Hi. Thank you so much for agreeing to answer some questions on Linda’s Book Bag.

Pleased beyond measure to be here, dear Linda!

Firstly, please could you imagine we are on a one minute speed date and tell me a little about yourself?

Okay, I am going to go further and imagine that you are sitting across
a table from me, at a restaurant, wearing a lovely dress, and a lovely
smile, and sipping some red liquid from a glass. Then I would say to
you: I am a simple guy with a dream, or rather a guy who lives for a
dream. A dream to affect the world positively. A dream to do something
above the material. This is why I wake up every morning. I could go on
but I don’t want to creep you out. Hehehehe

When did you first realise you were going to be a writer?

I was about 15 when I read a book: ‘Sunset at Dawn,’ written by
Chukwuemeka Ike. The book was a satire on the Nigeria-Biafra war,
which was a bloody genocide against my people. I remember starting to
write a story immediately after I put that book down. I never finished
that story though… and I cannot even remember why, but anybody who
reads ‘Bomber Boy’, and then wonders why I wrote a funny story about
something so sensitive should blame Chukwuemeka Ike because he
affected the life of a 15 year old many years ago.

If you hadn’t become an author, what would you have done instead as a creative outlet?

Maybe I would have gone deeper into music. I have stood on a stage,
singing for free to a crowd of people whose laughter I could not
interpret. Till this day I wonder if they laughed at me or with me.

How do you go about researching detail and ensuring your books are realistic?

I read articles on the subject, I ask questions from well travelled
oldtimers who may have knowledge about the subject I am writing about.
I also try to travel to various locations so as to get a feel of the
environment- although I must confess that this is not always possible.

Which aspects of your writing do you find easiest and most difficult?

Dialogue. You have read ‘Bomber Boy’ and so you know I pretty much
avoided dialogue. This perhaps due to my personal failing as a talker.

What are your writing routines and where do you do most of your writing?

When I have just woken from a refreshing night’s sleep, I hear a voice
inside my head, it talks to me. I have called it my higher self in a
previous interview and this must not be far from the truth because I
wrote most of ‘Bomber Boy’ in one sitting, on one fine morning.

When you’re not writing, what do you like to read?

I have read Julius Caesar’s ‘The Conquest of Gaul’ more times than I
can remember. I am currently re-reading ‘Lord of the Golden Fan’ by
Christopher Nichole, and I like to read blogs on the internet.

Do you have other interests that give you ideas for writing?

Not interests but passions. If you have seen the kind of suffering I
have seen, you want to do your bit to help your people. My pen is my
sword, and everybody who reads my books becomes my soldier… Not
everybody, actually, some have taken it upon themselves to ruin me.
Just Google ‘Bomber Boy, Ike Pius,’ you may get the picture.

Why did you choose to write about terrorism in ‘Bomber Boy’?

I wanted to write something to promote my book ‘The Paradise that
Was,’ and one morning I found myself writing. The rest, they say is
history.

If you had 15 words to persuade a reader that ‘Bomber Boy’ should be their next read, what would you say?

Pick up Bomber Boy as a story, but find yourself joining a movement of Change.

How important do you think social media is for new authors?

Social Media is the future. Embrace it, immerse yourself in it, be
part of it. Social Media provides an almost level playing ground for
everyone. The rich, the poor… Everyone!

What advice would you give to others who are just starting their writing career?

It takes a lot of patience.

Is there anything else you  wish you had been asked and would like to answer in this interview?

I would like readers (particularly those of African origin) to pay
attention to the Afterword  which is often overlooked by reviewers. I
pour out my heart, my soul, my life into that. Please read it!

Thank you so much for your time in answering my questions.

Thank you so much, Linda, I hope one day we can have a bigger better date.

You can read my review of Bomber Boy here and you can follow Ike Pius on Twitter. His books are available to buy here in the UK and here in the US.