If I had never heard of me, would I read my book?

This is a guest post I wrote for the Books and Other Spells website as part of my virtual blog tour:

If I was a romantic at heart, and constantly striving to experience something new, I would read my book. There's a love story that unfolds in very unusual circumstances. There are characters that are too different, too far apart, they don't even understand each other - which made it a bit challenging as a writer. There's a political upheaval that no one seems to understand, or predict how it would settle. And there's an inner strive to not just survive, but to experience life's beauty and embrace it. One has to look hard enough, though.

I would want to know more about this emotionally distant Yasmeen. What made her that way? And why can't she unfold? How many women I know are like her? Would she be able to move on with life, with memories of what she had witnessed screaming loud and clear in her head? I would want to know what mattered to her the most, and would she be able to keep it?

I would want to understand why Adam turned out the way he did. How he managed to hold on to his principles and honor, despite everything he went through. And I would want to see if I could accept his choices and decisions.

If I had never heard of me, I would be intrigued by the foreign name, the timely book title, and the promise of a different kind of romance. Yes, I would read my book. And I would judge, critique, write a review about it, and I would tell my friends whether I liked it or not.


Lilas Taha is a novelist, winner of the 2017 International Book Awards  and is the author of Shadows of Damascus and Bitter Almonds.

Offcial On Line Book Club Review of Shadows of Damascus

I would like to share this review I recently received from the On line Book Club:

Official Review: Shadows of Damascus by Lilas Taha

Post Number:#1  by ITnker » 23 Mar 2014, 17:57

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Shadows of Damascus" by Lilas Taha.]

Even though a book of fiction, Shadows of Damascus is a story based on a man’s devotion to keep a promise. Adam, an American soldier, makes a promise to an interpreter assigned to his patrol unit, Fadi, in return for saving his life during the heat of battle in Iraq. Fadi later realizes Adam will be the answer to save his sister, Yasmeen, from the Syrian government’s atrocities on Syrian civilians, asking Adam to live up to his promise. A story with twists and turns as two adults seek to understand each other’s boundaries, past experiences, and inner fears.

Yasmeen is brought to America to live with a man she knows nothing about. Left with the struggle to understand the American way of living and lingo, Yasmeen copes with the man she shares a home with and growing concern for what she has left behind in Syria. At the same time, Adam changes his world to keep his promise, as he struggles with inner emotions and tries to understand the woman he has opened his home for. The combination of paths they follow as they fight to conquer a painful history and accept new realities are compelling and believable.

Lilas Taha presents a story closely related to modern day events. The story line of the book is not your typical romance novel, yet offers the insight of how two individuals can overcome differences. The characters are believable and not made out to be heroes nor have the illusion of exaggerated abilities. Lilas does a great job of drawing out the characters and the true meaning of how life events affect decisions made from the heart.

What a book?! Shadows of Damascus could be categorized as a fiction of drama or romance. Not normally my choice of genres, but this book was intriguing enough not to want to put it down. This book kept my interest and with a yearning to know what was going to happen next. The author does an excellent job keeping the story moving and the reader guessing as to what’s coming.

Based on the content and how the story moves, I rate this book with 4 out of 4 stars. A good read for anyone who enjoys romance and drama, and even for those of us who would not give such genres the time of day. A short story well written, with the substance to keep the reader intrigued, this story is definitely worth someone’s time.

Site link: OnLineBookClub Official Review

Morning Thoughts

Just sharing my thoughts this morning:

I have completed two rounds of edits on my second book, and I am confident enough now to start sending query letters to agents. Writing this novel - inspired by the other half of my background - took as much emotional toll as writing Shadows of Damascus. But I finally reached the end, and it is so rewarding to pen down the last words.

I plan to pitch the book in person to agents in the upcoming writers’ conference in Houston in April, and another in Austin in June. It would be great to gauge the possible interest in such a story. On the other hand, I dread the immediate feedback, often brutally direct, in face-to-face pitching sessions. The short ten minutes with an agent cannot cover a yearlong work on the book, but it is a skill that must be perfected by any writer. Luckily, I fumbled my way through with the first book, pitching to agents in conferences without really knowing how. Now, I know what it takes, how the process goes, and I’d like to think I’ve developed a little and gotten seasoned in the publishing field to know what to say. Still, it is a daunting process and I dread every second of it.

