Author * Writer * Stoker of Flames
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Do pets (or other animals) play an important part in your books? Tell us about them.
Hey, romance addicts. I am back with a new blog hop post. Pets in romance? Many authors who consistently write pets and animals in their books. Find out if I do and why!
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The holiday season is just around the corner. What’s the worst gift you’ve ever received? What’s the worst one you ever given?
Okay, full disclosure, I don’t celebrate any of the holidays from October to January, not for years, anyway. Most of my family members are not Muslims, so there is a lot going on with them during the holidays, but the husband, kids and I rarely take part.
I am one of those people who give gifts throughout the year. A spontaneous gift is one of my favorites. For me, they are usually the most sincere. I feel like the person thought of me as an individual, not a name on a list of people they must present some kind of offering.
Continue reading “Gift Woes and Nos”#MFRWhooks
Hey, romance addicts! I had the pleasure of introducing you guys to Raad Khouri, the scrumptiously villainous antagonist in Building on Broken Dreams, the third book in the hot Brothers in Law series.
Raad’s wickedness is a result of conflicting emotions of desire for Maryam and the family-fed racism infusing his veins. He is one of those men who loves Black women but not Black people. He tries to have it both ways, but that didn’t work out for him. His family soon made demands, and he (at least in his mind) had no choice but to crush the woman he loved in his own sick way.
Raad has his cruel side, but he is a consummate charmer, with the ability to sway women his way. Check him out below, working his masculine mojo on his wife Yasmina and never forgetting that it is Maryam he really wants.
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Show us a photo (Or photos) you took that you're most proud of. Tell us about it (them).
Here it is, folks!
It’s a little grainy, but I am very proud of this picture. A friend sent it to me
Continue reading “Picture Proud-Master’s Babies”
IWSG DayHave you ever written a piece that became a form, or even a genre, you hadn't planned on writing in? Or do you choose a form/genre in advance?
“Make the story as long as it needs to be.” The words from my writing coach echoed in my mind when I began my journey writing romance and continues to help me with each story as it evolves.
Storytelling is an art form that requires writers to let the tale unfold the way it needs to. Resisting can influence the quality of the final execution. I have been in situations where I tried to pound a story to fit into specific word counts, mainly based on my own capricious standards or a publisher’s guidelines. The story almost always pushed back, leaving me to streamline and coax it into the required length. Sometimes it worked–but not always.
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What's the most unusual experience you've ever had? Have you included it in one of your books?
Authors, like most creatives, often use their talents to weave stories reflecting their lives, I am no different. I have included some wonderful, horrible and pretty strange things that happened to me over the years in books.
In Sweet Love-Bitter Fruit, Toni’s struggle with infertility and getting the people around her to understand her pain reflects my own years of frustration. It was difficult, but I was able to channel a lot of pain to connect with readers with similar experiences and giving those who haven’t to empathize with the hurt that comes from unfulfilled desires. Linking fiction with real-life motivates my writing.
In My Way to You, I created a scene with the main characters, Regina and Simon similar to an unusual situation I found myself in with my husband when we first married. Continue reading “Writing Real-life in My Books”
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Have you ever gone on a literary pilgrimage? If so, where and why?
Pilgrimage is an important part of my faith. In Islam, traveling to the venerated city of Mecca (known as Hajj) is a sacred journey that provides those blessed with the chance to perform Hajj rites expiation of their sins and closeness to the creator.
Some people save for their entire lives to make the holy trip. Others go on Hajj to die. It is an arduous trek. Every pilgrim has their Hajj stories, telling of illnesses, injuries, and challenges to finishing everything without blowing their cool. Despite the physical obstacles, many Muslims through the world strive to go on Hajj. The emotional and spiritual benefits far outweigh any difficulties.
Continue reading “The Literary Pilgrim – a Writer’s Journey”
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
One of the great things about storytelling is that the worlds that authors create can be as simple or involved and complex as they want. Although I have some stories with less porous worlds, I do like to have some characters show up in other plots, which can be important in the romance genre.
Many romance readers end up falling in love with characters in a book, wanting to see more of them. I developed a series based on the desire for readers’ requests to see more of one character or another. I initially wrote the book Open to Love as one book, when beta readers asked me to also tell the stories of secondary characters Tarika and Aqil. I also got feedback asking what the deal was with Rahma. I hit the keyboard and framed the Open to Love series. Queen of the Castle joined book one, and book three is coming soon.
Continue reading “#OpenBook Building a Stand Alone Universe, Connecting Characters”
