Unveiling the inspiration behind ‘Bought by the Sheikh’
I was reflecting today somewhat belatedly, as I began writing this blog on 20 April 2024, after I released my book Bought By The Sheikh. Readers often ask what inspired the story, and they are delighted to find that it is inspired by actual events, as in this book.
Many moons ago, the seed was planted when I read about women who were denied the right to drive in Saudi Arabia and were being arrested while fighting for this freedom. A freedom I, living in the West, have taken for granted.
I learned to drive when I was 14 years old, getting my license at 15, and being taught by my father, who ensured that I had the same privileges as my brother—something still denied to women in Saudi Arabia. My father also ensured that I was educated and at the best possible private school.
Not many women are afforded this privilege, especially in countries that are overruled by men who seek to oppress and limit women’s freedom, access to education, and even their reproductive rights (something I see under threat in parts of America). You may enjoy my blog, where I share how investing in women accelerates their progress>>
Invest in women: Accelerate progressImagine living under extreme rule
I recently read about how Dubai markets itself as a progressive country. However, some activists have revealed how women (and men) still live under extreme rule and cannot move about freely nor speak freely for fear of being incarcerated and cut off from their families forever.
Today (20 April 2024) I was reminded of the passion and purpose behind my story when I read about American actress Jennifer Lawrence teaming up with Malala Yousafzai to create a movie about the abuse of women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule after US troops withdrew in 2021. Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani female education activist and the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate at the age of 17. She is the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in history. She became an international symbol of the fight for girls’ education after she was shot in the head as she returned from school in 2012 for opposing Taliban restrictions on female education in her home country of Pakistan.
New laws that ban women from school, work or going out other than in certain chaperoned circumstances, wearing full-body coverings.
“Strong women are not easy women,” says Jennifer Lawrence, “and a woman’s life is lonely. So much of our experience cannot be shared or understood by men, and our rights are in their hands. That’s why we need each other.”
“It’s an unbelievable way to treat your wives, your mothers, your sisters. It’s so overwhelming” – Bread & Roses, produced by Malala Yousafzai and Jennifer Lawrence. You can read the article here>>
I feel empowered when I am writing my mind and sharing my heart.“I feel empowered when I am speaking my mind” ~ Jennifer Lawrence. This human right is denied to many. Freedom of speech is increasingly under threat in the West also. I feel empowered when I am writing my mind and sharing my heart.
“You don’t really write Sheikh romances, do you?”Someone asked me recently, “Why do you write Sheikh romances?” She was quite amused at the notion. But sheikh romances enthrall me. It’s the depth of history, the breath of the injustice, the beauty of the culture (when untainted by extremists who seek to rule and overpower) that fuel the fire in my fiction.
I recall that Mother Theresa once said, “We are all pens in the hands of a writing God sending love letters to the world.
“Give me love. Give me peace.” ~ George Harrison, The Beatles“Would you like to discover why we’re not free to be lovers? I meant to ask you where all the love has gone and what we have become,” said Don Mclean.I’m heartened when reviewers leave me comments, such as
“While providing a wonderful escape, I was pleasantly surprised that this romance story provided thoughtful, relatable characters but also provided insights into Islam and I always enjoy learning new things about other cultures and philosophies. Through greater understanding and respect for differences, we can all unite for the greater good of the human race … in my humble opinion.”
I am fortunate to have experienced some of this lifestyle and culture when I traveled to Egypt, Jordan, and Israel as a single woman in my early 20s. I was driven by my own curiosity to see these cultures, and I hope to travel to Oman and other desert kingdoms one day. But more than this, I hope and yearn for the day that there will be everlasting peace amongst all cultures, all religions, all faiths, and all genders.
Shangri LaMy interest in the merging of Arabic and Western culture was also inspired by a lovely stay on the island of Maui in 2008, where I chanced upon the Arabic-inspired palatial home of American tobacco heiress Doris Duke. Constructed from 1935 to 1937, Shangri La was inspired by her extensive travels throughout North Africa and Western, Central, South and Southeast Asia, and the landscapes of Hawai’i. Her grand passion for Arabic architecture led her to import many pieces into her home. It was a truly memorable, beautiful, and life-changing experience. Travel always inspires my stories.
As part of her lasting desire to promote the study and understanding of the art and cultures experienced during her travels, Doris Duke directed in her will that Shangri La be “available to scholars, students and others interested in the furtherance and preservation of Islamic art and make the premises open to the public.” In 2002, Shangri La opened as the only museum dedicated exclusively to Islamic art in the United States.
Crackdowns, Attacks and Threat of War Put Iranians on Edge
In several episodes captured on video which spread quickly on social media and were published on BBC Persian, the morality police berate, beat and drag women forcefully to police vans. One video showed an agitated woman collapsing on the sidewalk and struggling to breathe after an argument with the police as a crowd of passers-by gathered around her.
The scenes have set off an outpouring of anger and condemnation, particularly since the morality police were supposedly abolished during the protests in 2022, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, while in police custody. She was being held for violating the hijab rule.
Then today (23 April, 2024) I read an extraordinary thing
The ride of his life!1998 the Queen took Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah bin Abdulaziz — who was from a country that only ended their ban on women driving in 2018 — on the ride of his life. You can enjoy the entertaining article here>> https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/09/14/queen-elizabeth-king-abdullah/#
I hope you enjoyed this insight into the many inspirations behind my Sheikh’s Untamed Brides Series
Enjoy this book through the links below…
AMAZON US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRR3XQ5M
AMAZON CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CRR3XQ5M
AMAZON UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CRR3XQ5M
AMAZON AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CRR3XQ5M
UNIVERSAL LINK: https://mybook.to/BoughtByTheSheikh
iBOOK, BARNES AND NOBLE, AND OTHER GREAT BOOKSTORES
https://books2read.com/u/mKXvo5
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com//en/ebook/bought-by-the-sheikh-1
Audio: Coming soon
BOUGHT BY THE SHEIKH is part of Mollie Mathews’ THE SHEIKHS UNTAMED BRIDES series starring Maverick Sheikh Billionaires. While it can easily be read as a standalone story, you’ll likely enjoy reading the other books, too. All of Mollie’s series are linked. If you find a character you love, they could be in another novel!
THE SHEIKHS UNTAMED BRIDES
Claimed by the Sheikh (Tariq and Melanie)
Stolen By The Sheikh (Anwar and Lucy)
Bought By The Sheikh (Fazza and Grace)
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