Reporting Lies, Denying the Truth

Scapegoat: A Flight Crew's Journey from Heroes to Villains to Redemption I read Scapegoat, a detailed account of a TWA flight that came within seconds of killing 89 people. It interested me as I follow the TV program, Mayday, which meticulously describes the effort required to determine the cause of each airplane crash. I find …

Book Review: What Would a Muslim Say?

I was provided with a free copy of What a Muslim Would Say in exchange for an honest review. Let me begin by verifying that I am not a Muslim. However, since writing a novel (Forbidden, by F. Stone) wherein the setting is the Middle East and most of the characters are Muslim, I have …

Forbidden’s Seduction: Unique POV

I'm endeavoring to survive another steep learning curve - the do's and do not's of a book launch. What I'm discovering is that the launch of a novel can be compared to the controlled chaos of dazzling fireworks. Authors need to infiltrate all corners of marketing cyberspace like streams drawn to lowlands in a quest to reach …

Writing Forbidden – My Awakening

When I began the first draft of my second novel, Forbidden, I was unprepared for a shocking journey. In 2011 when my research began, my ideas about Islam and Muslims fell pretty much in the same cloud of confusion and distrust as was prevalent among my friends. I now enjoy a greater clarity. In fact, it …

Forbidden: Allah’s Wrath Versus Family Loyalty

Captain Sharif 's choice. Protect his family = his soul will be damned. Follow Allah = loss of family What ever your chosen religion or beliefs, have you had to make a decision that was in direct conflict with those 'rules'? What if your life depended upon stepping away from those sacred tenants. Could you sacrifice your …