Launching of 'The Prince's Bride- Sequel to 'Tomorrow Never Ends'
Hi All,
We are pleased to announce that the much-anticipated sequel to our ebook 'Tomorrow Never Ends' will be launched soon. The ebook titled 'The Prince's Bride' has taken a long time to come out due to certain commitments which made working on it difficult.
Anyway, what matters is that it's finally here and as a build-up to the launch date, we are serialising some parts of 'Tomorrow Never Ends' so readers who have not read the book can have a little taste of it.
Both the old book and the sequel will be available for downloads on okadabooks.com and other platforms once we are ready.
So, readers should get ready to get their copies!
In the meantime, our ongoing series 'Blues for Ruby' will be concluded sometime this week. Watch out!
***
Excerpts from ebook 'Tomorrow Never Ends'
Oma took the lift to the fifth floor of the building where Mr Kadiri, Head of Media Communications of the company, GMK Holdings had his office.
His secretary gave her a seat, informing her that his boss had been summoned by the M.D a few minutes before.
"He'll soon be back. Can I get you anything? Water, a drink perhaps?" he asked solicitously.
Oma declined with thanks.
She spent the time carefully going over her pitch once more. Her firm was small and young barely five years old. She needed the company's account badly to grow her client base and her business.
She had put in a lot of effort in the proposal, a lot of hard work that she prayed and hoped would pay off.
Her mobile rang then.
It was Emily, one of her staff, a copywriter. She wanted to know how things were progressing.
"I've not even met with him. Will let you know when I'm done," she said in a low voice.
Some minutes later, she heard voices outside the office and Mr Kadiri entered.
"Hope you've not been waiting too long," he said after the handshake.
He ushered her into his office, then instructed his secretary not to let anyone in till he was through.
The man went through her proposal nodding a couple of times at its content. Oma sat quietly, her heart thumping with anxiety.
He looked up from the file.
“This looks good. Just what we are looking for to rejig our corporate image to our customers and the public. I'll approve this today if I had my way. However," he said, pausing briefly: "My boss has the final say on this. I'll pass it on to him and once he gives the go-ahead, we'll contact you."
"That's ok by me." Oma relaxed then, breathing a bit easier. At least, her proposal had not been turned down outrightly as had happened in some past pitches.
There was hope.
But she did not want to leave anything to chance. "Do I have to see your boss in case he needs clarification on any point raised in the proposal?" she asked.
She had never met the head of the company before as all her meetings had been with Kadiri.
He smiled at her. "There won't be need for that, Oma. If he likes it, he'll let me know."
The meeting was over.
As she picked up her bag and laptop, preparatory to leaving, she said: "Thanks so much, Mr Kadiri for everything. I appreciate."
"You're welcome. Looking forward to working with you!" He smiled warmly at her.
As he was about seeing her off to the door, it opened and a tall, well-dressed man entered.
"Kadiri, you forgot one of your phones in my office. I was on my way downstairs so I stopped by to drop it," he said.
"Thanks, sir," said Kadiri. He handed over the phone, looked at Oma casually then did a double take.
"You! The lady at Ozumba Mbadiwe!" he exclaimed.
Oma stared at him, surprised at the change in him within such a short time. He was almost unrecognisable.
In the place of the rough looking man earlier in the day, was a well suited, clean shaven, good looking guy with clear bright eyes that were now looking at her in an amused manner.
He looked sober with no hint of the drunken look earlier.
What happened to him? she wondered.
"You two have met?" asked Mr Kadiri gazing curiously at both of them.
"Yes. My driver had a collision with her on our way here. She really gave him a dressing down!" he said, his eyes twinkling.
Oma did not find it funny, wondering what was amusing about being hit in traffic on her way to an important appointment.
Well, he'll not laugh when the bill for the repairs comes in, she thought viciously.
Though going by the way he was dressed, with his expensive clothes and all, he did not look as if the cost would make any dent in his bank balance.
What was he doing in Mr Kadiri's office anyway...
"Well, it's good you're here sir, as she wanted to see you earlier. Sir, this is Ms Oma, MD, KM & P Media. It's the company pitching to handle our rebranding campaign," he said.
