I was born in Cairo, Egypt, in a quiet neighborhood thirteen miles away from the Pyramids. My parents fell in love while studying Arabic literature in college back in the fifties. When they got married, my mother started a teaching career in public high schools while my father took his love for literature further and gained his doctorate degree. He was a distinguished university professor, a published author, a poet, a literary critic, and a frequent guest for cultural shows in local media.
As kids, my parents immersed my siblings and me into literature. They offered the highest allowances for those of us who read more; no wonder I read everything that came under my eyes! As my father traveled to work, I spent my early childhood until I was fifteen in Algeria and Sudan. At a very young age, I learned how to make friends from different cultures and walks of life. I spoke my friends’ dialects, enjoyed their delicious foods, and played their local games. These experiences made my childhood incredibly rich and fun.
At nineteen, I was saturated with Arabic literature and chose to study the literature of a foreign language. I graduated from Ain Shams University in Cairo, Al Alsun College, with a major in English and a minor in French. Self-driven to start a career, I joined the corporate world and worked for companies in various industries. I started as administrative support, then moved to operations and finally landed in the project management field.
The Sweetheart Combo! is my first published novel in English. I began this project in 2014, the same year I lost my most beloved brother. It took me a long time to cope with his passing, and despite working a full-time job, I exercised strong determination to finish and publish my novel.
I live in Fairfax, Virginia, with my loving husband and wonderful children of mine and of my late brother. Writing brings the utmost joy to my heart and soul. I am also guilty of the bias of favoring a good book of poetry while sipping Turkish coffee over anything else in the world!