News: Mehrnoosh Mazarei in Narrative Magazine

From Boshehr to the Caspian Sea.
IRAN, 1964

Finally, our father, whom we called agha joon, "dear master," had promised to take us on our dream vacation. The night before we left, my sister, Simin, and I stayed up till dawn. She had a book with a foldout map of Iran. She brought the book to bed, and we marked our trip in red. We would cross almost the entire length of Iran: from Boshehr, a city near the Persian Gulf in the south, to the Caspian Sea in the north, the world's largest saltwater lake. A lake so big they called it a sea... Read more at Narrative Magazine

Mehrnoosh Mazarei was born and raised in Iran. She is the author of several Persian short story collections, including A Stranger in My Room, which was nominated twice in Iran for the best short story collection of the year. Her many stories have been published and anthologized in other countries as well, including the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Germany. Mazarei lives in Valley Center, California, with her husband.

Narrative Magazine website: www.narrativemagazine.com

New member: Niki Bahara ~ New book: 'Unpaved Road'

Niki Bahara is an Iranian-American woman.
After acquiring her BS in Finance from the University of Tehran, she worked for two years in Iran until she was forced to flee the Islamic Regime when she was only 23. This is her gripping true life-or-death story that will keep you guessing what happens next. Read more

'Unpaved Road' paperback available at Amazon.com
'Unpaved Road' e-book available at Amazon.com
Niki's book is also available at on-line bookstores such as www.barnesandnoble.com, www.iuniverse.com, in both the e-book and paperback versions. Some LA bookstores such as Sherkate Ketab, Ketab Sara and Dawah Book Shop carry Niki's book. And...it's also available at her own website www.unpavedroadbook.com

A FREE event by the Language & Arts Institute - providing a voice and venue for international artists.
Includes readings and artwork by AIAW members Shirindokht Nourmanesh, Esther Kamkar and others

Free
Literary Performances,
Poetry Readings    Art Exhibits

Guest Speaker: Azin Izadifar (winner of the 2010 Human Rights Watch Award). Featuring Artists from Portugal, Iran, Korea, Germany, Kenya, Indonesia, Taiwan, Bosnia, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Japan.
Film Showing of the D.V.A. Production: 'The Chiang Mai Project'.

After she dies and arrives in Heaven, Catherine discovers that life is still a mystery and full of hidden surprises. Catherine, a florist in San Francisco, and David, a doctor from New York City, both die of a heart attack on the same day in the same hospital. They meet in Heaven, and together befriend an angel named Oliver who occasionally allows them to observe certain events on Earth.

Catherine is particularly worried about her daughter, Sarah, a wedding planner who seems to have lost her way. She asks Oliver to let her speak to Sarah in her dreams, hoping that the dreams will end Sarah's mourning. Her new friend, David, has his own concerns about his son, Dan. After learning more about Dan, Catherine is convinced that she has found a perfect match for Sarah.Dan, lives in New York City and is trying to extricate himself from a broken marriage, but Rachel, his actress wife, won't give him a divorce.

Catherine and David convince Oliver to arrange for their children to meet. After two failed attempts, Oliver finally succeeds and Sarah and Dan fall in love—but their road to happiness holds many obstacles yet. A secret revealed to Catherine shatters her new world in Heaven. Only time will reveal whether there will be a happy ending for Catherine and Sarah.

About the author Farin Powell

Farin Powell is an attorney and an accomplished writer who has published many legal articles, poems and several short stories. Her book of poetry, 'A Piece of Heaven' was published in 2009 and has received many impressive reviews. She is a member of the Academy of American Poets, AIAW, AWP and several writers groups. She presently lives in Virginia.