It’s been, to say the least, a very Arab April, and that’s a GREAT thing!
Let’s start with the more urgent news, which I’m going to share in a non-traditional way by using bullet points…
Nine authors and I launched a campaign for Arabian Nightmares, an Arab adult horror anthology (the first ever)! I’ve never been part of something like this before, but I had a lot of fun with it and you will too. Check it out here and contribute to making this campaign a reality!
My friend, Chelsea Abdullah, and I are running an Instagram Giveaway of FOUR free Arab children’s books (picture books) right now. ENTER HERE!!!
I announced a new book 😱
Okay, that last bullet is one that deserves more of an explanation. I’ve sold two more books, and am excited to grow in the children’s fantasy space!
The image below explains what this new Bashir Boutros series is all about, but I’m in the middle of editing the first book now, and it’s going to be a complete change of pace from the Shad Hadid books. There are deeper themes on non-violence, what it means to have power, and the wrong ways to use power. Not to mention, you may find me flipping a popular Arab folktale on its head!
Moving on from myself, we are currently in Arab American Heritage Month. I’ve LOVED seeing displays at bookstores and libraries with books by Arab American authors. I’ve even been okay seeing the ones that include non-Arab authors because some folks don’t know the difference between Arab and South Asian (haha).
Whatever the case, I’m celebrating this month because there’s so much anti-Arab sentiment being proliferated these days. As an author, I’m devoting my entire career to combatting those harmful beliefs through writing characters that break stereotypes.
Heck, talking about breaking stereotypes…I’m an Arab with no hair!
Joking aside, be sure to celebrate the month by getting a new book by an Arab American author from your local library or bookstore.
Yet April is not only Arab American Heritage Month. It’s also a month full of religious holidays! Happy Easter, Ramadan Mubarak, and Blessed Passover to all those who celebrate ❤️
Today is actually the feast day of St. George, at least in Lebanon.
I got to join in my first Passover Seder and it was a wonderful experience. I don’t label myself as an especially spiritual individual, though I appreciate the world’s long-standing traditions. Many Jewish people—just like Arabs— are really struggling with what’s happening to Palestinians in Gaza, and it was a powerful experience to have dialogue and reaffirm a shared commitment to justice. Let’s all join in and continue that struggle for collective liberation.
There was so much more that happened and is yet to happen in April, which I’m excited to share more with you all later. In the meantime, please don’t be strangers. Continue to connect with me, ask questions, read great books, and write them too (for those of you I know are also writers)!
In closing, someone asked me today how I have the time to write a book, and my answer was simple: one page at a time.