Author Holly Warah's novel is a compelling read. Filled with intricate details of mixed cultural marriages, the novel never fails to intrigue and satisfy the reader. 

Where Jasmin Blooms is a refreshing novel that delicately and adroitly navigates the divide between cultural and religious beliefs and customs of Palestinian Islamists and American Christians. 

Following the joys and challenges of three women from different decades, and two different continents, whose lives are entwined by marriage, the novel enlightens the reader to the joys and frustrations each face. This book was so compelling that I actually read it in one sitting.

In today's world of clashing cultures, this is a must read for anyone interested in understanding cultural and religious differences. I heartily recommend it for its honest and thoughtful commentary on cross-cultural families.   

Where Jasmin Blooms

Deep Deceit . . . a must read thriller!

Living in a foreign country is a lifestyle not for the faint-hearted, even for a professional expat like Deep Deceit’s protagonist Celeste.

Navigating unfamiliar rules and customs when things go awry can be heart wrenching. Throw in the mysterious allure of Dubai and Saudi Arabia and you have a double whammy that makes for an intriguing thriller.  

Anne O’Connell,in her second novel, gets it right. Set in the tumultuous Middle East, the pace quickens and the plot thickens as Celeste battles an abusive charlatan husband, searches for her kidnapped 18-year old temperamental daughter and defies death threats from Saudi nationals while trying to cope with her own fragile mental health.

Not only is this novel an exhilarating “can’t put it down” page-turner, it also is an excellent look into what an expat can expect living in the Middle East. Woven in this excellent read are the essential elements  needed to survive in the unfamiliar world of a Muslim country.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a real thriller but also for anyone interested in knowing what it is like for an expat to live in Dubai and the Middle East.  

Deep Deceit is available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback. In celebration of launch week, it's free to download on Kindle March 10th and 11th! Amazon.com link - http://amzn.to/1zZrxEU and the Amazon.co.uk link - http://amzn.to/1BXWpXB

Follow Deep Deceit on Facebook. 

Making the Most of Your Expat Experience

Moving is recognized as one of the most stressful activities known to man.

Add to that moving to a foreign country, and the anxiety scale goes wild. One needs a lot of coping skills to survive and enjoy expat living.

I am delighted to pass to you a great article, Making the Most of Your Expat Experience, written by my good friend and fellow expat Holly Warah, a 12-year resident of Dubai, UAE.

Holly writes a blog, Arabic Zeal, that is packed with very useful information of interest to expat.  Whether you are newly moved or considering the opportunity, Holly provides you with some great insight.

How does a non-Muslim living in a Muslim country survive and thrive during Ramadan? . . . Thoughts from Abu Dhabi.

The Holy Month of Ramadan is upon us. For a non-Muslim living in a Muslim country like the United Arab Emirates, this means making some lifestyle adjustments.  To make this easier, the first thing a non-Muslim must do is understand the practices and rituals of Ramadan. The second thing is to find a way to thrive during Ramadan.

Surviving Our Move from Dubai to Abu Dhabi . . . First Impressions

Abu Dhabi Corniche skyline
photo courtesy of www.panoramio.com 

When Roger and I announce our intention to move from Dubai to Abu Dhabi many of our friends expressed grave concerns.

“It’s so much slower than Dubai.”

“Do they have any really good restaurants?”

“It is much more traditional than Dubai, it may be hard to make friends.”

“Oh, so sorry to hear you have to move there. Everyone says it isn't as much fun as Dubai.”

Oh dear  . . . . listen up my Dubai friends, this joint is jumping – literally!

The Best of the Boomer Blogs

It must be getting close to the Ides of March, the day Caesar was assassinated, because this time around the entries for Best of Boomer Blogs seem to be slouching toward more serious subjects. Laura Lee, the Midlife Crisis Queen, was pleased to see a difficult topic confronted on "60 Minutes" Sunday:  Suicide – a topic that inspired her to write her new book Find Your Reason to Be Here: The Search for Meaning in Midlife. 

Our consumer journalist Rita R. Robinson writes about Six ways to be a better shopper.  Katie Foster at Arabian Tales has a great book for female boomers who have attained that "seasoned age." Mental Pause is a journey through a truly treacherous menopausal experience, written by global nomad and freelance author Anne O'Connell, it is a "must read" for every woman experiencing or about to experience this dreaded rite of passage.

 Meanwhile, Lisa Garon Froman of Tao Flashes writes about  A Woman's Way to Navigating the Midlife Journey with Integrity, Harmony and Grace. Finally, Sara Cornell of Life After Married takes a look at what to do when you know something you wish you didn't know . . . do you share it with someone or just try to forget it?

