Freedom of Speech

I know this is a paranormal blog, but sometimes we wander a bit off the beaten paranormal path. This is one of those times. The current unrest in Egypt is making headlines all over the world. It may be hard to imagine how the issues there impact those of us outside Egypt's borders, but anything impacting the human condition affects all of us, whether we are directly involved or not. Here's one way it's impacting the writing community.

Helena and I started this blog because we love stories. You can't love stories without loving the authors who create them, who give us a world to play in and escape to beyond our own. An Egyptian author, Olivia Gates, has a new release coming out through Harlequin Desire February 1. But she can't promote it online. She can't blog about it or interact with readers. Why? Because the Egyptian Government has shut down Internet communication. Living in a country where freedom of speech is guaranteed by our constitution, it's hard for me to fathom a situation where the ability to work and promote that work is taken away. So this post is for Olivia, promoting the book she worked so hard on only to have political and civil unrest beyond her control hamper her ability to get the word out on it herself.

To Tempt a Sheikh releases February 1, 2011.

Blurb:
He rescued hostage Talia Burke from his royal family's rival tribe and swept her into his strong embrace. But Prince Harres Aal Shalaan soon discovered there was more to the brave beauty than he knew. Talia held information vital to protecting his beloved kingdom…and she had every reason not to trust him.

Marooned together at a desert oasis, Talia couldn't resist Harres. Yet even as his sizzling seduction entranced her, his loyalty to his family and country would always make them enemies. Falling for the sheikh would be her heart's greatest mistake…but she feared it was already too late...

Please help Olivia by posting the information on your blog, your Facebook page or by tweeting a link to Olivia's home page. Let's support an author who cannot access the internet to promote her book.

To read the first chapter of To Tempt a Sheikh, click here.

~Lily