Authors, Kai Strand & LA Dragoni

Happy release day to A LOVE THAT DISTURBS by Medeia Sharif! This sounds like an intense read. I'm really looking forward to it. Get your own copy now! A LOVE THAT DISTURBS by Medeia Sharif Evernight Teen , June 17, 2016 Purchase from Amazon (merchant sites will be updated on the author's site ) Maysa Mazari is alarmed by her mother’s talk about arranged marriage. As a hijab-wearing Pakistani-American, she wants to find love on her own. Her judgmental Muslim clique has protected her from racist taunts, although the leader is turning on her as Maysa strays from the group because of her attraction to Haydee. Haydee Gomez is a former gang member and juvenile detention student. Now living with a clean-cut aunt, she wants to turn her life around, even though one person will never let her forget her roots—Rafe, her abusive pimp. Haydee attempts to pull away from a life of prostitution when she develops feelings for Maysa, although Rafe isn’t willing to give her up too easily...

I love participating in cover reveals. It's like being in the IN crowd! And I'm extra excited to share this one, because 1) Medeia Sharif is an author on fire and rightfully so. Because she's good! 2) This book sounds amazing. 3) This cover! A LOVE THAT DISTURBS by Medeia Sharif Evernight Teen , June 17, 2016 Maysa Mazari is alarmed by her mother’s talk about arranged marriage. Meanwhile, as a hijab-wearing Pakistani-American, she wants to find love on her own. Her judgmental Muslim clique has protected her from racist taunts, although the leader, Aamal, is turning on her as Maysa strays from the group because of her attraction to Haydee. Haydee Gomez is a former gang member and juvenile detention student. Now living with a clean-cut aunt, she wants to turn her life around, even though one person will never let her forget her roots—Rafe, her abusive pimp. Haydee attempts to pull away from a life of prostitution when she develops feelings for Maysa, although Rafe isn’...

I'm excited to help talented young adult author, Medeia Sharif with the cover reveal for her upcoming book, Hot Pink in the City.  Be sure to add it to your to-read list and follow Medeia so you don't miss all her exciting news. HOT PINK IN THE CITY,  Prizm Books Author: Medeia Sharif Release date: August 19, 2015 Asma Bashir wants two things: a summer fling and her favorite '80s songs. During a trip to New York City to stay with relatives, she messes up in her pursuit of both. She loses track of the hunk she met on her airplane ride, and she does the most terrible thing she could possibly do to her strict uncle…ruin his most prized possession, a rare cassette tape. A wild goose chase around Manhattan and Brooklyn to find a replacement tape yields many adventures—blackmail, theft, a chance to be a TV star, and so much more. Amid all this turmoil, Asma just might be able to find her crush in the busiest, most exciting city in the world. Find Medeia – YA and...

As a teenager in Southern California, one of my favorite summer past times was getting a tan. My friend and I would catch a ride with her sister to her sister's work early in the morning. She worked close to the beach. Then we'd hop on a bus for the rest of the trip. We'd get there so early in the morning, the fog hadn't burned off yet, but that was okay because we'd be able to pick out the ultimate spot on the still empty expanse of sand. While the seagulls cried and the waves shushed in and out, we'd get to work forming our beach beds for the day. The first bed, we scooped out a deep ditch into the sand where our bottoms would rest, building the sand we removed into a pile of high behind our heads, and a smaller swell under our knees. The second bed would be flat except for a "pillow" made from sand for when it was time to turn over and tan our backs. We slathered on tanning oil, the distinctive coconut scent lifting into the constant wind. We...

Yippee – it’s Friday and this week we have a Building Character interview. Let me introduce Lily from THE ATTIC OF SAND AND SECRETS by Medeia Sharif. Welcome to Strands of Thoughts, Lily. Tell us a little about yourself. I’m Lily. I’m in junior high school and I live in Florida. My dad is French and my mother is Egyptian. I live in a beachfront house.  Beachfront in Florida sounds nice, but when people have a story to tell, it isn’t  usually  a really nice story about catching a tan and learning to surf. What conflict are you up against? My mother was kidnapped and there have been ransom letters. My father is always at the police station trying to figure something out to get her back, but I’d like to help. People say I’m stupid and I believe them, although I’ve been trying real hard to find clues on how she disappeared. Oh, Lily, I’m really sorry. I understand why you would feel helpless. What are some of the biggest stumbling blocks you’ve encountered tr...

Yay – it’s Friday and this week we have a Building Character interview. Let me introduce you to Valerie from 52 LIKES by Medeia Sharif. Welcome to Strands of Thoughts, Valerie. Can you tell us a little about you, please? I’m Valerie, a high school junior, and I live in Miami. I’ve heard good things about Miami. Especially the weather. But I doubt your book is about all the nice weather in Florida. What kind of conflict are you up against in 52 LIKES? Something bad happened to me last week. I went to a party, but ended up in the wrong house. I just can’t talk about the rest. Only my best friend, my mom, and the counselor I met that night know about the incident. Oh, and also the police since I reported it. Oh, jeez, the police? Sounds scary. What are some of the biggest stumbling blocks you’ve encountered trying to resolve whatever it was that happened? People are somehow onto my secret and are spreading nasty rumors about it. Also, I’m getting bizarre messages on m...