Week 4: Two Truths and a Fiction
This week we’re talking protests arrests, war reigniting, and why my dystopian thriller is kicking ass!
Anybody else experiencing whiplash this week? I definitely am. This week's top domestic headline was a close tie between the executive order dismantling most of the Department of Education and the arrests of legal permanent residents protesting for Palestine. I chose to highlight the arrests. Here’s why:
Top Domestic News Headline this Week:
Trump warns that arrest of Palestinian activist at Columbia will be ‘first of many.’ AP
What?
Federal immigration agents detained Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident and one of the leaders of the Columbia University student protests, on Saturday. He was subsequently flown to an immigration detention center.
Why do we care?
This issue combines freedom of speech and immigration law in complex and unclear ways. While freedom of speech laws are relatively straightforward, immigration laws are less so. When I worked at the State Department, one of my responsibilities was issuing immigration visas to qualified individuals. Along with their visas, we often provided a document outlining their rights and the general laws in America. Freedom of speech, as detailed in the Bill of Rights, was prominently listed. But is this right guaranteed for legal permanent residents? The answer could disrupt many families across the country.
Top International News headline this week:
Bombs Aren’t Stopping. Between Gaza and Ukraine, Wars Rage On. Upfirst
What?
Russia and Ukraine have resumed their attacks. Israel launched a ground offensive into Gaza, breaking the ceasefire and resulting in hundreds of deaths. War has resumed.
Why do we care?
The Trump administration initially suggested it could resolve these international conflicts swiftly through business-like negotiations. However, recent developments clearly demonstrate that resolution is far from simple. We now almost certainly face several more months of conflict and innocent lives lost around the world.
The Fiction Fix- For Such a Time as This…
I ran a promotion on the ebook version of The Herd on Amazon this week, and we kicked ass ("we" meaning me and my characters, of course)!
#1 in Technothrillers
#1 in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction
and, my personal most coveted category
#1 in Dystopian Science Fiction (Kindle Store)
Over 1,000 Orders in a Single Day
More than 1,000 people clicked “order” in just one day. Even though it was part of a promotion, I believe it reflects significant interest in the novel’s topic and perspective. Now is the time to discuss how disinformation is destroying our democracy.
I recently did a podcast interview about this book (shout out to the Black Writer Therapy Podcast), and the host said she could sense I had something on my chest that needed to come out. That’s absolutely true.
Every time I think about The Herd—its warning about disinformation, the Black female protagonist who risks everything for the truth, the love interest who becomes a victim of unfounded fears about foreigners, and the environment my characters must navigate—I’m reminded that this book is a timely gift, written for such a time as this (as the church folks say 😉).
Stay tuned for the audiobook!
Subscribe and Share
I hope you found this newsletter helpful and engaging. Please share with any friends or family you think would be interested and feel free to buy me a coffee by subscribing if you got some use out of it.
Follow me on Instagram too!
And here is my LinkedIn.
