On a hilarious journey that takes Layla from the Southeast to the Middle East and back, she finds out a little more about herself and what she is looking for in life and in love.
Book Title: Middle South by Maya Nessouli Abboushi
Category: Adult Fiction, 215 pages
Genre: Women's Fiction
Publisher: Lanier Press
Release date: March 8, 2017
Tour dates: April 17 to May 5, 2017
Content Rating: PG-13
Book Description:
Layla has recently moved out of her parents’ home in the Atlanta suburbs and into an apartment in the city to assert her independence. Between her job as a feature writer for a small newspaper and her social life, Layla has little time to think about marriage and children, much to the dismay of her Lebanese parents.
On a hilarious journey that takes Layla from the Southeast to the Middle East and back, she finds out a little more about herself and what she is looking for in life and in love.
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Interview with Maya Abboushi
- What made you write a book about the conflicts that Layla faces? The conflicts Layla faces in the book are much like my own growing up in the South as an Arab Muslim. It was hard at times to strike a balance between the woman I was expected to be and the person I wanted to be.
- Which was the hardest character to write? The easiest? The hardest character to write was Charlie. I wanted to make sure he did not fall into the stock gay character while keeping him true to himself. The easiest character to write was Kareem because I modeled him after an old friend of mine and a few other Lebanese guys I knew as a teenager.
- How did you do research for your book? Research was minimal because I was writing about a city I grew up in and the country I hail from. I did have to make sure I fact-checked for certain things like the Jeita Grotto in Lebanon or the political climate in 2005. Other scenes are drawn from my memories of visiting Lebanon when I was in my early twenties.
- Where do you write? Most of the time, I write at a coffee shop down the street from my house. I find that I’m less distracted if I am not in my house. I won’t be tempted to fold laundry or clean or turn on the TV.
- What advice would you give budding writers? My advice to budding writers is not to overthink it. Sometimes, all you have to do is turn on your computer and start writing. It’s great to have outlines and research prepared, but often when you write from the heart, it’s raw and relatable.
BOOK SPOTLIGHT TOUR SCHEDULE:
April 17 - Working Mommy Journal - book spotlight / giveaway
April 17 - Kristin's Novel Cafe - book spotlight / guest post
April 17 - Library of Clean Reads - book spotlight / giveaway
April 17 - Corinne Rodrigues - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
April 18 - T's Stuff - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 18 - Discovering/Writing Life - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 19 - 411 on Books, Authors and Publishing News - book spotlight / guest post / gw
April 19 - The World As I See It - book spotlight / giveaway
April 19 - Books, Dreams, Life - book spotlight / guest post
April 20 - Puddletown Reviews - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
April 20 - Cheryl's Book Nook - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 21 - 100 Pages A Day - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
April 21 - Bound 2 Escape - book spotlight / giveaway
April 24 - Celticlady's Reviews - book spotlight / giveaway
April 24 - #redhead.with.book - book spotlight / giveaway
April 25 - Elsie's Audiobook Digest - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
April 25 - The Autistic Gamer - book spotlight
April 26 - Jaquo Lifestyle Magazine - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
April 26 - Lukten av Trykksverte - book spotlight / giveaway
April 27 - Zerina Blossom's Books - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
April 28 - Rockin' Book Reviews - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 1 - Spines in a Line - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 2 - Books for Books - book spotlight
May 3 - Savvy Verse & Wit - book spotlight / giveaway
May 4 - The All Night Library - book spotlight
May 5 - Sharing Stories - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 5 - Svetlana's Reads and Views - book spotlight / giveaway
Enter the Giveaway!
Ends May 13
Sounds like a great book.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for you and your book!!