He turned to Oma. "Oma, this is my CEO, Mr Daniel Efetobor."
Did she hear right or were her ears acting up?
Did Mr Kadiri just call that drunk rough neck in the Range Rover earlier his CEO?
The man was now assessing her with his eyes, a note of interest replacing the amused look earlier.
"Hmm. So, you're the PR guru Kadiri has been talking about," he said, extending his hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you."
"Same here," said Oma crisply, trying hard not to smile at the irony of it. A drunk she met by accident in traffic turning out to be the C.E.O of the company she was angling for their account?
Emily won't believe this...
The man was talking. "So, when're you starting? Have you worked out the modalities with Kadiri? It's his area of specialization, you know."
"Actually, Sir, I intended showing the proposal to you later for final assessment and approval. Here it is," he said, handing Oma's proposal to him.
"In that case, let's go to my office then and settle everything today. What do you say to that Oma. Hope I can call you that," he said to her.
"Of course, Mr Daniel," she said, smiling a little. He could call her whatever name he liked as long as she got the account.
From the look of things, everything seemed to be working well for her...
The proposal
That accident wasn't a bad thing after all, she thought. With Kadiri trailing behind them, he led the way to his office on the upper floor of the building.
He asked a few questions concerning the pitch which she gave clear answers to. He seemed satisfied with her responses.
He gazed at her for a moment then asked Kadiri to excuse them."You can go back to your office, now. I'll handle it from here."
After the man had gone, he relaxed back in his chair and gazed at her keenly, a quizzical expression on his face.
"Have we met before? There's something familiar about you," he said.
She wondered what he was on about. "We met earlier today. Remember?"
He waved a hand in the air. "I'm not talking about that meeting. Much earlier than that. Are you by any chance related to the Ometan family in Warri?" he queried.
"No. I have heard about them, though. But I don't know them personally."
He shook his head.
"It's strange. I could have sworn you were a relative. Anyway, back to the campaign." He sat up straight in his chair. "Your pitch is good. I think you have an idea of what we want. So," he paused briefly. "The job is yours.”
"Oh, thanks, sir! I appreciate and promise not to disappoint you or the company," Oma said enthusiastically.
She tried staying calm on the surface but inside, she was bubbling with excitement, with joy.
This is it! We finally made it, she thought happily suddenly anxious to leave and break the wonderful news to her staff waiting expectantly at the office.
"There's something you need to do though before you can begin work."
"What's it, sir?" she asked, looking at him expectantly. She was ready to do just about anything for him so long as the company's lucrative account was in her grasp...
To be continued
"He'll soon be back. Can I get you anything? Water, a drink perhaps?" he asked solicitously.
Oma declined with thanks.
She spent the time carefully going over her pitch once more. Her firm was small and young barely five years old. She needed the company's account badly to grow her client base and her business.
She had put in a lot of effort in the proposal, a lot of hard work that she prayed and hoped would pay off.
Her mobile rang then.
It was Emily, one of her staff, a copywriter. She wanted to know how things were progressing.
"I've not even met with him. Will let you know when I'm done," she said in a low voice.
Some minutes later, she heard voices outside the office and Mr Kadiri entered.
"Hope you've not been waiting too long," he said after the handshake.
He ushered her into his office, then instructed his secretary not to let anyone in till he was through.
The man went through her proposal nodding a couple of times at its content. Oma sat quietly, her heart thumping with anxiety.
He looked up from the file.
“This looks good. Just what we are looking for to rejig our corporate image to our customers and the public. I'll approve this today if I had my way. However," he said, pausing briefly: "My boss has the final say on this. I'll pass it on to him and once he gives the go-ahead, we'll contact you."
"That's ok by me." Oma relaxed then, breathing a bit easier. At least, her proposal had not been turned down outrightly as had happened in some past pitches.
There was hope.
But she did not want to leave anything to chance. "Do I have to see your boss in case he needs clarification on any point raised in the proposal?" she asked.
She had never met the head of the company before as all her meetings had been with Kadiri.
He smiled at her. "There won't be need for that, Oma. If he likes it, he'll let me know."
The meeting was over.
