Zara will enlighten, inspire, instruct – Author

Olusola Oguche-Agudah, author of the book Zara: Love and Second Chances has said that the book of fiction, her first, will not only enlighten, inspire and instruct, but also do much more for the readers.
She was speaking at the end of June during a press briefing that heralded the book presentation on June 26 at Lilygate Hotel, Lekki.
“The book is not difficult to read and anybody can read it. I think it is a book that will enlighten, inspire, instruct and make you laugh,” she said.
Zara, she stated, is about the relationships in our lives. “It focuses on different relationships; between parents and children, between spouses. Predominantly, it is about marriage, why marriage is what it is, the mistakes that we can easily make and how we can use marriage to help foster a growing community that builds on marriage. So, if you want a strong community, a flourishing, country definitely, you need to work on marriage. Strong marriages build strong children and strong children build strong homes, and of course, the country is made up of strong homes. That is what is predominantly the focus of Zara,” she explained.
She said that apart from being a book she wrote because she has a message about marriage; it is also one that can change things for the community, the environment and the country.
“We are hoping that people learn from it and do not repeat the mistakes of the past,” she said.
The briefing held at the end of an inspiring first of its kind in West Africa limousine bookstore tour that made stops at Terra Kulture, Laterna Ventures, Hub Media Store and Pattabah bookstores in Lagos. The tour also featured the author giving away copies of her books to people at different locations in Lagos.
The book launch event on June 26 featured veteran actress Joke Silva as the reviewer with people from all walks of life in attendance. Among them David Ifezulike (Chairman of Nestle Nigeria PLC), Mrs Mobo Biobaku (CEO Mobos Fashion), Oke Maduewesi (CEO Zarron Cosmetics), Yinka Daramola (Executive Director, Natanel Florens) and a host of others.
Oguche-Agudah said at the launch event that she has been writing since she was a young girl and she hopes her writing can entertain, inspire and transform individuals and the society at large. She also used the opportunity of the occasion to launch her Make Your Life Count (MYLC) initiative, whose mission is to inspire, equip and empower individuals to live a life of purpose and impact. The initiative is geared towards building wholesome marriages and grooming children to make a meaningful impact in the world. She hopes to do this by providing tools and resources like training programmes, books, documentaries and movies.
To create awareness for the book in the Nigerian market, the author is working with a leading branding and communications firm – Brandzone LLC and Teranova Limited. A series of events that include interviews at leading radio and TV stations and side launches with a number of partners and NGOs are expected to take place. She is also going to be speaking across the country on issues relating to marriage, relationships and parenting.
In addition, Zara has secured a number of leading local brands including Zarron, Mobos, Lilygate Hotel, Pine Tree Organisers, Jeff & O Brien And Natanel Florens as partners with more on the way.
What is more, Zara has also collaborated with a leading NGO in Nigeria -Genesis House and a percentage of the proceeds of the book will go to help commercial sex workers off the street, rehabilitate and reintegrate them into society.
Published by West Bow Press in the United States, Zara is reprinted in Nigeria by Terra Nova Limited.
Oguche-Agudah is a writer, speaker and coach, who specialises in relationship and parenting coaching. She is a trained counsellor and a prolific writer with a weekly column in Businessday Newspaper where she pens her thoughts on parenting in the 21st century.