I’m pleased to showcase Author, Medeia Sharif this month. I follow Medeia on social media, and I’ve read some of her books. She’s a talented author!

Welcome,

Medeia was born in New York City and she presently calls Miami her home. She received a master’s degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University. After becoming a voracious reader in high school and a relentless writer dabbling in many genres in college, Medeia found her niche writing for young people. Today she’s a writer for all age levels published through various presses. In addition to being a writer, Medeia is a public school teacher.

Where are you from? I was born in New York City.

Where do you live? I live in Miami, Florida.

Is writing a full-time job? No. My full-time job is being a public school teacher. I’ve taught all grades in the secondary level—currently I’m teaching middle school—and my favorite subject to teach is English Language Arts. It’s my passion for reading and writing that makes it my favorite. As a bonus, being exposed to all types of literature and teaching writing has inspired me and has made me a better writer. 

When did you know you wanted to become a writer? In middle school I wrote poetry and short stories, so I knew back then this was a calling. I even told teachers and classmates that I would have books out in the world. 

What do you write? Tell us about your books: My latest releases are REMEMBERING MOM’S KUBBAT HALAB (Albert Whitman & Company) and FRIZZY HAIRED ZUZU (Magination Press), both picture books. The first one is about dealing with the grief of a deceased parent and the second is a hair positivity book about accepting and loving your natural looks. I have previous young adult and middle grade titles, from romance to paranormal to mystery, but I find myself gravitating to picture book writing these days. 

Where do your ideas come from? Absolutely everywhere. I find that my picture book ideas usually come from childhood incidents. My middle grade and young adult book ideas will usually come from any sort of inspiration in the current time. I will either have a character or object in mind, nagging at me, until I create a story around it. 

You are an author but you also illustrate? Your Instagram site displays some beautiful illustrations. Have you ever illustrated your own authored books? No, I’m not a professional artist. I’d love to improve my skills and illustrate books one day.

How long does it take to illustrate a face or scene? Anywhere from one to four hours. The more hours, the more details and the more the piece looks like the subject.

What do you like to do in your downtime? I enjoy watching documentaries and reality TV. I also like to garden, go to arts and crafts meetups, and fix things around my home. 

Is there anything that I didn’t ask, that you want readers to know. I have loose notes for a memoir and would love to write the story of my life one day.

Medeia one last question, tell us something that no one knows—something about you that isn’t posted anywhere on your website or social media. Despite an early childhood speaking a different language and taking classes in three different languages in high school and college, I’m only fluent in English. I used to speak Kurdish fluently as a child, and now I only understand most of it and can’t speak it. I knew a little bit of Arabic. I’ve taken Spanish, French, and German in high school and college, and most of it has slipped away from disuse since I didn’t actively speak those languages, but I do understand some words. I’ve come to terms that I’m not a linguist. 

You can follow Medeia at: Instagram and Threads @medeiasharif, http://www.medeiasharif.com

Medeia, thank you for letting us get to know you better.

My monthly book giveaway winner is Patty Barber. Patty will enjoy one of Medeia’s picture books.