Tolulope Popoola Interview (author of "Nothing Comes Close")

Hello Everyone!

Please welcome Tolulope Popoola!

The Romance Bookie: In a few sentences tell us a bit about your novel "Nothing Comes Close"?

Tolulope Popoola: Nothing Comes Close is the story of two characters, Lola and Wole, and how their relationship developed in spite of the challenges they had to face. It’s a story of love, friendship, betrayal, secrets, honesty, regrets and, hopefully, a happy ending. Lola is a confident career girl. She is feisty and intelligent; she has her flaws, but she knows what she wants and she stands for what she believes in. She often sees things in black and white, and she is not afraid to speak her mind. Wole is mysterious and unpredictable, but he’s also loyal and he’s got a sense of duty and justice. Together, they make for a very interesting couple.

TRB: How did you come up with the concept behind "Nothing Comes Close"? 

TP: I wanted to write a story that most people can identify with. Relationships are one area of life that every adult has to deal with - we’re either searching for the right person to be with, or trying to make the best of our current status. Love is a universal language, finding love is not always easy and overcoming challenges always makes a good story, so I put those situations together to weave the story.

  

TRB:  There is a lot of culture in "Nothing Comes Close", was it based on your own, or did you do research?

TP: The main characters in the story are Nigerians, as I am, so the cultural aspect is mine; the food, the language, the expressions etc. are from my own background.

TRB:   Would you say you put a little bit of yourself into your main character, Lola?

TP: Maybe a teeny little bit, but that wasn't deliberate :)

 TRB: What is it about Wole that draws Lola to him so?

  
TP: Wole is intriguing to Lola because there’s something unpredictable and mysterious about him. He is impulsive and romantic. He does bad things, but for good reasons. He’s very honest and loyal, even though it sometimes gets him into trouble.

TRB: In spite of all she learns about Wole's past, what keeps Lola so determined to keep their love alive?

TP: Lola believed that no matter what Wole had done in the past, deep down, he was a changed person. Wole had also treated her like she was very precious to him and in the end, Lola didn’t doubt Wole’s love for her.

TRB:   Which do you prefer, ebooks or hardcopies? Why?

TP: E-books are great for convenience, but I still love hard copies.

TRB: Any advice for aspiring writers? :)

TP: Believe in yourself and don’t let fear hold you back. Don’t be afraid to make some mistakes in the process, it's how we learn. Read, read and then read some more. Read the sort of things you want to write, and read things that are totally different from what you normally read. Then start writing and keep writing! Work on it consistently and never give up.

Thank you Tolulope! :)

You can get your copy of Nothing Comes Close at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords! :)

The Romance Bookie :)