As she picked up her bag and laptop, preparatory to leaving, she said: "Thanks so much, Mr Kadiri for everything. I appreciate."
"You're welcome. Looking forward to working with you!" He smiled warmly at her.
As he was about seeing her off to the door, it opened and a tall, well-dressed man entered.
"Kadiri, you forgot one of your phones in my office. I was on my way downstairs so I stopped by to drop it," he said.
"Thanks, sir," said Kadiri. He handed over the phone, looked at Oma casually then did a double take.
"You! The lady at Ozumba Mbadiwe!" he exclaimed.
Oma stared at him, surprised at the change in him within such a short time. He was almost unrecognisable.
In the place of the rough looking man earlier in the day, was a well suited, clean shaven, good looking guy with clear bright eyes that were now looking at her in an amused manner.
He looked sober with no hint of the drunken look earlier.
What happened to him? she wondered.
"You two have met?" asked Mr Kadiri gazing curiously at both of them.
"Yes. My driver had a collision with her on our way here. She really gave him a dressing down!" he said, his eyes twinkling.
Oma did not find it funny, wondering what was amusing about being hit in traffic on her way to an important appointment.
Well, he'll not laugh when the bill for the repairs comes in, she thought viciously.
Though going by the way he was dressed, with his expensive clothes and all, he did not look as if the cost would make any dent in his bank balance.
What was he doing in Mr Kadiri's office anyway...
"Well, it's good you're here sir, as she wanted to see you earlier. Sir, this is Ms Oma, MD, KM & P Media. It's the company pitching to handle our rebranding campaign," he said.
He turned to Oma. "Oma, this is my CEO, Mr Daniel Efetobor."
Did she hear right or were her ears acting up?
Did Mr Kadiri just call that drunk rough neck in the Range Rover earlier his CEO?
The man was now assessing her with his eyes, a note of interest replacing the amused look earlier.
"Hmm. So, you're the PR guru Kadiri has been talking about," he said, extending his hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you."
"Same here," said Oma crisply, trying hard not to smile at the irony of it. A drunk she met by accident in traffic turning out to be the C.E.O of the company she was angling for their account?
Emily won't believe this...
The man was talking. "So, when're you starting? Have you worked out the modalities with Kadiri? It's his area of specialization, you know."
"Actually, Sir, I intended showing the proposal to you later for final assessment and approval. Here it is," he said, handing Oma's proposal to him.
"In that case, let's go to my office then and settle everything today. What do you say to that Oma. Hope I can call you that," he said to her.
"Of course, Mr Daniel," she said, smiling a little. He could call her whatever name he liked as long as she got the account.
From the look of things, everything seemed to be working well for her...
The proposal
That accident wasn't a bad thing after all, she thought. With Kadiri trailing behind them, he led the way to his office on the upper floor of the building.
He asked a few questions concerning the pitch which she gave clear answers to. He seemed satisfied with her responses.
He gazed at her for a moment then asked Kadiri to excuse them."You can go back to your office, now. I'll handle it from here."
After the man had gone, he relaxed back in his chair and gazed at her keenly, a quizzical expression on his face.
"Have we met before? There's something familiar about you," he said.
She wondered what he was on about. "We met earlier today. Remember?"
He waved a hand in the air. "I'm not talking about that meeting. Much earlier than that. Are you by any chance related to the Ometan family in Warri?" he queried.
"No. I have heard about them, though. But I don't know them personally."
He shook his head.
"It's strange. I could have sworn you were a relative. Anyway, back to the campaign." He sat up straight in his chair. "Your pitch is good. I think you have an idea of what we want. So," he paused briefly. "The job is yours.”
"Oh, thanks, sir! I appreciate and promise not to disappoint you or the company," Oma said enthusiastically.
She tried staying calm on the surface but inside, she was bubbling with excitement, with joy.
This is it! We finally made it, she thought happily suddenly anxious to leave and break the wonderful news to her staff waiting expectantly at the office.
"There's something you need to do though before you can begin work."
"What's it, sir?" she asked, looking at him expectantly. She was ready to do just about anything for him so long as the company's lucrative account was in her grasp...
To be continued
Comments
Post a Comment