, it was as though this book would never be ready so when it went live, I felt so happy.

What new writing projects are you currently working on? Or, other projects that are not writing?

I am currently working on a few projects. Top on my list is a novel set in medieval times. This is a very challenging project for me because I have never written anything like it but I am excited and taking on the challenge, reading books set in that time and researching a lot. I have also just started ghostwriting nonfiction books, so currently in search of projects in that genre.

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