Tell us about Blunted on Reality

Blunted on Reality follows the life of Obi Ifeanyi, a Nigerian American man in his late 20s, dealing with his career choices, family, and deciding between two women in his life, one of them is Tamika, his ex girlfriend from college and the other is Nkechi, his homegirl from law school. The story takes place the day after the 2008 presidential election victory of Barack Obama and covers the first year of his presidency.

Does the fact that Obama has just been elected affect the characters of your story in any way?
The characters gave their perspectives on what an Obama presidency meant for Americans along with Africans that were living in the United States. They are for the most part excited about this moment especially with his link to the continent through his father.

What genre is your book?
Contemporary fiction.

What kind of career and family choices does your main character face?
I think that the main character Obi was feeling like a lot of people feel at different points in their career. He was getting bored with the current position and looking for a new challenge that would also give him a sense of purpose as well. In regards to the family, he was dealing with parents who wanted him to settle down and find a nice woman they thought would be right for me.

What are you most proud of with this book?
That I was able to tell my story the way that I wanted to. Also that I have been able to come across so many people in the book industry that have been helpful in either giving me advice or featuring me and my book on their blog or magazine.

And what has been the most effective way of getting in touch with these people and promoting your book?
Twitter. @ChineduAchebe.

Tell us about yourself.
I am Nigerian and was born in Richmond, VA. I currently live in Houston, Texas and I graduated from the University of Houston with my bachelors degree in Economics. I currently work in the accounting field. Blunted on Reality is my first book. I am a huge sports fan, especially of the NBA and NFL.

Your surname is very famous in literature. Are you related to Chinua Achebe? And has the name been a help or a hindrance to you?
No relation to. I don’t think it has helped or hurt either way. My book discusses different issues. Ironically since he is much older than me and he grew up in a different time than I did. But I do have a huge respect for his work. My favorite book is his second novel, No Longer At Ease.

What’s next?
I am still working on promoting my book. I am thinking of some storylines for my next book possibly, but I am still in the brainstorming phase of that process.

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Already read Blunted on Reality? Then check out our conversation with Myne Whitman