Obiliwiski by Lola Ovayoza

Dahunsi woke up on the morning of her fourth wedding anniversary to find her husband being arrested for the murder of his mistress’s boyfriend. Now, she must use her money and influence to prove his innocence—because he truly is innocent.
This fast-paced novelette tells the story of deceit, betrayal, and revenge.

The first book I wrote after my long writer’s block was Death and I. Then I retreated into hibernation once more. When I finally came back, I re-edited Death and I so it could be released. I became eager to do more. After Death and I’s release, I began preparing for my next project. I found it challenging to pick between two manuscripts. One was A Love of Beauty and Chaos, the first book in my romance series (Love and Chaos). The other was Out of Sync.

OUT OF SYNC will be out in April 2026 (preorder)

To ensure proper positioning, I decided now wasn't the right time. A smoother entry into the market required a delay for either book. A Love of Beauty and Chaos, the first in my romance series, was over 135,000 words. Out of Sync sat at about 65,000. And Death and I? Just 11,000. The jump felt drastic.

As a PR girlie, I understood the optics. I didn’t want to arrive all at once or overwhelm my audience. I wanted to build gradually—smaller and intentional steps. In short, I had a rollout plan.

In April 2025, I bought new books, but I had not read them. I was restless creatively, sitting with ideas but not yet executing them. Around June 2025, I had an idea for a crime thriller. I already had the title—Obiliwiski. I knew what the story would be about. I just didn’t know how to write it.

Those who know me understand this about my writing: I build for impact. My twists are deliberate and very calculated. You don’t see them coming. This happens unless you’ve studied the patterns in my storytelling long enough. Then you might suspect I’m about to pull the ground from under you.

So, back to the book I bought in April, I started reading them. And one afternoon, I picked up Believe Me by JP Delaney. This book shocked me (if you've read this book, please let me know in the comments). Books rarely shock me because sometimes, I already see the twist coming. For example, The Housemaid by Freida McFadden didn’t really shock me. I saw a few twists coming. It was a very good read, don’t get me wrong.

Believe Me by JP Delaney

But Believe Me shocked me, because I believed her too well. And that book taught me how to write Obiliwiski. It was exactly what I was looking for.

About a week later, I went to my friend’s house and started writing Obiliwiski. It was August. I needed a fresh environment—a different breeze—because I had been struggling to write at home.
That afternoon, everyone was napping except me. I can’t sleep when there are ideas in my head. They keep me awake, insistent, demanding to be written.

I woke my friend up and told him I needed a name for my main character. Half-asleep, he said, “Dahunsi.”

That was it. That was the ignition I needed to start writing. Three days later, the first draft was done—13,000 words. But I wasn’t satisfied. The target was 17,500. I wanted it to sit firmly as a novella. Death and I had been a novelette. This had to be bigger and more deliberate because I already mapped out a rollout plan.

My friends and my sister became my beta readers. They read the first draft and gave me honest feedback. I went back to the manuscript, cutting some parts, expanding others, tightening what needed tension and adding what needed depth. Eventually, I reached 17,000 words.
From first draft to final draft, the entire process took eleven days. I really locked in. I had to put every other thing aside, even though I still had to show up for work.

My favourite picture with Obiliwiski

It might surprise you to know that I was never really confident about the book.
Not that I hated it, I don't hate my work, my creation. I can't even hate my work. It was just that I wasn’t certain about it. I kept wondering whether readers would connect with it.

Instead, it became my strongest release so far. It has sold more copies than Death and I, and the reactions still surprise me. The praise for the title and cover design is especially meaningful. It reminds me that sometimes the work you doubt the most is the one people connect with the deepest.

I’m truly thankful to everyone who has supported the book. You may have bought a copy. Perhaps you left a review or shared feedback. There are days I’ll open TikTok or Instagram and see unexpected tags from strangers reviewing Obiliwiski. People I’ve never met are engaging with the story. It means more to me than I can easily explain.

As a writer and self-publishing author, I feel immense joy when I see feedback from people I don't know. Reviews from strangers make me very happy. When my stories travel beyond my circle, they find a home in someone else’s hands. It genuinely warms my heart.

Just in case you haven’t read Obiliwiski yet? Click here to get your copy.

If you’ve read it, please consider leaving a review on Goodreads. You can also leave one on StoryGraph. This supports the book more than you know.