1--What is the title of your latest release?
MANZAKAR
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Brown queer people overthrow a fascist ruler and stop a genocide.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I’m a huge history nerd who has a BA in Middle Eastern archaeology. I'm also Syrian American. The Medieval Middle East has always fascinated me; so much was happening between the 5th and 15th centuries in that region, from the Crusades to the Golden Age of Islam, to the Mongol conquests. I wanted the Manzakar world to mimic Medieval Central Asia in both culture and history.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
100%. I’d make Tikran teach me how to shoot a bow and ride a horse. He’d absolutely hate it.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Honest. Serious. Kind. A bit compulsive, but in a good way.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I can function on 5 hours of sleep for approximately a week before my brain starts melting.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I definitely edit as I draft. Sometimes ideas will hit me while I’m writing and I have to go back and edit five different chapters.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I’m not sure what a “foodie” indulgence is, but I’d say sushi and expensive cheeses. I LOVE cheese. Especially expensive ones. Especially when they’re cut up and served on a charcuterie board with olives and wine. Yes, please.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
A disaster. I work there. I eat there. I cry there. I laugh there. I fart there. I sleep there. I have three screens, fifteen bobble heads, a stack of papers I won’t ever read, dirty napkins…
10--Who is an author you admire?
Oooh. This is hard. There are so many. I have a hard time connecting with super famous authors (for obvious reasons), so the ones I kinda worship right now are fellow debut authors, like Sara Omer (whose debut fantasy The Gryphon King comes out in July), and Amy Kaufman (whose Robin Hood retelling, The Traitor of Sherwood Forest, is out now!)
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
So many books have altered the way I view the world, but there’s no single book that did it. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury; The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood; To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee…
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
It was super exciting, obviously! I couldn’t wait to see my book out in the world, and with such an amazing publisher. OHB has been nothing short of fantastic.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
Epic and historical fantasy, for sure.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
15--What is your favorite season?
Fall!! Without question! I live in Texas, so the instant the weather turns cool, it’s time to celebrate. Also, Halloween is hands down my favorite holiday.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I’m old, so not at all? Okay, that’s a lie—if no one mentions it, I feel hurt. But I also don’t want people chanting my age. The best way to celebrate it is a quiet (but expensive) dinner with my family and watching a movie of my choice while cuddling on the couch with popcorn.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Severance! Holy cow, it’s so GOOD! Also, White Lotus Season 3 is fantastic. SO dramatic!
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Mediterranean. My family is Syrian, what can I say?
19--What do you do when you have free time?
Free time? Is that a thing? I jest. Kind of. I like to do Pilates. And sleep.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
The sequel to MANZAKAR? Ooph. Whatever readers loved about MANZAKAR is going to be amplified in its sequel, I promise!
Slave-Soldier #1
The Gohari are a race of nomadic, pansexual people with inherent magic who are suffering at the hands of the Kingdom of Anzor’s angry god, Cenk. By harnessing the nomads’ skills in horsemanship and archery, Anzor has built a powerful, elite class of slave-soldiers who are above and beyond any other kingdom’s army: the Manzakars.
Sold into slavery to save his nomad family from starving, Tikran becomes a Manzakar believing that they are warriors of justice. However, as he campaigns in Gohar, the land of his birth, he realizes that not only is Anzor using the Manzakars to persecute the nomads, but it’s also exploiting the Gohari by enslaving them and stealing their magic—the Essence—to be the most powerful kingdom on the Continent. As the most celebrated Manzakar in Anzor and the king’s personal bodyguard, Tikran must decide if he’s willing to forfeit his dreams of glory—as well as his own life and the lives of those he loves—to stand up for what he believes in and fight for the oppressed people of Gohar.
Fantasy Epic | Action | Fiction Adventure [Oliver-Heber Books, On Sale: April 29, 2025, e-Book , / ]
I've done everything under the sun—I have a BA in archaeology from the University of Pennsylvania, a law degree from the University from Houston, and have worked as a graphic artist, romance editor, writer, UX designer, frontend developer... the list actually goes on. Yet through all these endeavors, I've always known my true calling was storytelling. I'm a huge nerd and draw my inspiration from actual history and RPGs, particularly video games (Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Horizon, Dark Souls...). I write "approachable" fantasy that is meant to be an escape from all of our real-world trials and tribulations while subtly (and not-so-subtly) challenging the status quo.
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