Yep. Another tag. Lovely, right? At least this one isn't for facts about yourself.... mostly. And hey, no murderous maniac in clown makeup coming for your mom. Great news, right?

Anyways, here are the simple rules:

1- Copy and paste (or screenshot) these rules into a post of your own and tag 15 people.

2- Pick a story! If you're a writer, you must choose your own; if you are not a writer, either make one up or pick from your library here and tag the respective author.

3- Write a ONE SENTENCE pitch for your story. This is a helpful exercise that'll get your creativity flowing and prepare you for querying in the future when you want to publish or even advertise your book to others.

4- Tag that pitch with 2-5 category hashtags including the intended target [ie is it MG (middle grade), YA (young adult), NA (new adult) etc]

5- Tell us 3 random facts about one of the SIDE characters in the story.

6- Tell us why this story MATTERS. Why is it important for this story to be out in the world and be read?

7- Tag three people (WHO HAVEN'T ALREADY SEEN/READ IT) who you think would enjoy or benefit from reading this story.

8- When you are tagged, you must also complete this challenge. The only exceptions are for those who've already completed this tag.

9- Tell us three interesting facts about the author and/or the main character(s).

10- Your post must contain either a joke in its contents or a pun/wordplay in the title. No exceptions.

Bonus for those capable: Upload a thematic picture in your post to capture the mood/feel of a scene from your story.
--------------------------

- Hopemore Bee_91 saa_naleem miss_hummingbird92 sajmra HopeGossamer writer_muslimah nooceeH Tai898 Sajdah18 KhawlahTheWarrior sufyan_ahmad96 SkyCastles zeeat01al-farsi Asiya323

- Story: Chasing Pearls

- Muslim-American poet Ahmad Abdul-Aziz must cautiously confront his past with his beloved Ahlaam to reach the future he desperately seeks, but nothing comes without consequences.

- #IslamicFiction #NA #Romance #Action

- Three random facts about Ahmad's youngest sister, Amatul-Kareem:

1~ Amatul-Kareem was named after an older relative of hers, which has since cause a bit of an...issue between her parents.

2~ Amatul-Kareem is a young "entrepreneur," having offered "beauty services" since the 10th grade, she has done hair for children and adults, even doing one of her friend's hair for her wedding.

3~ Because of her age, Amatul-Kareem is the closest of Ahmad's siblings to their nephews and nieces (after the parents themselves of course) and some of them look up to her almost like a big sister rather than an aunt.

- Chasing Pearls matters because we need decent Muslim representation in fiction without relying on tired tropes, cringeworthy clichés, and stupid stereotypes. Chasing Pearls presents an interesting and relatable narrative with good lessons and reminders as well as an engaging plot. With portrayals that showcase flaws but don't romanticize despicable issues or normalize abhorrent behavior and traits, the story will In Shaa Allah help to educate, entertain, and inspire its readers towards good and make a positive impact.

- Duaashaykh LubnAbdulrahim Oh-snap-I-just

- Two main characters, one author. I'll do a fact for each.

~ Ahmad used to be a parkour enthusiast back in high school, which is how he met Faraz, his best friend.

~ Ahlaam was once OBSESSED with tigers and tiger print; though she keeps her "fascination" under wraps now, her mother, Mahnoor, will never forget the little girl who once "borrowed" her kohl to draw tiger stripes on herself after donning an orange hijab.

~ I got chased by a bull once. My friends and I were set to slaughter him but he broke out into the neighbor's yard. She was a friendly old lady but her husband... not such a fan of Muslims. So we had to quickly get the bull and save her before her husband came back. The bull ended up mowing through several other neighbors' fences before we caught him with some lassos. Well, I didn't have a lasso. I was armed with a stick. Lol. I'm sure my Cherokee and Blackfoot ancestors would've been proud lol.

Done.