And this week’s host, Tom at Sightings Over Sixty, says if it's getting toward the Ides of March, then spring is around the corner. There will be no more snow, I guarantee it! There you have it! READ ON!

Mental Pause . . . . A Tempestuous Journey through Menopause

Do you think your menopausal searing hot flashes, tumultuous mood swings and nasty irritable behavior are bad? Nothing compares to the hell that Abbie experiences as she wades through a truly treacherous menopausal journey.

Global nomad, expat and freelance writer Anne O’ Connell has written a “must read” novel for every woman experiencing or about to experience this dreaded “rite of passage.”  

Mental Pause launches today, March 8th, International Women’s Day. All proceeds from today’s sales will benefit her favorite charity Room to Read that supports literacy programs in developing countries by building libraries, publishing local language children’s books and providing scholarships for girls.

You can purchase your copy at Amazon . . . or Anne is offering a signed PDF copy on her website.

From the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall - Travelers Best, Worse and Most Ridiculous Stories from the Road

NOTE: This guest post is from David Slenk the editor and author of  "From the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall: Travelers' Best, Worst and Most Ridiculous Stories from the Road" to which I am a contributor. The other stories are great too! Make sure to get a copy.   

Just about a year ago, I found myself in the middle of Bolivia, sharing stories over drinks with a group of fellow travelers after a day of exploring. Over the previous month, I had visited the Uyuni Salt Flats, placed my hands in footprints left by dinosaurs millions of years ago, descended into the “mountain that eats men” to meet miners still working with 500 year old technology, and cruised across Lake Titicaca. I had met adventurers from Australia, Holland, Japan, Canada, Brazil and dozens of other countries.

@home in Dubai . . .Don’t leave home without it.

If you have been reading my blog you know of the trials and tribulations (anyone remember the film The Perils of Pauline) I faced settling into Dubai.  Couldn't have done it without my friend, Anne O'Connell's advice. She is so smart she has written a book @home in Dubai . . .Getting Connected Online and on the Ground. It is must read for anyone actually moving or contemplating moving to this wonderful city. I promise it will make your settling in a whole lot easier.

@home in Dubai is a powerful tool for anyone re-locating to Dubai, UAE. Packed full of reliable and useful information, the author’s lighthearted approach to relocating to this uniquely vibrant city helps relieve some of the angst of a daunting task. 

Anne’s experience of living and working in Dubai and her wealth of contacts in the expat community give the book its heart and soul. It is rather like having conversation with your best friend.

DUBAI LITERARY FESTIVAL - FINDING PEACE . . . BROTHERLY LOVE . . AND LAUGHTER IN DUBAI – PART 3 - LAUGHTER Marina Lewycka

In this third and final segment of my blog about Anne O’Connell’s and my experiences at The Emirate Airlines Festival of Literature you get to meet one hysterically funny lady.

Our final session is with Marina Lewycka – say that three times with marbles in your mouth!  Marina is the author of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, Two Caravans and We are All Made of Glue. Anne and I prudently share the purchase of these three books with promises to share as soon as we have finished reading.  

DUBAI LITERARY FESTIVAL - FINDING PEACE . . .BROTHERLY LOVE . . . AND LAUGHTER IN DUBAI - PART 2 - BROTHERLY LOVE Tariq Ramadan

Part 2  of Finding Peace, Brotherly Love and Laughter in Dubai is about Tariq Ramadan’s presentation, “Charting a Course Between Islamic Values and Western Cultures.”  This seems like an interesting choice since both Anne and I had decided independent of each other that we want to use some of our time in the Middle East to understanding this mysterious Muslim faith.

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature  proves to be one of the best experiences in my first year of living in Dubai.

DUBAI LITERARY FESTIVAL - FINDING PEACE . . . BROTHERLY LOVE . . . AND LAUGHTER IN DUBAI – PART 1 PEACE Greg Mortenson

Where can you find an American mountain climber aka philanthropist whose quest for peace turns stones into schools; a Swiss-born Muslim Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford who proposes a future where Islamic values and Western culture are in harmony;  and a zany Ukrainian lady whose writings are described as “mad” and “hilarious” and whose mere entrance into the room elicits warm bubbles of laughter?

The answer: The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in Dubai.

Accompanied by my aspiring author friend Anne “The Writer” O’Connell, we embark on a two-day adventure into a multicultural literary scene.  While we are both veterans of The Broward County Library Literary Feast   in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, this is our first experience at this similar event in Dubai.