First things first, I have to do my homework and research everything I can find about the agents I plan to pitch to. Knowing what they are interested in saves energy, and I hate to waste anyone’s time by presenting something totally out of an agent’s circle of interest.

Next, I have to perfect the logline for my book. One sentence that sums up the essence of the story, and makes the agent sit up and take notice. I have that down now.  I’m not totally satisfied, though. More work for me to do in the next ten days.

And then I must have a one-page synopsis of the book, another skill that has to be honed and polished. That’s where I am stuck. Giving a brief summary of the book events is not so easy for someone who wrote every detail of the story. And right now, I am taking a break of working on that to write this post. Procrastination? Escape? Call it what you might, I know I have to get back to the “job” eventually.

The Arab Daily News

I would like to share an article that was written about me and Shadows of Damascus in The Arab Daily News today. Check out the Link:

Arab American Woman's Book inspired by Current Events in Syria

The Dread of an Interview

One marketing tool for newly published authors is to send out press releases to as many newspaper outlets and publications out there as possible to spread the word about the new release. If a writer hired a publicist, this process is taken care of, and if the book is fortunate enough to grab some reporter’s attention, all the writer has to do is show up for interviews and answer questions. Problem is, most writers are introverts, I believe. And I am one of them.

I tend to hide behind my written word. Doing an interview, live and in person, is something really scary for me. To add to that, my book was inspired by very volatile current events in war-torn Syria and Iraq and their spill over to the United States. So trying to stay true to the story and not get caught in the political upheaval is something very tricky to talk about.

Today, an interview I had with a local reporter was published in the newspaper (see link at the end of the post). I conducted the interview a week ago, and have not had a full night's sleep since then. I’ve had online interviews on websites and blogs, I’ve done open lectures and spoken in public forums in my line of work, and I’ve conducted one-on-one pitch sessions with agents and acquirers in conferences, but doing a live interview with a seasoned reporter for a newspaper, albeit a local one, is a whole different monster.

Seeing that voice recorder in my face, pinning down every word I said, every pause and breath I took, catching the tremor in my voice, the mispronunciations in my dialect, or the hesitation in revealing too much was nerve wrecking for me. This was different because the interview was about my dearest, too close to my heart, almost secret undertaking. My book, my dream, my hidden toy under my blanket.

Proud parents love to talk about their children. And a lot of people say writing a book is like giving birth to a baby. Getting it published is seeing that baby to adulthood. Being a parent, I identify with that analogy. But I can’t see the parallel when it comes to singing the child’s praises. Writers always have doubts about their work. That unflinching, unwavering support parents have toward their children is lessoned to a great degree with a grounded writer, I think.

So, No. I wasn’t prepared at all for my interview, although the reporter for the Sugar Land Sun newspaper, Zack Haverkamp was. I stuttered, stumbled on my words, fidgeted in my seat, and kept looking at my watch the entire forty minutes. And to my horror, I had a horrible haircut in humid weather. Perfect!

Seeing the article published, I realized how sometimes, as writers, we tend to focus on the words and miss the big picture. I think my interview gave me the two things I needed the most: exposure and some confidence. Maybe I would do it again, if I were lucky enough to get approached by another reporter. I know what to do now.

Here’s the link to my interview: 

Sugar Land Sun Newspaper

Wonderful Review of Shadows of Damascus

I just received this wonderful review from Our Families Adventure website about Shadows of Damascus. I thought I would share it with you here since the reviewer did not post it on Amazon.

"Truly lovely story with a great hero that is believable and full of life. I am always a little cautious when the hero of a book is a war vet simply because they are normally way overdone to keep up with the "hero" perception, but Adam was wonderfully wrote, well rounded, likable man with a lot of integrity that struggles to overcome his violent and abusive childhood. This book really captured the essence of what war does to people in different capacities and how it impacts lives for generations to come. I enjoyed reading about all the complexities of war and love in this heartfelt story by Lilas." 

My Interview in the local Newspaper

Published today, an interview in the newspaper explains a bit of history about me and my book:

Sugar Land author’s debut novel deals with love, war, from U.S. to Syria - Your Houston News: News