Hope was student teaching at an amazing school in Lebanon, attending university to attain her bachelor’s degree in education, enjoying terrific relationships with her friends, and falling in love. Her life was about as close to perfect as it gets — until May 11 when she woke up surrounded by police with guns to her face.

Now, with the release of “Caged Free Bird” (published by Archway Publishing), she bares her life story to the world and invites readers to see the truth about the female prison system in the Middle East through the eyes of an innocent woman.

In a collection of diary entries written with a stolen pen and papers, Hope reveals the psychological and physical torment she endured for months, from jails to prisons in Lebanon. With eight months of jail time to prove her innocence, she documents her experiences as she meets innocent and guilty women of all ages and backgrounds. Her experiences are horrifying and sometimes laughable, as much as they are heart wrenching and prove resilience. She talks about her mental health journey, from how she was wrongly treated and to she persevered to rebuild her life. Ultimately, these traumatic events led Hope to what she is today: a woman fighting back.

• Listing ID: 12455
• Author's Name: Hope
• Your Email Address: selmatzein@gmail.com
• About the Author: Hope is a 30-something woman pursuing her degree in forensic psychology after her experience in Lebanon, and her passion is growing daily to help others. Although she has moved around the world from Dubai to the USA, Hope is currently exploring the city of Charlotte. With her cat Sylvester, whom she rescued when she found out her verdict seven years ago, Hope is now learning and developing psychological theories to adapt to her personality and give back to the community as best as possible. She is currently pursuing her M.Ed. in Clinical Psychology at Winthrop University and is to graduate in May 2023.
  
  Hope was student teaching at an amazing school in Lebanon, attending university to attain her bachelor’s degree in education, enjoying terrific relationships with her friends, and falling in love. Her life was about as close to perfect as it gets — until May 11 when she woke up surrounded by police with guns to her face.
  
  Now, with the release of “Caged Free Bird” (published by Archway Publishing), she bares her life story to the world and invites readers to see the truth about the female prison system in the Middle East through the eyes of an innocent woman.
  
  In a collection of diary entries written with a stolen pen and papers, Hope reveals the psychological and physical torment she endured for months, from jails to prisons in Lebanon. With eight months of jail time to prove her innocence, she documents her experiences as she meets innocent and guilty women of all ages and backgrounds. Her experiences are horrifying and sometimes laughable, as much as they are heart wrenching and prove resilience. She talks about her mental health journey, from how she was wrongly treated and to she persevered to rebuild her life. Ultimately, these traumatic events led Hope to what she is today: a woman fighting back.
• URL of the book's purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Caged-Free-Bird-Diary-Part/dp/1665732660/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1668370650&sr=8-1
• Genre: True Crime, Non-fiction
• Titles of All Books: Caged Free Bird, Diary Part 1
• 1. Did you love reading books when you were little? Why or why not?: I read ever since I could remember; So much so that I used to get in trouble for it! I would read underneath our dinner table with a glass top, where I could slowly bring my head down and read page by page while pretending to be part of whatever boring conversation was happening. I loved the escape, I loved to dream, and everything I read, as diverse as it is, all had its meaning in my life prevailing now.
• 2. At what age did you start reading books? What were your best memories of that time?: As soon as I could! I got to first grade already reading ahead of my time. My best memories were a library my teacher created in our 3rd-grade classroom. Mrs. Sours, she was so encouraging and supportive; she created fake library cards for us to go to the corner and "sit in the library" and check out books. It was the best reward.
• 3. What was the first book you loved reading? Why?: I remember many books that came across my tiny bookshelf, but the book I strongly remember that turned me was The Shining. Stephen King had the magic, and I fell in love as I began the first chapter. I did my book report on him in the 7th grade, and ever since, I just wanted to write. I've had folders on every laptop I've had since I was 15 till today titled "writing," including documents of quotes from Stephen King.
• 4. When did you first think about writing your first book? Why?: Ever since I was little, I just wanted to write but I never had my pure inspiration. Until today; I decided to let the world in on my world. This is why I am where I am. I went through a traumatic experience as an innocent person that’s affected my life for years, and until today, I’m a fighter, and I’m not stopping now. Introducing to you the diary of when I was in jail, what I was exposed to, and how much worse it could be for others. I’ll fight for them for the rest of my life because no one deserves to be imprisoned; People need to be rehabilitated, and if it starts with mental health awareness in Lebanese prisons when I graduate, that’s where I’ll start.
• 5. What was the greatest obstacle you've encountered when you were writing your book? What made you overcome it?: The PTSD of relieving moments while reading it. Overcoming it came with my coping skills.
• 6. What pieces of advice can you give aspiring authors? What worked for you?: Write what you love, and it will come! I wrote during the times I woke up and found the times that worked for me and the breaks that worked for me. I encourage others to love their writing, but remember to take breaks and not burnout!
• 7. Who are the authors or what are the books that had the greatest influence in your own writing? Why?: Stephen King! My inspiration came from The Shining, and then my next book was Christine. The way Stephen King would write allowed me to visualize the entire scenario and engulf myself in the scene. I felt like I was watching the scenes happening as I stood in the dark corner watching.
• 8. What are your current or future writing plans? What can readers further expect from you?: Part 2!

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