The Secret He Never Told Her (An African Woman's Journey Book 2) by Eileen Omosa

11/2/2019

Multi-volume, multi-genre author, Eileen K. Omosa, introduces us to the second volume of “An African Woman’s Journey”: “The Secret He Never Told Her”:
His wife staying in employment will reflect negatively on his capability, but resigning will stall her career goals. Can they ever find a middle ground? In less than two years, Sophia has hauled her family out of poverty. Satisfied with the outcome of her hard work, she’s focused on building a career with a stable income when Richie asks her to resign from her job and become a stay-at-home-mom.
Richie cannot envision his wife struggling to balance the tasks of wife, mother, and employee. He asks Sophia to stay at home, provide the comfort he needs to work hard at his job, and earn enough money to cater for the financial needs of his family.
Sophia cannot imagine life without her job, the way to grow her career, realize her dreams.
How will Richie convince Sophia that he has enough wealth for his wife not to work a single day, yet Sophia is determined to prove that a woman can balance her professional and family life?
The Secret he Never told Her is book two in the series An African Women’s Journey. Sophia’s story starts in The Girl who Left the Village and concludes in The Woman She Became. A trilogy where education, culture, ambition, and love intertwine.
Previous title, Slowed by a Baby

This story was very enjoyable. I like the way the author writes. I think I liked it even better than the first one (link at the bottom). Getting married introduces many changes in the dynamic of two people and two families, as they work to blend their once-separate lives. Getting pregnant makes that work even more complicated, especially, when the baby shows up a few months after the wedding.
Eileen does a wonderful job of exploring the conflicting visions and desires of two people who are just learning how to communicate. This story is not short on description or scene setting, it is the richness of dialogue that made me laugh out loud so many times.
The personal and relationship growth of Richie and Sophia is heartwarming and encouraging. Each of them is fully fleshed out as well as the supporting cast of family and friends.
I award 4.9 stars to “Slowed by a Baby”.

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Never-African-Womans-Journey-ebook
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Never-African-Womans-Journey-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/-slowed-by-a-baby

You can follow Eileen Omosa:
https://twitter.com/iGrowideas
https://www.eileenomosa.com
https://www.facebook.com/EileenOmosaAuthor

Previous book review and interview: http://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-choices-she-must-make-africas-billionaire-heirs-book-1-by-eileen-k-omosa

Tags: multicultural, hope, contemporary women’s fiction, sweet romance, marriage, communication, relationship, pregnancy, international business, Kenya

Copyright © 2019 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction

12 Comments

Eileen Omosa link

11/5/2019 02:11:35 pm

Thanks Mark,
Glad to hear you enjoyed reading the book, which is my first objective - entertain while we learn.
I have been with Sophia and Richie for many years as I wrote the trilogy. I feel like someone special is absent from my writing life now that the trilogy is complete, unless readers ask for more books in the series.

Mark

11/5/2019 03:34:32 pm

I have enjoyed both books. You have a unique writing style and I like the strength your characters present.
First question.
Please, tell us more about yourself. Perhaps something a little bit beyond your bio.

11/5/2019 04:25:29 pm

I use fictional characters to write on change and adaptation - how does the African girl who has attained education, balance her new reality of a career woman and the competing cultural expectations of a mother and wife?

I have always liked stories, and I published my first paid articles after high school. In university I published in an athology edited by my English literature professor. After graduation in Sociology and Anthropology, I drifted off into life where I worked a "real" job as a Program Coordinator and later as an Advisor on the management of natural resources-based conflicts in the North Rift.

For more than ten years I learned how to pack a suitaces,travel for work-assignments and return to the place I called home. One day I convinced my family to join me on an adventure to the North Pole, we made a stopover just below north of 60. I hope to proceed northwards after I tell enough stories on African women adapting to change, and immigrants adapting to change. WHY? as a Sociologist, I keep seeing change within society.

11/5/2019 10:57:15 pm

You have led an interesting life. I bet you have racked up a lot of frequent flyer miles.
New questions.
Why did you choose this genre, or do you feel the genre chose you?
Who designed the cover of your book? Feel free to drop a link if appropriate.
What do the elements on the cover represent?
Was it hard to come up with the title? What was the process?

11/6/2019 11:05:21 am

Thanks Mark, you got it right that the genre chose me. I wrote the first draft of book one in the trilogy (Ignited by Education) as a wholesome and clean romance. During the editing process, including questions I received from my various editors, I started seeing the larger social issue of girl education, the conflicting worlds (educated career woman and cultural expectations of her as a wife and mother) she finds herself in and how she embraces the opportunities and challenges along the way. I settled on Women's Fiction as the overal genre.

