1. Tell us about your new novel for Random House and DC Comics, Black Canary: Breaking Silence. What is the book about?
BREAKING SILENCE is the first young adult novel about the classic DC Comics superhero, Black Canary- and I still can't believe I was chosen to write it! :) My new origin story for the character is set in a near-future Gotham City, where a patriarchal dictatorship known as the Court of Owls rules over all. Under the Court, women have been stripped of their power and their rights--including the power to sing, which is something 17-year-old Dinah Lance, our heroine, wants to do more than anything else. So when she discovers a secret power within her own voice, it sets her world ablaze, and leads to a new secret identity as the Black Canary.

2. The DC Universe is known for Batman, Superman, and so many iconic American (often male) characters. What was it like stepping into this world as an Iranian-American woman and writing your own superhero story?
It's been the biggest thrill, and also something so meaningful on a personal level. To get to write in the Batman/DC universe is enough of a dream on its own, but then adding in the fact that I got to tell a feminist action/adventure story and incorporate my own family background into it made it that much more special.

3. You dedicated the book to your mother and grandmother, and there's also an Iranian opera singer character named after our IAW founder, Mariam joon! Can you tell us about your grandmother's legacy, and how the women in your life inspired this story?
Absolutely! My grandmother was Monir Vakili, Iran's foremost opera singer. She was a star who also used her platform to advance women in the arts, including co-founding the country's first coed boarding school to train young students in opera and choral singing. But after the Revolution, with the new regime stripping women of so many of their rights, my grandmother lost everything, like so many others. Even though I was born in the U.S. years after my family's escape, my parents raised me with a deep understanding of our history, and I often thought about how different my life would have been if I'd grown up in Iran instead--how something as important to me as singing would have been forbidden. I also grew up with such admiration for my grandmother, who I never got to meet since she died before I was born, but who has always loomed large in my mind, especially as my mom has done so much to preserve her legacy. This is the book of my heart, because it allowed me to write a character based on my grandmother and to give her a happy ending on the page. And because Mariam Khosravani is another hero of mine, with all the amazing work she's done to help and elevate Iranian-American women, I decided to name this character Mariam Noor, after both Monir Vakili and Mariam joon!

4. You wrote original music for this book, in particular a female empowerment anthem called "The Black Canary Sings." Can you tell us about this song, and where we can go to hear it after reading the book?
"The Black Canary Sings" was one of the first things I wrote for this project- it came to me in a burst of inspiration! The lyrics tell the story of the book, but they're also personal to me, as they reflect things I was seeing in the news while writing the novel and the kind of world I wish to see instead. You can listen to the song on SoundCloud here!

5. What is the key message you hope your readers will take away after reading Black Canary?
I hope the main takeaway from the book is that the real power we need is something we already possess--our voice. It's about using our voices to speak up for what's right, to make the world a more equal and better place, and it's something any of us can do. No superhuman skills required!

6. Do you have any virtual events coming up where our members can see you and order signed books?
Absolutely! I'm having a virtual launch party on 12/28 at 6PM PST with Pages, a wonderful independent bookstore here in Manhattan Beach, and I'll be signing and personalizing all books ordered through the store! The next day, I'll be doing a virtual event with my favorite indie bookstore in NYC, Books of Wonder (12/29 at 6PM EST). I have a fun pre-order offer happening now too, where you can receive a free gift pack with your copy of the book! More info on that here.