Book-loving friends, I’m so happy to write to you about something wonderful happening today, and that is the release of my next book, Shad Hadid and the Forbidden Alchemies!
The next book in the World of Alchemy series takes you to Lebanon, and I can’t wait to immerse you in my culture, be it food, customs, and even the lovely sights. You don’t necessarily have to have read the first book to enjoy this next installment, though your experience will be far richer for having done so! And, the cover is pretty….very pretty.
But how do you think I celebrate? Well, not with some big party (though if anyone hosts one, I’ll be there!). In fact, this October has been full of something better—school visits!
I love hanging with my favorite readers, the children, and they never disappoint. They not only listen to me talk about books, Arab culture, and writing. These readers have been asking important questions like “Can I touch your bald head?” or “What’s your favorite anime?” or even “How much money do you make?”
That is all to say that there is nothing better than school visits to continually remind me why I write and who I write for.
If you’ve been following me on socials at all, you might have also seen that I’ve been in the news! Folks are talking about the series, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m on a mission to make children’s books cool for everyone because they are cool.
Enough with the pictures, though, as much as I enjoy sharing them. This month has been a challenging one for many reasons personally, though nothing I face can compare to the challenges folks across the world are facing due to poverty and war. I want to acknowledge both the ongoing violence in Palestine/Israel as well as such events like the mass expulsion of Armenians currently ongoing are exactly why we need books!
Spreading empathy is my main goal with my writing, and the Shad Hadid books are an especially powerful tool as they are told from the direct perspective of Shad, so we can peer into his mind, his triumphs and failures. If my books can touch just a few humans, kids or adults, I’ll have done my job.
And, to that effect, I have one final event to promote at the moment, which is early next month in St. Louis, Missouri. I’ll be at the wonderful Left Bank Books doing an event, so if you’re nearby, please do show up!
Thanks for reading my October update, and for making this month, so far, one to remember!