Book one and two in the trilogy were first published under different covers. I listened to comments from readers and knew I needed covers that gave that first impression of subject and genre. I used the margic of social media, asked in one of the Face Book groups I participate in and one member (unfortunately I dont remember who) suggested I try Cathy. I have never looked back.

My book cover designer is Cathy of cathyscovers.wix.com/books Cathy knows her work. What I like most is the advice she provides. A number of times I have hesitated about a cover, she's gone out of her way to explain the concept behind her choices, thus, the role of book covers in book marketing.

My trilogy, The African Woman's Journey is focused on the question of "what happens after an African girl attains education and embarks on the journey of becoming a career woman, how does she choose between the two worlds she finds herself in? Each book in the trilogy covers a defined phase of Sophia's life from when she completes university education to settling down in family - how does she make choices along the way? Thus, the book titles:
1. Ignited by Education
2. Slowed by a Baby
3. Trapped Inside the Family Box

The coverfor Slowed by a Baby represents the two choices Sophia is faced with at that phase of her life. What and how she chooses is detailed in the book.

11/6/2019 11:21:48 am

That is quite interesting. I have observed that writing the first draft is a solitary project. After that, subsequent drafts, cover, editing and such becomes a group project because a writer needs beta readers, critique partners and more to produce a quality book that is easy to read. The cover is the second most important part of a book, after the title.
New questions.
Have you entered any writing contests?
Have you won awards of any kind for your writing?
Did you go through the query process or did you go straight to self-publishing, and why?

11/8/2019 04:02:52 pm

Well said, sometimes writing is a solitary project. I try to get out of mine by reading books by other authors - residing in their world for some hours gives me reassurance that I'm not alone. I also listen to podcasts, attend local workshops and meet for "coffee" with other writers.

I do not recall if I have entered any book contests, maybe because I have not won any. I have so far used the excuse of I wanted to complete the trilogy before I focused on marketing? and other promotional activities. I have completed the trilogy, which means that 2020 will be the year to enter my books in contests.

I do not see myself querrying publishers in the near future, unless they pick me out. One reason being the many successful indie authors I read/listen to each week - they've succeeded in writing, publishing and earning a living from their writing, I long to be part of the group.

11/8/2019 10:40:39 pm

Making a living from writing is every author's dream. Having a trilogy is a good start. You are building a fan base, one reader at a time.
I think you have made a wise decision, you maintain control over your content and reap the profits. So many publishers try to lock up the author's intellectual property rights to make a buck, sometimes for years.
New questions.
There are many unethical practices in publishing, which one is the most unbearable in your mind?
Do you have a favorite book by another author?
Did you have a favorite book as a child?
Do you ever read a book more than once? If so, which one?

11/11/2019 11:53:06 am

Thanks Mark, having relocated from the place called Home, where I would have by now qualified for pension, to a new country where many start all over again, success in my books will be my insurance.

The publishing industry is huge, transcends international borders, so I have learned what's ethical in publishing and other facets of life and adhere to that. The two events that threw me off were when an individual tried to copyright English words. I still wonder if the English could do that first. Then the on-going cases where some people copy the hard-earned books of others, change a few words and publish under their byline - I cannot wait for the success of AI with blockchains capable of redirecting acrued benefits back to the original author.

I'm still searching for one book to call my favourite. The closest I have come is to have favourite authors whose books I search/wait for. As an avid reader, at least a book a week, I end up reading a variety of books/authors. The books have provided different benefits to me - entertain, educate and fascinate. As a result, I get to read some books once and others more than onces. I mostly read entertaining books once, and refer back to educative books many times, depending on what knowledge I need when working on a particular project.
Thanks for your engaging questions. Until next time, best regards.

11/11/2019 01:20:04 pm

Thank you, Eileen, I always enjoy talking with you. Your journey has been interesting and international.

Mallory J link

10/26/2023 03:41:02 pm

Great reeading this

10/26/2023 03:57:26 pm

Thanks for dropping in, I am glad you enjoyed the review and interview. Eileen has written more books since this interview. You can find them on Amazon and probably other platforms.
I have interviewed at least 100 more authors here on my website. If you have written a book that you want to promote, you can find thee details on the "Promote Your Book" tab.

The Secret He Never Told Her (An African Woman's Journey Book 2) by Eileen Omosa

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