Three Times A Charm with Author Medeia Sharif

Three Times a Charm is a weekly feature that spotlights authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters from the publishing industry.

For my debut Three Times post, I am thrilled to welcome young adult author Medeia Sharif to Strands of Thought.

Medeia can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a Kurdish-American author who was born in New York City, and I presently call Miami Beach my home. I received my master’s degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University. Prior to my publishing career I was (and still am) a school teacher—but that’s a whole ‘nother story. I became a voracious reader in high school and a relentless writer in college. My persistence paid off in 2008 when I attained agent representation and in 2009 when I got my first book deal. BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER. is my first novel and it will be published by Flux in July.

What a GREAT title! Tell us about your book.

In BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER. fifteen-year-old Almira Abdul fasts for Ramadan.  The holy month does not move smoothly at all when she experiences her first major crush.  Her best friend Lisa and the catty new girl Shakira are also infatuated with Peter.  If Almira pursues him, not only will she be in a bind with these two girls, but she’ll also go against the grain of her strict Muslim family. 

Sounds great! July isn’t too far away (gnaws fingernails). Now, for the Threes. Share with us some of your top 3’s to help us know you a little better.

  • Top 3 books you’ve read in the past year.

LIVING DEAD GIRL by Elizabeth Scott – I read it twice and it haunted me both times.
THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson – This is my favorite book read in 2010.  The writing is beyond beautiful.
GOOD ENOUGH by Paula Yoo – This is a humorous, multicultural YA novel.  I still recall the MC Patti vividly, and I’d like to read this again.

  • Top 3 comfort foods for working.

chocolate
salt & vinegar potato chips
edamame

  • Top 3 songs on your work-time play list.

Public Pervert by Interpol
Black Sheep by Metric
Young Blood by The Naked and the Famous

I know our readers are going to want to keep BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER. on their radars. Where can we find more info about you and your book and stay hip on that upcoming release?

Website & Blog: http://www.sharifwrites.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sharifwrites
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/sharifwrites

Thanks for being the first guest on my new Three Times A Charm feature! It has been lovely getting to know you better. Good luck with your book release!



Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 24, 2011 at 7:44 PM

    Thanks for posting this, Kai!

    Have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kai Strand, AuthorMarch 24, 2011 at 11:13 PM

    Thanks for doing this. It was fun!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sherrie PetersenApril 3, 2011 at 8:25 AM

    I like your top three comfort foods. Have you tried chocolate covered edamame from Trader Joe's? It tastes better than it sounds :)

    Thanks for the interview!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousApril 3, 2011 at 7:32 PM

    No, but that sounds so interesting Sherrie!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousApril 4, 2011 at 8:40 PM

    I must read Living Dead Girl - you've got me very curious.

    And chocolate rules! It has gotten me through many a hard, stressful day at work.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Kai Strand, AuthorApril 4, 2011 at 10:05 PM

    Chocolate seems to be the common comfort food. Personally, I like mine dark.

    Thanks for stopping by, ladies.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousApril 5, 2011 at 6:27 PM

    LIVING DEAD GIRL is a very strong book, Stephanie. It might turn some people off, but at the same time it keeps the reader hooked.

    ReplyDelete

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